Anybody think we need an anti-Shaq?

[RmbrRuss]

I do.  Perk will need a big heavy backup;  don't tell me Veal can do it,don't  tell me Sheed can do it..don't  tell me Garnett can do it.  And  baby is too short.

[Roy Hobbs]

I think Perk is as much of a "anti-Shaq" as there is in the league.  Also, if we bring BBD back, he has the weight and strength to make things difficult.  I think a four-man big rotation of Perk-KG-Rasheed-BBD would be about as good as we could do.

It doesn't hurt to have a big center to come off the bench, although there isn't a lot of quality out there.  I (like many of us) still predict that Danny takes a flyer on Robert Swift.

[the_Bird]

I don't think there are two other players in the League I would want matched up against Shaq more than Perk and 'Sheed.  'Sheed's an exceptional interior defender, he's got some bulk (obviously not as much as Shaq) but he's a smart, crafty defender. 

[Roy Hobbs]

Also, Cleveland is going to be forced to deal with the reverse:  who does Shaq guard when KG and Sheed are in the game?  That should open up our offense a lot.

[Prof. Clutch]

I agree with Roy...I think Perk is as close to an anit-shaq as you can get in the league.  Also Baby has been effective on him in the past despite the height difference.  The key with Shaq, as with many post players, is not letting him get position, and doing an effective job fronting him and sending help.  The Celtics have done considerably well guarding him in the past, including a game in the last few seasons when Perk was out and Garnett had to guard him.  The celtics won because they played great defense in support of Garnett, and in general that is the key.  We don't need to look for an anti-shaq as an individual who can shut him down, we just need the same tenacious team D and concept that has worked for us so well in years past.

Indeed, if we start making aquisitions to go against all the star players in the league (an anti-lebron, antil-wade, etc.) and all their unique skills, we wouldn't find success in this strategy.  Moreover, in reality, it is the other teams responsibility to find a way to beat us, as we provide the challenging level for them to rise to.

The league needs an anit-celtics.

[clover]

I think we need an anti-LeBron to spell Pierce more.

[Drucci]

I agree with Clover, I would worry more about our anti-LeBron...

Perkins is an excellent defender, he did a great job on Howard and will do the same on Shaq. We need to resign Big Baby because he did an excellent job on Shaq the few times he matched up with him, even though he is smaller, he used his body very well to contain Shaq.

[nickagneta]

I think Perk is as much of a "anti-Shaq" as there is in the league.  Also, if we bring BBD back, he has the weight and strength to make things difficult.  I think a four-man big rotation of Perk-KG-Rasheed-BBD would be about as good as we could do.

It doesn't hurt to have a big center to come off the bench, although there isn't a lot of quality out there.  I (like many of us) still predict that Danny takes a flyer on Robert Swift.

TP for saving me the time to write almost verbatim, the exact same thing.

[GKC]

Shaq's got inflated stats in the D'Antoni system. Does anyone not remember what's happened in the past few years Shaq has been to the finals?

When he was stopped by Ben Wallace, that's fine.
But Shaq was held under 10ppg and 50% shooting by ERICK DAMPIER.

Please, I think our front court is a little better than Damps.

[ma11l]

I think we have a GREAT frontline to handle Shaq.  We have the brute force and defense of Perk who can do as good a job as anyone of holding Shaq down.


Also if we choose to go another way we can play KG and Sheed together against Shaq and one of them will be open to shoot jumpers all game long.

[dark_lord]

perk is big enough to contain shaq on the defensive end.  offensively, we would take shaq out of his game with sheed and kg in there together.

our concern shouldnt be shaq...its lbj

[cdif911]

let get Dwight Howard!

...oh, he's not available? crap

[Greg]

Well Perk could very well be one of the best anti-Shaqs in the league with his size, strength, and shot blocking ability.

One of the others? Big Baby Davis.  He has shown time and time again that he has superior lower body strength, and can body up anybody in the post, including Shaq.

[davemonsterband]

No, because the ball won't go through him like it did in Phoenix. Shaq-Perk Sheed-Z substitutions will probably be the way to do it.

[TrueGreen]

Perk guards Shaq as well as anyone in the league. Baby also did a good job. The trick with Shaq is to make him work hard offensively by not letting him get to his "sweet spot". You can also run him. I don't think this is a problem for us. Actually, Ilgauskas is harder for us to guard  because he can go outside and is a good free-throw shooter. Unless Ilgauskas is gone I think Shaq hurts the Cavs more than helping. They've also signed Ararjeo (?spelling). I don't see those 3 as a great mix.