Round 5 Pick 171
Theo Huxtable Ratliff
Its clear who Ive picked here - and what he brings to the table...I really dont find any need to explain this pick....but here goes anyway...
Seeing some of the previous picks - Im surprised some of these other Centers went before Theo. He is clearly a defense-first, team-first guy and is arguably one of the top Defensive Centers in this league. Hes got that shot-changing presence like not many do.
Ratliff has had a pretty consistent career - but it is clear that he played his best seasons when he was logging about 32 mpg with the Iverson-led 76ers...and averaged a decent 12 and 8...but more imporatantly - never dipped under the 3 blocks per game level. That is sick! He is about a 15 PER career guy and peaked at 17 PER...he is a One-Time All Star, 2 Time All Defensive Teammer and has always had a very good defensive rating every year.
Top 5 in BPG in 7 consecutive seasons (1st 3-times) and is 4th among active centers and 9th in NBA History! ...and this is all without even touching his PER 36 MINUTES STATS!
When utilized correctly (like he was with the Iverson-led 76ers)....Theo will play a similar role on this Chris Paul-led squad. He will be the anchor for my defense...and everything will be funneled through him. He will not take many touches away from my already offensively-gifted squad (though he can finish very strong around the basket when need be).
Also with this addition - Vin Baker gets to move to the 4 spot and work his magic from there and Terry Cummings can move to the 3 spot (given his versatility it doesnt matter where you put him). This just about rounds out my starting 5...and feel like Ive got a very well rounded team that is very good offensively and not getting enough love defensively.
My Roster:
Chris Paul
Richard Hamilton
Terry Cummings
Vin Baker
Theo Ratliff
Last edited by Shark Doctor; 06-05-2008 at 07:21 PM.