Lakers would be better off with Gortat

[CardsSunsDbacks]

I wonder if Steve started high and ended low when it came to minutes played as he became older and the season progressed.

Averages over a game or season are only the numerical point in the middle which, quite often, actually never occur. For example, if you have 100 people aged 25 and 100 people aged 75 in your market area, and you gear your advertising to the average of 50 years old, not one of your targeted consumers will identify. But the average age is still 50.

Nash's averages for minutes played and stamina rating (if there could be such a thing) are not indicative of his performance and health at the end of a season vs. that at the beginning. Sure, that applies to all ballplayers to some degree, but when you are two months away from 39, it takes a higher toll.

So now, with the Lakers, Steve will put D'Antoni's offensive philosophy into even more of a conundrum than it did in Phoenix. When Steve is refreshed, he'll put on a hell of a show. As he wears down, it will cause the same confusion among the rest of the team.

Another thing to factor into his minutes early in his second stint with the Suns is that he often went out of the game with a big lead and could then rest for a while, but in closer games he likely played much bigger minutes.

 

[desertdawg]

Howard goes 3/13 in freethrow land and chokes in the fourth, on the line, just like I said. But folks are blaming it on Kobe, Dantoni, and Gasol. They are screwed with Howard, just watch.

 

[95pro]

hack a howard would actually throw off dantoni's game plan of up tempo.

 

[desertdawg]

Kobe's getting upset. Gasol is riding pine so they can play Howard, Howard is getting hacked and throwing land darts from the line. Lakers lose to Orlando...8-9 now???, that's just funny.

 

[Cheesebeef]

hack a howard would actually throw off dantoni's game plan of up tempo.

yup and if he faces the Spurs in the playoffs, you KNOW that Pop will hack a howard all game long. We already saw how it derailed the Suns with Shaq in that series against the Spurs where DA looked like he was going to explode.

biggest problem here... as usual... DA can coach only one way and one way only... with Nash. He's got four VERY GOOD players with Kobe, Pau, Howard and Artest who looks great this season, but does he adjust his system to work with what he's got? Hell no. He's got Pau camped out at the three point line... and Laker fans are wondering why Pau's got issues.

good coaches can adjust their game-plans. Bad coaches have one way and one way only... and that way hasn't even EVER be shown to be successful unless it has Nash.

this is awesome so far.

 

[Covert Rain]

yup and if he faces the Spurs in the playoffs, you KNOW that Pop will hack a howard all game long. We already saw how it derailed the Suns with Shaq in that series against the Spurs where DA looked like he was going to explode.

biggest problem here... as usual... DA can coach only one way and one way only... with Nash. He's got four VERY GOOD players with Kobe, Pau, Howard and Artest who looks great this season, but does he adjust his system to work with what he's got? Hell no. He's got Pau camped out at the three point line... and Laker fans are wondering why Pau's got issues.

good coaches can adjust their game-plans. Bad coaches have one way and one way only... and that way hasn't even EVER be shown to be successful unless it has Nash.

this is awesome so far.

This. Pringles has to be one of the worst in game adjustment coaches I have ever seen. Either that or he is the most arrogant and believes his way will win out in the end no matter how many times they stop him.

 

[D-Dogg]

good coaches can adjust their game-plans. Bad coaches have one way and one way only... and that way hasn't even EVER be shown to be successful unless it has Warner.

Fixed it for you. Oh wait, different forum.

 

[desertdawg]

To everybody dissing me for this thread in the beginning, Maybe I can teach you guys how to make tye die T-shirts next week. Maybe after that I can show you how to tie knots or we can go to the zoo. It was there the whole time, Dantony with a free throw bricker, Shaq. Hack a Howard, no Laker fast break. The Suns kicked Kobe/Lakers out of the playoffs with Dantoni's fast pace, so Kobe is down with the style. Howard is gonna get benched soon, during an important game, then the real sparks will fly. Especially if Gasol has a monster 4th quarter when it happens.

Yall took a gang of shots at me.

 

[95pro]

Lakers lose to Houston as they blew a good lead, and Howard blows f/t's down the stretch.

 

[SirStefan32]

Lakers lose to Houston as they blew a good lead, and Howard blows f/t's down the stretch.

Still better than Gortat.

 

[slinslin]

the notion that the Lakers would be better with Gortat is hilarious considering freethrow shooting is about the only thing Gortat does better than Dwight and Gortat otherwise being an absolutely average starting center.

 

[Covert Rain]

the notion that the Lakers would be better with Gortat is hilarious considering freethrow shooting is about the only thing Gortat does better than Dwight and Gortat otherwise being an absolutely average starting center.

I agree with you on this one point. I don't think the Lakers would be any better off with Gortat. Howard is a tier above Gortat. Where we differ is that Gortat is an above average center IMO. Your scale is actually skewed because you use the Lopez scale.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I agree with you on this one point. I don't think the Lakers would be any better off with Gortat. Howard is a tier above Gortat. Where we differ is that Gortat is an above average center IMO. Your scale is actually skewed because you use the Lopez scale.

11 ppg and 8.3 rebounds doesn't make anyone an above average center, regardless of Lopez scale.

 

[Covert Rain]

11 ppg and 8.3 rebounds doesn't make anyone an above average center, regardless of Lopez scale.

Well I have said that Gortat is not playing up to his abilities this season. So, I am taking that into consideration. I think he isn't happy on this team or maybe it's a chemistry problem. This team sure doesn't feel cohesive. Put him on a contending team or on the Lakers he plays better. He is an above average Center in this league of very few legit centers. Not GREAT but above average IMO.

