[Game] Nuggets @ Kings - 3/5/13
- Thread starter VF21
- Start date
That's a cute little theory, and there's only one problem: it isn't actually true. You keep mentioning that Nene was the power forward when he was on the court with Camby, which is true, but it completely overlooks the fact that, just because Camby and Nene were both on the team, doesn't mean that 1) they both started, 2) they both played in the all the same games, or 3) that they were both on the court at the same time, when they did both play in the same games.
What we gon' do right now is go back... Way back... Back into time:
Nene played 74 out of the 80 games he played during the 2002-03 season at center (and here's the proof): He played 25 games as the backup center, behind Mark Blount, 2 games as the backup center, behind Marcus Camby, 6 games as the starting power forward, alongside Marcus Camby, 14 games as the starting center, while Camby and Blount were both injured (or otherwise DNP), and 33 games as the starting center, while Camby was injured, after Blount was traded. I mean, who exactly do you think was the center in the 47 games that Nene started in 2002-03, that Blount and Camby either didn't start, or didn't play? Juwan Howard? Junior Harrington?
2003-04 season, Nene was pretty much a full-time power forward, no argument: he played 76 out of 77 games at power forward.
In 2004-05, Nene played 46 out of 55 games at center (proof): He played 37 games as the backup center behind Camby, nine games as the starting power forward, alongside Camby, and nine games as the starting center, while Camby was out. Unless, of course, your plan is to convince me that Kenyon Martin was the starting center in those nine games and, well... good luck with that.
In 2005-06, Nene only played in one game all season, and he didn't start. I'm not convinced that he came in at power forward in that game, but I'll give you that one, if only for argument's sake.
In 2006-07, Nene split time at PF/C (proof), playing 29 out of 64 games at center: he played 22 games as the backup center, behind Camby, 7 games as the starting center, while Camby was out, and 35 games as the starting power forward, alongside Camby.
In 2007-08, Nene only played 16 games, but played 15 out of those 16 at center (proof). He started one game at power forward, alongside Camby, and played 15 games as the backup center, behind Camby. Unless, again, your plan is to convince me that Steven Hunter, who averaged only a little over a third of the minutes Nene did, or 6-8 Najera were actually the backup center. And, again, good luck with that.
2008-09 was the first year that Nene was, pretty much, a full-time center; he played 72 out of 77 games at center (proof): Nene started 5 games at power forward, alongside Johan Petro, 71 games at starting center, either ahead of Petro, or before Petro was traded to Denver, and one game as backup center, behind Petro, presumably when he was working his way back from injury. Petro started ten games after getting traded to Denver, but 5 of those games were while Nene was injured (proof). The other 72 games Nene played, he was the undisputed center.
In 2009-10, Nene played 66 out of 82 games at center (proof): He started 66 games at center, and 16 games at power forward, alongside Petro. Unless, yet again, your plan is to convince me that, in some portion of the 66 games that Nene started, that Petro didn't, that Kenyon Martin was actually the starting center (I'm sure you'll want to try the Birdman fallacy again, but you may be interested to note that Andersen didn't start a single game that year).
In 2010-11, Nene played 75 out of 75 games at center (proof): he started all 75 games that he played that year, all at center, unless, again, your plan is to convince me that Shelden Williams was the starting center.
In 2011-12 Nene played 24 out of 28 games at center in Denver, and 11 out of 11 games at center in Washington (proof): He played 23 games as the starting center in Denver , 1 game as the backup center, behind Timofey Mozgov, and 4 games as the starting power forward, alongside Kosta Koufos. He played 6 games as the starting center in Washington, and 5 games as the backup center, behind Kevin Seraphin.
To this point in 2012-13, Nene has pretty much returned to being a full-time power forward: he's only played 8 out of 43 games at center (proof): he's played 8 games as the backup center behind Emeka Okafor, 2 games as the backup power forward behind Jan Vesely (!!!), 2 games as backup power forward behind Kevin Seraphin, and 31 games as starting power forward, alongside Emeka Okafor.
