You're misunderstanding -- I don't think having your 5 taking his man off the dribble is a particularly useful offensive weapon to have. He would be best served (IMO), judging by the way the league is shifting, at refocusing on his passing and his three point shooting.
Wait, that is a fundamental skill in the way the league is developing. The ability to put the ball on the floor against a defender closing out is essential to the modern NBA offense.
Often in these scenarios a stretch 4 or 5 receives the ball on the perimeter/behind the 3 point line on a dish or swing, coming out of p+r penetration or strong side actions. Hence, when they get the ball their man has sagged off, gone to help on penetration or any number of possibilities. This is what creates the open looks for the big. In the case of a hard or successful close-out the ability for a big to put the ball on the floor and penetrate is the fundamental act that continues the objectives of the modern offense, which is to get and maintain the Thibs style defense off balance, creating advantages of 4 on 3, or 3 on 2. The penetrating big ideally will draw defender attention from elsewhere creating the opening that allows a pass to a weak side cutter or bringing in the defender just a touch from the corner generating the uber-sexy corner 3. A big who gets stymied by the close-out, who can't put the ball on the floor without hesitation, stalls the offense, ruining the continuity of the advantage, and allows the defense to regain their balance and cohesion.
Bigs who can do this, stretch the floor and then when they receive the ball not stall movement but further bend an already off balance defense are one of the primary weapons of the modern basketball offense. It has grown out of the simple shooting stretch big but is where so much value and attention is currently being placed.
