Farewell, Timofey Mozgov

[supermario21]

I really think this has gone away as Z-bo continues to age. He's not going to put up 20+ on 53%+ shooting for multiple series anymore. Jeff Green will help, but how much.

I agree with Jigo that I see it as being Mavs/OKC/Spurs, though I'd put Golden State in the conversation because of how valuable it is for them to be the home team.

How is Memphis a "nightmare" for any of them? Gasol is really, really good. Does he win a series on his own? I have my doubts. Conley is really good, but would you rather have him in a best of seven than Curry, Rondo, Parker, or Westbrook? Rondo I think is open for debate, though I'd take Rajon's tenacity. The other 3 are better than Conley.

Can Randolph hang with up-tempo players like what we see in Golden State? Can he run and jump with Ibaka? Can he defend the long Tim Duncan?

I might be underestimating Randolph, but I don't think he'll ever be one of the three best players on the court again in a playoff game. That was the reason they were so tough before. Now I think you can get away with playing him straight up and living with the results.

I'd take Curry, Durant, and Dirk as guys more capable of willing their teams to wins than Gasol.

Memphis is great at controlling the tempo. They slow teams more down than they are forced to run with other teams. They just played the Warriors a couple weeks ago and absolutely controlled the tempo on them and the Warriors were all out of sorts. Randolph and Gasol are so physical AND skilled it really rattles a lot of other teams in playoff basketball when you slow them down. Plus Tony Allen might be the best defender in the Western Conference. With his improved offense the last couple years, he's been able to play heavy minutes in the playoffs. Plus, they just added Jeff Green. Memphis is really, really deep. They have Koufos as a backup center to boot. Had Randolph not been suspended for Game 7 against the Thunder last season they likely would have won that playoff series.

 

[The Red Viper]

I really think this has gone away as Z-bo continues to age. He's not going to put up 20+ on 53%+ shooting for multiple series anymore. Jeff Green will help, but how much.

I agree with Jigo that I see it as being Mavs/OKC/Spurs, though I'd put Golden State in the conversation because of how valuable it is for them to be the home team.

How is Memphis a "nightmare" for any of them? Gasol is really, really good. Does he win a series on his own? I have my doubts. Conley is really good, but would you rather have him in a best of seven than Curry, Rondo, Parker, or Westbrook? Rondo I think is open for debate, though I'd take Rajon's tenacity. The other 3 are better than Conley.

Can Randolph hang with up-tempo players like what we see in Golden State? Can he run and jump with Ibaka? Can he defend the long Tim Duncan?

I might be underestimating Randolph, but I don't think he'll ever be one of the three best players on the court again in a playoff game. That was the reason they were so tough before. Now I think you can get away with playing him straight up and living with the results.

I'd take Curry, Durant, and Dirk as guys more capable of willing their teams to wins than Gasol.

I agree with you mostly but the difference is I still feel ZBo has at least few more playoff series to offer. Last year, they took a healthy OKC to seven games. They could have won game seven had ZBo not been suspended. And, this year, they have more firepower in Vinsanity and Jeff Green. Spurs are still the favourites for me to come out of the West but the truth is anyone from those eight can come out of the west and there isn't a lot between them.

 

[The Red Viper]

Memphis is great at controlling the tempo. They slow teams more down than they are forced to run with other teams. They just played the Warriors a couple weeks ago and absolutely controlled the tempo on them and the Warriors were all out of sorts. Randolph and Gasol are so physical AND skilled it really rattles a lot of other teams in playoff basketball when you slow them down. Plus Tony Allen might be the best defender in the Western Conference. With his improved offense the last couple years, he's been able to play heavy minutes in the playoffs. Plus, they just added Jeff Green. Memphis is really, really deep. They have Koufos as a backup center to boot. Had Randolph not been suspended for Game 7 against the Thunder last season they likely would have won that playoff series.

Yeah. Also, Who guards ZBo for GSW? ZBo totally destroyed Draymond Green when they faced this season. Although GSW were missing Bogut in that game.

 

[shoes22]

Last Game was the first game where where you really "saw" what he brings to the Team.

I saw how much of an impact he could make to the team in his very first appearance for us against Sacramento. Complete game changer on defense and allows everyone to play their proper positions on offense.

 

[Kbiz]

The four deepest teams in the West, IMO, are the Warriors, Mavericks, Rockets, and Grizzlies. Playoffs are all about match ups and the deeper you are, the better chance you have at success.

