Longtime Warriors fan here with the basic lowdown on what you guys got. I'll try to cut with the B.S. and get straight to the point. This is just observation from all my years of watching them night in and night out. I put as little opinion into this as possible. I won't give an opinion as to who "won" the trade. I won't talk about contracts since you can look them up yourselves on Hoopshype. Just trying to give real basketball information to hard core fans such as yourselves.
Here we go.
Murphy
#1, Don't look at his stats to judge him. That is first and foremost. He can be a huge stat whore. If he's having a huge statistical night, it's most likely good news for your fantasy team and bad news for the Pacers. Judge him by his effort and activity on the floor. Remember that.
Has good height, but relatively short arms and a short wingspan. His measured wingspan is 6'11", which is the same as Jason Richardson's. Combine short arms/wingspan with his lack of athleticism and you get a player who plays substantially smaller than his listed 6'11". Not strong or athletic. Not an NBA body. Has what has been described by an observent Warrior fan as a "skinny-fat" body, which will make sense to you later.
He swoops in well to grab rebounds. Good nose for the ball, especially on the offensive boards. Overall a good rebounder, but not as good as his #s would indicate. Refuses to block out. Absolutely won't block out. Did I mention he doesn't block out for rebounds? I just don't think he has the lower body strength to block out, thanks again to that "skinny fat" body of his. That part of his game is maddening. Should do a good job on the boards (won't have to worry as much about blocking out) playing next to Jermaine.
Streaky outside shooter who's shot goes down the toilet when he fatigues down the stretch of the season. Has a nice jab step and stepback jumper, but he can fall in love with this sometimes and totally stall the offense. Streaky from the 3 point line. Has a hitch in his shot that he still needs to adjust. Used to be a complete black hole, but Nellie fixed his shot selection for the better. Can get you 15 ppg if you don't mind having 42% shooting from your PF, but the team is better off if he scores 10-11 ppg on 48% shooting. Still overall a poor passer. Should get open looks playing next to Jermaine.
Has a decent first step to the bucket, but can't elevate to finish at the rim. First step to the rim is best used to draw fouls, where he is a decent FT shooter. Used to be quicker with better elevation before his added "bulk" slowed him down. Can't post up even against the smallest of players to save his life. Just don't bother trying to post him up. A waste of time. It's ugly to watch. He has to settle for fadeaway jumpers against 6'5" guys. Because he's lost his lift, will often get his shot rejected inside by players substantially smaller than him (he's somewhat fixed that problem this year). Rarely scores the bucket when in the act of being fouled. Overall, a very poor finisher at the rim.
Not a shot blocker, but plays decent man to man post defense when he's focused on it. Has given Zach Randolph fits. His problem is help defense. He gives none. Gets lost when it comes to switches, screens, and picks set in the lane. Again, Jermaine should help him here.
Health has been a problem since he bulked after his rookie season. Has had foot/ankle/heal problems seemingly every year. Nothing totally debilitating but definitely nagging injuries. Has lost a lot of lift and quickness since his rookie year. Has stamina/conditioning issues. Grabs his shorts in the 1st quarter if he's a starter that has to play 35 mins a game (which shouldn't be a problem with the Pacers frontcourt depth). Effort and intensity has really fluctuated up/down since he signed that big contract.
Don't dare play him a center. It'll be a layup line. Make sure that he's in the game with either Jermaine or Jeff Foster. Don't play him at the same time as Ike. Definitely don't have him and Dunleavy on the floor at the same time.
Overall: Needs to play next to an elite level frontcourt player, which he will now be doing. He's moving to a better situation. Big disadvantage with him (as with Dunleavy) is that he really doesn't give you a size advantage despite being 6'll". Opponents can guard him with a 6'6" swingman and easily get away with it. Don't make him a big minute (over 30 minute guy) or he'll wear down physically, which shouldn't be a problem with the Pacers frontcourt.
Dunleavy
Good passer with good vision. Runs the floor well. Generally makes good decisions. Good ballhandling for someone of his height. Can bring the ball up every now and then and serve as an auxillary ballhandler. Should do an excellent job of getting the ball to Jermaine. With the Pacers, he should be able to utilize his height to pass over the top of the defense to an elite post player for the first time in his career.
