Prediction: We will Start a Traditional Center

[KillerLeft]

Have we EVER seen KP effective defensively as the only big? (this is a serious question I have)

We have definitely seen him effective on D (I would argue the most effective in his career) when he has another big on the floor who takes the main big man matchup away from him and allows him to float as a rim protector.

I don't think he's going to be effective on D, PERIOD, unless he's noticeably better off this season in health, conditioning and mindset. 

But, with the type of player he is and what I think of as his collection of strengths and weaknesses, I don't really envision any scenario in which he's a positive on D not playing center. And, I'm really not interested in any data from before his time with the Mavericks, as A) the game has changed a ton recently, and B) NY wasn't a good team. I don't think we can really compare the results of how he was used there on either side of the ball to what we hope to see from him here, for a playoff team built around another player.

In fact, I'd pretty much point to any way he was used in NY as what NOT to do. He was younger, with a shorter injury injury history and the team was being built around him. Unsuccessfully, actually. Not to mention that, AGAIN, the offensive game (and of course, how teams approach defending the offensive game) has changed significantly since then. 

If we argued for two hours about this and you convinced me KP could be better as a 4 (I doubt you could) my thinking would shift back to "let's get rid of him at any cost" because I don't care what's best for KP - I care what's best for the Mavs, and I do not believe playing a player like him in a role like that is a road that leads to a championship. It's a dead end.

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Luka NEEDS a pick and roll partner (see my title) desperately. I THOUGHT KP would be an awesome one, but we have barely seen that in the last couple years. WHY?

Imo, putting an ADDITIONAL 5 on the floor with KP for extended periods of time this season would signal the end of this dream. 

Since KP hasn't really developed an effective iso game yet, I believe the quickest path to relevance for him on the offensive side of the ball is to get him involved with Luka in the two-man game. Like you, I'm not sure what the problem has been with this, but I'm 99% sure trying to do it with WCS in the paint isn't going to help. If someone like that is on the floor, KP will be standing in the corner. Period.