re: Welcome Jeff Withey to NOLA

I'm crying

quote:

---

Using history as our guide, it is almost certain Withey will not be as good as Lopez, let alone better. Find me a 2nd round rookie C that had as good a year as Lopez did last season.

---

Hedging your bet there. First it was Withey was not an upgrade; now, it's almost certain.

History isn't a good barometer of what Withey will do, or not do. Here's why: 1. Second round centers (or any position for that matter) didn't normally start the first year in the past because teams spent what they had to get more experienced players. With the new luxury tax in place, we'll see this dynamic change. Teams can only afford so many max contracts.
BTW...Although he wasn't a regular starter his first year, DeAndre Jordan held his own when call upon (he was the 35th pick in the 2008 draft)
2. The style of play has changed...especially for the center position.

My gripe is that you made a definitive statement with absolutely no idea of how this will shake out.