Would twin towers work?

[celticsclay]

I have seen a lot of speculation on teams playing twin towers next season. Turner and sabonis together (plus a first round drafted center). Horford and porzingas in Dallas. Horford and embiid in Philly. Do people think two very traditional big men can work? It half worked in New Orleans with cousins and Davis before cousins got hurt. Any combination of bowl okafor, Noel, and embiid playing together never worked (although it turns out okafor is not really an nba player). What do people think of this concept?

Personally unless it is a guy like Davis who can really guard small forwards I don’t think it can work. Even good centers like capela and Adams had trouble in playoff basketball at times. And that was just one center.

[Silky]

I have seen a lot of speculation on teams playing twin towers next season. Turner and sabonis together (plus a first round drafted center). Horford and porzingas in Dallas. Horford and embiid in Philly. Do people think two very traditional big men can work? It half worked in New Orleans with cousins and Davis before cousins got hurt. Any combination of bowl okafor, Noel, and embiid playing together never worked (although it turns out okafor is not really an nba player). What do people think of this concept?

Personally unless it is a guy like Davis who can really guard small forwards I don’t think it can work. Even good centers like capela and Adams had trouble in playoff basketball at times. And that was just one center.

If centers have a low post game, and they are surrounded with shooter it will work

You can make other teams HAVE to adjust to you if you continually pound the ball inside, and all thise small ball will be forced to compensate because they will be giving up easy 2 after easy 2, or getting alot of foul calls. And the other thing alot of people miss, is that the opposing small ball players will be using their legs alot to try and slow down the bully ball, and as a result they will get tired and those jumpers they are used to having lift on will start coming up short.

The nba will always be able to be dominated by bigmen, the issue is that all teams have decided to adopt the small ball philosophy as opposed to combating it.

[gouki88]

As you touch on, I think it really depends on the personnel. For it to really work I think you need someone like Horford, who is a strong versatile defender that can shoot and pass, as part of it. Al alongside a dominant interior scorer and defender could work, but neither guys like Al nor those dominant presences are commonplace.

I think for it to work it would need very specific skill-sets

[GreenFaith1819]

Siiiiighhhh............

The Good Ol' days.........

I'd bet that in their primes THESE guys could guard on the perimeter in stretches.

Nowadays? To answer the OP - I'd say the NBA is a LOT more open to Twin Tower concepts with decent quickness, agility and know-how, especially RIGHT NOW...

A certain tall, long, athletic, gifted Big is out next season. Slim Reaper.

If Kristaps had arrived in DAL a few years ago I think he and Dirk would've made a DEVASTATING Twin Tower match up....oh wow...........

I don't think there is ANY team out there now like GSW was...they are no longer the archetype....teams don't have to match up to them anymore.

We can FINALLY go back to somewhat traditional basketball.

To answer the OP I'd say yes...teams could try it now - with GSW no longer in the picture.

[moiso]

I don’t consider most of the players in the original post to be “traditional big men.”  If they spend a lot of time around the perimeter they aren’t really traditional, are they?  The Cousins/Davis pairing was probably the best two big men you’ll see together and they played better after Cousins got hurt, even though he had a monster year numbers wise.

[footey]

I don’t consider most of the players in the original post to be “traditional big men.”  If they spend a lot of time around the perimeter they aren’t really traditional, are they?  The Cousins/Davis pairing was probably the best two big men you’ll see together and they played better after Cousins got hurt, even though he had a monster year numbers wise.

That duo destroyed us in Boston as I recall.

[knuckleballer]

Tacko and Timelord.  I really hope those two get paired together in the Summer League on the court at the same time. How long would both teams go without scoring?  I want to know.

[CelticsElite]

I don’t consider most of the players in the original post to be “traditional big men.”  If they spend a lot of time around the perimeter they aren’t really traditional, are they?  The Cousins/Davis pairing was probably the best two big men you’ll see together and they played better after Cousins got hurt, even though he had a monster year numbers wise.

That duo destroyed us in Boston as I recall.

a lot of bad teams beat us in Boston

How did that duo do in the playoffs? How did they do against all other teams ? Oh right they sucked

[Bobshot]

Tacko and Timelord.  I really hope those two get paired together in the Summer League on the court at the same time. How long would both teams go without scoring?  I want to know.

You put those two guys in the paint, what you got is a wall. No more easy shots. But you better have some good outside shooters, because those two guys can't shoot more than 5 feet out.

Heck, just one of those guys in the paint, especially Tacko, you got a wall. That's more likely.

The question is whether the coach wants that type of game. Thus far, I don't see it. He likes bigs that roam.

[GreenEnvy]

If we got a TPE for Irving as discussed in other threads, I wouldn’t mind making a pitch for Vucevic AND resign Horford. They are two guys who can both facilitate, score in the post and shoot. Horford would be able to defend the majority of PF’s without much difficulty.

Smart/vet FA (Collison?)/Edwards
Brown/Langford
Tatum/Hayward/Ojeleye
Horford/Theis/Williams/Yabusele
Vucevic/Williams III/TACKOOOOO

Of course this is pretty far-fetched as we would need to convince Kyrie’s new team to agree to this, and then convince both Vucevic to come here AND incentivize it for Orlando. And, obviously, give Horford what he wants.

It would cost us at least two firsts but I feel that would be a contender. If we could get a ring-chasing vet big to solidify the bench, we’d be set.