I think it's more of mental issue at this time. He might over think when he taking the shot during the game. I think I saw from some news / twitter says that Zhou made 10 3s on the row during the practice. So he definitely can shoot better than most of the bigs. Rockets management and coaches are not idiots. Secondly, I think what impressed the coaches the most is not his percentage at shooting 3s. It is his length and mobility that make him become a defense force in the paint. Once he develop his physical strength, him and Clint together would make our opponents tough to score in the paint. Also, his basketball IQ is not that bad as the big, just based on the few games he played, I can see him pass and dribble much better than Ryno already. Again, he just need to be Stronger. Can he be our Porzingis? I serious doubt that. But I do hope him to grow and become stronger both mentally and physically. I really look forward to a NBA ready Zhou and Clint play together at the 4 and 5.
10-15? Try 1-2. And most those comments were made tongue in cheek, especially the Porzingis comparisons. There is no "hype". 99% of NBA fans have no clue Qi even exists. 99% of Rocket fans see him as a walking victory cigar which is exactly what he currently is. Based on OP's post history it is obvious why this thread was made, and it is pathetic. Personally I am not even high on Qi. His physical attributes are there, once he adds strength. His shot blocking should translate. But I have serious reservations over his mental makeup and whether he can be aggressive enough to ever reach his potential. But like you said, he plays for the Rockets so why not root him on? Not like we gave up anything of value for him or that he is hurting the team.
On a similar note: Ironically, James Harden has not made a dunk yet this year. What will happen first: Qi Three or Harden dunk?
Just as a reference, Kyle Lowry's 3 pt shooting percentage during his early years: Rookie - .375 (took 8 - 3 ptrs only) 2nd year - .257 3rd - .245 4th - .246 5th - .276 6th - .272
I actually don't want to see dunks from Harden. Dunks tire you out and I can't imagine they are good on the knees.
Pointing out that a player is not a good three point shooter when people are saying he is normal. The issue is people like Qi the person so he gets the 'don't criticize me' card, which is wrong. Did I ever say he didn't work hard? or he's not a rookie? Again, how am I not rooting for someone when I point out that they are missing shots ..? 3 point shooting Summer league 3-21 preseason 2-6 regular season 0-6 If I said this was Troy Williams, nobody would care. He's young too. He works hard, maybe even harder.
Like I said man, you are playing on the technicalities of what you're debating. Bottom line is: the only way you win this debate is if a Rockets player fails, and according to your own posts you are doing this because some minuscule group of people are overly optimistic about him for non-basketball reasons. I don't understand why that should make you play a "just sayin" game that is pretty transparent. I want you to enjoy this season more than this will allow you to enjoy it. Let's all enjoy it, and it's super easy to ignore that small subset of fans. We all know he has had a horrendous start, and there are irrational fans of every player. Come on man. This is the most promising season in the last 20 years. Leave this thing in the dust. Not worth your time.
It's because people have a hard on for 7 footers. Fans always think they can be the next NBA great. DMo had 300 page thread about him and fans galore for half a season of good basketball. Zhou appears to be a kind of similar player. If he were only 6'9" like Sun Yue no one would give a crap about him either.
You are comparing apples to kiwi fruit. How many dunk attempts has Harden had? Better question, who's going to the 3 point shooting contest on our team?
This is by far the most disappointing thread in years. 99ers forgetting what it means to be HOUSTON fans. Disgraceful.
“He has a chance. He has a real solid chance,” D’Antoni said. “He’s 7-2. He can shoot 3s, run the floor, knows how to play. There’s no reason other than strength and bulk and things that come naturally. I’m looking forward to having him up here all year and working with him. We’ll play him when we can. We’re not going to rush him. It probably won’t be this year when he makes a mark. But everybody keep going, ‘Wow, he can be pretty good.'” Do you think Mike D'Antoni knows anything about shooting the basketball? Real HOUSTON fans do not have ulterior motives when it comes to their own rookies, period. Shameful thread for a supposed Houston Rocket fan.
Qi is at least 2-3 years away IMO...he has some skills, can shoot the ball even tho he has yet to hit a 3, and has some fluidity...he already makes an impact defensively with his length, guys have a hard time finishing over him he just needs to bulk up and get stronger
I always root for Rockets players to do good, because when they do good, the Rockets benefit. At the same time, it's important to stay grounded in reality. Even a blind person can tell Zhou Qi needs to put on some significant muscle before being able to contribute for any decent amount of time and this is the first line that separates a role player from bench warmer. Does he have the skillset to be a good role player? Yes, he absolutely does. Is he anywhere near being a good role player? Not by a long shot.
