Sonics Future at Power Foward

[AbdicatedReign]

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Honestly I'd like to watch more of DeAndre Jordan. It all depends on the ping pong balls but If the Sonics are sitting at 3-6 I would have a hard time choosing between DeAndre Jordan and Jerryd Bayless.

Obviously Rose is the big fish for Seattle.

I'm really amazed by the amount of love for DeAndre Jordan throughout RealGM. The kid is pretty far from even being a presence on the floor, let alone good. Never should a seven footer with freakish athleticism be invisible, but there's been times when, watching Texas A&M, I didn't know he was even on the court. His overall impact on the game is so minimal at this point that it's astounding. He doesn't block shots well, he doesn't rebound well, he's abysmal at the free throw line (seriously, 38%?), and he has been neutralized by any half-way decent team he's played (Alabama, LSU, Arizona, Kansas State, Texas Tech).

I know the longer and more athletic a player is, the harder the man crushes are but, at what point do we step back and notice if the kid has any skills? Did we learn nothing from Sene? Upside means nada if it's expected to materialize from a non-existent skill set. The kid has to show some flashes, other than uncontested dunks and putbacks where bad teams forget to box out, to have true upside. Durant has upside. Not because he's 6'10" and athletic, but because he's 6'10" and he shoots/handles like a two guard. His potential is based on actual, translatable skills that impact the game. DeAndre Jordan, at this point, is little more than a wet dream of fans and GMs, based far more in fantasy than reality.

[D5150]

was howard any different? not saying i totally disagree with you, just playing devils advocate. remember, howard came right out of highschool, and didn't have as much exposure as jordan.

and sene is really not a valid comparison. on draft night i am guessing about 90% of sonics fans where saying "WHO?"

[wiff]

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I'm really amazed by the amount of love for DeAndre Jordan throughout RealGM. The kid is pretty far from even being a presence on the floor, let alone good. Never should a seven footer with freakish athleticism be invisible, but there's been times when, watching Texas A&M, I didn't know he was even on the court. His overall impact on the game is so minimal at this point that it's astounding. He doesn't block shots well, he doesn't rebound well, he's abysmal at the free throw line (seriously, 38%?), and he has been neutralized by any half-way decent team he's played (Alabama, LSU, Arizona, Kansas State, Texas Tech).

I know the longer and more athletic a player is, the harder the man crushes are but, at what point do we step back and notice if the kid has any skills? Did we learn nothing from Sene? Upside means nada if it's expected to materialize from a non-existent skill set. The kid has to show some flashes, other than uncontested dunks and putbacks where bad teams forget to box out, to have true upside. Durant has upside. Not because he's 6'10" and athletic, but because he's 6'10" and he shoots/handles like a two guard. His potential is based on actual, translatable skills that impact the game. DeAndre Jordan, at this point, is little more than a wet dream of fans and GMs, based far more in fantasy than reality.

Fair enough that is a reasonable arguement. Like I said above, I'd like to see more of him. From the little I have seen he has/or will have the NBA body and the hops but then again so does Sene.

Still we have no long term Center. I'm really curious to see what the trade dealine is going to bring the fans.

Jesus what I wouldn't do for a guy like Dalembert

[D5150]

this is kind of morphing into a discussion about the center position rather than power forward. there was a really good piece on the myth of the centers dimise on espn recently. the power forward position has traditionally been more of an enforcer, rebouder, dirty work position while the center is more of the "skill" position (tim duncan is a center!) the sonics actually have two very good power forwards, but the problem is they dont play next to a skilled center night in and night out (all due respect to thomas) either on the offensive end or the defensive end. i agree with wiff, dalembert would be a nice addition to this team. i dont know what kind of pro jordan will be, but the center position is crucial, as is the pg position, unfortunately the sonics need help at both spots. presti has his work cut out for him.

[ponder276]

Any chance that Durant will play the 4 in the future, after he bulks up? He'd be a nightmare to guard for opposing 4s - way quicker than any of them. With more muscle on him could he guard opposing 4s? A touch short, but he's very athletic for his size, and long as well - maybe he could be a 4 in the mold of Elton Brand? Or maybe I'm way off the mark

[RBNICE]

So if what you are saying is true that Wilcox is a bad defender why ar the Sonics saking alot in return for Chris; and I know this as fact !

[sonichound16]

What have you heard in regards to what the Sonics want for Wilcox? I haven't even heard he is on the market. You can get something for him because he is athletic, big and can score. Teams are always willing to take a chance on a guy like that hoping that his defense will improve in a different setting.

[Det the Threat]

So if what you are saying is true that Wilcox is a bad defender why ar the Sonics saking alot in return for Chris; and I know this as fact !

Because he's an athletic big that can run the floor, shoots a high percentage, is a solid(but not great) rebounder, is only 25 years old and has a contract that's very solid for a guy with his production.

[sonichound16]

I would be leery of Jordan as well. I completely agree about the fact that he sometimes just disappears in games and certainly hasn't put up that great of numbers. I will withhold judgement until later in the year when he gets some more time.

