Who has our best solution for a starting Center?

[Rosco917]

Short of waiting for the draft, and developing a young rim protector. Or signing an expensive free agent.
(Which may be difficult.)

A few years ago I was thinking Timofey Mozgof, later I felt Omer Asik was a good fit.

Is there a possible solution on some other teams bench?

[Rosco917]

Maybe... JaVale McGee he seems healthy now. His reputation is suspect though.

[Celtics18]

Marc Gasol

[LooseCannon]

Wait for a team to have its season fall apart so that they decide to go into tank/blow it up mode and get rid of a center who they think is too old to be part of a rebuilding effort.

[Robert24]

Open a big Spanish food restaurant by the TD Garden named after Marc Gasol.

Or we can win 40 games this season and try to get him with a lot of money and convincing.

[LarBrd33]

Marc Gasol

I don't disagree with you Celtics18, but can you explain to me why Marc Gasol doesn't come up on any of the top defensively statistics like defensive rating?  Those stats that people used to praise guys like Kevin Garnett and Omer Asik... Marc Gasol is pretty far down the list.   I looked yesterday and it seems using those stats the best defensive big in the game right now is Noah.  Gasol seemed to rank well under Roy Hibbert and DeAndre Jordan.

[Vox_Populi]

Marc Gasol

I don't disagree with you Celtics18, but can you explain to me why Marc Gasol doesn't come up on any of the top defensively statistics like defensive rating?  Those stats that people used to praise guys like Kevin Garnett and Omer Asik... Marc Gasol is pretty far down the list.   I looked yesterday and it seems using those stats the best defensive big in the game right now is Noah.  Gasol seemed to rank well under Roy Hibbert and DeAndre Jordan.

Defensive rating is derived from the box-score, so it's limited by what's captured by it. Gasol doesn't get a lot of blocks, like Hibbert, or a lot of rebounds, like Jordan or Garnett used too. It's also heavily influenced by the defense quality of a player's team. Which is why Asik's best years with the metric are with Chicago even though he obviously hasn't gotten worse. By the time Gasol was healthy last season, Memphis' DRT was at 106.4. When he returned, they were at 91.

[Evantime34]

An athletic rim protector would be good. DeAndre Jordan would be a great fit, he can block shots at the rim, rebound the ball and with our current emphasis on pace he would be able to run the court and get buckets in transition.

Out of the draft, I think Willie Cauley-Stein, Karl Towns and Myles Turner would fit the bill.

I would also be very happy with Marc Gasol, who is known as a good enough defender to win defensive player of the year in the past.

I think Monroe, could end up becoming a better defender and has already made strides towards that this year. I think his post scoring would really help to spread our offense out.

[GetLucky]

Marc Gasol

I don't disagree with you Celtics18, but can you explain to me why Marc Gasol doesn't come up on any of the top defensively statistics like defensive rating?  Those stats that people used to praise guys like Kevin Garnett and Omer Asik... Marc Gasol is pretty far down the list.   I looked yesterday and it seems using those stats the best defensive big in the game right now is Noah.  Gasol seemed to rank well under Roy Hibbert and DeAndre Jordan.

@ESPNStatsInfo
Marc Gasol returned from a sprained MCL in his left knee on Jan. 14th, since then Grizzlies have best record in NBA at 38-13
5:39pm - 7 Nov 14

[SHAQATTACK]

Spend the assets

To bring in Gasol

Gasol plus Rondo = playoffs

Gasol + Rondo + elite scorer ( KD  ) = contender

[Meadowlark_Scal]

Zeller...KO as the 4....shoulda kept jo-el Anthony..?

[Meadowlark_Scal]

I thought you meant of who we have........not dreamscape..

[LooseCannon]

Marc Gasol

I don't disagree with you Celtics18, but can you explain to me why Marc Gasol doesn't come up on any of the top defensively statistics like defensive rating?  Those stats that people used to praise guys like Kevin Garnett and Omer Asik... Marc Gasol is pretty far down the list.   I looked yesterday and it seems using those stats the best defensive big in the game right now is Noah.  Gasol seemed to rank well under Roy Hibbert and DeAndre Jordan.

Using basketball-reference.com's formula for defensive rating, he is currently 9th this season and was 5th when he won DPOY.

[BleedGreen1989]

Javale McGee, Ian Mahinmi, Kosta Koufos, and to a lesser extent Greg Monroe, all seem like the most "realistic" possibilities.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

Javale McGee, Ian Mahinmi, Kosta Koufos, and to a lesser extent Greg Monroe, all seem like the most "realistic" possibilities.

Im in on Koufos.

He's not the be all - end all solution, but if we want to win, I think he'll do a much better job of helping us do that than what we currently have.

He's solid all around. Can start and be decent to good, or can go to the bench once we get a better option.