Your guess for who will be our starting center next year

[mook]

This is after the dust settles of the draft, free agency and pre-season, and maybe the first 10 or so games of the regular season.

I know there's a ridiculous amount of recency bias in saying this, but Biyombo became a lot more attractive to me after last night's 26 reb/4 block performance.

He's 23, and although only 6'9 he's got a 7'6 wingspan and a 9'3 standing reach (would have had the second highest standing reach in 2016 draft). He's buried behind more featured Valancunias. He's got a player option this summer. Kind of a low-profile type of target compared to the big names (Horford, Whiteside, Howard), but young and hungry and still developing. Seems like an Enis Kanter-type of situation where the Blazers could offer a poisonous contract to make the Raptors flinch.

You look at Aminu and Ed Davis and this guy seems like exactly the MO of Neil Olshey.

Anyway, he's my best guess. Yours?

 

[SlyPokerDog]

 

[Scalma]

Whiteside. At least thats who I see as the main target.

I think they'd go after ezeli before biyombo imo

 

[bodyman5000 and 1]

Who I was going to guess.

 

[Scalma]

Actually biyombo wouldn't be bad either, but when whiteside is available you have to prioritize him.

 

[tester551]

This is after the dust settles of the draft, free agency and pre-season, and maybe the first 10 or so games of the regular season.

I know there's a ridiculous amount of recency bias in saying this, but Biyombo became a lot more attractive to me after last night's 26 reb/4 block performance.

He's 23, and although only 6'9 he's got a 7'6 wingspan and a 9'3 standing reach (would have had the second highest standing reach in 2016 draft). He's buried behind more featured Valancunias. He's got a player option this summer. Kind of a low-profile type of target compared to the big names (Horford, Whiteside, Howard), but young and hungry and still developing. Seems like an Enis Kanter-type of situation where the Blazers could offer a poisonous contract to make the Raptors flinch.

You look at Aminu and Ed Davis and this guy seems like exactly the MO of Neil Olshey.

Anyway, he's my best guess. Yours?

He will be an UFA. Biyombo can sign with anyone he wants, and there isn't a thing Toronto can do about it.

 

[theprunetang]

Is Biyombo a better starter than Plumlee though. Biyombo is a better defender but has just as little shooting range as Plumlee. Plus Plums can pass and handle the ball much better. Biyombo would be a nice player to have, but the grass isn't always greener. Convince me.

 

[mook]

Here's an interesting comparison between Biyombo and similar types of under-the-radar defensive big men at the same age. (Dennis Rodman entered the league at 25.) At his age, he's the best rebounder among Rodman, Ben Wallace and DeAndre Jordan, and is second to Rodman in DRTG% and second to Jordan in Blocks. I added Ed Davis and Dale Davis in there so you can compare him to more journeymen types.

 

[mook]

Is Biyombo a better starter than Plumlee though. Biyombo is a better defender but has just as little shooting range as Plumlee. Plus Plums can pass and handle the ball much better. Biyombo would be a nice player to have, but the grass isn't always greener. Convince me.

I modified it to add Plumlee of this season (age 25). In this case, yes, the grass does indeed seem to be greener.

 

[ripcityboy]

No seriously, I have no idea. I'll go with Plumlee for now.

 

[Trackjack]

Mahimni from the pacer can hit 15 foot shot and above average pnr player. It wouldn't cost us arm and leg to get him.

 

[mook]

One thing I don't know--is Biyombo a legit 23, or a Mutombo 23? The guy is from the Congo....

 

[theprunetang]

I modified it to add Plumlee of this season (age 25). In this case, yes, the grass does indeed seem to be greener.

You could make a case for either with those stats. Biyombo is better at defense and rebounding. Mason is better at passing and playmaking. They are about equal in other areas. Apples and oranges.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

You could make a case for either with those stats. Biyombo is better at defense and rebounding. Mason is better at passing and playmaking. They are about equal in other areas. Apples and oranges.

Defense and rebounding are so much more important for a center than passing.

 

[PDXFonz]

 

[Sarni]

Really hoping for Whiteside to sign.

