06-08-2021, 04:58 PM
(06-08-2021, 04:46 PM)cow Wrote: KP at center doesn't work in my eyes:
-It doesn't matter what his assignment with pick and roll offenses, he'll get switched into a favorable matchup on the perimeter and abused by smaller, quicker players.
-Throw KP into a Gimmick zone with the current roster construction and it doesn't work either. Teams figure out the zone eventually to get outside looks and even if they drive, he'll be out of rebounding position while playing help defense because our perimeter defense is bad and will not improve over drastically next year .
-And speaking of rebounding, he's not a very good rebounder.
It's sort of a semantic debate, at this point. All of your bullet points above are the issues, even if you play him at 2-guard. If he's on the floor, those are the ways in which your team will suffer from playing him.
I guess my point is that if he's fixable (BIG emphasis on "IF") at all, I still see him from the angle of "my big guy is faster, quicker and more skilled than your big guy." That was and will probably always be the dream with KP. If people have given up on that dream, I don't blame them. I had 75% given up on it right after the bubble last year, and have gotten less confident all season long.
I'm just saying, if people's "solution" to how poorly the dude moves laterally on defense is to play him with a center, even one who CAN play the modern game, then I don't see why we'd even be in favor of messing with the dude anymore. If you have a center you like (let's say Holmes, for this discussion), then RAD!!! Now, go get a 4 you like who fits with him! Because OMG, if you play KP/Holmes together, teams are absolutely STILL going to pick and roll KP to death.
If we were ANY other fanbase, we'd understand this. People have the memory of Dirk stuck in their heads, so they're trying to make it work with KP like the Mavs did with Dirk. But, Dirk was an actual great offensive player. With moves. Who could score when you threw him the ball. And honestly, he moved better into his 30's than KP did THIS SEASON, which I never thought I'd say.
The ONLY hope, regardless of position or fit, is that KP's hampered movement and agility was TEMPORARY. I'm so skeptical about that, but I obviously don't KNOW. Maybe a healthy off-season and a full season during which he's not trying to work himself back into game shape during actual games will make a huge difference. But, if what we saw this year is really just how slow he is...how hard it is for him to change directions or move laterally, etc. Donesky.