Disagree - he's too lazy and unmotivated to learn at this point. Houston is the 2nd team to have given up on him. He's too soft and will continue to get pushed around and look stupid out there.
Agreed. Hasheem is just too stupid to learn basic basketball fundamentals. IMO, we've seen the last of him in the NBA. Good for him, he can go back to shopping at the malls or playing soccer in Tanzania.
He is not too lazy, he lacks confidence, the guy doesn't have that burning "LOOK AT ME" attitude, but he does play decently and protects the rim fairly well. There are a lot of guys that don't pound their chest that are still effective NBA players, and imo, what Thabeet needs is someone to believe in him and give him the confidence to go out and play through his mistakes, to learn where he fits on an NBA floor. He was pretty damned effective his rookie year when given consistent minutes since then, he has withered on the bench. The Rockets have to pay the guy, so IMO, he should be Dalembert's backup, and move JHill back to his natural PF spot. You have to find out if any of the 09ers will pan out.....before this season is up. DD
I'm amazed to say... I agree with DD on this one. On this team as currently constructed, there is no reason for Thabeet to be inactive EVER. Additionally, there is no excuse for Dalembert to not have started last night. NONE. No practice, out of shape, or whatever. Time for the Rockets to ditch the analytics and just play ball.
So, tell us all how many fouls Hill and Dalembert actually had. Then tell us how many points Howard scored in the 4th Quarter.
When you bring in a coach to supposedly give the younger guys a chance at cracking the rotation and Thabeet STILL doesn't get the minutes, says a lot to me. I don't care what everyone thinks they see in pre season games in spot minutes, guys with a ton of basketball knowledge and experience have seen the guy day in and day out in practice. It's not like they are seeing the 2nd coming of Dikembe in practice and then decide to sit him for the games. If they don't think he is worthy, I am going to trust them. Just because the guy looks the part of a NBA big man doesn't mean he is one or that with the right guidance and playing time he will evolve into one. Some tall atheltic humans are precisely that, tall athletic humans who have no business playing professional basketball.
He's the NBA equivalent of Darius White. D White came to Texas as the top WR in state, high 4-star recruit. Dude was a knuckle-head who couldn't block, couldn't catch, and couldn't run routes. All he did at Fort Worth Dunbar was run fly routes by people - that approach didn't work in the Big XII. Two WR Coaches (Kennedy and Wyatt) gave up on him.
Great so McHale made that brilliant move based upon his own feelings....even worse than I thought. DD
So, you're telling me that McHale, a hall of fame post player, and the man that developed Kevin Garnett, and has been a GM, Coach, and player in this league for umpteen years, can't go through an abbreviated training camp and evaluate whether Thabeet can help us on the floor against Dwight Howard????? Get real dude.
This drives me nuts, Thabeet speaks 5 languages, it is not intellect which is holding him back, it is confidence. DD
Wait what? McHale developed Garnett now.....are you serious? OMFG ....step away from the skis Fonzi, that is a shark you are about to jump. DD
DaDakota is showing how he just makes things up to make his case. And this is just game one that we caught him in a huge misinformation campaign. Hill and Dalembert had 2 fouls total. Howard scored ZERO pts in the 4th Q. Redick and Turkoglu beat us, not Howard. There is a very smart strategy to go small against Howard in the 4th quarter when you are behind like we were. Hack a Shaq can be done by anyone on the floor. So, it is easy to neutralize Howard. It is best to get your best scoring team out there and just foul Howard with anyone. That is what McHale did. He went small as a common strategy against Howard, and DaDakota uses that and invents statistics that don't exist...soley to make his Thabeet argument. DaDakota is VERY wrong is saying McHale screwed up. Hill and Dalembert were NOT in foul trouble. McHale went small to put scorers out there and hack a shaq if they needed.
And McHale is an idiot for taking that approach because Scola having to guard Dwight is not going to leave him any energy for scoring the ball. I am sorry that folks don't see that aspect, but it is what it is... DD