Why did we not go after Mosgov?

[cltc5]

I remember the past few years some bloggers wanting this guy yet he never appeared to be an interest for ainge.  Asik and javalle McGee were our interests while this guy was floundering on the  bench?  Danny's done a poor job getting us a rim protector through the draft and via trades. Hopefully more of these guys don't slip through.

[Moranis]

Didn't want to pay 2 first round picks

[jambr380]

Too bad Missery isn't around anymore to answer this one. His posts and trade ideas weren't the easiest to get through, but he made it very clear that Mozgov was his favorite [possible] available big - even comparing him to [at the time] all-star Hibbert.

But Cleveland did give up two firsts for him. I am not sure if Ainge would have been that into that kind of package...although he is definitely proving his worth now.

[BudweiserCeltic]

It took 2 first round picks to get Mozgov during a time when Denver is doing a fire sale.

The obession with "rim protectors" needs to stop. Our goal is to find top talent players, and our assets should be used to find those.

[Eja117]

Didn't want to pay 2 first round picks

This makes me feel better. A little

[saltlover]

Funny.  Five months ago the complaint was that Denver got more for Mozgov than we got for Rondo.

[D.o.s.]

Because he still isn't a particularly great asset.

He shored up the Cavaliers tremendously, but this is a perfect example of a player in the right place at the right time.

[footey]

Because he still isn't a particularly great asset.

He shored up the Cavaliers tremendously, but this is a perfect example of a player in the right place at the right time.

Well yes, anyone is going to look better playing alongside Lebron James. But let's be clear, Mosgov has established himself in the playoffs as one of the top two way big men in the NBA.  He really plays hard, he is huge, he has a nice shooting touch, he makes his free throws, he rebounds, blocks shots. I would take him straight up over DeAndre Jordan.  Not sure which centers (excluding Anthony Davis, who is really a power forward) are better all around than Mosgov.

[spikelovetheCelts]

It took 2 first round picks to get Mozgov during a time when Denver is doing a fire sale.

The obession with "rim protectors" needs to stop. Our goal is to find top talent players, and our assets should be used to find those.

We need an athletes in the post to win would be more correct. WCS may be one of the best in a long time. You can play small if you have a guy like Dryamond Green. But is better to be able to go both ways if possible.

[D.o.s.]

Because he still isn't a particularly great asset.

He shored up the Cavaliers tremendously, but this is a perfect example of a player in the right place at the right time.

Well yes, anyone is going to look better playing alongside Lebron James. But let's be clear, Mosgov has established himself in the playoffs as one of the top two way big men in the NBA.  He really plays hard, he is huge, he has a nice shooting touch, he makes his free throws, he rebounds, blocks shots. I would take him straight up over DeAndre Jordan.  Not sure which centers (excluding Anthony Davis, who is really a power forward) are better all around than Mosgov.

Marc Gasol
Noah
Cousins
Al Horford
Bogut
Brook Lopez
Kanter (on OKC)

and I'm only leaving Jordan off of this list because you're taking Mozgov over him -- Jordan is pretty clearly a better player (if only in the volleyball sense, as FWF put it in another thread).

Here is how Mozgov stacks up to some of those players this season:
http://bkref.com/tiny/atrTa

[td450]

It's too bad we can't view an alternate reality and see how well Tyler Zeller would have done in the same circumstances. He's a different kind of player, but he may have done just as well on net.

[littleteapot]

Timofey Mozgov is a great example of the fact that you can put any 7-footer with Lebron and he'll look like a good basketball player.

[pearljammer10]

Timofey Mozgov is a great example of the fact that you can put any 7-footer with Lebron and he'll look like a good basketball player.

Like Kendrick Perkins?

Mozgov is just a really solid center, he's playing against a small ball lineup and is doing what he's supposed to do in that situation. And yes, James certainly helps his situation a bit. I'm glad to see Mozgov playing so well.

[Moranis]

Timofey Mozgov is a great example of the fact that you can put any 7-footer with Lebron and he'll look like a good basketball player.

Like Kendrick Perkins?

Mozgov is just a really solid center, he's playing against a small ball lineup and is doing what he's supposed to do in that situation. And yes, James certainly helps his situation a bit. I'm glad to see Mozgov playing so well.

Mozgov has been pretty much the same player his entire career.  He saw a slight up tick in FG% once he joined the Cavs, but I'm sure that had as much to do with Kevin Love as it did with Lebron James.  In the finals it is more about the Cavs just not having anyone else and Golden State playing a 6'7" guy on him in the paint.  If you look at his rates though, he has been basically the same player his whole career and his last full season in Denver was his best overall season. 

[gpap]

I remember the past few years some bloggers wanting this guy yet he never appeared to be an interest for ainge.  Asik and javalle McGee were our interests while this guy was floundering on the  bench?  Danny's done a poor job getting us a rim protector through the draft and via trades. Hopefully more of these guys don't slip through.

Great post and I've asked the same question in the past.

DA did a horrible job of letting this guy slip away.

Imagine how much better we could've been this season if we had Mozgov. He's paid dividends for the Cavs this year and in the playoffs.

And what I don't understand is Ainge has a million draft picks which may or may not even amount to anything on the trade market. Why didn't he just offer two of them for Mozgov? What's he going to do with all these draft picks?