This isn't exactly a knee jerk , but tonight's game made this more clear . Nene has not been the same player he was last year . I know we are all hoping for him to turn in on in the playoffs ... but I'm not sure how likely that is . His physicality and timing have not been there the entire season . He isn't playing as much , which definitely contributes to him being out of rhythm .... but I think if he wasn't physically able to , we would play him more . At this point I think I prefer playing small with Ryan or PJ at the 5 . I think the nene of last year would be a great option to have . But , he's just not there this year . Age may be catching up to him , he may just be having a down year , or some other factor is effecting his play ... either way , nene has not been Ne Nasty . Thoughts ?
From what I heard he’s dealing with lower back pain. He also hasn’t played a lot recently so he needs to get into a rhythm.
not sure if it actually matters? he's basically the 4th choice big man at this point if you count Capela, Tucker, Anderson ahead of him.
He played such a big part of our success last season too. A healthy Brandan Wright would've been real nice.
I like Nene, and sometimes he is a beast, but yeah, he isn't very consistent or durable, and can't play many minutes. Sometimes I love his game, but tonight he really didn't do much of anything but get the bad end of the foul calls. I think more than anything we need for next year is a big tall younger center with bulk, and who can make free throws. I would love to have a true Center who can come in for Clint every game when he rests on the bench. That, and when we need a bigger matchup, when Clint starts getting hacked, or if he gets injured. We have good enough backups for the other positions, but not reliable or great backup centers. I don't think using other position players instead is really the answer.
He definitely got bad end of foul calls, as did other Rocket players. I am just hoping that he is there when we really need him in the playoffs. Nene might not be the first option off bench but he is definitely going to be needed in the rotation. Codman, what do you hear?
I completely agree. He's not hitting those layups and scoop shots from last season. or even earlier in this season..
Agreed I think he's played hard the last couple of games to try and establish and rhythm and be useful for the playoffs .., but his finishing ability and athleticism aren't there .
Exactly. Give the man a break. He’s not supposed to carry heavy weight on this team. Capela needs to start showing up. He’s gone cold lately and we need him to play well to make a real run.
Yes, but Capela is a failure against Adams, other bigs give him a hard time too. I'm skeptical that he will succeed in the playoffs. I don't want him back if he doesn't play well.