This brings up an interesting question. What is everyone's opinion on Great, Above average and average. If you look at the population of legit centers it's pretty sparse. What team wouldn't be happy with 12 and 10 out of their starting center? Where would that rank?

 

[slinslin]

Gortat is a top 10-20 center in the NBA that makes him an average starting center

 

[AzStevenCal]

Well I have said that Gortat is not playing up to his abilities this season. So, I am taking that into consideration. I think he isn't happy on this team or maybe it's a chemistry problem. This team sure doesn't feel cohesive. Put him on a contending team or on the Lakers he plays better. He is an above average Center in this league of very few legit centers. Not GREAT but above average IMO.

This brings up an interesting question. What is everyone's opinion on Great, Above average and average. If you look at the population of legit centers it's pretty sparse. What team wouldn't be happy with 12 and 10 out of their starting center? Where would that rank?

I don't know what to say about Gortat. At times this season he's looked like a top 5 center but he's had even more games where he's played like a scrub. He may be unhappy because we aren't contending but he's one of the main reasons we aren't contending (for a playoff spot).

Steve

 

[95pro]

Still better than Gortat.

agreed.



just posted here cause anything non-suns gets moved to the other section that no one reads. it not like there's anything better to talk about atm.

both gortat and dH need to **** and sack-up for the amount of money they are getting paid. make shots, back up your big mouths and ego's, man up and play hard. sick of these over paid babies whining and crying with their inflated egos.

 

[desertdawg]

I don't recall anyone saying Gortat was better than Howard, that just isn't true. I did, however, state that Gortat would be a better fit for the Lakers. Gortat is not better than Howard, duh. Gortat is a better fit on the Lakers now that they have Dantoni. Howard is going to have problems, that's what the thread is about. Gortat is in the thread title to proove a point. Like how he could share space with Gasol, Nash, and Kobe at the same time while playing Dantoni's system. You guys will never admit I had it right so it's all good, as they say....the ball knows. I laugh.

 

[desertdawg]

the notion that the Lakers would be better with Gortat is hilarious considering freethrow shooting is about the only thing Gortat does better than Dwight and Gortat otherwise being an absolutely average starting center.

You just don't get it, but that's nothing new. Howard creates more problems than he is worth on this year's Lakers with Dantoni at the helm. It might take you a while to comprehend this.

 

[slinslin]

You just don't get it, but that's nothing new. Howard creates more problems than he is worth on this year's Lakers with Dantoni at the helm. It might take you a while to comprehend this.

That is utter non-sense, we would have killed to get a center like Howard who can run up and down the court and rebound and defend better than any other center in the league.

 

[desertdawg]

That is utter non-sense, we would have killed to get a center like Howard who can run up and down the court and rebound and defend better than any other center in the league.

Stay with me sunshine, I know you've been itching to get rid of the Machine since he got here. Maybe you can make one of your lack luster NBA trades and send Gortat to the Fakers for Howard in a couple weeks. We can give them back all the bogus picks they gave us for Nash to make it happen right? Then Nash and Dantoni get their center that can pick and roll at the top of the key, Gasol won't be suffocated, Kobe will be double teamed less and the hack a Howard is just plain gone. Does this tickle your fancy yet???

 

[desertdawg]

Totally agree, Nash will never be the main show in LA and nor should he be. I think he is there to be a sideshow to relieve Kobe (so he can ball like he could a couple years ago), and I think the Lakers can do it better with a run and gun style center that can nail free throws. I think Kobe will turn on Howard, and the only Nash show will be him playing Canada (him picking no sides ) and trying to bring the team together. Howard is going to command/get too much attention with the arrival of D'antoni, and it won't be in a good way. I think they could hang with the Meat if they fix it early in the season. Howard's got game, but he needs a triangle style with another head honcho on the floor via point gaurd probably. That aint happening in Smell A.

You gotta admit, when Nash was trying to school Howard during the ESPN game, that's kinda Canada prophetic. He hasn't even played yet.

 

[desertdawg]

Nash coming back should help out some for Kobe ,Dantoni, and Gasol. But Howard? He's begininng too taste the pine in the fourth quarters and the pine leads to the whine with that freethrow brickin cat. The Big Bad Man better change the rules soon, or the Lakers will need the Big Bad Man to collude them another superstar. This is funny to me, started paying attention because Nash was over there but now it's become quite comical. Really helps me with my day to day... with all the Az teams sucking balls. Laker Lockeroom will get better and better, postgames will be a must watch, ESPN will get that 24 hour coverage going on the meltdown in smeltown. Can't wait!!

 

[D-Dogg]

But Howard? He's begininng too taste the pine in the fourth quarters and the pine leads to the whine with that freethrow brickin cat.

This isn't true. And in fact, he's begun hitting his freethrows at a much better rate. In the last 9 games, he's shooting 61%, vs. 47% up to that point. In those last 9 games, he's moved his overall percentage above the 50% mark as well. His free throw shooting is moving back up, after taking a huge hit in the three post thanksgiving games where he shot 42 free throws at a 36% clip, making only 15.

He's not getting benched in the fourth (other than for foul trouble) and he's improving his free throw shooting.

 

[elindholm]

He's not getting benched in the fourth (other than for foul trouble) and he's improving his free throw shooting.

In related news, the last 20 times I flipped a coin, I got 13 heads, so I must be getting better at that too.