Center of the problems!

[manbehindtheman]

I’m reading the threads here pertaining to the O’neals and the general center situation and think you guys are crazy.  Did you guys watch that Laker game like I did?  They have two dominant legit 7 footers uninjured and in their prime. They dominated Novinski, Chandler, and Haywood of Dallas.  On this blog we are talking about an old injured 39 year old Shaq stopping them or a passive JO who can’t jump, rebound aggressively, or defend without fouling?  If Shaq is playing he is going to have to play HARD and when he plays hard he gets injured, he is just too [dang] old and there are too many negatives with him on the floor anyway.  That injury to Nenad is big, not because he is anything special, but at least he is serviceable, even if barely.  You can’t expect BBD to guard those guys, KG will have 3 fouls in 10 minutes if he to focus on them.  
It was a mistake to trade Perkins.  It was a mistake to not try to get ... Dampier for pocket change when he was out there and let Miami pick him up. It was a mistake to package that somewhat promising 7 footer Erdan. The Miami centers are better equipped to guard those Laker big men, with Dampier and Z manning the center position.  IF we make it to the finals we are going to be humiliated again because of these mistakes.

Da Man!

[Marcus13]

Size is very underrated on this board, people just don't seem to understand how important it is to have a good Center.  It's the same reason that Miami isn't winning this year

[Drucci]

Look back at JO and Shaq's performances against the Lakers last year, especially on the defensive end, and maybe you will change your mind. Shaq always bothers Bynum and defends him pretty well and so does Jermaine (on Gasol too).

[droopdog7]

Obviously health is an issue with our centers.  But IF they can be healthy, I think we match up just fine.  KG can do a fine job on gasol and Shaq, because he is actually bigger than bynum will do the same.  

From what I have seen, Shaq has always defended bynum well because frankly, bynums game is built more on size and length than quickness or activity.  At the very least, Shaq does better than Perk ever did on Bynum.

JO provides depth and should be fine against either laker big.

We won't win the match up, but it should be close enough for our other advantages to give us a chance.

[angryguy77]

We took them to a game seven with Perk and an aging Sheed.
This current center combo(when healthy) is better.

If we are healthy, we get #18.

I'm not scared of LA.

[manbehindtheman]

Look back at JO and Shaq's performances against the Lakers last year, especially on the defensive end, and maybe you will change your mind. Shaq always bothers Bynum and defends him pretty well and so does Jermaine (on Gasol too).

I remember that Shaq did play somewhat decently but that was last year and a lot has happened since then.  Bynum has never looked better and Shaq is a 39 year old MESS.  We can't rely on Shaq at  all and it isn't his fault, at his age I don't see him doing much except picking up 6 fouls and missing free throws.   I'm concerned that he will re-injure a body part in the first 5 minutes of real playoff basketball!
We have put ourselves in a position now where the whole season rests on the health of Shaq and that is a REALLY bad bet!

[BballTim]

Size is very underrated on this board, people just don't seem to understand how important it is to have a good Center.  It's the same reason that Miami isn't winning this year

  It's *a* reason Miami isn't winning this year, it isn't *the* reason Miami isn't winning.

[vinnie]

The Lakers are the best team in the league right now, and they way their front line is playing is the main reason. They toyed with Dallas last night and have lost one game since the all star break. If the Celtics are fortunate enough to make it to the finals, I have little doubt the Lakers will be waiting for them. Bynum is a far better player today than he was last year, and Odom might be having his best year ever as a pro. All of that said, a healthy Celtics team still has a decent shot against them.

[manbehindtheman]

We took them to a game seven with Perk and an aging Sheed.
This current center combo(when healthy) is better.

If we are healthy, we get #18.

I'm not scared of LA.

The IF you throw out there is not even an IF.  We are NOT going to be healthy, so the question is can we beat the Lakers (assuming we get there) with unhealthy or non-existent centers?  I see a repeat of game 7 and it did not have to be this way.  Why didn't we pick up Dampier when he was out there for a few thin dimes?  The Oneals were already showing signs of age.  We knew that the center was the only position that had to be shored up, yet instead we let Miami pick up Dampier and shore up their weakest position.

