What if the NBA has changed since a few years ago?
Have you guys actually challenged your tightly-held beliefs, or are you so certain you are right then you can just call people names who believe things may be different now?
What if the 3-ptr, stretch-4's and flopping defense has so radically changed the NBA landscape, that this improbable-to-get "big man" defensive 4 is just not going to be a realistic acquisition for this Kings team next year?
Unless you guys suggest who is out there that the Kings can realistically get (with their personnel/financial/contract limitations) that is a clear upgrade over what Rudy would get you at the 4 (and has already shown how it could work this year), I just think it's very dangerous to call most teams in the NBA "stupid" for going a stretch 4 (*****) route.
What kind of PF do you guys want then? You will be sorely disappointed if you are expecting a 1990's bruiser type. Karl values skill and shooting. His style is all about floor spacing, drive and kick action. EVERYONE is doing it, San Antonio, Golden State, Houston, Atlanta, Cleveland. The only one that isn't is Memphis who are like and NBA relic. Can you guys give some names of players you guys would like starting at the 4 that are realistic options? Meaning they fit Karl's system and your criteria as well and are realistic targets via trade or free agency.
Taj Gibson.
I don't know how many times I have to say it. He is very much a realistic option. His contract is easy to move and we'll have enough cap space to where we can send little salary back to Chicago if we/they want. They also own our pick so it makes it that much easier to deal with them as we can get more creative. I've given countless of offers on this board for him, but people still act like there is nobody feasible to be had.
Gibson is a very good, all-around defender. He's somebody who will instantly help our interior defense, and not miss rotations like we've come accustomed to with Thompson. His post defense is good and he can help Cousins protect the rim. Our frontcourt defense would be very solid with Cousins and Gibson (not to mention Thompson's a decent defender coming off the bench, and if we take Cauley-Stein with the pick, you have two young, defensive stalwarts waiting in the wings (Cauley-Stein & Moreland). How about that for your frontcourt defense and rim protection?
Although Gibson has had some injuries this season that have caused his efficiency to go down, it shouldn't be anything he can't fully recover from in the offseason (similar to Cousins). For the most part, Gibson is pretty durable. He's plays in 91% of his games. That's 75 games a season. Some will argue that he's old, well first off, I would say we need old players. We need vets who are consistent and can get the job done. Besides Gibson's 30 is not equivalent to most NBA players. First off, he came into the league at 24. He's not one of these players who has been logging NBA minutes since he was 19 years old. In fact, Cousins has played more NBA regular season minutess than Gibson. Gibson is a relatively well preserved 30 year old. Besides, we're not locked into a 5 year contract with him. We would only have him for 2 more years. There's not doubt in my mind Gibson will be able to provide starter quality minutes during those two years.
Some like to say that he's too short/too small and won't pass the Randolph test. Well, to those people I would say Gibson measured 6'8.5" without shoes at the combine. Cousins measured 6'9.5" without shoes at the combine. So are you saying that Gibson (standing 1 inch shorter than our fully sized center) is not tall enough to play PF? Griffin also measured 6'8.5" without shoes. His height doesn't seem to be an issue. But what about Gibson's length? Gibson has a 7'4" wingspan and 9'1" standing reach. Griffin has a 6'11" wingspan and 8'9" standing reach. So Griffin and Gibson are the same height, but Gibson has 5 inches on him in wingspan and 4 inches on him in standing reach. He definitely has the height and length to play PF.
The only big question has been his weight and strength. He's sitting around 225-230 lbs right now. That's not bad, but not elite. You would think he would be susceptible to very strong, bruiser PFs (like Randolph). However, the stats seemed to show the opposite. Gibson and Randolph have matched up 9 times in their careers. During those matchups, Randolph averages only 14.6 PPG on 40% shooting. And if you disegard Gibson's rookie season when he was still trying to get acclimated to the NBA, it gets even worse for Randolph (11.7 PPG on 34% shooting). It appears Gibson has Randolph figured out, and he doesn't let his lack of lbs get in the way.
As for the boards, he's a solid rebounder. He's not DeAndre Jordan, but he's about on the same level as Thompson (both average just over 9 boards for their career per36). Paired with an elite rebounding big man (Cousins) and a strong rebounding SF (Gay), the Kings should be a good rebounding team.
Offensively, Gibson has a nice midrange jumper that he can use to help spread the floor. He doesn't have 3pt range, but he shoots a high percentage with the shots he does take. Over the past 2 seasons, he's a 40% shooter from 16ft to within the 3pt line (209 shots taken) and he shoots 38% from 10ft to 16ft (278 shots taken). If the defense leaves him open, he'll be able to knock it down. Also in regards to his shooting, his hot zones fit very well with Cousins' game. He seems to be more comfortable knocking down shots on the right side of the court. So when Cousins is posting on the left, Gibson can remain in a comfortable spot to knock down a shot. With three consistent 3pt shooters at PG, SG, & SF. There should be enough spacing for the team to operate.
Again, Gibson would be a good fit for this team and with Mirotic looking like he is more than capable of handling the backup PF duties, the Bulls won't be losing a lot of production. In the meantime, they can bring talent back at a position of need or grab a pick to help them in the future.
