Defensive Big Man Choices

Bricklayer

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
#1
#1
A curiosity thread. List out in order, how you would rank the following 10 potential defensive bigs, as fits for us.

First list them by order of preference, all things (including contracts) included.

Second list them by how attainable you think they realistically are.

Derrick Favors (Age: 23, 4yrs $49mil)
Serge Ibaka (Age: 25, 3yrs $37.5mil)
Roy Hibbert (Age: 28, 2yrs $30.3mil (2nd yr is player option)
Taj Gibson (Age: 29, 3yrs 25.5mil)
Omar Asik (Age: 28, 1yr $15mil)
Javale McGee (Age: 26, 2yrs $23.3mil)
Anderson Varejao (Age: 32, 1yr $9.8mil)
Josh Smith (Age: 29, 3yrs $42mil)
Larry Sanders (Age: 26, 4yrs $44mil)
Tyson Chandler (Age: 32, 1`yr $14.6mil)
 
Dime Dropper

Dime Dropper

All-Star
#2
#2
Preference:

1. Ibaka
2. Favors
3. Sanders
4. Hibbert
5. Asik
6. Chandler
7. Gibson
8. Varejao
9. McGee
10. Smith

A few of those are interchangeable really, but Ibaka and Favors are definitely one/two.

As for most attainable:

1. McGee
2. Asik
3. Sanders
4. Smith
5. Varejao
6. Gibson
7. Chandler
8. Hibbert
9. Favors
10. Ibaka

Something like that. I'd say Sanders is the best realistic possibility to be had but it remains to be seen if he's worth that kind of money or if the FO would take the chance on him. He's a very good fit though if he's motivated.
 
Hadlowe

Hadlowe

Starter
#3
#3
For fit, my list goes:

Ibaka
Gibson
Smith
Chandler
Favors
Sanders
Asik
McGee
Hibbert
Varejao

Gibson is better on offense than Ibaka with a solid mid-range game and some good post moves. Smith, besides being overpriced, does have two things you want from a pairing with Cousins, mobile shot-blocking and a mid-range game. He lacks size which hurts in the west.

After that, you're down to one-skill guys. Chandler, Favors, Sanders, Asik and McGee are all relatively mobile shot-blockers, but lack offense outside the paint. Hibbert and Varejao are the worst fits as they are both lane clogs and not very mobile.
 
upinsmoke

upinsmoke

All-Star
#4
#4
How about Ed Davis he has the length and athleticism to rebound and block/alter shots around the rim and knows his limitations on offense as he gets most of his pts being active on putbacks and in the open court. I'm not advocating starting him but if we can find a way to move Landry and JT this off-season he would make a nice addition to the front court. Davis currently has a QO of 4.3M with the Grizzlies so it will be interesting to see how that plays out if he hits the market he could be picked up without breaking the bank,
 
hrdboild

hrdboild

Moloch in whom I dream Angels!
Staff member
#5
#5
Preference:

Ranked in tiers with Ibaka being head and shoulders the best overall player on the list. Favors is young enough that he could top the list some time soon but he doesn't have the track record yet. Sanders is as good as Ibaka defensively I think, but not as well-rounded offensively and of course there's the question marks about where his head is at. Hibbert should be #2 but the overall stink of this season and the contract situation push him down a bit. Aging but effective vets who might need a change of scenery make up the third tier -- I'm a big Taj Gibson fan, but he's already 29 and likely to decline in production after his current deal. Long-term fit is always a factor for me which is also why Asik gets moved down a tier, I think he's gone in a year regardless. McGee gets his own tier.

1. Serge Ibaka
...
2. Derrick Favors
3. Larry Sanders
4. Roy Hibbert
...
5. Taj Gibson
6. Josh Smith
7. Tyson Chandler
...
8. Omer Asik
9. Anderson Varejao
...
10. JaVale McGee

Realistically Obtainable?

I ranked them based on estimated willingness of their current team to trade them. It's tough to figure out fair value for the expiring contract guys or which assets we would have to give up to get a younger player on a long-term deal, so I didn't factor that into these rankings. I don't think Larry Bird wants to break up his roster yet so Hibbert stays, Ibaka is untouchable, Utah loves Favors. Chicago is a bit of a mess and Gibson is a movable asset they might be willing to give up but the asking price is likely to be high enough that he's effectively a NO. Phil Jackson taking over roster decision-making for the Knicks probably means everyone is available but he could keep Chandler for the expiring contract and cap relief.

1. JaVale McGee YES
2. Omer Asik YES
3. Anderson Varejao YES
4. Josh Smith YES
...
5. Larry Sanders MAYBE
6. Tyson Chandler MAYBE
7. Taj Gibson MAYBE
...
8. Derrick Favors NO
9. Roy Hibbert NO
10. Serge Ibaka NO

Fuzzy Math:

I thought it would be amusing to tabulate the results of both lists together and see what happens.

