Champion Creed

Yes, he hasn’t been selected for the best defensive lineup, but only two centers can make it per season. You can’t say that centers who don’t make the best defensive lineup are all lacking.

In Jeff Van Gundy’s defensive theme, Marcus Camby is definitely one of the top five defensive centers in the league.

However, the Camby now wearing the Warriors’ jersey is a far cry from expectations. His defensive positioning is worse than Stoudemire’s, and his personal defense is just for show, lacking any enthusiasm.

Although his block numbers look impressive, both Hubie Brown and Jeff Van Gundy can see that those come at the cost of leaving his position.

He would completely abandon his matchup to chase a potential block, which actually contributes nothing to the defense. In ten defensive plays, Camby might block one or two, but will comfortably allow scores on the other eight.

Moreover, Camby’s obsession with rebounds is puzzling. He would even shove his teammates aside to grab a rebound.

Marcus Camby now seems to care only about his block and rebound stats on the defensive end.

This is completely different from the proactive, earnest, smart, and tough Marcus Camby of before.

Hubie Brown doesn’t know what happened to this kid, but for now, he certainly isn’t qualified to start for the Warriors.

So in today’s season opener, the Warriors’ starters are Roger, Allan Houston, Tayshaun Prince, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Dikembe Mutombo.