[fairweatherfan]

Size is very underrated on this board, people just don't seem to understand how important it is to have a good Center.  It's the same reason that Miami isn't winning this year

  It's *a* reason Miami isn't winning this year, it isn't *the* reason Miami isn't winning.

And Miami actually has decent size: Dampier, Z, Magliore are all pretty big boys.  Their problem is their size guys are too old and limited to be effective. 

[manbehindtheman]

Size is very underrated on this board, people just don't seem to understand how important it is to have a good Center.  It's the same reason that Miami isn't winning this year

  It's *a* reason Miami isn't winning this year, it isn't *the* reason Miami isn't winning.

And Miami actually has decent size: Dampier, Z, Magliore are all pretty big boys.  Their problem is their size guys are too old and limited to be effective. 

Against the Celtics those guys are just going to plug the middle, but the Celtics don't have much to defend against anyway on the inside. Against the Lakers they might be enough, to at least counteract the Laker big enough to make it a game.
If we don't wind up with a healthy Shaq when we meet Miami, I think we go down to them.  We need to at least hold our own at that position and I don't think we do that without Shaq, and sadly I don't think he will be there.

[wdleehi]

Dallas has Dirk next to those big men, not KG.



Dallas has a PG sized SG defending Kobe.



They are not the same level defensively as the Celtics can be when those two big men are healthy. 

[angryguy77]

We took them to a game seven with Perk and an aging Sheed.
This current center combo(when healthy) is better.

If we are healthy, we get #18.

I'm not scared of LA.

The IF you throw out there is not even an IF.  We are NOT going to be healthy, so the question is can we beat the Lakers (assuming we get there) with unhealthy or non-existent centers?  I see a repeat of game 7 and it did not have to be this way.  Why didn't we pick up Dampier when he was out there for a few thin dimes?  The Oneals were already showing signs of age.  We knew that the center was the only position that had to be shored up, yet instead we let Miami pick up Dampier and shore up their weakest position.

How do you know how healthy our centers will be?
JO contributed well yesterday for his fist game back.

Shaq already said he would be playing if the playoffs had started. It's obvious the team is saving him.

If you want to play this game, I would like you to tell me how you know it's a sure thing that Bynum will be healthy for the finals. There is a good chance that glass body of his doesn't hold up.

[Mr October]

KG plus a combo of Shaq, JO, Davis, Krstic are plenty enough to throw at the Lakers' bigs.

KG provides the leadership and help to close the paint, and then the O'Neals bring the lumber around the basket.

The Celtics will be fine. The only other teams that can offer big man resistance to the Lakers are Oklahoma and Chicago. I don't think anyone else has it. Duncan will be on an Island, the Heat centers are cooked, and Dallas is just not big (as in strong) enough.

[manbehindtheman]

We took them to a game seven with Perk and an aging Sheed.
This current center combo(when healthy) is better.

If we are healthy, we get #18.

I'm not scared of LA.

The IF you throw out there is not even an IF.  We are NOT going to be healthy, so the question is can we beat the Lakers (assuming we get there) with unhealthy or non-existent centers?  I see a repeat of game 7 and it did not have to be this way.  Why didn't we pick up Dampier when he was out there for a few thin dimes?  The Oneals were already showing signs of age.  We knew that the center was the only position that had to be shored up, yet instead we let Miami pick up Dampier and shore up their weakest position.

How do you know how healthy our centers will be?
JO contributed well yesterday for his fist game back.

Shaq already said he would be playing if the playoffs had started. It's obvious the team is saving him.

If you want to play this game, I would like you to tell me how you know it's a sure thing that Bynum will be healthy for the finals. There is a good chance that glass body of his doesn't hold up.

I don't see the Lakers repeating without a healthy Bynum...but he is healthy...I don't see the Celtics competing without a healthy ONeal and he isn't healthy and the likelihood of him being healthy and even 70% during the length of the playoffs is not good.  We should not have relied on a 39 year old center. Nenad is at best out for a couple weeks, but I think it will be longer.