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Fairly recently, Monty said in an interview that eventually he plans on making opposing teams match up to us (referring to playing Anderson and Davis on the floor at the same time). It was a response to protecting Davis against guys like Howard and taking him off the floor when it was a bad matchup. Monty said AD wasn't ready yet, but eventually he's going to make teams match up to us. That's a big reason why I feel like Center isn't really a target for us. Although, I would like to see more quickness in the PnR from Lopez. That could be upgraded, but that doesn't mean we have to go out and spend $10 million on a new player. We just need a role player for 15 minutes. Let JSmith get the other 15 minutes. Davis and Anderson will do the rest.
The first half of this post is awesome. I love that Monty is thinking that way. It's been so long since we have been able to do it that I wasn't sure Monty would ever want to make the other team adjust.
The second part, especially the not needing a center part, is where we probably disagree. I don't think Davis will be suitable (for Monty) at the 5 for quite a while. He's not just going to be able to put on that kind of muscle in the next season or two. So I think center is a need at least for the next 2 or 3 years. If you draft Len and he comes close to his potential then you have something that can scare plenty of teams.
I just watched the final Hornets/Lakers game today and Pau pretty much had his way with Davis in the paint and Dwight just tossed him around. Dwight does that to a lot of guys but the Pau part caught my attention.
So, if we only need a Center for 2-3 years, then why draft one? Moreover, why can't we just sign a cheap, specialized role player in FA? Kind of like the inverse of Lopez - a guy who is athletic, can guard the PnR, and can rebound. He doesn't have to be an offensive dynamo when you consider pairing him with Davis, Anderson, and Jason Smith. I'd upgrade the Center position that way, but I'm having a difficult time seeing us spending that kind of money on Pekovic or Jefferson.
I like the idea of drafting Burke, signing Iggy, and trading Vasquez and Lopez for an upgrade at Center - maybe a guy like Ian Mahinmi and a pick?
What about Gobert? There's a name we haven't thrown around much lately. He could come in and be a defensive presence down low.
Gobert is... Yuck. Too skinny. I could never see him bulking up. Maybe one could make a argument he's a lot like Javale, who's also thin, but Javale is incredibly athletic. Gobert does not possess the same athleticism.
Centers are expensive. I don't want to spend huge money on one either which is why I draft Len if available. It will still take a while for both bigs to develop but when/if they do, watch out. If anything, he could be a great asset down the line. It will be much easier getting a point guard over the next year or two than trying to find a Center. Suitable smalls are much easier to find than suitable bigs. Plus I would not mind at all if Len and Davis turn out to be a "twin towers".
I'm also not 100% sold on Burke. I think he will be solid, but I don't see him ever being in the top 7-8 at his position.
I think we should zig when others zag. Give me Pekovic. Let the rest of the teams deal with us instead of us dealing with them.
Pro Len posters - how long do you think it will take Len to be a big contributor? starter? He looks like he could be good. Not a stiff. But he doesn't look like he's ready to help much. Prob a year or two at least before he could be a starter on a playoff type team. Huh?
Hey guys. You can take this for what its worth.
The fan opinion: When you guys watched this team this past season, would you say you can make a fair assessment of each and every player on the roster? I think you know the strengths and weaknesses of the starters and the bench guys. So take what I am about to write with this in mind.
I asked three different Maryland fans about their honest scout report on Alex Len.
The first fan, is a Maryland Alum. Played sports for the school and attends many Maryland functions. He is what I would call a die-hard, drink the Kool-Aid type guy. this is what he said:
HUGE potential
if he wasnt dinged up he'd be top 3
legit 7'1, about 250 now
good shot blocker, decent rebounder.... sometimes very advanced on offense, can stick the 20'
biggest weakness is he dissapears for long stretches
and I think a big part of his last season
you can blame on MD have no PG at all
on the games where we had competent guard play, he went off
he made mason plumlee his b**** twice
The second fan is more casual. I believe he did attend the school. He mainly watched the team from a distance but did pay a lot of attention to the team in the NCAA Tourney. This is what he said
"Decent but don't know if he is NBA material. He gets roughed up a bit. He will not last wherever he goes. But if someone can teach him a hook shot or a Duncan type move, he will stick."
The last fan is also a die-hard. Watched every single game this season. He said:
"He's got potential, but he wont be more than a role player. He is a 7 footer that can shoot, but I wouldn't take him #1."
I have heard similar takes from guys I know who aren't Maryland fans but like college basketball. I don't know if you can take what they say as gospel, but I think as fans we have a tendency to hype up our guys. Because we have seen them we tend to prop up our teams guys and give them more credit than maybe they deserve. For instance, to this day I know a Wizards fan that is still mad they don't have Dominic McGuire. Too much hype for such a marginal player. Its just something interesting I thought I'd share.
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