Brad is a limited player, and a problematic one in some ways. But he's still hard to replace. In no partiuclar order:
1) he takes being unathletic to an extreme. Think he has bad legs. Cannot jump, gets knocked to the ground all the time.
2) he LOOKS strong, but really is not -- got outmuscled all year long and was eaten up by borderline players such as Chris Kaman, Joel Pryzbilla and Jerome James. That had NOTHING to do with Webb, was just weak. Players his own size routinely outmuscle him.
3) Brad's rebounding was merely mediocre last year. One-legged Webb was a better rebounder. I started several threads about our rebounding, and both times Brad ranked around #55 of all NBA centers in the league in per/48 rebounding (of about 100 guys). I have this sneaking suspicion his superior rebounding performance two years ago was because he was playing at PF. Again, he seems surprisingly weak in there. Not awful, but not helping, and not the big ole rebounding hoss I briefly thought we had last year.
4) He has no post game. At ALL. He has repeatedly shown an inability to post up OGs. Literally. That is just amazing for a player of his size, and a major difference between he and Vlade.
5) His interior defense was terrible last year. I mentioned several times that it looked like players were running right up his chest with absolute disregard for his defensive presence. Just charge right at him, jump right over him, and finish no problem. And there it suddenly makes you keenly aware that before hitting Sacto Brad ALWAYS had outstanding frontcourt defenders surrounding him. Brand, Artest, Oakley, J. O'Neal. Think they may have been covering for his deficiencies to a large degree. And also think they may have inspired him -- Brad seems to be a follower, not a leader.
6) The temper/pouting thing is also a probelm, but a lesser one. Nonetheless he is not really trustworthy and is prone to meltdowns (Danny Fortson got under his skin EVERY time). He certainly does not have that saavy self control and control of the game Vlade did.
7) He is very injury prone, and really, aren't we all just tired of that trait now? EVERY single year he gets hurt in the 2nd half of the year. Even when he still suits up, he is banged up and hobbled and not the player he normally is. His body breaks down, and he's nto getting younger. At 29 and the oldest of our "core" this might not be an amazing Vlade old man story where he continues to amazing play in every game despite age and no conditiioning. Could see him by his early 30's really begin to struggle to play 60 games a year. He's averaged about 63 games a year over his career (pulled down a bit by playing in 38 of 50 possible in '99.
SO, you just trade him right? Dump him first chance you get? Well, not so much:
1) and obviously the biggest reason not is that, outside of KG, Brad might still be the single best big man in the whole league to run our offense. If you trade Brad (without bringing back KG), you are in essence deciding to scrap the offense. He is not quite the brilliant all-time intuitive passer that Vlade and Webb were, and he lacks their presence -- both those guys could get on rolls where they were surveying the whole court and simply controlling the game with their passing. Running a team like that is a bit beyond Brad. But making smart crisp unselfish passes is not. And he can make them from the high post where his jumper is most effective.
2) of the remaining core, he may well have the greatest effect on the rest o f the guys. Bibby NEEDS a big guy to play pick and roll with -- the last one now is Brad. Makes Mike much more effective. And Peja NEEDS somebody to hit him with on those backdoor cuts or he is NOT going to average 25. And again, that man is largely Brad.
3) Brad's limitations are being badly exposed now because he's surrounded by players which do not compliment him (as with the rest of the "core"). Brad and Peja together are a real problem athletically, defensively, and in the post. Brad and Peja and Kenny together is a joke. But given the right type of teammates up front, let's say Ron Artest and Jermaine O'Neal, you hide his weaknesses and benefit from his strengths. And since one of his strengths happens to be as the last glue guy really holding the old offense together, maybe that should be the effort rather than trading him.
4) I can imagine a best case scenario next year where Brad blossoms, is called upon to do more an dalmsot forced to by teammates, and puts up maybe 17, 9.5 and 4.5. Those are still considerable numbers.
Bottomline, Brad is a player with clear limitations. But he's a good one. If he was not basically holding the keys to the offense, a player at his level is imminently tradeable for a better or younger piece. Not irreplaceable in terms of overall talent. But to US, in our system, he may have far more value than his talent alone dictates. That was why the trade was made to get him as Vlade's replacement. Not because he was the absolute best or most complete center, but because he was the right type of center + had very rare skills which we needed. And if that's the case, and you are at all interested in trying to run our old offense, if you are a smart GM what you have to do is surround Brad with players who ar ANTI-Brad's. Athletes, rebounders, post players, shot blockers. People who commpliment him and cover up his weaknesses, rather than amplifying them. And if you are going to move him, you damn well better get back a player of enough magnitude to help create a new system/personality for the team. You're not trading away a player in Brad, you're trading away the system.