 

[theprunetang]

Defense and rebounding are so much more important for a center than passing.

So he's a slightly better and stronger Ed Davis. Like I said, I like the guy, just not sure we need him for the money we would spend. Ed and and Plumlee still end up with better PERs than him somehow.

 

[Scalma]

So he's a slightly better and stronger Ed Davis. Like I said, I like the guy, just not sure we need him for the money we would spend. Ed and and Plumlee still end up with better PERs than him somehow.

A better and stronger Davis? Where do I sign up?

 

[Orion Bailey]

Whiteside. If CJ is this active in watching and commenting, we ar going to be pushing hard for him. This is a great organization and NO has already said they sit down their players and ask them things. I have no doubt in my mind, Dame and CJ have already had conversations with NO about the best ways to improve and Whiteside has probably been the center of that conversation when it comes to bigs.

 

[Stevenson]

Haven't we seen enough of a center who can rebound but who can't shoot this year?

 

[swish3]

Meyers Leonard will return stronger and better after the surgery. In my opinion, with improvement on both offense and defense that we saw from Meyers in January and February and until his injury in early March, Meyers can be the additional force that the Blazers need to make it to the WCF or better.

In a lineup with Mason, Chief, CJ, and Dame, Meyers can develop, just as Mason did in the playoffs, to provide the energy, chemistry, and talent that can take the Blazers further, perhaps to the NBA Championship. With the repair of the shoulder, Meyers will return better than ever.

Given the coaching, center assignments, clever use of talents of the Leonard-Plumlee-Aminu frontcourt, the Blazers can be victorious over the Warriors. The semi-finals showed how close Blazers were, winning most of the quarters with the Warriors. Next year, giving Meyers the role that he was ramping up to in early 2016, can be the year for the Blazers!

 

[Orion Bailey]

Haven't we seen enough of a center who can rebound but who can't shoot this year?

If Aminu, Harkless And Crabbe continue to improve their shooting, we don't need a Center who scores, we need ones who sets quality picks and become our paint protector.

 

[Orion Bailey]

Meyers Leonard will return stronger and better after the surgery. In my opinion, with improvement on both offense and defense that we saw from Meyers in January and February and until his injury in early March, Meyers can be the additional force that the Blazers need to make it to the WCF or better.

In a lineup with Mason, Chief, CJ, and Dame, Meyers can develop, just as Mason did in the playoffs, to provide the energy, chemistry, and talent that can take the Blazers further, perhaps to the NBA Championship. With the repair of the shoulder, Meyers will return better than ever.

Given the coaching, center assignments, clever use of talents of the Leonard-Plumlee-Aminu frontcourt, the Blazers can be victorious over the Warriors. The semi-finals showed how close Blazers were, winning most of the quarters with the Warriors. Next year, giving Meyers the role that he was ramping up to in early 2016, can be the year for the Blazers!

We still need a better rim protector, but I think your right there.

If we can get Whiteside and I think Leonard will prove to be more valuable than many think he can become. As long as he comes back 100% from the injury that is.

Im stoked about a possible line up of...

Dame/CJ/Connaughton
CJ/Crabbe/Montero
Harkless/Crabbe
Aminu/Leonard/Vonleh
Whiteside/Davis


I think that would be enough for next year to put us into the 3-6 spot and see what tweaks need to be made to be a solid contender (1-4) spot) the next few years.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

Haven't we seen enough of a center who can rebound but who can't shoot this year?

We need a big man who can play defense.

 

[swish3]

Next year can indeed get us to the 1-4 spots, or I would say 1-3 spots for the playoffs. With Meyers playing like he did as last season progressed, and remember holding Cousins to 2 out of 11, Chief holding down key players, CJ cooking, and Dame outsmarting, Blazer defense can make the quantum leap needed to beat the Warriors, Spurs, Thunder, or anyone in the playoffs.

But Orion, why did you leave Mason out of your lineups?

In my lineup, Meyers would be the 5 and Mason the 4, with excellent possibilities for rim defense and rebounding.