Can drive to the hole vs. bigger/slower players, but doesn't have the quickness to drive past most NBA SFs. He simply lacks the quickness.
Really needs to improve as a shooter. He's a clanker. Check his FT shooting at Duke. It's really not very good. His shooting % is inflated because he ONLY takes the most wide open of shots. A good shooter would shoot about 55% if he only took the shots Dunleavy dares to take. Not a good 3 point shooter. Don't count on this guy to be a scorer. If he's anything better than your 3rd option on the floor, then that's automatically a bad lineup you have on the floor.
Like Murphy, he can't use his height in the post vs. small players. This is the worst part of his game. He literally can't post up the other team's 5'll" backup PG. It's that bad. He just lacks the strength. He'd be a matchup nightmare if he was stronger, but he's not. Like Murphy, has a problem finishing at the rim when he gets fouled. Overall, he does a better job of finishing at the rim than Murphy.
Plays smart defense, but he easily gets overpowered and/or outquicked. Good at getting into the passing lanes and poking balls away. VERY adept at drawing charges. That's his biggest strength defensively. Can't rebound to save his life. Due to his lack of strength, he gets loose balls and rebounds knocked/yanked away from him easily.
Oh, and don't play him with Murphy. It gets ugly when both are on the floor. They're a horrible fit together and Mullin was an idiot to pair them together long term. You simply get outclassed athletically.
Overall: Needs a regular kick in the @ss from his coach and fans to be more assertive. Should play with more aggression and less tentativeness now that he's officially been relieved of having to live up to the expcations of being the #3 pick. That's probably the biggest thing this trade does for him. He couldn't handle the pressure that was created for him at GS. With lower expectations, he may finally find his comfort zone.
Diogu
The reason the Pacers did this trade at all. Has the potential to eventually be the best player in the deal.
Short PF. He's shorter than Danny Granger. Is really closer to 6'6" 1/2". He's clearly shorter than Elton Brand (you'll see this when you play the Clippers). Can somewhat make up for it with his long arms. Not a super athlete. Doesn't run the floor exceptionally well. Not a lot of elevation. Can't play center or SF under any circumstance. He's strictly a one position player at PF.
Outstanding and very refined moves in the post. Has a great feel in the post with either hand. Can score using a variety of moves strung together. Can score one on one against almost anyone in the league. Has trouble with really tall/long players in the post, but he can still get his shot off. Good mid-range shooter (better than Murphy in this category, easily). Good FT shooter. Great hands, great footwork. Should be able to abuse most players guarding him in the lowpost assuming Jermaine is in the game with him and drawing the better defender. Very good at finishing baskets after drawing the foul (unlike Dunleavy/Murphy).
Needs to work on his passing. Can get singleminded on scoring in the post. Poor idea of where to be on the court if he's not posting up with the ball. Has trouble remembering plays. This is due to poor college coaching and primitive offense at ASU where he posted up and did nothing else. Needs to set better picks.
Needs to improve rebounding, which he is. Taller players can reach over the top of him when he forgets to block out. He's getting better at this.
Poor understanding of how to play defense (which hopefully Carlisle can fix). Doesn't know where to be (just like on offense). VERY poor transition defense. Often lets his man beat him down the court. Needs to get more intense on the floor. Often has stretches of non-chalance or indifference when he's not getting the ball in the post.
Can block shots thanks to his long arms, but this is mostly on help defense. In these cases, he has to anticipate exactly when the shooter is going to release his shot because he's not very tall and isn't very explosive. That sometimes leaves him out of rebounding position. Tall PFs can usually face up on him and shoot right over the top of him.
Should improve at both ends of the floor playing next to Jermaine. And as mentioned, don't play him at the same time as Murphy. That's another defensive disaster.
Overall: Has potential to be a viable starting PF, but needs be paired next to a good defensive frontcourt player (preferrably that being the center). He is fairly one dimensional at this point, but it is a very good and rare dimension he possesses (low post scoring).
