All-Star Snubs - Gortat not even mentioned
by Piotr Szczesniak on Feb 3, 2012 5:24 AM MST
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PrintI am completely not surprised that Marcin Gortat finished 5th on the West Center voting list (behind Bynum, DeAndre Jordan, Marc Gasol and Nene). Our team is rather small market and is performing horribly in the first part of the season.
What I was a little surprised by was the fact that he was completely disregarded by all the analysts rambling about "who deserved to go", "who should go in the future" and all other honorable mentions.
As I see it Gortat is an All-Star Conundrum. In all fairness All-Star Game is a show - and Gortat is an anti-highlight. I know that one might argue that stats and performance should get you into the All-star Game but we all know it's BS.
If you take a look at stats for West and East C's Gortat is waaay ahead of some of the other guys in most stats:
1st in the league FG%, 5th overall in Double Doubles, 3rd among Centers in scoring, 4th in rebounding.
Again, not that I am shocked by this omission - he is by no means a star, but rather a hard-working guy producing at a very high level without making sensational plays.
Do you guys think he will ever be an All-Star? and what does it really mean?
My projection of his stats for the end of this year: 17/11/2 with FG% above 55%. Does it mean he is a Top 5 center?
IMO his value to the team he plays on is comaprable to Bynum's (because of his superior durability) behind only Howard and Gasol. What do you guys think?
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small market
we are not a small market, we are right above league average…
We are totally irrelevant that is the problem. We are not even in the race for the playoffs and there is absolutely nothing to talk about with this team except whether we should trade Nash or not.
Plus Gortat isn’t a very exciting player simply. Plus he is not your typical center. He scores 5 times as much as any other center on PNR plays. He is assisted more than just about anyone in the league and rarely posts-up compared to other starting centers.
Suns fans do not want to view him that way but most general NBA fans will question how much positive influence Steve Nash has on Gortat and how much better other centers would be if they played alongside Nash instead.
I am not surprised. I would have Gasol first and Bynum second.
If we we're a good team
Gortat wouldn’t be averaging what he does, he’s doing so well because everyone else sucks.
"I don't lift weights because they are heavy, and I don't run because it makes me tired." - Charles Barkley
Not sure I agree (or see any sense in this statement)
You mean he would get less shots? Or he would make less of them because others would play better? I don’t see any sense in that.
He averages just under 12 shots per game – on par with Bynum, Gasol and Monroe…
I don’t see any reason he should play worse on a better team. If he scores at such a high % he is a very good offensive option.
I would even go further – IF he gets more shots (say 3-4 more per game,) in post up situations we might get a few more wins. Maybe we wouldn’t lay so many breaks from beyond the arc.
Feed the cutter!!!
by Piotr Szczesniak on Feb 3, 2012 10:03 AM MST up reply actions
I'm saying he wouldn't be the first offensive option
if we had a good team.
"I don't lift weights because they are heavy, and I don't run because it makes me tired." - Charles Barkley
He also would get less of the defense's attention.
And more easy baskets if others commanded double teams.
Blogging Suns basketball for Bright Side of the Sun from California wine country.
Twitter: @EastBayRaymundo
by East Bay Ray on Feb 3, 2012 11:19 AM MST up reply actions 1 recs
True
"I don't lift weights because they are heavy, and I don't run because it makes me tired." - Charles Barkley
No, that's false.
Players on bad teams do get inflated stats when they are used so much that their efficiency declines and the only reason a team goes to them is that they don’t have any other options (see Monta Ellis).
While it’s true that the Suns don’t have a lot of scoring options, it’s NOT true that Gortat is used so much that he has become inefficient. In fact, he’s one of the more efficient offensive players in the league, for his scoring average. 15.3PPG on .563 shooting is hard to argue with. If anything, the Suns don’t go to him enough.
Blogging Suns basketball for Bright Side of the Sun from California wine country.
