Most Pleasant Surprise this Series: Perk

[footey]

Perk has become a top 5 center in the league, IMO. He is clearly become a top defender. Who else besides Perk can play Howard this well? Also, his offense has improved dramatically, to the point where I have great confidence when he takes the 10-15 footer. He only shoots it when he is wide open, and the shot clock is winding down. He also seems to have improved alot at the foul line. I wonder if the stats bear this out.

Way to go, Perk!!!

[BASS_THUMPER]

so true

his d on howard has been all that. he pushes howard out the paint and forces him to take fade aways. also i like how his hook shot has improved.

i think scal has done a lil more than people thought he would as well.

perk is that dude.

[footey]

Good point re scal, BP.  I think if Scal was in better shape, his performance, esp'ly on D, would be even better. He has the capability of being more of a 3 point threat than I thought.

[LB3533]

Love the way Kendrick has been playing all throughout this year's playoffs.

He has seriously stepped up and is our team's MVP.

Rondo is the East's playoff MVP so far though.

[guava_wrench]

What has impressed me the most with Perk is how he has displayed better low post moves that Howard. Howard is still a far superior finisher, especially off of offensive boards, but Perk's hooks and fadeaways in the lane have been impressive.

[ACF]

Love the way Kendrick has been playing all throughout this year's playoffs.

He has seriously stepped up and is our team's MVP.

Rondo is the East's playoff MVP so far though.

I'm sorry but how can Perk be the MVP
and Rondo be the MVP at the same time?

[Thruthelookingglass]

What has impressed me the most with Perk is how he has displayed better low post moves that Howard. Howard is still a far superior finisher, especially off of offensive boards, but Perk's hooks and fadeaways in the lane have been impressive.

Kenny Smith called it, I've called it.  Perk is all business. 

He may not be the fastest, but he is reliably focused, he knows his job and he does it with all the energy he has.  He is the ground that allows the rest of the team to electrify.  He's grown up and learned true, but you can't say that Perk didn't come to the C's with the heart and character of a champion.  There are centers with more speed, length, and touch, but I frankly don't want them.  I'd pick Perk to be in my proverbial foxhole anytime.

[davemonsterband]

I wasn't very surprised, you really were? D12 struggles plenty enough against the bigger C's in the league.

[Jon]

Perk has become a top 5 center in the league, IMO. He is clearly become a top defender. Who else besides Perk can play Howard this well? Also, his offense has improved dramatically, to the point where I have great confidence when he takes the 10-15 footer. He only shoots it when he is wide open, and the shot clock is winding down. He also seems to have improved alot at the foul line. I wonder if the stats bear this out.

Way to go, Perk!!!

Good point.  And that's the scary part about next year regardless of what happens this year.  If everyone's healthy next year, the C's arguably have top 5 players at every position.  If Danny can get 3-4 average subs to back them up between free agency and internal development, they should dominate next year and challenge the Bulls record for best regular season record. 

[xmuscularghandix]

I'm really not that surprised at all, Perk really likes playing against Dwight and does a good job on him. IMO he makes him look pretty bad, D12 really has to do work to score on Perk.

[clover]

Perk has become a top 5 center in the league, IMO. He is clearly become a top defender. Who else besides Perk can play Howard this well? Also, his offense has improved dramatically, to the point where I have great confidence when he takes the 10-15 footer. He only shoots it when he is wide open, and the shot clock is winding down. He also seems to have improved alot at the foul line. I wonder if the stats bear this out.

Way to go, Perk!!!

Good point.  And that's the scary part about next year regardless of what happens this year.  If everyone's healthy next year, the C's arguably have top 5 players at every position.  If Danny can get 3-4 average subs to back them up between free agency and internal development, they should dominate next year and challenge the Bulls record for best regular season record. 

And you think Ray's still a top-5 shooting guard next year?  (I don't think Billy Walker's coming on that fast! ;-))

[CoachBo]

This series is over, as is our season, if the clear work Perkins' has put into improving his game at both ends of the floor doesn't happen.

Perkins is the MVP of this club in the playoffs.

[clover]

I think Paul, Ray, Stephon and Mikki are the only guys playing for the C's who haven't exceeded expectations and opened some eyes this post-season.  Arguably, none of those guys has yet met expectations.  (If anyone had expectations for Mikki, that is.)

[Jon]

Perk has become a top 5 center in the league, IMO. He is clearly become a top defender. Who else besides Perk can play Howard this well? Also, his offense has improved dramatically, to the point where I have great confidence when he takes the 10-15 footer. He only shoots it when he is wide open, and the shot clock is winding down. He also seems to have improved alot at the foul line. I wonder if the stats bear this out.

Way to go, Perk!!!

Good point.  And that's the scary part about next year regardless of what happens this year.  If everyone's healthy next year, the C's arguably have top 5 players at every position.  If Danny can get 3-4 average subs to back them up between free agency and internal development, they should dominate next year and challenge the Bulls record for best regular season record. 

And you think Ray's still a top-5 shooting guard next year?  (I don't think Billy Walker's coming on that fast! ;-))

In terms of talent?  Probably.  Will he put up the numbers that ridiculous people like John Hollinger use to evaluate players?  Probably not.  (Check out Hollinger's reason why Gasol deserved Second Team All NBA over Pierce.)  Who is better than him at this point? 

Kobe
Wade
Ginoboli 

To me, those are the only three that have clearly proven that they are above Ray.  Arguments could be made for Brandon Roy, Michael Redd, and others; however, none of those guys have hit the big shots that Ray has.  Furthermore, Ray could easily still put up 25 ppg if he was playing on a less talented team. 

So yes, I stick by what I said in my original post: Ray Allen is arguably a top 5 shooting guard in the NBA. 

[Atzar]

Perk has become a top 5 center in the league, IMO. He is clearly become a top defender. Who else besides Perk can play Howard this well? Also, his offense has improved dramatically, to the point where I have great confidence when he takes the 10-15 footer. He only shoots it when he is wide open, and the shot clock is winding down. He also seems to have improved alot at the foul line. I wonder if the stats bear this out.

Way to go, Perk!!!

Good point.  And that's the scary part about next year regardless of what happens this year.  If everyone's healthy next year, the C's arguably have top 5 players at every position.  If Danny can get 3-4 average subs to back them up between free agency and internal development, they should dominate next year and challenge the Bulls record for best regular season record. 

And you think Ray's still a top-5 shooting guard next year?  (I don't think Billy Walker's coming on that fast! ;-))

In terms of talent?  Probably.  Will he put up the numbers that ridiculous people like John Hollinger use to evaluate players?  Probably not.  (Check out Hollinger's reason why Gasol deserved Second Team All NBA over Pierce.)  Who is better than him at this point? 

Kobe
Wade
Ginoboli 

To me, those are the only three that have clearly proven that they are above Ray.  Arguments could be made for Brandon Roy, Michael Redd, and others; however, none of those guys have hit the big shots that Ray has.  Furthermore, Ray could easily still put up 25 ppg if he was playing on a less talented team. 

So yes, I stick by what I said in my original post: Ray Allen is arguably a top 5 shooting guard in the NBA. 

I think Roy has to be considered a better SG than Ray Allen at this point in their careers.  Possibly Joe Johnson as well, although that one's closer. 

I have him at #5:  Kobe, Wade, Roy, Johnson, Ray.  Ginobili at 6 - when he's on the court I think he's a bit better, but Ray gets the nod because he's more durable.

I agree, by the way, that Hollinger's analysis of Paul vs. Pau was absurd.