Decision Time, Part 3: The (Somewhat) Big Men
By Rich
The power forward situation for the Celtics this season should be an interesting battle to see who gets the brunt of the minutes, who is the starter and who finishes the game.
Today we will be looking at the power forward position battle between Al Jefferson and Ryan Gomes and also touch on the potential contributions of Leon Powe and Brian Scalbrine, briefly…..just to nauseate people and force you to all to remember that Scabaline is signed for several more seasons.
Okay, I am kidding about writing anything more about Scalabrine so you can read on.
Ryan Gomes
Considered too small to play the Power Forward position and too slow to play the Small Forward position Gomes fell to the 50th selection in the draft prior to last year. Most Celtics fans were happy with the selection as he was the Providence Friars for 3 seasons of the 4 he played. The fact that he played 4 seasons might have actually worked against him in the topsy-turvy world of NBA General Managers and the NBA Draft. Gomes is mature, has a tremendous motor and brings little things that may not show up on the stat sheet like boxing out, taking the right angle on the break and just bringing a tremendous basketball IQ to the team. Gomes is a complete player in many respects. He has worked hard on his mid-range game to compete for the Small Forward minutes and also worked on his quickness to combat the bigger Power Forwards. Gomes biggest drawback is his size but he mitigates this by playing smart basketball. Gomes may not even be 6’ 8” but he has a nice 7’ wingspan that makes it a little easier to reach for rebounds. Speaking of rebounds Gomes is a very good rebounder, especially on the offensive end where his quickness and nose for the ball allow him to beat his opponent to the spot.
When Gomes was thrust into the starting lineup after Al Jefferson and Kendrick Perkins were both shelved with injuries he immediately set himself apart by bringing a little something to every aspect of the game. Earlier in the season he looked overmatched and it seemed there were reasons why he was the 50th selection. By the end of the season people were shouting from the rafters of the new Garden for more Gomes. Gomes’ energy and intangibles should always garner him 20+ minutes a night. Whether he starts and finishes game truly depend on what the Celtics get from…..
Al Jefferson
“Time keeps on ticking, ticking, ticking….into the future” –Steve Miller Band
When Al Jefferson was drafted it was considered a coup as he was considered to be a top 10 talent. Al didn’t disappoint much in that first season with glimpses of greatness on the offensive end. It was noted in many scouting reports that he never met a cheeseburger he wouldn’t eat but we heard out of the Celtics front office that he was working hard, a la Kendrick Perkins the previous year, to drop the baby fat and get in better shape. Skip to year two in the Summer League, just 6 weeks removed from the end of the regular season and that work out regimen we heard so much about must have been on the back burner. Al looked slow and heavy and failed to impress in any way. This was written off as an aberration and maybe it was but with Al going down in preseason with an injury his potential wasn’t realized in the 2005-06 season. I would like to write last season off as a lost season due to the injuries and maybe we all should but. Whenever you talk about Jefferson the word ‘but’ always seems to rear its head.
Jefferson is a naturally gifted low post player with range out to 15 feet but really excels at the back to the basket type post play. He has an uncanny knack for getting a good look almost every time he touches the ball. He also has a Zach Randolph-like ability to never pass once he touches the ball.
Jefferson has serious issues on the defensive end. He is a terrible help defender who looks clueless even after 2+ years of NBA competition. Last season I liked to say Dan Dickau couldn’t guard a stationary chair. With Jefferson I wouldn’t go that far, he could guard a stationary chair but if you added rollers to it he would be hard pressed to keep up. If he did happen to get in front of the chair invariably Jefferson would use his new skill—trying to take a charge. I haven’t seen so much falling in the paint since Vlade Divac was in his late 20s.
Jefferson is a solid rebounder and should continue to improve in that area of his game. One way for Jefferson to improve would be in fouls per minute. He has had a tendency of getting into early foul trouble which limits his effectiveness.
Unfair comparisons to Amare Stoudemire right out of the gate may have given Celtics fans a stilted view of what Jefferson can and can’t do. This is the year to put up some numbers and show solid growth for Al. With Ryan Gomes as his chief competition Jefferson will only be limited by Jefferson. There can be no more “tremendous upside potential” claims without some semblance of production.
Overall
The Celtics will have difficulty matching up on the defensive end with either of the two potential starters. Gomes will have trouble on the low blocks by size alone and Jefferson will have troubles just playing man to man defense. On the offensive end Jefferson will be able to create his own shot and be an impact player but if Gomes cannot stretch the defense a little further than he did last season he will be hard pressed to get any offense outside of hustle plays at which he abounds.
Look for Ratliff, Perkins and Powe to get some minutes at the Power Forward position throughout the season but Ratliff and Perkins will primarily be used at the Center position with little overlap. If Scalabrine garners more than 5 minutes a night consider the season on the brink of disaster. I think we would all rather see the corpse of Brian Grant if not Leon Powe and his incredible story (if you haven’t read about Leon Powe do yourself a favor and Google him) than any minutes from Scalabrine.
It is not too much of a stretch to say “as the Celtics Power Forwards go so go their chances at the playoffs”. If Jefferson and Gomes can provide the third option and a legitimate low post presence throughout the coming season and limit the opposing Power Forwards the Celtics chances to get back in the playoff hunt rise exponentially.