(8) Larry Sanders - My ideal trade target.
(10) Josh Smith - Young enough and recently good enough to maybe take a chance on.
(10) Derrick Favors - Home run if we can make it happen. I don't see it.
(10) Omer Asik - Eminently available though not a great fit. One year rental?
...
(11) Serge Ibaka - Disqualified, he's not being traded.
(11) JaVale McGee - Disqualified, do not want.
...
(12) Anderson Varejao - Not the worst idea, but I don't think it gets us anywhere.
(12) Taj Gibson - In a grey area of uncertainty. Very good but not ideal fit and expensive to obtain.
(13) Roy Hibbert - The longest of long shots.
(13) Tyson Chandler - About 4 years too late.
 
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P

Prince_XY

Starter
#6
#6
Hmmm.

Interesting.

Of all the defensive bigs available, Ja Vale Macgee seems to be the most unwanted (and therefore can be had easily) because most people see him too dumb to play basketball. And yet, he is top two to three with the highest rate of block shots per minute amongst the list and still very young.

I wonder if he can learn or be made to play defense, rebounds, and put backs only - like Chris Andersen of Miami.

Do we really need a super-duper high IQ shot blocker to pair with our super talented Cousins?

I'll go for Mcgee any day if he can be had in exchange for our non-performing assets like Landry and Terry.
 
kingsboi

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#7
#7
Taj Gibson needs to be moved to your "not obtainable" list...he is all ready declared Chicago's starting power forward for next season. The assets we have I don't see us trading for him because Chicago would ask the bank for him I'm sure.
 
Hadlowe

Hadlowe

Starter
#8
#8
kingsboi said:
Taj Gibson needs to be moved to your "not obtainable" list...he is all ready declared Chicago's starting power forward for next season. The assets we have I don't see us trading for him because Chicago would ask the bank for him I'm sure.
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There isn't much on that Chicago roster that is really unobtainable. They are major players in the Carmelo and Kevin Love sweepstakes. Remember that they also have the rights to Nikola Mirotic who is playing very well for Real Madrid, so even if they trade Gibson, they have a solid backup they can bring over.

To get Carmelo, they need to dump salary. Easiest way to do that is to tie the salary into a draft pick trade. Gibson and Dunleavy are the most likely salary dumps, but I can't see a locker room with Cousins and Dunleavy working out. We would need a third team involved.

To get Kevin Love, they need picks to help Minny rebuild. Putting together our #8 pick and Charlotte's pick plus some filler would be a reasonably attractive package for Minny.
 
hrdboild

hrdboild

Moloch in whom I dream Angels!
Staff member
#9
#9
kingsboi said:
Taj Gibson needs to be moved to your "not obtainable" list...he is all ready declared Chicago's starting power forward for next season. The assets we have I don't see us trading for him because Chicago would ask the bank for him I'm sure.
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I actually had him there originally and revised it to maybe there's a small chance. My original instinct was no though. Like Hadlowe said, I think the uncertainty around Derrick Rose and the desire to shake up the roster could result in Gibson being moved so he's not untouchable. We could trade down possibly from 8 to one of Chicago's 2 picks. It's unlikely, but not impossible.
 
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Dime Dropper

Dime Dropper

All-Star
#10
#10
Taj Gibson is not untouchable under any circumstances. They may not want to move him, but untouchable is way too strong a term for someone like him. Good player but has been elevated to demigod status on this forum.
 
K

KingMilz

Guest
#11
#11
Is Javale McGee really a defensive big? I mean yeah he blocks shots but he get's trashed most the time and in general players like Al Horford are much better overall defenders. Shot blocking by itself does not make you a good defender nor does it make you a defensive big imo, they just call McGee that cause he can't do anything else.

Also Marc Gasol>>>>>every single guy listed in terms of fit and defence.

Now this is a BIG IF, If Mike Malone can do what one of the Hawks coaches did for 1 season with Josh Smith and stop him shooting 3's I would get him in a heartbeat his playmaking/transition/shot blocking ability would be great but that's a huge "IF".
 
kingsboi

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#12
#12
Gibson is unobtainable to us at least, obviously I didn't mean for the entire league. We don't have assets that besides Ben and the 8 that are enticing enough to get him and obviously you don't trade either one for a caliber player as he is so that's why I moved him on the unobtainable side aspect for the Kings.
 
King Baller

King Baller

All-Star
#13
#13
IMO the list should be limited to guys who can guard both the 4 and 5 spot. Whoever plays with Cousins needs to defend the other teams best Big Man.

