I guess I can see where you are coming from.
After all you need a guy to rebound the misses
on defense and a guy to score.

Hence center/guard pairings are good.

Do you not consider Camby a good center?

Denver screwed up by bringing the tantalizing yet
unproductive Iverson in the door.

You are right, the media will not get it, nor will those whose dollars are invested in building championship teams — the owners and executives.

To this ongoing question of “NBA talent evaluation”, I have to (yes again — NOT by popular demand) reintroduce the “Position Pairing” model which suggest that the game of basketball is designed to favor wining with “guard/center” position pairs. And, win championship teams emerge without guard/center pairs topping the PAWS ranking, a truly exceptional player is on that team, because they literally “change the game.” My earlier posts on this “Position Pairing” model have counter Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Stockton & Malone, Dr. J, and Oscar Robertson among these non guard/center PAWS leading players. To this list, we can also consider winning non-championship team players like Barkley, Rodman, Dominique Wilkins, Lenny Wilkins (not sure if he won a championship)), and Elgin Baylor.

I also, noted that the “hardwired pattern” of basketball favoring guard/center (outside/inside) “Position Pairing”
was useful for noting why “star” player cominations were not producing WINS (e.g., Carter & Kid; Iverson & Anthony, etc.).

My expectation of the wisdom of the “Position P
model led me to predict a Garnet trade to the “team formerly known as Lakers” — as the only center capable of productively pairing with Kobe. This would have been a trade to save the “team formerly known as Lakers” — and it did not get done (Jerry West would have gotten the deal done).

NOW we learn about the Garnet to the Celtics deal, and again the wisdom of “Position Pairings” reveals itself in the Boston braintrust, who know all too well about WINS, the pattern of the game, and the need to “pair” top guard Ray Allen with the “best” future center in the league — Garnett. Celtics know the way of the wizzard … and leprecon … and the “team formerly known as Lakers” do not [Kobe languishes]

BACK TO THE MEDIA AND NBA TALENT … the consideration of “game changing” players who WIN outside of
the “guard/center” pattern design is lacking, as well as the essential need to “pair” productive guards with centers to WIN within the “game design.”

So my (NOT back by popular demand) “Position Pairing” model will be tested by the Celtics this coming NBA season — and I predict success … by design!