# The State of the Eastern Conference (Why we should draft Bogut)



## DHarris34Phan (Oct 28, 2004)

The Eastern Conference is dominated by big men, and it will be like this for at least the next 10 years. If the Bucks don't get one of our own, I guarantee we will be a pereniall 30-40 win team. Marvin Williams is definitly not the guy that is going to compete against the power of the Eastern Conference.

Look at the power in the Central Division. LeBron couldn't even succeed, because without a legitimate bigman, they were dominated on a nightly basis by Jermaine O'Neal, Eddy Curry, Tyson Chandler, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace. With Dan Gadzuric and Zaza Pachulia as our frontline, what makes us think that Marvin Williams is going to lead us past these guys, who aren't going anywhere for at least the next 5 seasons.

Looking outside the Central Division, you have Dwight Howard, Emeka Okafor, Chris Webbers, Chris Bosh, and to a lesser extent, Nenad Krstic. These guys will be in the conference for MANY years to come, and outside of Chris Webber, are all under the age of 24! Will Marvin Williams allow us to make up for the lack of a big man? Judging from the "successes" thus far of LeBron, I really wouldn't bank on it.

The Eastern Conference isn't a JV league anymore, and is stocked full of bigmen. Having an ESPN Superstar would be nice, but give me a guy that can at least neutralize these bigmen, and maybe outplay them! The Washington Wizards are another perfect example. They have all the star power in the World in Gilbert Arenas, they have the Marvin-Williams clone in Antawn Jamison, but until they get the big man that can neutralize the bigs of the rest of the conference, they are going nowhere!

Also, the SF position in the NBA is the most stocked. We have the capspace, so we can use it to fill it in FA. Guys like Bobby Simmons and Joe Johnson will be available almost every year in FA, or you can wait till next year when a whole new crop are going to be available. You can't say the same about legitimate Center's with the skills that Bogut possesses. Guys like Erick Dampier and Adonal Foyle get huge contracts.

So, in conclusion, unless we keep up with the rest of the conference, and get ourselves a dominant big man, we will never be on an even playing field with Miami, Detriot, Chicago or Indiana. Just look at how much good not having a big man did LeBron this year. The guy has all the talent in the world, much like Marvin, but until he gets a dominant bigman, I really don't see Cleveland overtaking the Central Divsion.

Draft Bogut.


----------



## R-Star (Jun 13, 2002)

DHarris34Phan said:


> The Eastern Conference is dominated by big men, and it will be like this for at least the next 10 years. If the Bucks don't get one of our own, I guarantee we will be a pereniall 30-40 win team. Marvin Williams is definitly not the guy that is going to compete against the power of the Eastern Conference.
> 
> Look at the power in the Central Division. LeBron couldn't even succeed, because without a legitimate bigman, they were dominated on a nightly basis by Jermaine O'Neal, Eddy Curry, Tyson Chandler, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace. With Dan Gadzuric and Zaza Pachulia as our frontline, what makes us think that Marvin Williams is going to lead us past these guys, who aren't going anywhere for at least the next 5 seasons.
> 
> ...


Good post, I agree 100%.


----------



## P33r~ (Nov 22, 2004)

Living in Australia i'm a big Bogut fan. Bogut is most definitely your best choice right now. Without a solid big man in the central you guys have no chance of getting into the playoffs. Hopefully your GM is sane and will take him, i'll be sure to follow how you guys do next season then.


----------



## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

Agreed and I hope Milwaukee becomes Australia's team, because they also play a great style of basketball. Bogut would be the pick if I were drafting.


----------



## futuristxen (Jun 26, 2003)

Even the failure teams you listed, Washington and Cleveland have capable big men. Z, Gooden, Verejao, Haywood, Etan Thomas etc. The East is huge for the most part. Every team seems to be getting better on their frontline. Good post. There's no way the Bucks can realistically hope to compete long term against those odds.

Even if you got Marvin Williams, he wouldn't be the best small forward in his own division, and every team out there in the central has a small forward they can use on him to bother him. Ron Artest they can put on him in Indiana. Tayshaun Prince in Detroit. He'd have to guard Lebron James. The Bulls have Nocioni and Deng at the 3. The Central is the last place you want to come in with just potential at the 3.

And if Williams is playing then that means Mason is not. Which takes a very good perimeter defender off of the floor to put up against a Lebron James.

Marvin Williams is nice if you want to rebuild for a few more years and wait. But if you plug Bogut in now, and re-sign Redd, you can compete today, AND tomorrow. If you start building longterm around him like the Spurs did with Duncan, you could be talking championship down the road. Bogut makes Michael Redd a better player. He'll make Mason a better player. He'll make Smith and Gadzuric better.


----------



## Drk Element (Nov 10, 2004)

R-Star said:


> Good post, I agree 100%.


agreed as well.


----------

