Our bigs going forward

[Who]

Maybe we should be going after Nic Claxton instead of W Kessler. Claxton is due $25mil this year, $23mil the year after, $21mil in the final year of his deal. So a declining contract.

A different type of defender to Kessler. Kessler is a powerful center. Claxton a quick mobile center who covers far more ground on defense than Kessler does. More athletic finisher / rim runner around the basket as well.

[KeepBigAl]

However, he was a 20 mpg rotation player for a playoff Sixers team for several years, and then the Cavs last year during their historic offense start to the season (interestingly, their offense fell off when they traded him, but that's more correlation than causation).

On a team that doesn't have any other proven NBA rotation bigs, he probably is our starter at 24 minutes a game.

He was a bench player for those teams - and back in the philly days, I salivated when they put in him b/c I knew I was about to watch our wings abuse him...so I'm not sure if he helped fuel those runs or was more of a liability.   Again, if he is our starter for one bad year, then I'm cool as long as we are aiming for the lottery.  If people are convincing themselves he is a good starting PF for a playoff run, they may not like what they are signing up for.

[Ilikesports17]

Maybe we should be going after Nic Claxton instead of W Kessler. Claxton is due $25mil this year, $23mil the year after, $21mil in the final year of his deal. So a declining contract.

A different type of defender to Kessler. Kessler is a powerful center. Claxton a quick mobile center who covers far more ground on defense than Kessler does. More athletic finisher / rim runner around the basket as well.

Claxtons phenomenal defensively. 50% free throw shooting is just so so bad.

[A Future of Stevens]

Amari Williams is such an interesting intersection of different skills. He doesn't seem explosive, but he looks coordinated while running. He struggles with touch and finishing, but has great passing feel. He almost looks like if someone took a low skill guard/wing and turned them into a 7 footer.

I have no expectations for his career, he's just fascinating to me haha.

[Neurotic Guy]

I think there?s a pretty good chance that George?s Niang will be pretty popular among fans at the Garden. He?ll hit a lot of threes here and probably won?t miss many games to injury - if his history is an indicator.  No one would suggest that he holds a candle to KP as a player, but if he has a role that he can consistently (yes, a question mark) fill, how much less valuable is he than KP who is constantly a stones throw from his next injury?  KP?s value is largely based on what could be. Not what he actually is.  40 games of KP v. 80 games of Niang feels at least a little closer in value than on the surface. 

I?d take KP since losing Niang isn?t much of a gamble for Atlanta.  But we?ll see how it plays out.

Niang is not a starting caliber player on a good team.  Too slow to guard wings and too small to stop bigs.  He can make 3s but has a below average handle and first step.  At best, a bench guy that will play hard and hit open jumpshots - and could score double digits consistently if your team is bad enough to need it from him.   If we are planning to tank, then he's fine I guess, otherwise, I'd hate to see him as a starter here.

KP was a giant net positive defensively when he was able to play and Niang is a net negative - so I'd take KP for just the chance he could be a playoff contributor if winning is the goal.

I agree.  I just think Niang off the bench shooting threes is likely to excite the Garden.  Yes - the chance of what KP brings is more valuable than the better certainty of Niang's deficiencies.  But... KP does lack the proverbial most important ability. 

[Neurotic Guy]

However, he was a 20 mpg rotation player for a playoff Sixers team for several years, and then the Cavs last year during their historic offense start to the season (interestingly, their offense fell off when they traded him, but that's more correlation than causation).

On a team that doesn't have any other proven NBA rotation bigs, he probably is our starter at 24 minutes a game.

He was a bench player for those teams - and back in the philly days, I salivated when they put in him b/c I knew I was about to watch our wings abuse him...so I'm not sure if he helped fuel those runs or was more of a liability.   Again, if he is our starter for one bad year, then I'm cool as long as we are aiming for the lottery.  If people are convincing themselves he is a good starting PF for a playoff run, they may not like what they are signing up for.

Not sure how I got credited with that quote as I didn't write that, but yeah I am in agreement that if he's starting and playing 24 mpg, that's not a good a thing if a team wants to win games.  But I do think there is value in his shot - and in some circumstances Garden fans are going to like that.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Amari Williams is such an interesting intersection of different skills. He doesn't seem explosive, but he looks coordinated while running. He struggles with touch and finishing, but has great passing feel. He almost looks like if someone took a low skill guard/wing and turned them into a 7 footer.

I have no expectations for his career, he's just fascinating to me haha.

Freeze this at 2:11

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvlJCdqDKws&t=51s

Elbow at the rim off one foot. Ball above the square.

He's a good NBA athlete. I don't see a weakness with his athleticism. Size, quickness, jumping, strength, side-to-side, agility, etc. all looks pretty good to me.

I'm hoping it shows a bit in the summer league.

[A Future of Stevens]

Amari Williams is such an interesting intersection of different skills. He doesn't seem explosive, but he looks coordinated while running. He struggles with touch and finishing, but has great passing feel. He almost looks like if someone took a low skill guard/wing and turned them into a 7 footer.

I have no expectations for his career, he's just fascinating to me haha.

Freeze this at 2:11

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvlJCdqDKws&t=51s

Elbow at the rim off one foot. Ball above the square.

He's a good NBA athlete. I don't see a weakness with his athleticism. Size, quickness, jumping, strength, side-to-side, agility, etc. all looks pretty good to me.

I'm hoping it shows a bit in the summer league.

