I like what I'm hearing and seeing. Sounds like a player that has rotation potential. And if you ask me it's even more incentive to pass on tossing big money at the Biyombo and Ezeli types that have similar limitations to their game, but I suppose that's a different conversation.
The draft is easy with the advantage of hindsight. In reality it is mostly a.crapshoot. Yes there are gems to be had, but to blast any GM for missing a pearl amongst the swine is a long shot. Unless they expressly say 'this guy sux' and he is a star, then there are many good reasons for picking player a over b. If any draft pick yields a rotation player it is a good pick. There is a reason free agency is huge - because it is hard to get good talent via the draft.
I can't believe how many people are b****ing about this pick, what did you expect with a second round pick? He's quick, a great rebounder, good interior protector, and has the tools to handle the PnR well on both sides of the ball with some coaching. So he shoots his FT's underhanded. He shot 59% last year, that's nowhere near Dorsey/Jordan levels. At least he showed that he is a guy that wants to do what works, instead of worrying about looking bad. He looks like he has a good chance to be a great rotation player.
Yes I agree if somebody taken at 39 blows up to be a superstar then Morey should be accountable, like he was accountable for passing on Kawhi and Batum before. But we haven't seen any results from the draft yet why are you already blaming him at least wait until somebody blows up first before you hold him accountable lol. Blaming him already for not making a trade is pretty dumb, don't you know what happened last season? We don't have a pick because we traded for Ty Lawson, and then Detroit rescinded the DMO trade. Those are good trades only way you don't make it is if you can see into the future and know everything that will happen, do you blame morey for not having psychic powers? Any GM worth his salt would have done the Lawson trade, even CF had a 99% approval on that move so saying it's still on Morey for that is wrong because that was the correct move. It's like if somebody gave you a choice between $1000 and 95% chance at $1M and then you take the 1M chance and it turns out you fail and get 0$ instead. If you could see into the future then the correct move is get the 1k but since you are only human you will make the logical decision to take the chance, its the same principle here. It looks to me like you're blaming Morey just for not making any trades which is pretty dumb to be honest what if there's nobody good to trade for? This draft is pretty ambiguous, outside of top 2 picks you everybody seems more or less at the same level so maybe that's why Morey didn't do a deal. In a couple of years Zhou and Chinu could turn out to be way better than some players taken earlier.
FYI on trading up: The Pelicans had the 39th and 40th picks (a comparable value to the Rockets' 37th and 43rd picks), and they could only move up to the 33rd pick. Also, early second rounders were selling for what first rounders were going for a few years ago (GSW paid around $2.5M for the 38th pick!), so the Rockets' remaining cash wasn't going to move them up that many spots. Given that this draft flattened out pretty much around the 9th pick or so, how would a move into, say, the late 20s having greatly benefited the Rockets? Because that's about as high as they were going to get without dealing rotation players. And even then, they wouldn't have gotten high enough in this draft to get a guy clearly and significantly better than Onuaku. P.S. The Rockets apparently DID try to move up and had two deals in place to do so, but the guy they were targeting went off the board before the pick they would've acquired. There is so much we don't see or know about.
Chinanu Onuaku reminds me of Vlade Divac. Divac was craftier and Chinanu is more athletic but there are plenty of similarities in their game.
Ease off the pedal there, bud. If Onuaku can turn into a 6-10 version of Chuck Hayes, I will be absolutely thrilled. (How many times did we say that if Hayes was just a few inches taller he could be a real defensive force?) I'm not holding my breath even on that outcome, but I'm cautiously optimistic that he could turn into a reasonable facsimile of that.
Oh, my God! Why should the Rockets make a trade? The draft decision was a total plan, plan A, plan B, plan C..... If u didn't operate a company, u didn't understand why . u guys consider things too simple. u haven't basic experience, u haven't enough information, u haven't NBA relation, u can't understand what happened. Do u think u do better than Morey? why r there so many ridiculous guys?
Nanu! Nanu! Nanu! <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Welcome to the squad <a href="https://twitter.com/lifeofnanu_32">@lifeofnanu_32</a>! <a href="https://t.co/lkg3ozw6te">https://t.co/lkg3ozw6te</a></p>— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoustonRockets/status/748233390113992704">June 29, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Morey on 790: Qi will probably stay overseas at least one season and Chinanu will be on the team this year.
For those interested, Malcolm Gladwell has a new podcast series called 'Revisionist History', a weekly topic where he explores a single topic. Wednesday's episode is called 'The Big Man Can't Shoot' in which Malcolm explores the underhanded free throw and the lack percolation of good ideas. Our guy Onuaku gets a shout out. You can listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dKkJxQwVvI or by subscribing to Malcom's pod.
[rQUOTEr]Chinanu Onuaku embracing underhanded free throws LAS VEGAS – Houston Rockets rookie Chinanu Onuaku stepped into a summer practice session at Louisville a year ago, and an assistant coach ushered him aside. Onuaku, a mobile 6-foot-11 center, was sent off the basketball court and into a video room. For big men at every level of the sport, free-throw shooting has become a struggle, and Onuaku was destined for a familiar path: same form, same result. So utilizing vintage video footage, Louisville coach Rick Pitino sold his starting big man on a most unappealing idea last summer: underhanded shooting from the foul line, aka Rick Barry-style. Onuaku’s free-throw percentage had fallen to 46.7 percent as a freshman in 2014-15. An understanding was made between coach and player. Change was in motion. “When I started last summer, Coach P turned me on to it,” Onuaku told The Vertical. “He asked me, ‘Would you try shooting underhanded?’ I told him that I was ready for anything.” Now Onuaku is entering the NBA as the Rockets’ No. 37 pick in the June draft, and his message to big men across the basketball landscape is clear: Forget your pride, just make free throws. The underhanded free-throw routine startled some scouts and executives at the NBA combine in Chicago, and now fans attending the Las Vegas summer league have taken notice. But yes, the shots are finally starting to go in for him. He left Louisville as a sophomore and was one of two second-round picks for Houston, along with Chinese center Zhou Qi. During the 2015-16 collegiate season, Onuaku shot 58.9 percent from the line, showing improvement as he continues to master his unique lob from 15 feet. “I came to the notion that I don’t care what anybody thinks,” Onuaku told The Vertical. “As long as I get the bucket, the point, I’m fine. It’s up to other people to ask themselves why they don’t shoot underhand, but for me I needed to put pride to the side and make shots. I can’t worry about why other people aren’t doing it. It’s just a different form. “I want to make free throws. Overall, I want to show I can play for a long time in this league.” Everywhere now, Onuaku has received quizzical looks from fans – and even team personnel – because of his unique shooting style, he said. In three summer league games, he has gone 1-of-2 from the foul line. “I knew a lot of people were going to come after me because of the way the form is,” Onuaku said. “It’s up to them on how they react. “I’m going to keep doing it.”[/rQUOTEr]
I like this kid, i hope he can develop fast though, he seems soo raw to me...i know i shouldn't have but i expected a bit more.
