Why can't LA play center?

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THE HCP

THE HCP

NorthEastPortland'sFinest
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I know he's said he doesn't want to, but he should be our starting center. In a league where Noah/Horford/KG/Duncan can all play the center position, why can't LA? How many teams have a center that would beast him out of the post? 3 maybe?
 
Because he doesnt want to, and All Star players get what they want. He plays too soft to play center.
 
This league is full of soft centers. There are only a handful of NON-SOFT centers actually.
 
HCP said:
This league is full of soft centers. There are only a handful of NON-SOFT centers actually.
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True. I'd personally love to see LMA at center and Hickson at PF. But I worry about LMA getting in foul trouble.
 
I think the only center that could get LA in foul trouble is Howard. The other 25+ centers should be worried about him getting them in foul trouble!
 
A) He doesn't want to.
B) On a team where he's the best offensive option, he physically cannot guard the best big on the other team and then go be the #1 on offense with an entire team gameplanned around stopping him.
C) One of his strengths is beating his man down the floor. He can't be fighting to get the defensive rebound and still do that.
D) Those "handful" of non-soft centers includes 2 players on the Thunder, 2 on the L*kers, 1 on the Spurs, 1-2 on the Clippers, 1-2 on the Grizzlies, 1-3 on the Nuggets (depending on what you call Birdman) and 2 on the Jazz. I'll give you two guesses on what those teams have in common.
 
HCP said:
I know he's said he doesn't want to, but he should be our starting center. In a league where Noah/Horford/KG/Duncan can all play the center position, why can't LA? How many teams have a center that would beast him out of the post? 3 maybe?
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He does play center but usually just in the 4th quarter. I didn't mind that. I think it keeps him a little fresher.

But I think I get your point. We are a better offensive team when he does play center. If we get a banger that playes PF (or if we resign JJ) and we get a big SF who can rebound (like Terrance or Percy Jones) and a tall SG like Batum who can rebound........then i think it can work just fine.
 
If you want him to play center, that's fine, but you MUST pair him with a particular kind of power-forward who can defend both 4s and 5s -- a real dirty-work kind of guy who likes to mix it up and who scores a ton off of hustle (Brian Grant essentially) and you need a backup 5 who can rebound and soak up about 15-20 minutes when LMA slides over to the 4.
 
HCP said:
why can't LA?
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Same reason you can't satisfy your wife, its simply not a good fit!

Nikolokolus said:
you MUST pair him with a particular kind of power-forward who can defend both 4s and 5s -- a real dirty-work kind of guy who likes to mix it up and who scores a ton off of hustle (Brian Grant essentially) and you need a backup 5 who can rebound and soak up about 15-20 minutes when LMA slides over to the 4.
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Or This.
 
He had a PER of 23+ last year while playing center.

But he just seems to hate the idea of playing the 5.
 
I love me some LA, but I'd hate the thought of our guards trying to work off a LA screen. He sets some of the worst screens I've seen, and if our offense predicates itself through him or around him at the 5, this won't work long-term IMO. Plus, we haven't had a PG that could keep another PG in front of them to save their life in recent years. LA at the 5 would mean constant bombardment of incoming PGs up the middle.
 
LA can play center.

He can play an outside center and leave the PF and SF to gather rebounds....
 
you're talking about offense...who's guarding Bynum, the Gasols, Ibaka, Duncan, Jefferson, Favors, Griffin, etc. when they're posting up?
 
BrianFromWA said:
D) Those "handful" of non-soft centers includes 2 players on the Thunder, 2 on the L*kers, 1 on the Spurs, 1-2 on the Clippers, 1-2 on the Grizzlies, 1-3 on the Nuggets (depending on what you call Birdman) and 2 on the Jazz. I'll give you two guesses on what those teams have in common.
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??
If the issue is him getting beat up on offense, opponent's best defender is always on him anyways, so it's not an issue. If the issue is him getting beat up on defense, then the guys you listed are laughable. OKC has 2? No. Covering Perkins or Ibaka is just fine. Birdman? McGee? 1-2 on the Clippers? Jordan and...who? Neither beating him up on defense. Not sure what you're getting at here.
 
BrianFromWA said:
you're talking about offense...who's guarding Bynum, the Gasols, Ibaka, Duncan, Jefferson, Favors, Griffin, etc. when they're posting up?
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Griffin is a PF. And Aldridge already covers him. Ibaka doesn't have much post up game, but Aldridge also covers him. If you include Bynum and Gasol, you must realize he is already covering one of them in the game.
 
Brilliant idea!! Why has this idea never been mentioned on this board before?? :devilwink:
 
The better question is:

Why does POR even need to call one of thier starting 5 a center?

They just start 2 forwards.....the NBA is about match-ups not positions....
 
BrianFromWA said:
D) Those "handful" of non-soft centers includes 2 players on the Thunder, 2 on the L*kers, 1 on the Spurs, 1-2 on the Clippers, 1-2 on the Grizzlies, 1-3 on the Nuggets (depending on what you call Birdman) and 2 on the Jazz. I'll give you two guesses on what those teams have in common.
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What the.. You are counting way too many people as non-soft centers.
 
I look at them as non-soft "bigs". Maybe that's why I'm not with the consensus here. By "LMA playing C" I assume it to mean "he's the biggest guy on the court" and as such will be guarding the best big on the other team. For instance, I'd love it if LMA could guard DeAndre Jordan every time we played the Clips (so would he, I imagine) but we don't have a big that can play D on Griffin, so he has to. And gets outplayed as a result. Or when we play the L*kers, I'd love him to just be able to guard Gasol. But we don't have a better big defender (with Przy not around) to do so, so he'll be on Bynum or else Bynum will abuse us. Is that a better explanation of what I meant?
 
Aldridge isn't tough enough to play center for the same reason that Jerry Sloan isn't our coach.
 
He reminds me of Ralph Sampson. He's a better rebounder at center. Aldridge is actually a bit of a tweener and with a little more bulk would look very good at center. Unfortunately he doesn't think so. I think it's his best position.
 
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