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Colin Elliott's avatar

"a market correction on availability is coming" -- That, I think, is both an inevitable consequence of the new salary cap rules and (harsh as it is for some guys like Ingram who just seem snakebit in terms of injuries) something that should have always been the case.

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Mike Shearer's avatar

Probably. Teams have historically paid out for upside over average, and I get it. You only need to catch lightning in a bottle once. But it’ll be interesting to see how far it swings the other way.

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Dylan's avatar

I actually think ingram is an underwhelming defensive rebounder. If he were better at rebounding and bulked up a little more I think the pelicans could play him as a small ball 5

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Mike Shearer's avatar

Yeah, he's a solid rebounder for his position, which is usually the two or the three, but that's mostly to just being taller and longer than most at the same spots. Even as a PF, Cleaning the Glass gives him an above-average rebounding rate for the position, though.

You're right that he's just not beefy enough to rebound as a center, but that's just something the Pels would have to live with if they tried it (which they should!). If they run out Herb, Ingram, Trey Murphy, Dejounte, and Zion lineups, hopefully Herb, Murphy and Murray's solid positional rebounding can make up for Ingram at center and Zion's woeful rebounding as a power forward.

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Colin Elliott's avatar

The scary part of that lineup to me (although I see where it could be good at a lot of other things) is that Murray, positionally at least, would probably be their best rebounder. Also, as I think we've discussed before, Zion's rebounding, for a guy as strong as he is playing that position, is simply pathetic.

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Mike Shearer's avatar

Yeah! It’s a little bit of a continuation on what the Thunder were doing last year: you punt on defensive rebounds and hope you’re good enough at everything else to make up for it.

(Not sure they would be, tbh, but I’d like to see it!)

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Colin Elliott's avatar

Their other big problem trying to duplicate the Thunder in that way (besides rebounding) as that none of those guys are even in the ballpark of being the kind of rim protector that Chet Holmgren is. Offensively, they'd probably be very good, but on defense I think they'd have some issues. As good as Murray and Herb Jones are, two guys can only do so much.

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Mike Shearer's avatar

For sure. I don't think they could run it as their main set, like the Thunder, but I still think there's potential for it a few minutes per game down the stretch. Could be totally wrong, but won't know till we see it.

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Dylan's avatar

I don't see how Zion's rebounding is woeful while Ingram's is above average--functionally, NOP rolls out 4 combo forwards, none of whom are really great positional rebounders. Zion: 9.0/100, Herb: 5.7/100, Trey: 8.1/100, Ingram: 7.6/100. If at least one of them were _great_ positionally, it would give this roster way more flexibility.

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Mike Shearer's avatar

well, you're looking at total rebounds per 100. Ingram is 6.6 defensive rebounds per 100 and zion is only 6.3, and given that Zion is almost always closer to the basket and playing up a position, that's woeful to me.

I don't think Ingram is a great rebounder, I just think he's solid for a wing. that's a lot different than saying he could rebound as a small ball center, which he definitely can't ha.

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