The Football Fan Spot

I wish I were seven feet tall. Seriously, I wouldn’t even need that much talent to be a NBA center if I were seven feet tall and people would pay me millions per year just for being tall. Former Orlando center Marcin Gortat is expected to sign a 5 year 34 million dollar contract with the Dallas Mavericks, assuming Orlando does not match that offer. If you are confused to how Marcin Gortat is, you’re not alone. Gortat has been in the league 2 years, has 3 career starts, and has averaged 3.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in his career. Gortat stepped up decently in the playoffs for the Eastern Conference Champion Magic, with 3.3 points and 3.2 rebounds. Why is he making that much money? Look at him, he’s a 7 footer.

Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, Tim Duncan, you can count them on one hand. They are the only players in the NBA taller than 6-11 who are worth what they are being paid. The rest of them are overpaid because of their height. Yes, big men are huge parts of championship teams, but that is only if they are all-star caliber ones. If they aren’t, you’re better off going small than trying to turn a mediocre player into an all-star caliber one by throwing money at him. 

Look at Jerome James, 7-1, mediocre player, had one good postseason with the Sonics, got about 27 million over 5 years from Isiah Thomas, sat his fat ass on the Knicks’ bench for 5 years. Andrea Bargnani was drafted 1st overall in 2006 because he not just a 7 footer, but he was a skilled 7 footer, and NBA GM love that shit. He could shoot and dribble the basketball. Now, he’s been a career 12 points 4 rebounds guy who is too soft because, while he is seven feet tall, he doesn’t actually have any post game. Hasheem Thabeet was drafted 2nd overall this year because he’s not just 7 feet tall. He’s 7-3 and long. He’s a gifted shotblocker, but he’s also very weak for a big man and has no offensive game whatsoever. 

Teams are better off looking at centers who actually do what centers are supposedly to do, block shots, rebound, post up, rather than just looking at height. There are a bunch of 6-8, 6-9 guys in the NBA right now that do all those things well, or at least better than Marcin Gortat, that would be much better values. Look at Jason Maxiell, one of my favorite NBA players. He’s 6-7 on a good day, but he does what centers are supposed to do.