Biyombo as a starting PF - make the case

[hateslosing]

So you want to take one of the most dominant post players in the NBA, JV, and turn him into a corner 3 specialist?

Garnett didn't shoot threes, he dominated the high and low post while Perkins opened up shooters with offball screens. If JV can shoot threes at a high %, great, but I don't think you need it.

[Gambino]

Garnett didn't shoot threes, he dominated the high and low post while Perkins opened up shooters with offball screens. If JV can shoot threes at a high %, great, but I don't think you need it.

And they had Rondo starting who makes DeMar look like Steph Curry lol

[Rudy Bargnani]

To the original question---I think the other 3 dudes on the court have to be able to hit the 3.

If the existing players can improve on this this summer then that would be a step in the right direction. I think it could work for 8-10 minutes a game.

[Lark Benson]

I don't think this works unless you can say with certainty that the collective passing skill of Biyombo and Valanciunas will improve by a significant amount. Would get really ugly at times if they stagnated.

[DogeLover1234]

So you want to take one of the most dominant post players in the NBA, JV, and turn him into a corner 3 specialist?

I really don't think its fair to read a clearly well thoughout post and respond only acknowledging one thing. Also with a kevin love comparison i would think more Minnesota than Cleveland.

[Miekenstien]

I don't think this works unless you can say with certainty that the collective passing skill of Biyombo and Valanciunas will improve by a significant amount. Would get really ugly at times if they stagnated.

i am not worried about Vals passing. he had some really nice ones this year. even in game six he had a sweet drive through the key no look pass to the other big. i think for jonas it is about opportunity. i expect that opportunity to present itself next year.

[The Great One]

So you want to take one of the most dominant post players in the NBA, JV, and turn him into a corner 3 specialist?

So let me get this straight, just last week you said that you'd only trade him(JV) for LeBron, Durant, Curry, Westbrook and Leonard.

Now you're calling him one of the most dominant post players in the NBA? do you actually watch the games? this is just hilarious right now. Reading some of the posts in this thread I feel like we're talkin about Wilt Chamberlain.

[KHD]

So let me get this straight, just last week you said that you'd only trade him(JV) for LeBron, Durant, Curry, Westbrook and Leonard.

Now you're calling him one of the most dominant post players in the NBA? do you actually watch the games? this is just hilarious right now. Reading some of the posts in this thread I feel like we're talkin about Wilt Chamberlain.

but he is one of the best in the league at scoring in the post.



but ok, lets say he's a very good post player, the point still stands.

[enlightenment]

So let me get this straight, just last week you said that you'd only trade him(JV) for LeBron, Durant, Curry, Westbrook and Leonard.

Now you're calling him one of the most dominant post players in the NBA? do you actually watch the games? this is just hilarious right now. Reading some of the posts in this thread I feel like we're talkin about Wilt Chamberlain.

JV is one of the best post players in the league. It's really not debatable. Most 'max' worthy centres have no post game.

[Mess]

JV is one of the best post players in the league. It's really not debatable. Most 'max' worthy centres have no post game.

That's cause they're paid for elite rim protection and ability/versitility in pick and roll coverage. You could say post presence has become a market inefficiency - except for the whole 3's being more efficient thing. And sure, he's pretty good in the post, will get better - but he's not Kareem, Wilt or Timmy even if you can pull up stats that seem to make him comparable.

[CalgaryRapsFan]

I think Biyombo could work at PF, if the lineup allowed him to be an off-ball glue-guy on offense, playing a style similar to what Landry Fields (and to a lesser extend James Johnson) was good at. There are 2 issues I see though:

First, such a lineup needs all 3 guards/wings to be able to hit 3's consistently. Lowry is good, Carroll had an off year due to injury (hopefully), and DeRozan is terrible for the most part beyond the arc. With a more balanced offense (ie: more offense created through JV) and being surrounded by shooters, I think a JV/BB pairing could work.

Second, such a lineup would seem to need more facilitation from the PG, which isn't Lowry's natural tendency. Nobody on the Raptors seems to be able to consistently feed the low-post well, or hit off-ball cutters. The current offensive system didn't really focus on those areas, and both Lowry and DeRozan have shown glimpses of promise when it comes to facilitating for others, so hopefully the failing was due to strategy and not unwillingness/inability to do so.

Seems like a stretch, especially given the current roster, starting lineup and offensive game plan, but it could work under the right circumstances. Defensively though.... wow!

[DanH]

I think Biyombo could work at PF, if the lineup allowed him to be an off-ball glue-guy on offense, playing a style similar to what Landry Fields (and to a lesser extend James Johnson) was good at. There are 2 issues I see though:

First, such a lineup needs all 3 guards/wings to be able to hit 3's consistently. Lowry is good, Carroll had an off year due to injury (hopefully), and DeRozan is terrible for the most part beyond the arc. With a more balanced offense (ie: more offense created through JV) and being surrounded by shooters, I think a JV/BB pairing could work.

Second, such a lineup would seem to need more facilitation from the PG, which isn't Lowry's natural tendency. Nobody on the Raptors seems to be able to consistently feed the low-post well, or hit off-ball cutters. The current offensive system didn't really focus on those areas, and both Lowry and DeRozan have shown glimpses of promise when it comes to facilitating for others, so hopefully the failing was due to strategy and not unwillingness/inability to do so.

Seems like a stretch, especially given the current roster, starting lineup and offensive game plan, but it could work under the right circumstances. Defensively though.... wow!

The good part about BB at PF is that we don't need a lot of it for it to be viable. He'd still play all the backup C minutes. So if we can find a lineup of shooters for 10 MPG, it could work just fine. 32 MPG for Jonas, 16 for Biz at C, 10 for Biz at PF (26 MPG is actually pretty high for him).

Because then even if Biz is back at 15M, you aren't talking about 30M for your C spot. You are talking about 30M for your C and part of your PF spot (with Patterson and a rookie scale guy filling in the rest - say 30 MPG for PP and 8 for the rook).

And 10 MPG of Lowry-Powell-Carroll is pretty achievable if JV is being used as your primary offence in that time.

[The Great One]

JV is one of the best post players in the league. It's really not debatable. Most 'max' worthy centres have no post game.

He's a good post player. "Dominant?" hell no.

[Barolt]

Heat fans? JV was dominating Whiteside.

Warriors fans? JV is one player I'd love to see on our team.

Pacers fan? JV is the main reason we lost the series.

Raptors fans?

He's a good post player. "Dominant?" hell no.

[Mess]

Ask those same fans if they'd compare him to Wilt.