 

[Magic's Johnson]

I'd love to see Whiteside play for us. I think Whiteside's defense makes us so much better and because he is so tall, I wouldn't mind trading for a PF or bringing in a FA to play FA. I've kind of had three ideas on how to improve our front court overall if we get Whiteside. And this is also assuming we re-sign Leonard cause it only makes sense that we do if we get Whiteside. I'm not an expert on salary cap so if someone could tell me if these scenarios are possible.

1) Trading cleveland's pick, our 2018 pick, and other pieces for Jahlil Okafor. A PF/C rotation of Whiteside/Okafor/Davis/Leonard is pretty good, but I've seen rumors that Boston is offering their 3rd pick in a package for Okafor, which would seem like a more enticing deal.

2) Trading cleveland's pick, our 2018 pick, Mason Plumlee, and Aminu for Paul Millsap. Millsap is always a leader among front court players in steals, our starting lineup would be a lot better defensively with Whiteside and Millsap. PF/C rotation would be Whiteside/Millsap/Leonard/Davis/Vonleh. Is that enough going to ATL? It seems more than enough seeing that Millsap is 32 and will be a FA in 2017. But with POR, I think it'll be easier to re-sign him.

3) Sign Gasol to a 3 yr/$25 million deal with a 3rd year player option. Then trade Plumlee and our 2018 pick for Zachary Randolph. Gasol took a similar deal with Chicago and has said he's willing to take a paycut to play for a contender. I like Plumlee's ability to pass but with no jumpshot, he's not the ideal PF in today's NBA. Gasol is 34 but still a productive player. My worry with Whiteside is that without Wade and McRoberts, who set him up a lot for field goals, how will he score? McCollum and Lillard aren't great alleyoop passers. He's like a better offensive version of Deandre Jordan, but I see Whiteside hit open more regularly this season progressed. Randolph could certainly score off the bench. A PF/C rotation of Whiteside/Gasol/Randolph/Davis/Vonleh would be great as well.

Again, would any of these scenarios be possible?

 

[MARIS61]

Domantas Sabonis!

 

[jlprk]

If you need your center to be a good shooter, you have your priorities backwards. That's how they thought in the days of George Mikan. Bill Russell showed that there are already 4 players who can shoot, and that a center provides other unique skills.

When I saw the question, I thought, Ezeli. Then I saw that there was a slot to vote for him. I thought I'd have to write him in. He was good in the playoffs, but not especially before, so the rest of the league hasn't noticed him as much as we have. So we have a higher chance than with more famous centers.

He's just big, which is the main quality we miss at center, not shooting. We need a center who can body big men, as he did to ours, including Plumlee. Just plain size.

 

[3RA1N1AC]

Just a hunch, but Whiteside is going to completely shit the bed once he signs a 100 million dollar guaranteed contract.

Not worth the risk.

 

[dviss1]

I'd love to see Whiteside play for us. I think Whiteside's defense makes us so much better and because he is so tall, I wouldn't mind trading for a PF or bringing in a FA to play FA. I've kind of had three ideas on how to improve our front court overall if we get Whiteside. And this is also assuming we re-sign Leonard cause it only makes sense that we do if we get Whiteside. I'm not an expert on salary cap so if someone could tell me if these scenarios are possible.

1) Trading cleveland's pick, our 2018 pick, and other pieces for Jahlil Okafor. A PF/C rotation of Whiteside/Okafor/Davis/Leonard is pretty good, but I've seen rumors that Boston is offering their 3rd pick in a package for Okafor, which would seem like a more enticing deal.

Nice to see people coming around to this:

@Boob-No-More is right for wishing for an ATL front line in Portland. We'd be good. No great. We'd be GREAT with that front line.

I say we swing for the fences. Look to land Whiteside in FA. Then, look to trade for Milsap as I believe Atlanta will surely blow that team up.

FIFY

Lillard (36) / CJ (12)
CJ (24) / Crabbe (24)
Harkless (34) / Montero (12)
Okafor (30)/ Davis (18)
Whiteside (30) / Leonard (18)

Crabbe could get minutes at the 3 if Montero isn't playing well.

EDIT: That's a fuckin' SQUAD...