Keith Mcleod
Expiring contract. Not worth discussing beyond that.
Have fun with your new toys and good luck. I'll be happy to answer any questions you might have.
Here we go.
Murphy
#1, Don't look at his stats to judge him. That is first and foremost. He can be a huge stat whore. If he's having a huge statistical night, it's most likely good news for your fantasy team and bad news for the Pacers. Judge him by his effort and activity on the floor. Remember that.
Has good height, but relatively short arms and a short wingspan. His measured wingspan is 6'11", which is the same as Jason Richardson's. Combine short arms/wingspan with his lack of athleticism and you get a player who plays substantially smaller than his listed 6'11". Not strong or athletic. Not an NBA body. Has what has been described by an observent Warrior fan as a "skinny-fat" body, which will make sense to you later.
He swoops in well to grab rebounds. Good nose for the ball, especially on the offensive boards. Overall a good rebounder, but not as good as his #s would indicate. Refuses to block out. Absolutely won't block out. Did I mention he doesn't block out for rebounds? I just don't think he has the lower body strength to block out, thanks again to that "skinny fat" body of his. That part of his game is maddening. Should do a good job on the boards (won't have to worry as much about blocking out) playing next to Jermaine.
Streaky outside shooter who's shot goes down the toilet when he fatigues down the stretch of the season. Has a nice jab step and stepback jumper, but he can fall in love with this sometimes and totally stall the offense. Streaky from the 3 point line. Has a hitch in his shot that he still needs to adjust. Used to be a complete black hole, but Nellie fixed his shot selection for the better. Can get you 15 ppg if you don't mind having 42% shooting from your PF, but the team is better off if he scores 10-11 ppg on 48% shooting. Still overall a poor passer. Should get open looks playing next to Jermaine.
Has a decent first step to the bucket, but can't elevate to finish at the rim. First step to the rim is best used to draw fouls, where he is a decent FT shooter. Used to be quicker with better elevation before his added "bulk" slowed him down. Can't post up even against the smallest of players to save his life. Just don't bother trying to post him up. A waste of time. It's ugly to watch. He has to settle for fadeaway jumpers against 6'5" guys. Because he's lost his lift, will often get his shot rejected inside by players substantially smaller than him (he's somewhat fixed that problem this year). Rarely scores the bucket when in the act of being fouled. Overall, a very poor finisher at the rim.
Not a shot blocker, but plays decent man to man post defense when he's focused on it. Has given Zach Randolph fits. His problem is help defense. He gives none. Gets lost when it comes to switches, screens, and picks set in the lane. Again, Jermaine should help him here.
Health has been a problem since he bulked after his rookie season. Has had foot/ankle/heal problems seemingly every year. Nothing totally debilitating but definitely nagging injuries. Has lost a lot of lift and quickness since his rookie year. Has stamina/conditioning issues. Grabs his shorts in the 1st quarter if he's a starter that has to play 35 mins a game (which shouldn't be a problem with the Pacers frontcourt depth). Effort and intensity has really fluctuated up/down since he signed that big contract.
Don't dare play him a center. It'll be a layup line. Make sure that he's in the game with either Jermaine or Jeff Foster. Don't play him at the same time as Ike. Definitely don't have him and Dunleavy on the floor at the same time.
Overall: Needs to play next to an elite level frontcourt player, which he will now be doing. He's moving to a better situation. Big disadvantage with him (as with Dunleavy) is that he really doesn't give you a size advantage despite being 6'll". Opponents can guard him with a 6'6" swingman and easily get away with it. Don't make him a big minute (over 30 minute guy) or he'll wear down physically, which shouldn't be a problem with the Pacers frontcourt.
Dunleavy
Good passer with good vision. Runs the floor well. Generally makes good decisions. Good ballhandling for someone of his height. Can bring the ball up every now and then and serve as an auxillary ballhandler. Should do an excellent job of getting the ball to Jermaine. With the Pacers, he should be able to utilize his height to pass over the top of the defense to an elite post player for the first time in his career.
