tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8059884704776101239.post4733041244939174457..comments2023-06-27T04:30:25.783-04:00Comments on Burgeoning Wolverine Star: Harris, Ariza, and NCAA tournamentChris Gaerighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11199782156789895674noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8059884704776101239.post-36229391499226810042010-02-04T17:33:10.929-05:002010-02-04T17:33:10.929-05:00this back and forth makes way too much sense to be...this back and forth makes way too much sense to be on the internet. my monitor just exploded.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8059884704776101239.post-68151817605474965182010-02-03T14:52:41.682-05:002010-02-03T14:52:41.682-05:00Tweener has historically been a pejorative. Hybri...Tweener has historically been a pejorative. Hybrid has positive connotation. I don't see what makes Kobe a hybrid. He's a SG with SG size.<br /><br />I love the direction OKC and Atl are taking from a fan's perspective but they're not close to being serious title contenders. (You can make a case for ATL, but its very weak...)<br /><br />Versatility does not "make a good basketball team". It helps, but you can win titles with a traditional lineup and roles. Consider the Spurs, who, besides playing Horry at PF in crunch time, had conventional lineups most of the time and the Kobe-Shaq Lakers. Every team has SOME versatility.<br /><br />I guess ultimately, I think what you describe as "old guard" is still reality, no matter how much people want to spin "the game has changed". Lebron is no more of a tweener/hybrid than Magic. The Hawks aren't any more versatile than Jordan's Bulls. The game is still about maximizing talent, desire (especially on defense), and players who know they're roles and don't do stupid things. Same as it ever was...Lankowniahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07421144704503213226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8059884704776101239.post-31623758714369660392010-02-02T18:36:40.819-05:002010-02-02T18:36:40.819-05:00But unfortunately, that's not the Lakers' ...But unfortunately, that's not the Lakers' strategy. Odom, Gasol, Kobe, Ariza (when he was there), and Artest are all tweeners. Your definition of tweener is not really correct. In fact, a tweener is someone who's skills dictate a certain type of play while their size may dictate otherwise. The most effective ones are basically oversized, athletic players (e.g., Lebron playing small forward instead of power forward, Garnett playing power forward instead of center, Odom playing small forward instead of power forward).<br /><br />Tweener is not a derogatory term and people who use it as such are usually part of the old guard (pound the ball down low, be bigger and stronger than your opponent, etc.). Meanwhile, teams like OKC and Atl are quietly becoming beasts in the league by drafting and trading for as many versatile, athletic players they can.<br /><br />Sure, Dumars is going for players that can score, rebound, shoot at every position. That's what makes a good basketball team. But he is in no way modeling the Pistons like the athletic young teams in the league. And hell, if dude was actually looking to get a versatile offensive threat at every position, he wouldn't have signed Ben Wallace.Chris Gaerighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11199782156789895674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8059884704776101239.post-87216552783672550572010-02-02T17:43:47.692-05:002010-02-02T17:43:47.692-05:00I guess a lot of this depends on your definition o...I guess a lot of this depends on your definition of a tweener. To me, its a players whose deficiences don't allow him to fit in a tradional position. Gordon and Villanueva are tweeners (because they play one position on offense that they can't defend on the other end). Lebron and KG aren't - they're just so damn good they can handle other positions besides their natural one. It's beside the point though...<br /><br />The concept that Dumars seems to be going after (and I think you're advancing) is having a versatile offensive threat at every position. (i.e. Everyone needs to be able to score: drive or shoot, preferably both.) Thats what Dumars said after he aquired Villanueva and Daye. It seems Joe is overcompensating for the lone flaw of the Pistons teams of the last decade (reliable scoring, particularly from Ben Wallace).<br /><br />Count me as a sceptic. I think the Lakers/Cavs model of finding 2 or 3 elite go-to scorers and surrounding them with complementary pieces is a model that can and will continue to work. The center who bricks his free throws but blocks shots (Wallace, Oden, Oneal) will still be more relevant to title contention than finding "stretch 4s". And Bruce Bowen types will get rings more often than Eddie House/Ben Gordon/Villanueva types.Lankowniahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07421144704503213226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8059884704776101239.post-80252543368323563962010-02-02T15:35:50.645-05:002010-02-02T15:35:50.645-05:00A few good points here. The idea of a more fluid a...A few good points here. The idea of a more fluid attack does not necessarily do away with size (look at the Lakers). Pau Gasol is far from a traditional NBA center. Garnett is a C/PF with a strong emphasis on the latter. Saying that a team needs big men is a given, but it's what those big men do that makes them unique and effective. For example, Shaq's presence on the Cavs has made their offense markedly less effective and changed what was otherwise a wild and unpredictable offense led by the greatest of all tweeners, Lebron.<br /><br />I was with Joe Dumars for a long time, but a) he most certainly is not centered on hybrid players and b) his downfall came not from said players.<br /><br />To wit, the only real hybrid he ever took a chance on and failed with was Darko. Now the common refrain... "But they could've had Melo or Bosh". Sure, they could've, but they didn't need Melo (or Bosh, frankly), and it wasn't like Darko was an out-of-the-blue pick. He was the 2a to Lebron's 1 and Melo's 2b. He's a bust. It happens. The only other tweener the team had of late was Sheed, who was a massive success and largely responsible for the Pistons' title. But that also doesn't (dis)prove Dumars' alliances. (Austin Daye is a tweener but we haven't seen enough of him. That said, he appears to be the best prospect on the team.)<br /><br />Dumars' main mistakes were the Rip contract and the Ben Gordon contract, both of which were way too long for far too much money. The Pistons had a good core to go after some good free agents, but they ended up wasting all their money on an underachieving, high-volume shooting guard (Gordon) instead of going after a dynamic wing player or hybrid big man--though Villanueva is probably the best pickup the team's made since Sheed.<br /><br />It's an uphill battle for both Harris and Sims, but Harris' ability to "drive" is significantly hindered by his slight build and inability to drive left. I mean, if that's his one NBA-level quality, he has no chance of making it there. Sims on the other hand, has a really well-rounded game and, as his mid-range and long-range game continue to develop--and all signs this year point toward that being a real possibility--he could easily be a functioning NBA player. Not starter or star, necessarily, but definitely an NBA talent.Chris Gaerighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11199782156789895674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8059884704776101239.post-6939829382214216882010-02-02T15:14:28.030-05:002010-02-02T15:14:28.030-05:00Joe Dumars agrees with your hybrid-centric assessm...Joe Dumars agrees with your hybrid-centric assessment apparently. It's not working out for him.<br /><br />People have been talking about the demise of size and traditional roles for years; Yet the biggest toughest frontlines are the ones that continue to win titles. Lakers have Gasol and Bynum, Magic have Howard, Celtics have Garnett and Perkins and keep trying to add more size. If anyone was to take the hybrid approach, you'd think it would be the Cavs with Lebron, but they have Illgauskas, Varejao and they added Shaq to it.<br /><br />The Hawks are a decent example of the uniform/flexible attack you mention, but the Blazers, before injury forced their hand, were as traditional as a roster gets in terms of positional roles, especially with big lug centers in Oden and Przybilla.<br /><br />I don't think Harris OR Sims are going to be NBA players, but Harris at least has one NBA skill (driving ability) while Harris has none. His offensive skills might be passable on the right team, but he can't defend 3s on the perimeter or handle NBA 4s inside. The athleticism just isn't there for him to play in the NBA. He has average SF size with an unexceptional PF's game. His only plus is above average jump shooting FOR A PF, but he's not on the same level as Steve Novak, Ryan Anderson types.Lankowniahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07421144704503213226noreply@blogger.com