Gortat - Better Chance for them?

[Who]

Who else thinks this guy is a starter on almost any other team in the NBA?

I've been saying it for two years, Gortat is a top 15 center and if given 30-35 minutes a night he might prove himself to be a top 10 center.

Marcin Gortat is a very talented basketball player. It's a shame he has gotten stuck behind the best center in the NBA.

[Who]

I think SVG needs to see how their offense runs better at times with Gortat in the game versus Howard. How they call more screen and rolls and less post ups and how that creates better ball and player movement which leads to more efficient offense. Then adjust and call for more pick and rolls when Howard is in the game.

It was the same problem last season in the playoffs and he made a slight adjustment but not a big one.

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Anyway, I think the Magic should use Gortat and Howard more alongside one another.

Typically, I am not wild about the idea because of how bad an offensive combination they are but the Magic's offense is dead in the water anyway so you might as well take the improved defensive + rebounding contributions and try to win that way.

I would be giving Gortat 30-35 minutes a night for the rest of the series.

[fairweatherfan]

I don't know that Howard should be sitting for Gortat, but the Howard/Gortat frontcourt combo has been Orlando's scariest lineup for me.  They give us a lot of problems together.

[Who]

Again, Gortat should get more minutes, but over Rashard and not Howard.

Gortat should be playing ahead of Matt Barnes.

Rashard Lewis should continue to get minutes but at the small forward position. The Magic need more offense at the point, shooting guard and small forward positions to offset the poor offensive combination of Gortat + Howard. That is where Rashard Lewis could still play a major role.

Marcin Gortat should see an increase in minutes and Rashard Lewis should stay constant just with a change of position.

[Slugger]

I think SVG needs to see how their offense runs better at times with Gortat in the game versus Howard. How they call more screen and rolls and less post ups and how that creates better ball and player movement which leads to more efficient offense. Then adjust and call for more pick and rolls when Howard is in the game.

It was the same problem last season in the playoffs and he made a slight adjustment but not a big one.

---------------------------------------------

Anyway, I think the Magic should use Gortat and Howard more alongside one another.

Typically, I am not wild about the idea because of how bad an offensive combination they are but the Magic's offense is dead in the water anyway so you might as well take the improved defensive + rebounding contributions and try to win that way.

I would be giving Gortat 30-35 minutes a night for the rest of the series.

I agree with you that they need to try something.

But do you honestly believe that Gortat can last 20-25 minutes, let alone 30-35 mins, before fouling out?

I think he has the skill set of a starting calibre player, but does he believe it himself?

He knocked back a contract from Dallas i think, during the last off-season.  Surely he could have supplanted Dampier from that starting role by Mid-season (as Brendan Haywood did).  Surely he knew he would be stuck behind Howard for his entire time here??

[Q_FBE]

Gortat's physical presence can give us a lot of trouble. Maybe we can counter with Perkins, Sheed, Garnett, one of the Allens and Rondo if the Magic decide to go big on us.

The backup big man matchup I dreaded coming in was Gortat working against Glen Davis. The visual evidence of Gortat smothering Stubby and reaching over his outstreached arms to grab rebounds haunts me a bit.

[Who]

I think SVG needs to see how their offense runs better at times with Gortat in the game versus Howard. How they call more screen and rolls and less post ups and how that creates better ball and player movement which leads to more efficient offense. Then adjust and call for more pick and rolls when Howard is in the game.

It was the same problem last season in the playoffs and he made a slight adjustment but not a big one.

---------------------------------------------

Anyway, I think the Magic should use Gortat and Howard more alongside one another.

Typically, I am not wild about the idea because of how bad an offensive combination they are but the Magic's offense is dead in the water anyway so you might as well take the improved defensive + rebounding contributions and try to win that way.

I would be giving Gortat 30-35 minutes a night for the rest of the series.

I agree with you that they need to try something.

But do you honestly believe that Gortat can last 20-25 minutes, let alone 30-35 mins, before fouling out?

I think he has the skill set of a starting calibre player, but does he believe it himself?

He knocked back a contract from Dallas i think, during the last off-season.  Surely he could have supplanted Dampier from that starting role by Mid-season (as Brendan Haywood did).  Surely he knew he would be stuck behind Howard for his entire time here??