So, in summary, Nene has played 421 out of 609 career games at center. Or, in other words, 69.1 percent of his career games have been played at center, not power forward. Conclusion: he's a center.
What we gon' do right now is go back... Way back... Back into time:
Nene played 74 out of the 80 games he played during the 2002-03 season at center (and here's the proof): He played 25 games as the backup center, behind Mark Blount, 2 games as the backup center, behind Marcus Camby, 6 games as the starting power forward, alongside Marcus Camby, 14 games as the starting center, while Camby and Blount were both injured (or otherwise DNP), and 33 games as the starting center, while Camby was injured, after Blount was traded. I mean, who exactly do you think was the center in the 47 games that Nene started in 2002-03, that Blount and Camby either didn't start, or didn't play? Juwan Howard? Junior Harrington?
2003-04 season, Nene was pretty much a full-time power forward, no argument: he played 76 out of 77 games at power forward.
In 2004-05, Nene played 46 out of 55 games at center (proof): He played 37 games as the backup center behind Camby, nine games as the starting power forward, alongside Camby, and nine games as the starting center, while Camby was out. Unless, of course, your plan is to convince me that Kenyon Martin was the starting center in those nine games and, well... good luck with that.
In 2005-06, Nene only played in one game all season, and he didn't start. I'm not convinced that he came in at power forward in that game, but I'll give you that one, if only for argument's sake.
In 2006-07, Nene split time at PF/C (proof), playing 29 out of 64 games at center: he played 22 games as the backup center, behind Camby, 7 games as the starting center, while Camby was out, and 35 games as the starting power forward, alongside Camby.
In 2007-08, Nene only played 16 games, but played 15 out of those 16 at center (proof). He started one game at power forward, alongside Camby, and played 15 games as the backup center, behind Camby. Unless, again, your plan is to convince me that Steven Hunter, who averaged only a little over a third of the minutes Nene did, or 6-8 Najera were actually the backup center. And, again, good luck with that.
2008-09 was the first year that Nene was, pretty much, a full-time center; he played 72 out of 77 games at center (proof): Nene started 5 games at power forward, alongside Johan Petro, 71 games at starting center, either ahead of Petro, or before Petro was traded to Denver, and one game as backup center, behind Petro, presumably when he was working his way back from injury. Petro started ten games after getting traded to Denver, but 5 of those games were while Nene was injured (proof). The other 72 games Nene played, he was the undisputed center.
In 2009-10, Nene played 66 out of 82 games at center (proof): He started 66 games at center, and 16 games at power forward, alongside Petro. Unless, yet again, your plan is to convince me that, in some portion of the 66 games that Nene started, that Petro didn't, that Kenyon Martin was actually the starting center (I'm sure you'll want to try the Birdman fallacy again, but you may be interested to note that Andersen didn't start a single game that year).
In 2010-11, Nene played 75 out of 75 games at center (proof): he started all 75 games that he played that year, all at center, unless, again, your plan is to convince me that Shelden Williams was the starting center.
In 2011-12 Nene played 24 out of 28 games at center in Denver, and 11 out of 11 games at center in Washington (proof): He played 23 games as the starting center in Denver , 1 game as the backup center, behind Timofey Mozgov, and 4 games as the starting power forward, alongside Kosta Koufos. He played 6 games as the starting center in Washington, and 5 games as the backup center, behind Kevin Seraphin.
To this point in 2012-13, Nene has pretty much returned to being a full-time power forward: he's only played 8 out of 43 games at center (proof): he's played 8 games as the backup center behind Emeka Okafor, 2 games as the backup power forward behind Jan Vesely (!!!), 2 games as backup power forward behind Kevin Seraphin, and 31 games as starting power forward, alongside Emeka Okafor.
So, in summary, Nene has played 421 out of 609 career games at center. Or, in other words, 69.1 percent of his career games have been played at center, not power forward. Conclusion: he's a center.