# Lampe at Center



## truth (Jul 16, 2002)

I am a huge lampe fan,but can not understand why he doesnt get a shot at the 5..Hes super young and talented,not to mention hes 7 foot,270 pounds...If he gets to the weight room,he could easily get up to 290...With his skills he would be like a young Arbonis,who was probably the most overall talented big man ever before his knees were destroyed...Before you guys jump me,i said overall talented,NOT the best....

There is no WAY lampe plays the 3..Any opinions??


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## Thorgal (Feb 1, 2003)

I agree tha there's N O W A Y he should play at 3. He's just doesn't posses quickness and overall athletism to guard NBA SFs. Especially since he is waaaaay heavier than he used to be few months ago.

But I'm not sure if he's the type of player who is destined to play at 5. The best spot for him is PF, IMO. He should stay at aprox. 250lbs and have some like Chris Webber as his role model.


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## truth (Jul 16, 2002)

*hmmm*

I dont think he has the athleticsm of Webber,do you??It should be interesting,but the one thing I know he is not a 3..Then again,is KVH a 3 defesively???


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## Petey (Aug 23, 2002)

If he is so talented he could be a 3-4 like Dirk, and the Knicks should acquire a serviable SF and PF, and play them according depending on how Lampe matches up.

-Petey


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## MPK (Oct 20, 2002)

i have mentioned before that there is no way that lampe could guard an NBA 3. he should rotate between 4/5 depending on matchups. if vranes pans out a sweetney, lampe, vranes rotation, with lampe and and sweetney starting at the center and power foward positions, respectively. 

if vranes doestn work out than a tough, dale davis-type should be acquired to rotate between the 4/5 to give lampe and sweetney a rest.


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## trueorfalse (May 31, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>truth</b>!
> I am a huge lampe fan,but can not understand why he doesnt get a shot at the 5..Hes super young and talented,not to mention hes 7 foot,270 pounds...If he gets to the weight room,he could easily get up to 290...With his skills he would be like a young Arbonis,who was probably the most overall talented big man ever before his knees were destroyed...Before you guys jump me,i said overall talented,NOT the best....
> 
> There is no WAY lampe plays the 3..Any opinions??


Lampe is no way near the level Sabonis (i guess its Sabonis you refer to) was at. He was one of a kind and to compare those two is just plain wrong.

Perhaps Lampe is too slow to guard sf in the NBA but the way the game is evolving it is getting a lot easier to overcome those shortcomings. His height combined with his abillity to shoot should get him some quality minutes at the forward positions.


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## rlucas4257 (Jun 1, 2002)

First off Dirk basically never plays the 3. That is some fable. Its like the fable that KG plays the 3 as well. Earlier in their careers, both Minny and Dallas tried it but i can tell you for a fact that neither player logged a minute at the SF position last year. Lampe playing 3 is a good one. I saw the kid play twice last year in Spain. He had one good game and one not so good game. This summer he got better as the summer went along and played well. He is a 5, plain and simple. A Jerry Lucas five for all you Knick fans. This guy can handle and shoot with major depth. And he has a back to the basket game. the difference is he is nearly 270 lbs. and could get stronger. He could hold his own strength wise with 90% of the 5s in the NBA. The Knicks dont need him at the 4. So the 5 is where he will play. He is not a classic 5, but with his size, and unorthodox game, that is where he will make the biggest difference. And to think he could be a 3? I can already see Richard Jefferson, Tracey McGrady and Paul Pierces eyes light up at the prospect of driving on this guy in a 1-4 set


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## Dakota (Aug 18, 2002)

Who would Chaney put him on if he were the five?? I don't think the Knicks want to risk him giving up 20 points a night to a so-so center. He's not quick enough for the three and not big enough for the five. Honestly I think he should just play the four. Memphis tries to play Gasol at the five and he gets lit up. Lampe is a European player and we all know that they play noo "D" whatsoever. Why risk it?


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## truth (Jul 16, 2002)

*lampe at center*

I agree...lampe is a 5 and not your traditional 5..Cant believe you brought up jerry lucas,you are going way back!!!!

Look at centers like lambier,brad miller.even Vlade...lampe is a young guy and hes already around 7 feet,270 pounds...He has a good offensive game,now has to work on footwork,agility,strength and conditioning.....The Knicks are stacked at the 4,assuming mcdyess is healthy,so if lampe is going to play,it has to be at the 5..


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## The True Essence (May 26, 2003)

if anybody saw the summerleague games youd know theres no way he can be a center


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## rlucas4257 (Jun 1, 2002)

7 foot 270 lbs and he is not big enough for the 5? Thats assanine. The guy played C this summer and was first team all summer league. Wrong again. The guy is a 5, not a traditional one. I can tell you McDyess is excited to play with him. While Lampe is out swishing Js and drawing Centers out on the wing to guard him, a healthy McDyess can operate down low unabated


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## Knicksbiggestfan (Apr 29, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>rlucas4257</b>!
> 7 foot 270 lbs and he is not big enough for the 5? Thats assanine. The guy played C this summer and was first team all summer league. Wrong again. The guy is a 5, not a traditional one. I can tell you McDyess is excited to play with him. While Lampe is out swishing Js and drawing Centers out on the wing to guard him, a healthy McDyess can operate down low unabated



Your ideas of how this team runs and the players ability are a little off, and I think that's why you regard they idea of Lampe not playing center as "Asinine". Lampe is a child from a european team as such, he does not have the good footwork and post moves that a person of his size and stature should warrant. Instead he has guard skills, he dribbles shoots and pulls up. This is of course not say that he couldn't learn new skills, it's just that he doesn't have them.



From what I have seen the kid has always been a four. That's what intially drew his comparisions to Dirk, he was less atheletic but possesed the ball handling and shooting skills to perhaps be a 3. This idea was dashed by his summer league performance where he looked, lost. Not that he sucks or is a bust ( as if he could be at the 30th pick) it's just that the kid has a lot to learn. 



It seems Layden and Co. Are grooming him to be a center, but I think he should work on his lateral quickness and defense. The knicks don't run a frontcourt based offense, but instead have always relied on the 2 and 3 and with the addition of KVH this won't change. It will be interesting to see where he fits in, but predetermining his position is a huge mistake at this point as he has the ability and work ethic to become a more versatile player.


As for Mcdyess operating low in the post unabated, pinning our hopes of an offensive attack or really anything on Mcdyess is not a safe bet, we've all seen the articles saying he is ready to come back, but we saw articles akin to that last year. I don't know if he can come back. An atheletic player who tears his patella and shatters his knee cap, is usually not the same player ever again. Even if they can play.


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## Hitman (Jul 16, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>PennyHardaway</b>!
> if anybody saw the summerleague games youd know theres no way he can be a center


I saw Lampe play twice in the summer league and I think he definitely has the potential to play some center. He is more of a center than he will ever be a small forward.

Still, his best position down the line will be PF.


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## MAC_12 (Sep 24, 2003)

In the East the only C's we would have to worry about are Big z and Zo if he gets back to form. Lampe would probably have an easier time with them than Thomas. 

Lampe is 18. He can be molded into any type of player right now. With the right teacher he can become a stricktly post player with an outside game. 

I don't care what position he plays as long as he's effective. I'd much rather have a basketball player than a SF or a PF or a C. I'm sure if you put Duncan at SF he can play the position and be good at it, why? because he's a ball player not just a pf.


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