<div class="quote_poster">Quoting xpehbamxyu:</div><div class="quote_post">I'm getting the feeling that Kristic will not be on the team next year...There might be a number of teams willing to give some skilled veterans for a young, and very promising center. What I mean is that the Nets might recieve attractive trade offers regarding Kristic. I may however be over-exaggerating Kristic's potential and present abilities.</div>
I'm not having your feeling. Most teams know that when they find a skilled big man, especially one who can play center, and is
young, he's a keeper. Especially one with Krstic's current skill and future potential. Thorn and Stefanski likely also have long term plans, plans that don't include Kidd, but very much likely include Krstic.
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Here's one writer's take on the PF candidates:
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<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">
OPTION ONE: Shareef Abdur-Rahim-PF-Portland Trailblazers
Certainly adding a 20 point/10 rebound guy to the mix wouldn?t hurt, would it? Rahim gives the Nets a versatile front court player who can play facing the basket or on the blocks. His addition will free up space for Carter and he should get a ton of open looks at mid-range jumpers with all the attention being paid to the big three on the perimeter. The addition of Rahim makes the Nets an extremely dangerous team that could put up a ton of points and should be able to score on anyone. Certainly, Rahim doesn?t solve the problem of guarding Shaquille O?Neal or that big Pistons front line, but it may make the Nets the third best team in the East next season.
OPTION TWO: Donyell Marshall-PF-Toronto Raptors
They already fleeced Toronto once, why not go in for the kill?
In all seriousness, this is the guy the Nets need to get. Plug Marshall into the four spot for New Jersey and they are indeed competing for a championship. With all the attention on Carter and Kidd, this is a guy who can get a lot of open looks from downtown and hit them consistently. Marshall will pull big guys away from the basket to allow the big three to get in the lane and create space for Nenad to operate on the blocks. With two bigs who can consistently hit from the outside, opposing defenses will be backpedaling trying to figure out how to guard this team. Add the fact that Marshall is a tough rebounder with long arms and a pretty solid defender and you have the missing piece that could put the Nets over the top.
OPTION THREE: STROMILE SWIFT-PF/C-Memphis Grizzlies
An athletic big who can block shots, bring down the house with a momentum-changing slam, and run the floor with Kidd and RJ to form a formidable fast break. Sound familiar? Certainly the K-Mart comparisons aren?t too far off, but I?m not sold on this guy becoming the player Kenyon did while playing along side Kidd. The word on Swift is his basketball IQ does not match his unbelievable athleticism and potential. He appears to be just a great athlete who happens to play basketball. Nevertheless, we have seen Kidd turn average players into all-stars, and I wouldn?t be surprised if Swift came to the Nets and averaged eighteen a game on fast break dunks and put backs. With all the potential this guy has, it appears that this may indeed just be hearsay as he will be entirely too pricey for the cap-deficient Nets unless they can work a sign and trade with Memphis.
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What about a swap that sends VC, Nenad Krstic, and some draft picks to Minnesota for KG and a bad contract (possibly Trenton Hassell)? Jersey becomes instant title contenders with one of the best defensive teams in the league to go with the Kidd-KG combo. Minnesota gets a star back in Carter, a nice young building block in Krstic, and the Clippers unprotected draft pick next year (which could turn to gold) along with another Net first rounder.</div>
Here's my corresponding analysis:
His argument for getting
Donyell Marshall is pretty sound. I watched him in Chicago and Toronto, and he's as consistent as they get (with maybe some slight exception this season). He can easily get 16/10/2(blocks) on 50% and 2-3 3pters on 40%+, especially in an offense with RJ/VC/Kidd. I suppose the reasoning is that we're looking for a shooter and a rebounder so why not get both in one guy? He can mix it in and out, but mostly likes to stay out on the perimeter on offense. On defense, he gets his share of blocks because of his long arms and good timing. His long arms also contribute to his high rebounding numberes, as does his good instinct and box out technique and other non-athletic traits.
I still like the idea of
Stromile Swift, but only at the right price, especially since he's unproven in terms of consistency and work ethic. What he doesn't have in skill, he has in pure explosiveness. His offense will come off putbacks and dunks. This is evident when you look at his rebounding stats. Throughout his career, nearly half his rebounds are of the offensive type. He doesn't seem to have high basketball IQ, evident by the small number of rebounds he grabs for his stature and athletic talent. This can possibly be changed through good coaching and teaching. Given the right coaching, motivation, and offense, he definitely can be a powerhouse that energizes the team.
I'm still iffy on
Shareef Abdur-Rahim. He seems like a guy who'll need a lot of shots to contribute, something the Nets can't give him. Much like Zach Randolph, he gets his rebounds through good instinct, a knack for the ball, and smart box outs, instead of pure athleticism. This is a good thing, as he doesn't have or need an explosiveness that could fade away as he continues to age. He has a very good midrange game and he'll make all the shots that Jason Collins and Jabari Smith missed. He is also strong and is formidable inside, similar to Juwan Howard of Houston. What he can't do is block shots, as he doesn't even look to do so, which is good in a way that he doesn't foul a lot. He's a guy that can (and has consistently) get 20/10 on 50% but he'll also need the shots to do so.
Donyell Marshall and Shareef Abdur-Rahim are definitely the most skilled of the three. Stromile Swift
can be the most impacting if he reaches near Kmart levels. However, athletic big men are always available though the draft: Hakim Warrick for example. I know I've voice my opinion for Stro Show in the past, but I feel a little scared taking a risk. At the same time, I don't think we can get Shareef, just because he is the most skilled of the three, especially offensively. He can garner a lot of money with his offensive skill set. The thing is that, we don't need his offense as much as other teams might, and we probably won't have the money to get him because of that. Donyell might look like the right one, but he's always been underpaid (relative to other players) throughout his career and he's bound for a big contract sooner than later.
