olynyk/sully upfront duo potential to be like zbo/gasol?

[Tr1boy]

Dude do you watch the NBA? Gasol was DPOY last year and KO is horrible on the defensive end. The KO/Sully experiment is going to be awful, its a lot more like David West and Dirk then Z-Bo and Gasol. David West and Dirk would score a lot of points, but be the least imposing frontcourt in the NBA.

bottom line KO is NO Gasol...maybe he's more comparable to Pau on the defensive end. 

Kelly is so bad he led pf/c defensive duties in gonzaga and the team had the best record in all of college ball during the regular season.

He is so bad that during summer leagues the guys he was guarding shot on avg 40 or less fg per?

When KO wins DPOY, i will be president. Judging his D against Summer League and college is laughable. He's a 4, he's not going to be able to hang with athletic power forwards in the league, at least starters. He's a future sixth man at most.

His skillset is not Gasol, he's more Dirk then anything.

I am not sure about the 6th man part or not (it depeonds on how good his offense ends up being), but you are right about his defense.  I think he can be a solid enough team defender, using his intelligence.  But, he just doesn't have the physical attributes to be an above average overall defender.  He is not quick enough on the perimeter, and he is not long, or strong enough inside.

Not strong enough yet. If he can top out at 255 at 7ft tall, that is a big guy on the court. He is already 240

[Chris]

Dude do you watch the NBA? Gasol was DPOY last year and KO is horrible on the defensive end. The KO/Sully experiment is going to be awful, its a lot more like David West and Dirk then Z-Bo and Gasol. David West and Dirk would score a lot of points, but be the least imposing frontcourt in the NBA.

bottom line KO is NO Gasol...maybe he's more comparable to Pau on the defensive end. 

Kelly is so bad he led pf/c defensive duties in gonzaga and the team had the best record in all of college ball during the regular season.

He is so bad that during summer leagues the guys he was guarding shot on avg 40 or less fg per?

When KO wins DPOY, i will be president. Judging his D against Summer League and college is laughable. He's a 4, he's not going to be able to hang with athletic power forwards in the league, at least starters. He's a future sixth man at most.

His skillset is not Gasol, he's more Dirk then anything.

Who says olynyk has to win the dpy award to be a good defender?

When marc gasol was out of shape when he first came into the league did anyone imagine he will even be a decent defender?

Actually, Gasol was known as a defensive player and rebounder before he came over.  He was kind of the Robin Lopez to Pau's Brook Lopez.  He has always been a very strong defender.

[Chris]

Dude do you watch the NBA? Gasol was DPOY last year and KO is horrible on the defensive end. The KO/Sully experiment is going to be awful, its a lot more like David West and Dirk then Z-Bo and Gasol. David West and Dirk would score a lot of points, but be the least imposing frontcourt in the NBA.

bottom line KO is NO Gasol...maybe he's more comparable to Pau on the defensive end. 

Kelly is so bad he led pf/c defensive duties in gonzaga and the team had the best record in all of college ball during the regular season.

He is so bad that during summer leagues the guys he was guarding shot on avg 40 or less fg per?

When KO wins DPOY, i will be president. Judging his D against Summer League and college is laughable. He's a 4, he's not going to be able to hang with athletic power forwards in the league, at least starters. He's a future sixth man at most.

His skillset is not Gasol, he's more Dirk then anything.

I am not sure about the 6th man part or not (it depeonds on how good his offense ends up being), but you are right about his defense.  I think he can be a solid enough team defender, using his intelligence.  But, he just doesn't have the physical attributes to be an above average overall defender.  He is not quick enough on the perimeter, and he is not long, or strong enough inside.

Not strong enough yet. If he can top out at 255 at 7ft tall, that is a big guy on the court. He is already 240

Yeah, he will get stronger.  But I just never see him being the imposing presence down low that Gasol is.  Not only does he need to get much stronger, but he also is not very long.  His short arms make him play much shorter than his actual height. 

The other question is whether it makes sense for him to bulk up much more.  He really is special offensively because he is so mobile.  I am not sure adding much weight would be good for that. 

[RJ87]

A good defensive big alongside those two, like Asik, would give us a monster frontcourt. Even if you project quite modestly.

Agreed. I think if you can get defensive anchor type at the center spot, they'd make for a great big man rotation - I don't know aboutthe llong-term viability of them as a starting duo - I just think defensively there would be too many defensive deficiencies.

[Tr1boy]

What about zbo. Really that good defensively? The guy still looks out of shape.

If he can be a good nba defender utilizing his iq, motor more than anything so can sully and olynyk.

[RJ87]

What about zbo. Really that good defensively? The guy still looks out of shape.

If he can be a good nba defender utilizing his iq, motor more than anything so can sully and olynyk.

He looks out of shape, but he knows how to use his strength and weight - particularly on the post. Add to that that Marc Gasol is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.