Twitter: @EastBayRaymundo
by East Bay Ray on Feb 3, 2012 10:34 AM MST up reply actions
If Amare and JRich were on the team
then Gortat wouldn’t be averaging 15.3 ppg, more like 12 ppg, I think.
"I don't lift weights because they are heavy, and I don't run because it makes me tired." - Charles Barkley
well
It all depends. If you have a guy who is at least quite efficient, you will give him the ball either way. It would be irrational not to go to him even with other valuable pieces at the team. Why not maximize team’s options?
Greetings from Poland, chn.
Amare
Likely since he is a pick and roll master. Gortat would likely have to work a little harder for his points and may be a little less efficient. However, his rebounds would be the same or higher next to Amare. He would average at least 12 pts and 10 rebounds.
Richardson would likely not effect him at all. They would still run the pick and roll with regularity, thereby giving Gortat his “easy” (easy is relative, if Gortat was not as mobile and gifted as he is this play would not be nearly so effective for us) opportunities. Jrich may actually make it easier since he would spread the floor.
Fan of the TEAM not a player.
by Suns Fan For Life on Feb 3, 2012 11:16 AM MST up reply actions
If Gortat continues his outstanding production,
I think he will get more notice by next year. Eventually, it will be impossible to ignore.
He has lots of things working against him.
Lack of exposure, foreign player, not flashy, Steve’s teammate (what coach is going to pick Gortat over Steve), lousy team, ad infinitum…
If MM’s draft express site is correct, then Gortat has a better vertical than Blake Griffin or 2002 Amare, so I don’t know why Marcin just doesn’t dunk from the 3 point line a couple times a game and then we wouldn’t be having this conversation….
It was only called the mildly irritated house on McDowell until I showed up.
Because he's 30+ pounds heavier nowadays
And no-step vert is what you’re really gonna see in a game anyway, since you can get as much run-up as you want for max vert during the measurments AFAIK.
We've see that he's more than capable of taking it strong to the rack.
We’ve seen him throw down some savage dunks. I like the truculent Gortat. Sometimes using a little finesse is the prudent course of action, but almost unilaterally I’d like my big men ferociously attacking the rim.
Obviously Gortat is nowhere near the effete class of Diaw, but that was the thing that was exasperating about him. Every once in a while he would throw down a vicious slam which would leave me scratching my head wondering why he couldn’t bring that rancor more often….
I’m also openly suggesting that whatever method they’re using to measure vertical is very flawed if it leads to them reporting statistics that suggest Gortat can out jump those players. Both of those guys were/are much better leapers than Gortat. I don’t care what numbers they report when they blatantly contradict what’s happening in real life.
It was only called the mildly irritated house on McDowell until I showed up.
by Jim Coughenour on Feb 4, 2012 11:32 AM MST up reply actions
Gortat is the 3rd best center in the WHOLE NBA, idgaf what anyone says… and for those who say he’s only good with nash, sure nash boosts his number but thats why in 2 games without nash this year he had dbldbl in both of them AND HE DOES NOT TAKE STUPID SHOTS AND ALSO HUSTLES EVERY DAMN PLAY
I agree
I have him behind Howard and M. Gasol. He has Gasols skill on offense, but more athleticism just not as much size, and Howards skill on D, but again, just not the size Howard has.
Gortat right now is a top 4 center no questions asked. He can shoot all the way out to the 3pt line, has multiple post moves, finish with both hands equally as good, plays great defense, really good rebounder, is consistant. The only thing Gortat lacks right now is experience! Remember this is his 2nd real season where he is actually getting playing time and touches, and he is already doing this good. In 2 years I think his numbers will look something like 18ppg 14reb 3blocks. Thats all speculation of course but he has that kind of potential!
Gasol
has way more offensive arsenal than Gortat. We can talk about Gortat in that category when he doesn’t get over 50% of his offensive production out of PNR with Nash and rolling to the basket for easy points.
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