[HeavyP]

Oh man look at this picture of Jeff Green from rivals.com when he was a high school recruit.


http://washington.rivals.com/viewprospe ... _key=23249

[Hiphophead101]

HAHAHA he had dreds? Wicked!

[HeavyP]

I've been saying the Seahawks need to draft a RB with dreds, they run so hard. Marion Barber, Stephen Jackson, Lawerence Maroney...

[elbowthrower]

I like Collison because he's a down and dirty hustling workhorse. But he's not a starter.

Wilcox can't play man D and is slow to rotate on help D. Not sure where he fits, if at all. I would even say he's another backup.

Green is a very good defender and has "upside" but doesn't seem very confident on offense. He doesn't make a lot of mistakes, which can be good, but he's not very aggressive either.

Since the team blows anyway I think PJ might want to start playing Green more at the 4, letting him start there toward the end of the season. Might as well try to develop him now.

[djthesonicsfan]

I think the same thing sometimes that K Durant & J Green should slide down to SF & PF, respectively. Then I wonder who the Sonics could get in a C Wilcox for a SG trade. Someone like D Cook from the Heat, R Stuckey from the Pistons or J Critenton from the Lakers? That would make for three young guys all in the same draft class coming due for contracts the same year. Could be a problem keeping that team together in the long run. So then perhaps A Iguodala from the 76ers or B Gordon from the Bulls? Maybe. But is that any better than just keeping things the same? Not sure. For me, the key to moving C Wilcox is who could you trade for that fits/improves the Sonics young core?

[Ex-hippie]

I like Collison because he's a down and dirty hustling workhorse. But he's not a starter.

Spoken like a true Elbow Thrower.

Since the team blows anyway I think PJ might want to start playing Green more at the 4, letting him start there toward the end of the season. Might as well try to develop him now.

This has been my thought as well. I keep hearing how Green is a combo 3-4, so let's see if it's true. Having learned from this year that Durant shouldn't be a 2 (I admit I was wrong in that regard), I'm thinking they should look at Durant-Green as the starting tandem at forward. Collison comes off the bench for 25-30 minutes as a 4, and whichever starter is on the floor will be a 3. Why wouldn't that work?

[sonichound16]

I am not sure that there has been anything proved about Durant playing SG. If he can cover the position I think he can be successful there and he has done better than I thought in that regard. I have been trying to catch some of Donte Greene to see if he might fit. Trading up to get him may be easier than trading up to get Bayless. We still would have the gaping hold in the middle though.

[girlygirl]

I don't see a huge problem with the Wilcox/Collison tandem. Together they average 22.1 PPG and 16 RPG -- without either playing more than 27 MPG! That's pretty impressive. Neither is a shot blocker while Collison is the better defender of the two. Wilcox is far more athletic and seems to have problems coming off the bench, while Collison is able to adjust to either role.

Unless you can trade one of them for a quality PG, I wouldn't be in a rush to replace them. Durant is too skinny to play PF right now. And Green seems to play more like a SF than a PF. I haven't seen him in the post very much this season - he always seems to be out on the perimeter. So I don't know if he's ready to be a fulltime PF on this level.

Besides, with Wilcox's deal expiring after next season and Collison no longer being BYC after this year, they'll be better trade assets next year.

If I were to kee just one of them, I'd keep Collison. He's more of a banger, he's the better defender, he can play both the 4 and the 5 (Wilcox can't really play the 5) and he doesn't seem to mind about coming off the bench. But as I say, there's no real rush to move either of them, since they are both productive.

[sonic-ben]

patience.... developing a team ... takes patience

remember the 90's we were really good... but it took time!

[Tony Starks]

Honestly, I think our frontcourt is pretty solid right now and will be in the future. We have two guys who can play well at the 4 - Wilcox and Collison, and two guys who can play well at the 5 - Collison and Petro. If Petro can learn some D, we could have him and Wilcox starting and having Collison backing up both positions, all three guys getting significant minutes. We could also have Collison start instead of Petro since Petro can really play both the 4 and the 5 as well. I don't even think we really need Kurt Thomas all that much as I see Collison filling pretty much the same role although much younger.

I think right now we need to be worried about what we're going to do with Kevin and Jeff in the future and our PG position. Both Kevin and Jeff look like natural 3s and, well, none of our PGs are satisfactory. Hopefully we can pick up Derrick Rose in the draft.

[djthesonicsfan]

Honestly, I think our frontcourt is pretty solid right now and will be in the future. We have two guys who can play well at the 4 - Wilcox and Collison, and two guys who can play well at the 5 - Collison and Petro. If Petro can learn some D, we could have him and Wilcox starting and having Collison backing up both positions, all three guys getting significant minutes. We could also have Collison start instead of Petro since Petro can really play both the 4 and the 5 as well. I don't even think we really need Kurt Thomas all that much as I see Collison filling pretty much the same role although much younger.

I think right now we need to be worried about what we're going to do with Kevin and Jeff in the future and our PG position. Both Kevin and Jeff look like natural 3s and, well, none of our PGs are satisfactory. Hopefully we can pick up Derrick Rose in the draft.

+1

Not to mention R Swift, who very well could become a solid center.