I think only 4 of these guys can guard Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge.
1. Serge Ibaka
2. Derrick Favors
3. Larry Sanders
4. Taj Gibson
 
Gary

Gary

All-Star
#15
#15
Derrick Favors (Age: 23, 4yrs $49mil) - Yes and is probably one of the more attainable players here.
Serge Ibaka (Age: 25, 3yrs $37.5mil) - Have no chance at getting him.
Roy Hibbert (Age: 28, 2yrs $30.3mil) - Indiana might look at going in another direction. Hibbert would be a dream signing for me.
Taj Gibson (Age: 29, 3yrs 25.5mil) - Like his game but I don't think Chicago will let him go.
Omar Asik (Age: 28, 1yr $15mil) - One of the more attainable names on the list. Would love to give him a chance here.
Javale McGee (Age: 26, 2yrs $23.3mil) - Not even sure why this loser is here. He cannot defend. Shame on you! :)
Anderson Varejao (Age: 32, 1yr $9.8mil) - Getting a bit old for me to be interested like I used to be.
Josh Smith (Age: 29, 3yrs $42mil) - Not interested.
Larry Sanders (Age: 26, 4yrs $44mil) - Contract is huge but I would still be interested.
Tyson Chandler (Age: 32, 1`yr $14.6mil) - Getting a bit old for me, but if there was a way to start him for a couple years then bring him off the bench I would be for that. We don't have the $$ for that though. It would cost too much.

So out of the whole list I think we have a chance at Sanders, Favors, Hibbert and Asik. Most likely not Hibbert so I would say Sanders, Asik and Favors. Of those three we have a better chance at Sanders and Asik. Of those two we have the best chance at Asik...

So Asik it is!
 
Dime Dropper

Dime Dropper

All-Star
#17
#17
What pieces, exactly? Ben? The pick? Ignoring the fact that that package is highly unlikely to land Favors in the first place, it's a stretch to say that Ben/draft pick would round out the team. Those types are much easier to pick up than the Favors types. You do the deal every day of the week and have your frontcourt set for a decade, as long as you surround them with the right role players.
 
MassachusettsKingsFan

MassachusettsKingsFan

All-Star
#19
#19
There is a super cheap option with decent upside readily available.

Emeka Okafor. He was in the middle of a fantastic defensive season before he got really injured. Hasn't played in a long time.

But he could come in here really, really cheap and perform just as good as some of the players on that list, if he's ok.
 
Dime Dropper

Dime Dropper

All-Star
#20
#20
I'd be down for Okafor if he were willing to sign cheapish. He'll likely be looking for MLE type money though, which is a risk given his injury history. But on a decent contract, he's not a bad fit if he can stay healthy. Provide some vet leadership too.
 
R

randymoss1881

Starter
#21
#21
Okafor will have no choice but to sign a cheap contract after missing the whole season. Hopefully he loved Malone in NO like everyone else and he chooses us cause we can offer him a starting role and DMC.
 
LPKingsFan

LPKingsFan

All-Star
#22
#22
randymoss1881 said:
Okafor will have no choice but to sign a cheap contract after missing the whole season. Hopefully he loved Malone in NO like everyone else and he chooses us cause we can offer him a starting role and DMC.
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Ah, forgot about the NO connection there. That's a nice catch.

Also didn't realize he's 31, though, and will be 32 when the season starts.
 
Gary

Gary

All-Star
#23
#23
LPKingsFan said:
Ah, forgot about the NO connection there. That's a nice catch.

Also didn't realize he's 31, though, and will be 32 when the season starts.
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If we are in "win now" mode I guess it would be nice to have him. But I doubt he would be in the future plans as more than a role player beyond the next couple seasons if he did sign with us.
 
Bricklayer

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
#24
#24
Gary said:
If we are in "win now" mode I guess it would be nice to have him. But I doubt he would be in the future plans as more than a role player beyond the next couple seasons if he did sign with us.
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We gotta turn a corner here however its done.

however, I will freely admit I would prefer a more reliable fix, and then sign Okafor in addition. Relying on him at this point to fix the interior defense himself could leave you in the same position you were with Landry.
 
Bricklayer

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
#25
#25
LPKingsFan

LPKingsFan

All-Star
#26
#26
Bricklayer said:
Interesting little report about Chicago's mindset:

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/233797/Source-Bulls-Looking-To-Exhaust-Assets-To-Improve-Roster


Could it be that not only is Gibson potentially available, but they may even be willing to sell high on Noah before the hype dies down? Of course since they are looking to upgrade the starters, not rebuild, I would think anything we did in those areas would have to center around helping them to acquire Love or Melo.
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Saw that too, and think it's pretty interesting. Would need the team who was providing the upgrade to the Bulls to prefer rebuilding pieces, and would need them to be interested in the pieces the Kings have to offer. Not sure 8, Ben, Ray, D. Williams and co are sufficiently appealing, but you never know.
 
LPKingsFan

LPKingsFan

All-Star
#29
#29
randymoss1881 said:
When is the Gibson fantasy gonna stop. If he gets traded it will be for impact players not anything that we have.
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While I agree it's not realistic, it's still possible: Love decides he wants to play for the Bulls, and the Bulls include Gibson as part of the package to the TWolves, who decide they'd rather rebuild rather than retool with a 29-year old PF, so they look for a third team willing to offer young players/picks... which the Kings have (to some degree). More realistic, though, is that the TWolves retool and fit Gibson in with their existing vets. But you never know.
 
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