I guess I will be the first to rationalize.
Up until maybe 1-2 days ago we all thought Kofi was gone. And it seems like the roster has been perfectly constructed to showcase Belo with shooters galore.
Kofi was and is so physically dominating in the college game we almost had to play through him, and would if he were to come back. While that’s a great option, I’m not sure it optimizes this roster. He almost never passed out to shooters and he would take away usage from Belo. And, as dominant as Kofi is, his poor FT shooting and lack of lateral quickness are real weaknesses that can be exploited.
Which is to say, I’m not sure you can build a F4/NC team with Kofi as the centerpiece. By and large, games are won now based on guard play and not on dominating on the interior.
I think we may actually be better off with a more mobile, athletic big that can switch 1-5, protect the rim and catch lobs from Belo. We got one in Payne, we just need one more. And there’s lots of guys who fit that bill available.
The kid from Memphis or Garcia from Marquette fit the bill, but I think we could do almost as well with a “second tier” target. Biggest traits are ability to switch protect the rim and rim run,
Don’t get me wrong I love Kofi and would welcome him back. I also understand the business nature of his decision should he go elsewhere. But the roster is constructed for Belo to shine and find shooters. Right now I think the roster is one solid big short of being really good, and honestly Kofi probably doesn’t best fit what we need from that role. JMHO of course.