Gortat was a restricted free agent. He signed an offer sheet with the Mavs but the Magic matched it.

The expectation is that Otis Smith is waiting until this offseason to trade Gortat and cash in on his asset. Likely on a valuable wing player.

I have no concerns about Gortat's play in increased minutes. He has handled himself well in the past when Howard is out or when Howard has had foul trouble. When he has been forced to play a key role.

[Slugger]

I think SVG needs to see how their offense runs better at times with Gortat in the game versus Howard. How they call more screen and rolls and less post ups and how that creates better ball and player movement which leads to more efficient offense. Then adjust and call for more pick and rolls when Howard is in the game.

It was the same problem last season in the playoffs and he made a slight adjustment but not a big one.

---------------------------------------------

Anyway, I think the Magic should use Gortat and Howard more alongside one another.

Typically, I am not wild about the idea because of how bad an offensive combination they are but the Magic's offense is dead in the water anyway so you might as well take the improved defensive + rebounding contributions and try to win that way.

I would be giving Gortat 30-35 minutes a night for the rest of the series.

I agree with you that they need to try something.

But do you honestly believe that Gortat can last 20-25 minutes, let alone 30-35 mins, before fouling out?

I think he has the skill set of a starting calibre player, but does he believe it himself?

He knocked back a contract from Dallas i think, during the last off-season.  Surely he could have supplanted Dampier from that starting role by Mid-season (as Brendan Haywood did).  Surely he knew he would be stuck behind Howard for his entire time here??

Gortat was a restricted free agent. He signed an offer sheet with the Mavs but the Magic matched it.

The expectation is that Otis Smith is waiting until this offseason to trade Gortat and cash in on his asset. Likely on a valuable wing player.

I have no concerns about Gortat's play in increased minutes. He has handled himself well in the past when Howard is out or when Howard has had foul trouble. When he has been forced to play a key role.

Ahh....an RFA.

Do you see Ryan Anderson getting mins at all?

I know you're a fan of the guy.  Do you see him getting any mins at the 4?

[Who]

I think SVG needs to see how their offense runs better at times with Gortat in the game versus Howard. How they call more screen and rolls and less post ups and how that creates better ball and player movement which leads to more efficient offense. Then adjust and call for more pick and rolls when Howard is in the game.

It was the same problem last season in the playoffs and he made a slight adjustment but not a big one.

---------------------------------------------

Anyway, I think the Magic should use Gortat and Howard more alongside one another.

Typically, I am not wild about the idea because of how bad an offensive combination they are but the Magic's offense is dead in the water anyway so you might as well take the improved defensive + rebounding contributions and try to win that way.

I would be giving Gortat 30-35 minutes a night for the rest of the series.

I agree with you that they need to try something.

But do you honestly believe that Gortat can last 20-25 minutes, let alone 30-35 mins, before fouling out?

I think he has the skill set of a starting calibre player, but does he believe it himself?

He knocked back a contract from Dallas i think, during the last off-season.  Surely he could have supplanted Dampier from that starting role by Mid-season (as Brendan Haywood did).  Surely he knew he would be stuck behind Howard for his entire time here??

Gortat was a restricted free agent. He signed an offer sheet with the Mavs but the Magic matched it.

The expectation is that Otis Smith is waiting until this offseason to trade Gortat and cash in on his asset. Likely on a valuable wing player.

I have no concerns about Gortat's play in increased minutes. He has handled himself well in the past when Howard is out or when Howard has had foul trouble. When he has been forced to play a key role.

Ahh....an RFA.

Do you see Ryan Anderson getting mins at all?

I know you're a fan of the guy.  Do you see him getting any mins at the 4?

I don't think so, SVG hasn't given him enough minutes all season long and clearly doesn't have much faith in him in this series so I doubt we see Anderson play much of a role the rest of the way. Maybe he'll get 5 minutes in game three or four when SVG is really desperate and trying anything he can reach to.

I think Orlando's two best lineups to use for the remainder of the series are:

(1) Nelson + Vince/Redick/Lewis + Anderson + Dwight/Gortat
(2) Nelson + Vince/Redick/Lewis + Gortat + Dwight

If I were SVG, those are the lineups I would be giving the most minutes to. The Anderson one for increased offensive prowess and the Gortat one for defense/rebounding grind it out style of play.

