Are you happy with Head and Stro not getting more playing time?

Its short sighted indeed but so is JVG.

He doesnt have a good game plan on offense.

He doesnt have a good plan on getting the right players.

He doesnt have a good plan for offseason.

He doesnt have a good plan for the lottery.

He doesnt have a good LONG TERM PLAN.

He does have good intentions in trying to improve the team. He just doesnt have the tools or the mind in going about doing it. His stubborn nature and his ego will keep him from being sucessful.

 

I am satisified with Luther. I think Swift is a goner. We are too stupid to give him minutes to up his trade value. I can't figure out what our management is thinking right now.

 

I believe you misunderstood his question.

 

Head has had more than enough minutes "to develop", maybe too many. What is there to complain about?

Stro has had enough minutes also, though many think he needed more "to develop" even though he's a 6 year veteran. Playing him a few more minutes during the last 10 or so garbage games wouldn't help him much. Stro's problem is between his ears and I don't care if he put together 5 or 6 10/10s in a row it still wouldn't prove anything for next season. He's probably quit on the season and has no interest in proving anything now.

To answer your question, I'd say it's been no harm other than yesterday's game where Stro should have played more because JH's shooting won us the game.

 

They said they were keeping him at the trade deadline. That does not mean forevermore unless you have heard them say something like that in the last month or so.

 

Exactly.

 

Head's fine. He doesn't have a reliable jumper and doesn't do anything exceptionally well, but he mostly plays within his game and has a good attitude.

Stromile is the same apathetic loser he was in Memphis. He can wail on the rim based on his size and natural athleticism, but clearly doesn't try/want to try to make himself a better player. I don't see him changing at this point; it's been 6 seasons with the same underachieving habits.

Van Gundy will be alright so long as the roster is healthy. His biggest problem is his refusal to go to plan B when guys are hurt/not getting it. His system is ironclad (the Riley Knicks system) and he absolutely refuses to play to the strengths of the players he has. It's a little understandable, in that he feels his system is what's neccessary to win in the postseason (hard to argue, since it is close to what Pop goes with) and he doesn't want to let players get caught up in a looser style even if it would help in the short term.

I have my doubts that JVG can deliver a championship, but I also know that he's better than at least two-thirds of the alternatives out there.

Evan

 

Luther Head has shown enough promise in this terrible season to warrent the Rockets developing his talents. Provided they have coaches that can coach! Especially the younger player.
Stromile Swift is a lost soul without a court awareness. He will not make the grade on a half cout team like the Rockets, he is more suited to the fast break team like Phoenix or Denver. He is wasted on the Rockets as he is unable to provide what they need in the POWER Forward position.

 

The less minutes Swift plays- the better for his trade value, considering that his whole value is "potential"

 

swift is becoming the new boki. swift is what he is, a back up player. he will never be the player people think he can be. he's had more than enough time.

 

Fisher has a good point. Other teams might be tempted to take him off our hands, figuring we never gave him a chance to shine... hopefully. Of course, we could have really used more minutes out of him against Denver last night.

 

If Head were more consistent I would be totally happy with him. He has made some good plays at times. He will make a good back up for when JJRedick gets here.

I think we play alot better with Stro on the court, I don't want to see him leave. Of course he hasn't lived up to expectations but I put the blame for that on Grumpy and his playing favorites with that loser juwon.

 

Swift played well in Memphis, he should play better given more time.

Put Swift on the Suns and he'll be a monster there.

 

I dont agree with this part. There are pleanty of players who have the talent, but just can't seem to get a string of good games together. Their confidence takes a huge hit because of it. I remember Ricky Davis a few years back was given a bunch of playing time at the end of the season and produced very well. The start of the next season he was playing great (I remember because I picked him up in a late round in Fantasy basketball), but I don't think he would have done that if he wasn't given those extra minutes at the end of the season before.

Even if Stro can't produce more than Howard has, at least then we would have an even worse record for a higher lotery pick.

 

Despite the common vibe of this site wanting to tank the remaining games, I like how the season is finishing. It is setting an example for the future and I think is far more valuable than getting a pick or two or even three in this year's draft.

Just the quote from Head after winning that last game tells me they are doing the right thing by playing hard until the end. Setting an example of winning for the future.

I don't see anyone we can pick in the draft who can be a starter next year. Even if we had the fifth or sixth pick.

I also like the example of playing people who have worked and deserve the time they are given on the court. It will be very easy, after the offseason, to see if Swift can be a player of should be traded. If he wants to play, he has to earn it. I like that philosophy.

For the rest of you that think that losing our remaining two games would cement our roster for next year, or even help out much, I simply don't know what to say. I too wanted the Rockets to get a higher draft pick but I don't see that as solving our issues.

I'll stick with my philosophy of not f*cking with the basketball gods and letting karma and hard work take us up a few notches next year.

Cheers,
Brock

PS. For all the guys who hate Van Gundy, I would love to be able to go to alternate universes where you coach a team with our available roster for a season and see what your results would be. I know, I know... You would have the number one pick in the lottery. congrats?

 

I think Head got much more PT this season than he deserved or was originally allotted to him. There was talk before the season of sending him to the NBDL, obviously that didn't come close to happening. I think the rockets got a good look at what he can do and what he needs to work on. He can shoot well and he has OK handles but he needs to learn to pass and put on some weight so people don't post him up so much.

People say Swift deserves more PT, but I think that he doesn't get PT because of his low basketball IQ, and I think that's for good reason. Doing stupid things like throwing passes out of bounds for no apparent reason and going for every ball-fake the defenders throw at him don't lead a coach to wanting to keep him in the game. Howard won't posterize anyone but he won't commit stupid mistakes like Swift, either. Until Swift stops making those mistakes he'll continue getting the same sort of PT and not the PT that he and everyone wants to see him play.

 

too stupid? His trade value would go DOWN if we gave him more minutes...