Francis Lopez thread

[thatweirdguy]

In world level, yes I agree with you. But in Asian or make that Asia-Pacific level, I think 6-foot-7 isn't a bad size "four". I think the "fours" of Iran, Lebanon, S. Korea, Jordan, are just within the 6-foot-7 to 6-foot-8 ceiling.

Scola, Green, Hayes, Farried, Harrell, Gomes etc were all 6'8 and below but were successful in the modern NBA. If you can you can play.

[analyzed]

3-5.. 2? nope..

Actually in the modern game to maximise his strength advantages it is 5, that is his best position. Also this is still where Gilas can use him most. He is a better defensive center than Kai (I know I will get blasted for being sac religious here),, but it's what I see

It's this simple if Simmons or Giannis were Filipino, I would use them at 5 and put shooters around them, paring a talent like that with a slow big is not maximizing our strength advantage and will clog the lane for a talent like Giannis to operate

[analyzed]

Scola, Green, Hayes, Farried, Harrell, Gomes etc were all 6'8 and below but were successful in the modern NBA. If you can you can play.

And on that point Harrel (undersize) is actually most effective when you play him at center, never do the the Clippers use Harrel with another center like Zubac, that would be counter effective

[xenoloxy]

Actually in the modern game to maximise his strength advantages it is 5, that is his best position. Also this is still where Gilas can use him most. He is a better defensive center than Kai (I know I will get blasted for being sac religious here),, but it's what I see

It's this simple if Simmons or Giannis were Filipino, I would use them at 5 and put shooters around them, paring a talent like that with a slow big is not maximizing our strength advantage and will clog the lane for a talent like Giannis to operate

Pairing him with Kai (doesn’t matter the position, talking about PF/C) will be the best advantage for us. Both can stretch the floor and also post up.

[Alex07]

Scola, Green, Hayes, Farried, Harrell, Gomes etc were all 6'8 and below but were successful in the modern NBA. If you can you can play.

Right amount of athleticism,strength and skill.Farried might not be very skilled but he is very athletic in NBA standards while Scola might got dunked on by Norwood but i think he has enough hops to dunk in a game plus he is not only very skilled but very smart.Scola for his size has quick feet and has good footwork as well,aside from the fact that he is an excellent post player and very efficient.When he was younger,he can play above the rim,well i still think he could dunk if really wants to.Another thing when you are a 6'7-6'8 power forward is length.Harell i think has 7'2-7'3 wingspan.A lengthy wingspan may give a player advantage against tall opposition specially when the player knows how to get position when getting the rebounds and the tolerance to absorb the physical play in the post.

[analyzed]

Pairing him with Kai (doesn’t matter the position, talking about PF/C) will be the best advantage for us. Both can stretch the floor and also post up.

Can play the position or both together does not necessarily mean it's best use of them. Do note the modern game where most (80%)PF (4s)in the NBA and Europe are actually natural small forwards, the game has changed

[mangangalakal]

Can play the position or both together does not necessarily mean it's best use of them. Do note the modern game where most (80%)PF (4s)in the NBA and Europe are actually natural small forwards, the game has changed

sorry for the OT but sir what do you think of these comments by Barcelona coach Svetislav Pesic?

“In basketball, if you want to change rhythm, to play transition or position, you cannot change rhythm on offense, but on defense. Then you can take initiative on offense and play fast break, controlled basketball or long plays. That’s how it’s done in Europe. It’s not like the NBA which is not basketball,” Pesic said in the post-game presser following the road win of Barcelona over Olimpia Milano. The Serbian coach had been asked if the game plan for the Blaugrana was to reduce the number of Milano‘s fast-paced offenses.

Pesic proceeded to describe EuroLeague as the competition that has “the best basketball in the world today” while commenting on the often high-scoring NBA results in mocking undertone.

“Every night or morning if you see the NBA results, it’s 129-119, or 122-120, 120-115 etc. Everybody celebrates, everybody is happy. Anyway. The best basketball in the world today is in EuroLeague,” Pesic added.

“In Euroleague, you can see everything,” Pesic explained. “You can see defense, you can see offense, you can see tactics, 3-pointers dunking, creation of the game. Everything. What we didn’t have in Europe until now is that we didn’t ‘sell’ our basketball very good, like in the NBA. We didn’t learn how to sell our product in Europe.”

