What makes Kleiza different than Cisco?

[KevinSalvadori]

Can someone please explain to me what makes Linas Kleiza any different from Francisco Garcia? I'm just curious- right now I see and feel absolutely no difference, except you can maybe package Cisco with SAR or KT for more expiring garbage (like a Ratliff, etc.).

Please advise...

 

[nbrans]

Can someone please explain to me what makes Linas Kleiza any different from Francisco Garcia? I'm just curious- right now I see and feel absolutely no difference, except you can maybe package Cisco with SAR or KT for more expiring garbage (like a Ratliff, etc.).

Please advise...

He's bigger, more physical, and more of a 3/4 type than Garcia, who is a 2/3 type. They're not really all that similar players. I question whether we really need 3 small forwards with Salmons, Garcia and Kleiza, but it opens up the opportunity to either play Garcia more at the 2 or spin Garcia off in another trade (such as Miller/Garcia to Orlando, which was proposed on the board). It's just another piece, and we need all the young pieces we can get at this point. You can't really go wrong with young talent.

 

[Sptsjunkie]

Can someone please explain to me what makes Linas Kleiza any different from Francisco Garcia? I'm just curious- right now I see and feel absolutely no difference, except you can maybe package Cisco with SAR or KT for more expiring garbage (like a Ratliff, etc.).

Please advise...

Kleiza is more of a pure shooter. Kind of a poor man's version of Peja, but with better boards. He's a smart and talented offensive player, but rates as a marginal defensive player. Cisco can shoot, but is less of a pure shooter, he is more of a sparkplug and slasher/scorer who plays better D.

 

[fnordius]

Can someone please explain to me what makes Linas Kleiza any different from Francisco Garcia? I'm just curious- right now I see and feel absolutely no difference, except you can maybe package Cisco with SAR or KT for more expiring garbage (like a Ratliff, etc.).

Please advise...

Kleiza is 3 years younger, slightly bigger, and may have more upside. But they aren't totally dissimilar players. If I had to pick one of the two, it would be Kleiza, but if Cisco were a couple of inches taller and a couple of years younger, I probably wouldn't care one way or the other.

Which is why, although I like Kleiza, I think it would be kind of moronic to let him be a deal killer.

 

[Sptsjunkie]

Which is why, although I like Kleiza, I think it would me kind of moronic to let him be a deal killer.

This is the funny part to me too. Your the Nuggets, two of your three big stars are in their mid-30s and you have the chance to acquire a top talent in a Conference that is an arms race. You can also acquire a player who can guard the best 2/3/4 on most teams and save Carmello/Iverson for more O. You can potentially have one of the best defensive teams in the league and have an actual window win a championship. However, you decide to let your team fade into obscurity, over a 23 year old role player who's upside might fall somewhere around Hedo Turkaglu territory. That kills me.

 

[Denio]

Which is why, although I like Kleiza, I think it would be kind of moronic to let him be a deal killer.

Here is probably the biggest hang up ...

As the Denver Nuggets make the hard choice about including Linas Kleiza into the package it will take to pry Ron Artest out of Sacramento, it should be remembered that on several levels parting with Kleiza wouldn't be so simple.
Kleiza isn't just a player for Denver, but part of the ownership's family. Stan Kroenke has known Kleiza since his days at Missouri, when he was a teammate and close friend of Kroenke's son, Josh. The Nuggets traded for Kleiza, a 6-foot-8 Lithuanian, on draft day in 2005 and watched him develop into a terrific young player.

 

[Spike]

However, you decide to let your team fade into obscurity, over a 23 year old role player who's upside might fall somewhere around Hedo Turkaglu territory.

Mr. Turkoglu isn't doing so bad these days

You are correct, however. The rental of Artest needs to be treated as a "win now" scenario, so they need to take the gamble and deal out some youth with potential.

 

[venom_7]

A good 3 or 4 years is the main difference. people forget Cisco is turning 27 this year.

 

[piksi]

Well Kleiza has already hit a buzzer beater against the Kings. Cisco never did that

 

[Arby's Roast Beef]

I've laid out what I think to be the foundations of Kleiza's game here, and as you can see, there's much to like. Adding on to nbrans' comments on Kleiza's hybrid PF attributes and general aggressiveness, he's a very legitimate scorer with excellent triple threat skills and high basketball IQ. Completely different from Cisco, who at times will wow you with three point barrage explosions or solid all-around play with lots of energy, but who at times will leave you pissed or scratching your head by being out of control, playing out of his strengths and jacking up horrible shots. Kleiza's a guy you can completely rely on for consistency, and while he can be a tad too one-dimensional at times focusing on the scoring department (not like we need any more of that), he's very young (only 22?) and there's a lot of offensive potency to offset any of the redundancy concerns IMO. I agree that if we get Kleiza we should look to get rid of a scorer (Salmons perhaps, or Douby?) because we would have too many offensive minded players. But I happen to think his offensive talent is a great asset to have, whether he straddles the line between top bench talent and starting option, but the early returns on his game are remarkable.