Sorts of Sports

Paul to Griffin

Did the NBA have an agenda? Who knows, but Chris Paul is headed to Los Angeles to play with one of the league's best superstars. We all thought it was going to be Kobe Bryant, but Paul is taking his talents to the barbers as he joins the Blake Show and the rest of the Los Angeles Clippers (see what I did there?)

The trade sends some talent and potential future talent to New Orleans, or wherever they move to. The key piece that the Hornets get in return is up and comming star, Eric Gordon. Gordon averaged near 23 points per game with more than four assists and one steal a game. It will be better than Paul's 16 ppg, but his 10 assists and 2.5 steals per game will be missed. In return the Hornets also get big man, Chris Kaman, and Al-Farouq Aminu, along with next year's first round pick via Minnesota, which could easily be a top 5 pick in one of the deepest projected drafts in the history of the NBA.

Kaman's expiring contract is very promising for the Hornets, which will open up room for potential talent down the road. Kaman played just 32 games last year, and it gives thought to the idea, that the league is losing the Center position.

Last year, just six players averaged 10+ rebounds per game, and only one, Dwight Howard, was a true Center. Love, Randolph, Griffin, Humphries, as Gasol rounded out the only other players with these credentials. 

Howard, Al Jefferson, Jokim Noah, Marcin Gorat, Andrew Bogut, and maybe Andrew Bynum, round out the league's real Center threats. The Big 6. That is 20% of the league, playing with a real center that can average 10 points & 10 rebounds. The rest of the league has looked to the way of tall athletic players who can also shoot the ball and defend. It has become a hybrid position, but the entire league is taking notice. 

The Clippers drafted Marcus Hubbard and Trey Thompkins to play Center, while neither of them are as tall as Blake Griffin at 6-10. With the Clippers relying on giving up a true Center, they are just catching up with what others have already realized.

The Celtics, for example, have moved all of their big pieces, unless you consider Jermaine O'Neal to be a viable big man, and have announced that they will go with Kevin Garnett at Center and work with the rest of their PF to fill the void when the Celtics play against one of the Big 6.

The only time this might matter is in a seven game series. Scratch Bogut and Jefferson from that lis of teams that will make the playoffs. Gorat could have potential with the Suns, but otherwise it is Dwight, Noah, and Bynum that could change the playoff outcomes. Teams aren't threatened by that possibility of a big man causing problems. Probably in part due to the fact that the three remaining of the Big 6 don't shoot well, especially at the line. Noah is the best at around 73% but the other two severely drop off from there, so fouling and sending them to the line is the best defense.

They hybrid Centers in today's game includes the likes of Gasol, Stoudemire, Aldridge, Horford, Bosh, and Lee. All are very capable of doing damage on the board and none of them shoot below 73% from the free throw line.

The game is changing and there is less of need for a dominant big man who can sit in the middle and grab rebounds based on pure size rather than capabilities. Its a trend that we will continue to see over the years and that's why it only makes sense for the Clippers to dump the only player that looked like a Center. On to the playoffs for the Clippers, and perhaps a Championship.