Offensively, I get the comparison.  Defensively, it's not realistic.

[Chris]

What about zbo. Really that good defensively? The guy still looks out of shape.

Zbo isn't a great defender.  He would be a liability if he wasn't surrounded by other great defenders. 

I actually think Sully could definitely be a better defender than Zbo.  But, its Gasol who is the issue.  He is the DPOY for a reason. 

[Tr1boy]

What about zbo. Really that good defensively? The guy still looks out of shape.

If he can be a good nba defender utilizing his iq, motor more than anything so can sully and olynyk.

He looks out of shape, but he knows how to use his strength and weight - particularly on the post. Add to that that Marc Gasol is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.

Offensively, I get the comparison.  Defensively, it's not realistic.

So tell me how does he neutralize guys like ibaka when ppl here say sully and olynyk wont b able to?

[Tr1boy]

What about zbo. Really that good defensively? The guy still looks out of shape.

Zbo isn't a great defender.  He would be a liability if he wasn't surrounded by other great defenders. 

I actually think Sully could definitely be a better defender than Zbo.  But, its Gasol who is the issue.  He is the DPOY for a reason.

How many pf/c today have the inside/post moves to burn you?
How many can power in 20 pts in a game?

What is marc gasol doing to be a great defender? Isnt it boxing out, denying inside position, taking charges, clogging the middle?

Again what about miami with their lack of great interior defenders?

If again its not so much about natural gifts vs boxing out correctly, taking away space, rotating, working with the team, sully and olynyk will fit right in.

Ppl here think u need a kg or chandler or else ur team is in trouble

[CFAN38]

I don't see either Sully or KO ever being as good defensively as Gasol.  KO might one day be able to score as prolifically (though probably not in quite the same way) as Z-Bo.  That's a pretty lofty goal, though.

Ultimately I think if we hold onto Sully and KO long-term one of them will be the sixth man coming off the bench and the other will be starting next to a bigger, longer, more athletic center who can anchor the defense.

[Chris]

What about zbo. Really that good defensively? The guy still looks out of shape.

Zbo isn't a great defender.  He would be a liability if he wasn't surrounded by other great defenders. 

I actually think Sully could definitely be a better defender than Zbo.  But, its Gasol who is the issue.  He is the DPOY for a reason.

How many pf/c today have the inside/post moves to burn you?
How many can power in 20 pts in a game?

What is marc gasol doing to be a great defender? Isnt it boxing out, denying inside position, taking charges, clogging the middle?

Again what about miami with their lack of great interior defenders?

If again its not so much about natural gifts vs boxing out correctly, taking away space, rotating, working with the team, sully and olynyk will fit right in.

Ppl here think u need a kg or chandler or else ur team is in trouble

But it IS about natural gifts.  Gasol is incredibly mobile, strong, and super long.  He doesn't look athletic, but he is. 

And if it were as easy as you say, then every team would have great defenses.

Miami gets away with weak interior defense, because their perimeter defense is so strong.  The C's could certainly do that, if they managed to build a strong enough perimeter defensive team.  But that wouldn't mean Olynyk and Sully are like zbo and Gasol, which is what this thread is about.

If the question is whether those two can play together, sure, its possible.  But they will need a proper supporting cast.  They won't be able to dominate inside the way Zbo and Gasol do.

[CFAN38]

Gasol was the DPOY neither KO or Sully will ever even make an all defensive team.

I view Sullys ceiling as being near Boozer/Randolph level 15pts 10rb guy

KO is hard to judge having not played in a real game yet but I like the Okur comparisons. I could see him as a lesser rebounding Okur averaging 15pt 6rb per game.

Like a previous poster stated if the tandem is kept together for the long term they will need to be paired with a defensive player. Then one would likely come off the bench.

[Vox_Populi]

What about zbo. Really that good defensively? The guy still looks out of shape.

If he can be a good nba defender utilizing his iq, motor more than anything so can sully and olynyk.

He looks out of shape, but he knows how to use his strength and weight - particularly on the post. Add to that that Marc Gasol is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.

Offensively, I get the comparison.  Defensively, it's not realistic.

So tell me how does he neutralize guys like ibaka when ppl here say sully and olynyk wont b able to?

Ibaka neutralized himself for most of that series.

[syfy9]

What about zbo. Really that good defensively? The guy still looks out of shape.

If he can be a good nba defender utilizing his iq, motor more than anything so can sully and olynyk.

You can look out of shape but still be a good defender.

It's not about sheer speed in the NBA. The fastest players (sprinting) aren't always the best defenders. It's the quickest player.

Randolph moves his feet quickly, and is one of the NBA's best at positioning his body to give him the advantage.

[snively]

Gasol was a DPOY in name only.  An unjustified award.  Still, he has a lot of bulk and length on KO.