With Anderson at the four, Ray Allen will either have to defend Rashard or Vince and both of those players have a huge mismatch against Ray in the post. Orlando would still have four shooters to spread the floor and Dwight in the paint so they would be able to punish help defense. Still have Nelson and Vince to provide some dribble penetration and pick and roll play and Dwight on the inside. A lot of weapons.

They would see a decrease defensively (Garnett vs Anderson) but that decrease may be worth the bump they get offensively.

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I would use those seven players for the majority of the minutes and likely use Pietrus as the eight man. Play Redick + Vince + Pietrus as my perimeter trio and play without a true backup PG because Jason Williams isn't giving them enough.

Let Vince and Redick share the PG duties for a short spell.

[Ed Teach]

The Magic going with a big line up, does scare me.  It seems like they could take advantage of Gortat. 
Nelson, Vince, Lewis, Gortat, and Howard is the lineup I would try if I were SVG.  That would force the Celtics to either use BBD or Sheed to guard Gortat, putting pressure on Perk to avoid foul trouble.

If Perk gets into foul trouble KG may be forced to guard Howard.  With KG on Howard I am not sure who you put on Lewis, and I am still worried that Lewis could get hot at some point in the series.  At the very least it force a change in the Celtics game plan.

[dmopower]

DH while being a supreme athlete, is the most over rated and over paid player in the league.
He has excellent hops and great strength, but he has no touch and a low BBIQ in my opinion.
I also think the offense flows much better with Gortat in.
DH is a leg injury away from being average.
I am not saying that he is a rum, just over rated.
I also think idolizing him is ruining our younger bball players, making them think that hops are more important than fundamentals. I think he should set more picks and move from one pick to a second more often than just rolling to the hoop all of the time, everyone knows he is going to do this.
  JMO.

[buellj814]

DH while being a supreme athlete, is the most over rated and over paid player in the league.
He has excellent hops and great strength, but he has no touch and a low BBIQ in my opinion.
I also think the offense flows much better with Gortat in.
DH is a leg injury away from being average.
I am not saying that he is a rum, just over rated.
I also think idolizing him is ruining our younger bball players, making them think that hops are more important than fundamentals. I think he should set more picks and move from one pick to a second more often than just rolling to the hoop all of the time, everyone knows he is going to do this.
  JMO.

i wish the youngsters i coached played defense like howard, in fact i show film of him when im trying to teach them how about weak side help defense

[dmopower]

Maybe you should show them some film of his terrible footwork in the paint.
He is constantly picking up his pivot foot, and never seems to get called for traveling.
When Rasheed pulled the chair out from under him, he was almost demanding a foul, even SVG couldent back him up on that one.
If more of todays players had decient ball fakes and pump fakes DH would be in foul trouble much more often.
AJ schools him on these often.

[hwangjini_1]

Interesting discussion above.

I have one question for you all. If gotat plays pf for Orlando does that mean the match up would be gortat and kg for 25+ minutes? If so, I would be very happy. I don't think gortat can cover kg. But kg could certainly cover  gortat.

and I would enjoy watching doc run offensive plays that made gortat try to guard pierce.

Plus having both gortat and Howard in together, while helping their rebounding, limits Orlando offensively.  Both would need to play near the basket to score. That means one less 3 point shooter on the floor for Orlando. That would help the celtics on defense and take the magic away from their usual offensive flow/game plan.

Gortat is a decent center, yes. But he is not going to save the Orlando team.

And if SVG actually sits Howard to give gortat more minutes their GM should fire him on the spot for general stupidity.

Orlandos best scorers, game two being an exception, are their wings and guards.

[Ed Teach]

I am not sure that the match-up would be Gortat and KG, but if KG and Gortat match-up, does that mean that Pierce has to defend Lewis.  I am not sure how that match up goes, Lewis is 6-10, Pierce may have some problems with Lewis.

I was thinking that having Gortat in the game would force the Celtics to play Sheed or BBD more min while limiting Tony Allen and Ray Allen.  I am not sure that it is an advantage for the Magic since the Allens haven't been a major factor in the first 2 games, but at this point I think the Magic are desperate.