I think Mozzie VS. GS is a wash. I think Mozzie VS. Dallas is also a wash. We are very similarily built: offensive minded PF paired with a defensive minded center. Obviously Nowitzki's experience vs. Love's underwhelming season up to this point would be a bigger factor but i am strictly looking at center match-ups.

Mozzie VS. both Houston & Memphis worry me. Both have big, physical post players. Gasol and Howard are arguably the two best centers in the game. Both teams are also highly skilled at the PF position as well. To have success defensively against those teams, we would really need TT to step it up. We would also probably need ALL of Haywood's fouls.

Obviously this is an incredibly pre-mature topic but after a win like last night, it is refreshing to think about the future of this team.

 

[Benedict_Boozer]

Love me some Mozgov. This guy has some serious talent - how many true 7 footers have his mobility and hands/touch around the rim? Comfortable stretching out to midrange? If anything this guy still has serious upside, I really believe that.

Like others have said, was great to see him shut down the paint and just eating glass.

He also makes the game so much easier for Love and the team defensively.

 

[Soar]

Best part about Moz? We have him locked up for a bit less than 5 million next year.

 

[PriceFan14]

Best part about Moz? We have him locked up for a bit less than 5 million next year.

I think his relationship with Blatt and that contract made him the best target for us. Wish we could get him before Andy went down. We would be really great with the Andy Mozzy TT and Love big rotation

 

[CavsHomer]

The four deepest teams in the West, IMO, are the Warriors, Mavericks, Rockets, and Grizzlies. Playoffs are all about match ups and the deeper you are, the better chance you have at success.

I think Mozzie VS. GS is a wash. I think Mozzie VS. Dallas is also a wash. We are very similarily built: offensive minded PF paired with a defensive minded center. Obviously Nowitzki's experience vs. Love's underwhelming season up to this point would be a bigger factor but i am strictly looking at center match-ups.

Mozzie VS. both Houston & Memphis worry me. Both have big, physical post players. Gasol and Howard are arguably the two best centers in the game. Both teams are also highly skilled at the PF position as well. To have success defensively against those teams, we would really need TT to step it up. We would also probably need ALL of Haywood's fouls.

Obviously this is an incredibly pre-mature topic but after a win like last night, it is refreshing to think about the future of this team.

I don't want to turn this thread into a "WC team discussion", but just wanna add this:
No way Rockets and Grizzlies are deeper than Spurs. While the acquisitions of Green and Smith, respectively, provide more depth and probably make the teams better overall, their rosters haven't proven anything yet.
Spurs have a proven championship roster with a lot of solid-to-great 2-way players.

Sidenote: Spurs last game against Utah was only the third time(!) this season they had their regular starting line up of Parker, Green, Leonard, Duncan and Splitter.
All of their players, except for Belinelli, were healthy and they destroyed Utah while only giving up 69 points...
Still the team to beat in the west, imo.

 

[CavsHomer]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDqDfms86Lc

 

[The Wizard of Moz]

"I'm sorry...is it "we" already...?"

So no Cavs fans are allowed to join a forum they just found? Then why have have an option to even make a new account? I have a much longer account on the obr, their gameday discussions were only around 200 posts so I looked for a more active forum and found this one. Is that ok with you or should I go root for the 6ers?

 

[Kypus]

Relax dude, just messin' with ya.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqyFbQjFvVo

 

[Lazor]

I'm actually really surprised a lot of you think the Warriors will struggle in the playoffs. I just don't see it as long as they stay healthy and they have a healthy Bogut come playoff team. Great offense and surprisingly good defense on every part of the floor.

 

[Jordan]

I'm actually really surprised a lot of you think the Warriors will struggle in the playoffs. I just don't see it as long as they stay healthy and they have a healthy Bogut come playoff team. Great offense and surprisingly good defense on every part of the floor.

I think the reason people think GS will struggle in the playoffs is they live and die by the jump shot (which is the same rational about Atlanta). Come playoffs, it is very rare for a jump shooting team to win the whole thing sans an active big man. Hence the bolded piece is what is so important. It is crucial to have a big man who can post up and open up shooters beyond the 3pt line.

 

[Jstock12]

So no Cavs fans are allowed to join a forum they just found? Then why have have an option to even make a new account? I have a much longer account on the obr, their gameday discussions were only around 200 posts so I looked for a more active forum and found this one. Is that ok with you or should I go root for the 6ers?

Relax.