The Rage Monster wrote:Q12543 wrote:The Rage Monster wrote:Basically what Hicks said.
He's a good role player (mostly due to his defense) but that's about it. Take Lebron off the team and no cares about him, he'd be a bust.
...not sure about the bust part. The guy can rebound, defend, and play either C or PF. He's not sexy, that's for sure, but he is a very solid big.
I think his value to the Cavs was instrumental in their Finals series win because of his ability to switch onto guards and do a terrific job defending them on the perimeter. To beat Golden State, you absolutely need bigs capable of switching and containing their shooters.
He has great value in this specific situation, I won't disagree with that.
Not a bust as in out of the league but in terms of being the 4th overall pick. Picking that high you're definitely hoping for more than just a solid big, you want someone to build the team around.
"Build around guys" get fewer and far between after the first one or two picks. He's not an A+ draft pick that's for sure, but he's a solid B given what he's turned into.