Yeah thats fair. Some plays look like the one you highlighted, and others make me think he is nothing special athletically.

His fluidity of movement looks amazing for a player of his stature though. Who knows what he will be. Odds are against him but you never know.

Edit: I am always a sucker for defensive bigmen with vision. I loved the Timelord because of that combo.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Amari Williams is such an interesting intersection of different skills. He doesn't seem explosive, but he looks coordinated while running. He struggles with touch and finishing, but has great passing feel. He almost looks like if someone took a low skill guard/wing and turned them into a 7 footer.

I have no expectations for his career, he's just fascinating to me haha.

Freeze this at 2:11

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvlJCdqDKws&t=51s

Elbow at the rim off one foot. Ball above the square.

He's a good NBA athlete. I don't see a weakness with his athleticism. Size, quickness, jumping, strength, side-to-side, agility, etc. all looks pretty good to me.

I'm hoping it shows a bit in the summer league.

Yeah thats fair. Some plays look like the one you highlighted, and others make me think he is nothing special athletically.

His fluidity of movement looks amazing for a player of his stature though. Who knows what he will be. Odds are against him but you never know.

Edit: I am always a sucker for defensive bigmen with vision. I loved the Timelord because of that combo.

I'm on record already saying that he looks like Temu Naz Reid to me. Better vision, worse shooting, but bigger.

And yes, the honest part of me knows that is very, very unlikely, but it'd be a lot of fun if flashed a bit this season.

[keevsnick]

Amari Williams is such an interesting intersection of different skills. He doesn't seem explosive, but he looks coordinated while running. He struggles with touch and finishing, but has great passing feel. He almost looks like if someone took a low skill guard/wing and turned them into a 7 footer.

I have no expectations for his career, he's just fascinating to me haha.

Freeze this at 2:11

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvlJCdqDKws&t=51s

Elbow at the rim off one foot. Ball above the square.

He's a good NBA athlete. I don't see a weakness with his athleticism. Size, quickness, jumping, strength, side-to-side, agility, etc. all looks pretty good to me.

I'm hoping it shows a bit in the summer league.

He's certainly not the most athletic guy, you can tell because on a lot of these dunks he's really just barely getting the ball over the rim. But he does appear springier with a head of steam jumping off a straight-line drive than he is off two feet beneath the rim. That could bode well for his ability as a roll man off the PnR.

[Big333223]

Maybe we should be going after Nic Claxton instead of W Kessler. Claxton is due $25mil this year, $23mil the year after, $21mil in the final year of his deal. So a declining contract.

A different type of defender to Kessler. Kessler is a powerful center. Claxton a quick mobile center who covers far more ground on defense than Kessler does. More athletic finisher / rim runner around the basket as well.

Claxtons phenomenal defensively. 50% free throw shooting is just so so bad.

I've always liked Claxton. I like his instincts and he seems to have a good work ethic. I think he could do for the C's what Rob Williams did but he's even more mobile (probably not as good of a shot blocker). Simmons for Claxton?

[Csfan1984]

Amari Williams is such an interesting intersection of different skills. He doesn't seem explosive, but he looks coordinated while running. He struggles with touch and finishing, but has great passing feel. He almost looks like if someone took a low skill guard/wing and turned them into a 7 footer.

I have no expectations for his career, he's just fascinating to me haha.

Freeze this at 2:11

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvlJCdqDKws&t=51s

Elbow at the rim off one foot. Ball above the square.

He's a good NBA athlete. I don't see a weakness with his athleticism. Size, quickness, jumping, strength, side-to-side, agility, etc. all looks pretty good to me.

I'm hoping it shows a bit in the summer league.

That was camera angle the same play is shown at different angles he was not that high above the rim.

[Vermont Green]

This is the first chance I had to watch highlights. He has some skills. I think they will translate to the NBA. I don?t know how you aren?t excited about this guy.

[Celtics4ever]

He's certainly not the most athletic guy, you can tell because on a lot of these dunks he's really just barely getting the ball over the rim. But he does appear springier with a head of steam jumping off a straight-line drive than he is off two feet beneath the rim. That could bode well for his ability as a roll man off the PnR.

Typically,  you only use how much energy or leaping ability you need for most dunks.    I would assume that his standing reach would be well over 9 ' with his 7' 6" Wingspan.  So even if his vertical is low like say under the NBA average for a non step vertical if 28 " he can dunk it easy.     Even Russell and Jordan did not jump as high as they could every play.

 I agree he is not that athletic but size matters.   Can you or could you dunk, keevsnick?    When I was young in 1985 I was 17 and could dunk on an eleven foot rim on a dirt court.   I am 6"7" with a 8'9" and  6'11" wingspan.  Williams dwarfs me, in terms of size and reach.   But this is how I know guys do not junk as high as they can every dunk and years of observation of NBA players and team mates who could throw it down.

I've always liked Claxton. I like his instincts and he seems to have a good work ethic. I think he could do for the C's what Rob Williams did but he's even more mobile (probably not as good of a shot blocker). Simmons for Claxton?

I like him as well as he is active.   I just can't see the Nets moving him as he is their answer at Center.   I think he could help us though.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

This is the first chance I had to watch highlights. He has some skills. I think they will translate to the NBA. I don?t know how you aren?t excited about this guy.

We are currently selling plots on Amari Williams island for reasonable amounts. Come and get your land before its sold out!

I think I'm the only living here so far.