Poll: Best Player to Build a Franchise Around

[Donoghus]

Eye of the beholder, indeed.  I like post play more than watching teams missing 60%+ of their outside shots.

The most fun era of basketball to watch, for me, was the 80s.  I didn't consider games back then to be boring.

You're not wrong.

[Vermont Green]

Eye of the beholder, indeed.  I like post play more than watching teams missing 60%+ of their outside shots.

The most fun era of basketball to watch, for me, was the 80s.  I didn't consider games back then to be boring.

Just dumping the ball into a big while everyone else just stands around at the 3 point line is not all that fun to watch.  But I think that is a pretty small percentage of the 0-3 ft shots these days.  The 3 point line creates more spacing.  The spacing allows more room for pick and rolls, more attacking the rim off the dribble.  The 0-3 ft shots are more that kind of shot.  Alley oop dunks, dribble drives by guards and wings.  Put backs.

Even the dump it in to the big is fine (interesting to watch) if there is cutting and back screening off the ball.  Passes out of the post for better shots.  You need it all these days.  Probably always did.

[nickagneta]

Eye of the beholder, indeed.  I like post play more than watching teams missing 60%+ of their outside shots.

The most fun era of basketball to watch, for me, was the 80s.  I didn't consider games back then to be boring.

It's not you or me or people with our tastes that the NBA is catering their product or rules for, though. It's drives to the basket and three point shots that the younger crowd loves and that's the demographic the NBA is trying their hardest to sell their product to. Any review of NBA game highlights on NBA-TV or ESPN will show you that.

[nickagneta]

Interesting debate, big vs. wing.  I will just say that if you go back through the last 10-15 champions, there are a lot of teams where the best player was a big.

Giannis  2021
Davis/James  2020
Durant  2017/2018
James  2016
Duncan  2007/2014
Nowitzki   2011
Garnett  2008

Now I understand that when you consider LeBron James and Kevin Durant, they aren't exactly bigs, certainly not back to their basket bigs, but they aren't exactly just wings either.  But it is not accurate to say that you can't win a championship with a big as the best player.  Or that it is the wrong way to build a team.  Or that you absolutely need a top wing.  In reality, you need both.  A big needs at least an all star level wing and vice verse.

I see nothing categorically wrong with choosing to build your team around a big.  Also nothing wrong with going with the best wing in the league.  The big today is likely not a back to the basket type anyway.  Giannis isn't.  Jokic isn't.  But there is plenty a top big can bring to a team.

Duncan and Davis are the only guys there that played center for most of those championship teams minutes and only Duncan was the best player on his team. Dirk was a stretch 4, James and Durant big wings. Giannis a non-traditional point power forward, KG played a whole bunch on the perimeter taking 20-22 foot long two's on offense letting Perk play down low.

I've been quite clear that by big I mean center, though maybe others don't see bigs that way.

[slamtheking]

Eye of the beholder, indeed.  I like post play more than watching teams missing 60%+ of their outside shots.

The most fun era of basketball to watch, for me, was the 80s.  I didn't consider games back then to be boring.

It's not you or me or people with our tastes that the NBA is catering their product or rules for, though. It's drives to the basket and three point shots that the younger crowd loves and that's the demographic the NBA is trying their hardest to sell their product to. Any review of NBA game highlights on NBA-TV or ESPN will show you that.

sadly, you're right on that point.  agree with Roy that the best basketball was back in the 80's when post play was a key part of every team's offense.   I miss the days of watching Mchale eat his defender(s) alive with his post moves.  Walton's passing ability from the post was stellar to watch.  I even miss Kareem's sky hook which was poetry in motion (for a Laker scumbag).

[liam]

Good break down of Tatum at the end of this:

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2022/11/14/23456714/nba-awards-luka-doncic-jayson-tatum

[Vermont Green]

My favorite part of his overall game so far this year is the improvement in FTA:

Tatum has touch, footwork, every ballhandling counter in the book, and a brain that seamlessly combines all of it without wasting any movement. He’s taking 4.4 more free throw attempts than his career average and shooting 81.4 percent at the rim.

He should be better than 81.4% in my mind.  Actually, ESPN stats have him at 86.6% now for the season, more where I would expect him to be.  Where I think he should be.

[gouki88]

My favorite part of his overall game so far this year is the improvement in FTA:

Tatum has touch, footwork, every ballhandling counter in the book, and a brain that seamlessly combines all of it without wasting any movement. He’s taking 4.4 more free throw attempts than his career average and shooting 81.4 percent at the rim.

He should be better than 81.4% in my mind.  Actually, ESPN stats have him at 86.6% now for the season, more where I would expect him to be.  Where I think he should be.

The 81.4% is in reference to his field goals from close distance. His FT% is 86.6%

[Vermont Green]

My favorite part of his overall game so far this year is the improvement in FTA:

Tatum has touch, footwork, every ballhandling counter in the book, and a brain that seamlessly combines all of it without wasting any movement. He’s taking 4.4 more free throw attempts than his career average and shooting 81.4 percent at the rim.

He should be better than 81.4% in my mind.  Actually, ESPN stats have him at 86.6% now for the season, more where I would expect him to be.  Where I think he should be.

The 81.4% is in reference to his field goals from close distance. His FT% is 86.6%

Right, my bad, need to work on that reading comprehension thing.

[tenn_smoothie]

Eye of the beholder, indeed.  I like post play more than watching teams missing 60%+ of their outside shots.

The most fun era of basketball to watch, for me, was the 80s.  I didn't consider games back then to be boring.

It's not you or me or people with our tastes that the NBA is catering their product or rules for, though. It's drives to the basket and three point shots that the younger crowd loves and that's the demographic the NBA is trying their hardest to sell their product to. Any review of NBA game highlights on NBA-TV or ESPN will show you that.

sadly, you're right on that point.  agree with Roy that the best basketball was back in the 80's when post play was a key part of every team's offense.   I miss the days of watching Mchale eat his defender(s) alive with his post moves.  Walton's passing ability from the post was stellar to watch.  I even miss Kareem's sky hook which was poetry in motion (for a Laker scumbag).

Along with the 70's.

That Celts team played beautiful basketball. They could run all night and Cowens and Silas dominated inside. I loved watching them pound people into dust on the boards. Should have had 3 titles instead of 2, but Havlicek got hurt in the 1973 ECF vs the Knicks. That New York team considers the game 7 win in Boston to be the biggest in franchise history. Celts ran them out of the building in '74.

[Kernewek]

Since we’re talking style, another thing to consider: the 2002 Sacramento Kings and to a lesser degree the Gasol/Odom Lakers (loathe as I am to admit it) played beautiful basketball anchored by talented bigs.

The Lakers had Kobe, of course, and I almost put the latter day Spurs in but that’s tricky with Leonard… I would take Duncan 10/10 over Kawhi if I was starting a new franchise tomorrow though.

[GreenlyGreeny]

Victor Wembanyama?

I obviously did the homer vote for JT when I should have picked Giannis. But I seriously think JT or Wembanyama is the second best choice. It’s a shame Kawhi has been so injury-prone that he’s gone from being a top contender in a poll like this in 2019 to not even being an option. I still hold out hope that my guy Kawhi makes a comeback.