The Polish Sledge Hammer
He has many nicknames: The Warlock, the Polish Prince, the Polish Dr. J, the Polish Machine and most famously, the Polish Hammer. Heading into restricted free agency on Wednesday, there is reason to believe that the Pride of Poland, Marcin Gortat, is due for a considerable raise next season. And the team that wins the Gortat sweepstakes will be adding an important yet relatively unknown piece to their team.
Without Gortat, one can make the argument that the Magic would not have made it to the NBA Finals. With Dwight Howard suspended for game six against the 76′ers, the Magic needed a big night from Gortant. Marcin (MAR-chean) answered the call that night with 11 points on 62.5/50 percent shooting, 15 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, and 3 turnovers. Most importantly, the Magic secured a win that night. During the playoffs, the Magic were 4-2 when Gortat played over fifteen minutes in a game (usually when Howard was in foul trouble).
Talk about flying under the radar. Gortat’s stats are really impressive and show why the Polish Hammer should actually be re-nicknamed as the Polish Sledge Hammer. His per-36 minute averages from his second season in the NBA are very promising indeed, tallying 10.9 points on 57.2/57.8 percent shooting, 13.0 rebounds (4.4 offensive), 0.6 assists, 0.8 steals, 2.4 blocks and 1.1 turnovers. Being only 24 years old, Gortat has his best years ahead of him and should improve over the next few years.
Let’s look at his offensive and defensive efficiency, exemplified by his offensive and defensive ratings. Last season, Gortat had an O-Rating of 121 and a D-Rating of 97. This is a +24 differential, which is extremely good (based on Basketball Reference’s statistics). In terms of PER, Gortat’s numbers were also impressive. When playing the center position, Gortat had a +5.8 PER differential versus the opposing team’s center (via 82games’ stats by postion). So it is clear that Gortat has the skill to play big minutes in the NBA.
But what Marcin needs more than anything are minutes. Starter’s minutes. And it looks like Gortat may get his wish. With the Magic already in luxury tax territory (even without Hedo Turkoglu’s salary), they may not be able or willing to match a big offer sheet from another team. Last season, Gortat earned a paltry $711,517. For a legitimate seven foot big man who plays the center position and has proven that he can play at the NBA level, the sky is the limit (despite it being tough economic times and all). Gortat’s contract could vary from the mid level exception (which was around $5.5 million in 2008-09) up to around $8-9 million dollars per year.
If a team presents an offer sheet that the Magic cannot match, Gortat’s fantasy value has the potential to skyrocket. At some point in his career, Marcin will get out from behind Superman’s shadow. If Gortat ends up as a starter on an NBA team next season, Gortat would instantly become a viable first center for a fantasy squad. He does exactly what you expect from a center: he shoots from the field at a high percentage, rebounds and blocks shots. Granted his free throw percentage is awul but unlike his teammate on the Magic, he rarely gets to the line, which mitigates its impact to a certain extent.
At least now Gortat no longer has to be referred to as the big white dude that spells Howard off the bench. Or, as that scrub who got sponsored by Reebook even though he has a Jumpman tattoo on his calf. Or, for his “dunk” attempt in the 2004 German professional basketball league’s All-Star game’s dunk contest (see below).
Sorry for pulling that one out of the archives, Marcin. I still think you’re the man.