SOURCE: https://www.eurohoops.net/en/eurolea...ot-basketball/

[analyzed]

^
I've actually read that the other day, the casual fan does not understand it, and think he's suggesting European players are better than NBA, that's not what he is saying.. what he's saying the tactical game in Europe both defensively and offensively is more advanced, it is true, the NBA game is more of a game of individual match ups, while European is the collective game. That is why the thinking of Kai and AJ playing together for the casual fan seems to mean it's better because you have two very talented individuals who can play Center and PF, it however isn't collectively maximizing their talent.

[TheRodster21]

^
I've actually read that the other day, the casual fan does not understand it, and think he's suggesting European players are better than NBA, that's not what he is saying.. what he's saying the tactical game in Europe both defensively and offensively is more advanced, it is true, the NBA game is more of a game of individual match ups, while European is the collective game. That is why the thinking of Kai and AJ playing together for the casual fan seems to mean it's better because you have two very talented individuals who can play Center and PF, it however isn't collectively maximizing their talent.

How would you use Aj or Kai then?

[mangangalakal]

not to speak for him but I think he already mentioned that AJ is better off deployed as a 5. so basically he and Kai wold alternate at center. Personally I think that would be exposed by the heftier bigs of West Asia (the bulky Iranians and the athletic Afro-Qataris) but the general idea is utilizing the quickness advantage

[NOiNU]

Modern basketball is all about the matchups. It has evolved but it didn't throw the basics out the window. You can see Dwight/McGee alongside Davis, Gasol playing with Ibaka, Jokic paired with Plumlee, Lopez with Giannis, Porzingis-Powell, Adebayo-Leonard, Embiid-Horford, etc. Point is, 2 bigs still works and it is all about the matchups.

Trend now is either hit the 3ball or attack the paint. If a team could defend that by using a 2 big combo, then why not. Almost every successful NBA team have that one traditional big that they deploy to counter (or initiate) a big lineup. That said, staggering Kai and Edu's minutes is simply depriving our team a potent combination that could pose problems for opposing coaches.

To be clear, I am not advocating that they'd be used together for a huge bulk of the playing minutes, although I am not against the idea either. They could sub each other with say, a 10-15 minutes overlap (together on the floor), or straight alternates as others suggest. What I am saying is, we play the matchups, either as initiators or reactors. There really is no surefire formula as to what would work and what would not. Basketball after all, is a chess match.

[xenoloxy]

I agree with NoiNu. It really depends on our opponents. Personally I still think a Kai and Edu pairing will work the best especially against Asian teams. We have the size and quickness to have decent big lineup on the floor.

[analyzed]

Obviously much of how we use Kai and AJ is dependent on the quality of a big forward (at least 6'7) we have at our disposal, if its a NP and good player (Jolibee) , then yes I see Kai and AJ alternating at center and playing with that big NP forward most of the time, with limited min playing AJ and Kai together

[analyzed]

Note 3 men are purely wings, not big forwards like Troy or maybe Jolibee, the SF who interchangable with SG are the Clarkson's, Dwight, Kobe, Thirdy, Dave Wright, Parks etc which we have an abundance off. Spacing and movement fluidity is critical. Just like OKCs best perimeter line up is a 3 guard line up of CP3, Shroeder and Shai (not SF Fergusson) and its best 4 is a SF like player in Galinari.
It's best use of space and pace..
BTW OKCs 3 guard line up with Calinari and Adams is statistically the best 5 in NBA currently (Plus, minus rating when on court)

Additionally the verdict is still out on how long we can afford to use Kai to defend pick and roll basketball

[analyzed]

Sorry Reposting here, serious question, in real implementation how much time has Japeth really played forward (even big forward) for either Ginerbra or Gilas (note even with Blatche it's Blatche outside and Japeth inside).
. The thing is Japeth has forever been listed as a PF, but in reality plays little to no PF at all.
Perceived position is different from actual practice

Note AJ played zero minutes at PF in his freshman year with Toledo (Div1)

Does Japeth and Greg even play together, when has that happened for at least 10 minutes in a game? Note does Ginerbra have a better local PF than Japeth? If not, whys he not playing PF?

And this from a coach Tim Cone who I know likes playing big