I hate the "clogging the lane" thing. Do Parker and Mano seem to have any problem driving to the basket when Duncan and Splitter (or any of his predecessors) are playing? Playing alongside Embiid will be the best thing that ever happened to Noel. He won't be expected to be the top rebounder on the team, he won't have to bang away on the boards 30+ minutes a night against guys 25+ pounds heavier than he, he won't have to play the low post on offense where, frankly, he's pretty dreadful. Instead he'll be able to play more facing the basket, where his not-inconsiderable passing skills will be optimized and where, if we're to believe Hinkie and Brown, he'll be able to utilize his new mid-range jumper. I'm much more concerned about what playing a year with Thad at the 4 is going to mean for him because he'll have to be down low banging away against heavier guys and will be asked to play too much low post on offense where his skills aren't put to their best use.

except duncan and splitter rarely played together during the playoffs because of - you guessed it- spacing issues. And please don't compare duncan to either embiid or noel. They are nowhere near his skillset. Neither of these two have anywhere near his face-up ability at this time.

I think Embiid does have potential for that ability in his face up game. One of the reasons he shot to the top of the draft board. He's incredibly skilled, and has the potential to improve. He showed an ability to hit from 3 pt range with consistency during his workouts... Of course he's not Duncan, but once he's healed and starts working on his game as he sits out, I think he's got the ability to put together a really amazing all around offensive game.

we should trade for Josh Smith next year and have a killer frontcourt!

Yet somehow over the last decade+ Pops keeps pairing Duncan with another big and Parker, Mano and the team continue to thrive. In certain situations he uses Diaw at the 4, it has more to do with match up issues against particular teams like the Heat, who are atypical in the league. One of the reasons you get a guy like Saric (or McDermott) to play with Embiid and Noel is because he can slide to the 4 when match ups demand it, much as Diaw does for the Spurs.

I'm also not comparing skills sets, merely the issue of "clogging the lane," which can be accomplished by any bigs, regardless of skill sets. Besides, if spacing issues are so critical, they certainly haven't prevented the Spurs from excelling.

If you want Noel spending his career consistently being pushed around in the paint by heavier bigs, being asked to carry the primary rebounding load and playing the low post, where he's at his worst offensively, be my guest. But you'll be putting him in a position to fail. I'd much rather utilize his skills in a way where his strengths are maximized and his weaknesses minimized. It's much easier to deal with spacing issues as need be.

I don't have the playoff 5 man stats handy but the Spurs played Duncan and Splitter together a lot and it worked out well enough to give them teh best record in the league. Also 82 games has them together as the 1st best and 3rd best units.

http://www.82games.com/1314/1314SAS2.HTM

also Tiago played one minute more a game in the playoffs than he did in the regular season

http://www.basketball-reference.com/pla ... tti01.html

also he's another good Euro-Stash

JFLNYC wrote:I'm much more concerned about what playing a year with Thad at the 4 is going to mean for him because he'll have to be down low banging away against heavier guys and will be asked to play too much low post on offense where his skills aren't put to their best use.

Yea, I expect to see Noel play next to Sims a lot this year.

Gimpy wrote:

JFLNYC wrote:I'm much more concerned about what playing a year with Thad at the 4 is going to mean for him because he'll have to be down low banging away against heavier guys and will be asked to play too much low post on offense where his skills aren't put to their best use.

Yea, I expect to see Noel play next to Sims a lot this year.

Exactly what I'm hoping, too.

aren't we all saying that we hope Embiid can develop enough of an offensive game so him and Noel can play together like Duncan and Splitter?

it's weird to say "clogging the lane" and "spacing issues" aren't real. guys like Bosh and Ibaka are so friggin good because their ability to hit a jumper leaves room for LeBron, Wade, Durant, and Westbrook to drive to the hoop

While the 4 is the best position for Thad... A 4/5 front court of Noel and young will be horrific on the defensive glass. As an aside... It seems to me in the grand scheme of hinkie analytics, he does seem to value steals and rebounds.

Well, we just missed out on quite a haul that Boston just got for helping Cleveland dump salary.

PhillyPhan wrote:Well, we just missed out on quite a haul that Boston just got for helping Cleveland dump salary.

Well, we might have our own in a Lin deal.

do we know what the protections on the pick are? Tyler Zeller isn't much of a prospect

I know we can't make every deal with teams looking to dump salary in exchange for picks but C'MON HINKIE CALL HOUSTON

Houshphandzadeh wrote:do we know what the protections on the pick are? Tyler Zeller isn't much of a prospect

Top 10 protected in '16, '17, and '18. Unprotected after that. You have to assume this signals Lebron to the Cavs so the Celtics are looking at a very late 1st and Zeller. Not exactly a great haul.

gags12 wrote:

Houshphandzadeh wrote:do we know what the protections on the pick are? Tyler Zeller isn't much of a prospect

Top 10 protected in '16, '17, and '18. Unprotected after that. You have to assume this signals Lebron to the Cavs so the Celtics are looking at a very late 1st and Zeller. Not exactly a great haul.

But if LeBron says fuck you again to the Cavs, that might turn out to be a nice pick

JFLNYC wrote:

Gimpy wrote:

JFLNYC wrote:I'm much more concerned about what playing a year with Thad at the 4 is going to mean for him because he'll have to be down low banging away against heavier guys and will be asked to play too much low post on offense where his skills aren't put to their best use.

Yea, I expect to see Noel play next to Sims a lot this year.

Exactly what I'm hoping, too.

We will see how it works out. If he can't play close to the rim I think you might be a little disappointed in what Noel will do offensively. it's great he worked on his shot last year but having to completely rebuild his shot, while in the NBA, doesn't bode well for him to be much of a threat outside of 10 feet. The hope is Embiid has the stretch ability but that is hope right now and he wont play next year so we wont really know if they can play together until 2015.

Houshphandzadeh wrote:aren't we all saying that we hope Embiid can develop enough of an offensive game so him and Noel can play together like Duncan and Splitter?

it's weird to say "clogging the lane" and "spacing issues" aren't real. guys like Bosh and Ibaka are so friggin good because their ability to hit a jumper leaves room for LeBron, Wade, Durant, and Westbrook to drive to the hoop

Don't think anybody said they weren't "real," only that, judging by the Spurs success, they clearly aren't fatal. No strategy is perfect. The key is to consider all the factors and decide what's optimum route.

Noel is a unique talent. But he has his limitations: How does he fit in offensively, lack of bulk, questions about rebounding. It so happens that Embiid perfectly addresses those limitations, making him (theoretically, at least), the perfect complement to Noel, allowing the team to maximize Noel's strengths and mitigate against his limitations. Could playing both potentially create spacing issues? Yes, but those can be addressed tactically and, I would argue, the benefits of pairing them far outweigh the risks.

In any event, the bottom line is that apparently Hinkie and Brown think it can work and I agree with them.

they wont' be playing 48 minutes a game either, guys.

you can get away with playing each guy 35-40 minutes a game or less and only have like a 20 minute overlap between them. depends on the matchup of the other team.

The Houston package is still to be seen, but if you had the choice of what Boston got and what Houston may give up, which would you want?