02-18-2022, 06:59 AM
(02-18-2022, 06:31 AM)Branduil Wrote: I feel like this is a serious misunderstanding of how playoff basketball works. The difficulty Gobert(and every true center) faces today is not the other center shooting threes, it's getting switched through constant pick-and-roll action and trying to defend a modern scoring guard/wing. This is literally what Luka did to the Clippers and Zubac- repeatedly P&R to get him, and then Luka would destroy him every time. Zubac is not a bad center, but he can't guard Luka. Unfortunately for the Mavs, the Clippers could not just afford to bench Zubac, it turns out they were actually better without him, and that's why the Mavs lost that series. If the Clippers had Gobert instead of Zubac, it's quite possible they lose the series. Not just because Gobert's contract demands he stay on the court, but also because his contract limits your ability to add other talent.
A big (no pun) part of the problem for centers is the interpretation of the rules.
Guards are allowed to pull, push, slap and shove and centers are called for everything.
The "prison rule" phase at the begin of this season was great, way less fouls much more basketball.