I’m not sure why I’m writing up Przybilla, but there’s just something intriguing about this guy. In 23 minutes last night he picked up 5 blocks, and only 1 personal foul. You’d have to think a defensive presence like Przybilla would have trouble staying out of foul trouble, but that wasn’t the case. Five blocks versus 1 personal foul is a strange statistic.

As for the rest of Przybilla’s game, well, let’s just say it’s progressing. At 7′1″, the 9th overall pick in the 2000 draft has had an inauspicious start to his career. He’s averaged 4 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 blocks/contest. But, to be fair, that’s been over 18 minutes/game. Double his minutes and he’s giving you a double-double with 6 blocks/night. In 2003 he averaged 9 rebounds in 26 minutes/game for the Hawks. When Zach Randolph goes down he can do the same thing for the Blazers.

So is it unreasonable to expect 30+ minutes from Przybilla/night? Well, I think he’s a good bet to be in the 4-5 foul range every night. But he’s also a decent athlete and his game isn’t hacking shooters. If the Blazers decide to let him play then he could be in that starter range.

Who else do the Blazers have to play at centre? Ratliff? Theo’s 32, and he picked up 18 minutes last night. Joel is 26 and you’d have to think the front office is looking for a return from their first round pick. Give him the minutes and he’ll post big block totals. His offensive game is weak, but he’s only in there to rebound and play defense. At 7′1″ he can come down with 10 boards/game. And as long as you don’t expect any points you won’t be disappointed. I don’t understand the rationale behind giving him 20 minutes/night, but I’m going to assume he picks it up soon.

Joel Przybilla Career Statistics