Can drive to the hole vs. bigger/slower players, but doesn't have the quickness to drive past most NBA SFs. He simply lacks the quickness.
Really needs to improve as a shooter. He's a clanker. Check his FT shooting at Duke. It's really not very good. His shooting % is inflated because he ONLY takes the most wide open of shots. A good shooter would shoot about 55% if he only took the shots Dunleavy dares to take. Not a good 3 point shooter. Don't count on this guy to be a scorer. If he's anything better than your 3rd option on the floor, then that's automatically a bad lineup you have on the floor.
Like Murphy, he can't use his height in the post vs. small players. This is the worst part of his game. He literally can't post up the other team's 5'll" backup PG. It's that bad. He just lacks the strength. He'd be a matchup nightmare if he was stronger, but he's not. Like Murphy, has a problem finishing at the rim when he gets fouled. Overall, he does a better job of finishing at the rim than Murphy.
Plays smart defense, but he easily gets overpowered and/or outquicked. Good at getting into the passing lanes and poking balls away. VERY adept at drawing charges. That's his biggest strength defensively. Can't rebound to save his life. Due to his lack of strength, he gets loose balls and rebounds knocked/yanked away from him easily.
Oh, and don't play him with Murphy. It gets ugly when both are on the floor. They're a horrible fit together and Mullin was an idiot to pair them together long term. You simply get outclassed athletically.
Overall: Needs a regular kick in the @ss from his coach and fans to be more assertive. Should play with more aggression and less tentativeness now that he's officially been relieved of having to live up to the expcations of being the #3 pick. That's probably the biggest thing this trade does for him. He couldn't handle the pressure that was created for him at GS. With lower expectations, he may finally find his comfort zone.
Diogu
The reason the Pacers did this trade at all. Has the potential to eventually be the best player in the deal.
Short PF. He's shorter than Danny Granger. Is really closer to 6'6" 1/2". He's clearly shorter than Elton Brand (you'll see this when you play the Clippers). Can somewhat make up for it with his long arms. Not a super athlete. Doesn't run the floor exceptionally well. Not a lot of elevation. Can't play center or SF under any circumstance. He's strictly a one position player at PF.
Outstanding and very refined moves in the post. Has a great feel in the post with either hand. Can score using a variety of moves strung together. Can score one on one against almost anyone in the league. Has trouble with really tall/long players in the post, but he can still get his shot off. Good mid-range shooter (better than Murphy in this category, easily). Good FT shooter. Great hands, great footwork. Should be able to abuse most players guarding him in the lowpost assuming Jermaine is in the game with him and drawing the better defender. Very good at finishing baskets after drawing the foul (unlike Dunleavy/Murphy).
Needs to work on his passing. Can get singleminded on scoring in the post. Poor idea of where to be on the court if he's not posting up with the ball. Has trouble remembering plays. This is due to poor college coaching and primitive offense at ASU where he posted up and did nothing else. Needs to set better picks.
Needs to improve rebounding, which he is. Taller players can reach over the top of him when he forgets to block out. He's getting better at this.
Poor understanding of how to play defense (which hopefully Carlisle can fix). Doesn't know where to be (just like on offense). VERY poor transition defense. Often lets his man beat him down the court. Needs to get more intense on the floor. Often has stretches of non-chalance or indifference when he's not getting the ball in the post.
Can block shots thanks to his long arms, but this is mostly on help defense. In these cases, he has to anticipate exactly when the shooter is going to release his shot because he's not very tall and isn't very explosive. That sometimes leaves him out of rebounding position. Tall PFs can usually face up on him and shoot right over the top of him.
Should improve at both ends of the floor playing next to Jermaine. And as mentioned, don't play him at the same time as Murphy. That's another defensive disaster.
Overall: Has potential to be a viable starting PF, but needs be paired next to a good defensive frontcourt player (preferrably that being the center). He is fairly one dimensional at this point, but it is a very good and rare dimension he possesses (low post scoring).
Keith Mcleod
Expiring contract. Not worth discussing beyond that.
Have fun with your new toys and good luck. I'll be happy to answer any questions you might have.
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