Re: Geiger

[krai@gis.net]

>I watched the Charlotte-Atlanta game last night on TNT and I have two
>words.  GET GEIGER.  Those on this list who say he is only another Knight
>or DeClerq are just plain wrong.  First of all, he is 7'1", 280 lbs.

It's funny how these players just have growth spurts at convenient times.
When Geiger came into the league, he was 6-11. Now, according to nba.com,
he's 7-1, but still nowhere near 280lb - they list him at 245.
Now, Mutombo is 7-2, and Geiger is not nearly as tall as Dikembe. And if
Geiger is 280, Travis must be 260.

>Neither one of our "centers" could even hope to keep him off the boards or
>the block.  He runs the floor and he's aggressive.  He's got a jumper to
>about 17.  For most of the game, he outplayed Mutombo on both ends of the
>court..

Hmmm, I didn't watch the whole game, but at least the stats don't indicate
an advantage for Geiger:
Mutombo - 12 pts (5-7), 9 boards, 4 blocks; Geiger - 17 pts (8-16), 4 (!)
boards, 2 blocks & 3 assists.
I wouldn't deny that Geiger is a pretty good player, but he simply isn't in
Mutombo's class.

>This guy would have been worth about 7-10 more wins this year.  Oh
>yeah, he's mean too--I like that.  We need more mean players.

He's obviously more skilled and taller than DCq, and much tougher than
Travis. However, if Pitino could perform a miracle and truly de-wimp
Travis, it would obviate the need for Geiger (though not for a true center
type). As I've said before, I doubt it's going to happen, but if it did, it
would be a waste of money to have two Geigers on the roster, when the big
bucks could be better spent elsewhere. Besides, even this year, if you
average their stats per time unit, the numbers are comparable.  Geiger has
an advantage in scoring  & a higher 2pt fg%, but rebounds, blocks & steals
are about the same. Travis has an advantage in 3pt fg% and FT%.  The
problem is, if at 6-11 Geiger can't average more than 7 rpg  this,  crucial
for him, year, he sure as hell won't do it later.  I say a
Pitino-conditioned duo of Popeye and Tabak could split the
rebounding/banging chores  next year, and do no worse a job at it than
Geiger. Their combined  cost likely would be significantly lower than
Geiger's.
In general, I think Pitino's style is better served by a team that consists
of a bunch (6-8) of well conditioned, quality role players + a couple of
stars, than a team that has 5-6 high-priced players and a minimum-wage CBA
bench. The former staffing philosophy arguably is what has enabled the
Bulls to win 5 championships.


K. Kveraga