Deal done: Rockets trade Capela for Covington in 4-team deal

As best they can, LOL.

But I expect either Harden or Tucker on AD. And Rockets will be opportunistic, going after deflections, steals, etc.

As you said, RoCo will be on perimeter defending Lebron.

 

O'Quinn has great size and wingspan (7'5) but he's not an explosive player who will sprint down court for the oop pass.

The player that will and can do that is Philly's Jonah Bolden (also 6'10 with 7'3 wingspan).

I hope PHI makes both available.

 

By almost all metrics RoCo is a very impactful player who has the chance to be even better in Houston. Shot profile indicates he has potential to be an elite wide open shooter, which should happen A LOT here. His defensive profile speaks for itself, he's not elite on the ball but he causes so much disruption off ball that he is overall one of the best wing defenders in the league.

Love the fit and can't wait to see how it plays out.

 

Need more disruptive players if going all in on smallball.

 

Help me if I'm wrong, but if the deal has been called into the League office, does that mean Bell can't be traded to any other team this season?

 

Strategy to guard AD? We try our best to flop whenever AD posts up and get him fouled out with six offensive fouls. No use on jumping for the block.

 

I'll admit, while i thought we should have been able to get more for Clint, and hate trading a pick for lux tax savings, i am getting more excited about the firepower and defense we just added to our team. I say keep going. With what assets i have no idea. Our owner just pawned one of our few remaining draft picks for cash.

 

Morey has been on record saying posts up are the most inefficient offense. If the Lakers want to take the ball out of Lebron hands who is clearly their best player and pound it to AD all game great. I think the Rockets like their chances. Who cares if AD shoots 75 fade-aways a game. If no one else is involved the Rockets will win, just by jacking up 75 threes. Not like any team has Shaq right now.

 

Its pretty much House, McLamore and Hartenstein. Anyone know how many picks we have over the next few seasons?

 

Harden on AD. Oh boy. Harden post defense is essentially the Pat Bev special in that he swipes incessantly trying to strip the ball from the post player. Let's hope refs don't call those swipe attempts fouls or else AD is going to have a field day.

 

The numbers don't lie. Harden is an elite post defender. You do though.. you spit lies and fire on here like you hate the place. Perhaps that's because... you do?

 

Numbers are based on a relative small sample size. The number also don't show how many offensive rebounds we give up because Harden is defending the paint. Harden gets away with swiping at the post player a lot. It's a very obvious thing one can see with the naked eye. If refs start calling those swipes fouls, Harden becomes a significantly worse post defender.


It seems that any aspect of defense that requires less foot movement is were Harden is slightly above average in defense. Post defense doesn't require as much foot movement and foot speed. Unfortunately Harden is a 6'5" guard so him being our best post defender would be a bad thing as he is no where near as good at being a paint defender for rim running big men. He's going to get dunked on a lot and get out rebounded a lot. Not ideal having someone 6'5" guard the paint.

 

He also gets low and uses strength/leverage to not allow them to their ideal spot. He forces plenty of misses.

 

His core strength definitely helps but it isn't a proper long term solution to plant Harden in the paint because even if the post defender misses, Harden has the severe disadvantage to obtain a defensive rebound and any paint scoring play that isn't a post play Harden will suffer. He isn't a shot blocking presence for a rim running big off a pick and roll going to the rim a la Capela.

The league is going away from post play. Big men are runners from screens and picks. Harden would fail at that type of defense if he's planted near the paint.

 

It won't be Harden. So, that leaves Tucker.

 

That's why they won't do it. Too much potential for getting Harden in foul trouble. Those things work in spot situations, due to switching, etc. but over the course of a game, that just accummulates fouls. Smart teams will make sure that happens, dumping the ball down there constantly.

 

Also, since AD is one of the most agile and best spot up shooting big men in the league, he isn't going to get baited into backing down Harden and will just make the quick move to the bucket and make Harden move his feet or take the quick pull up over Harden as he's significantly taller than Harden.

 

This is what I was alluding to