Chinanu Onuaku

Some of you have a seriously bad case of "mystery prize" syndrome.

 

Actually Ryno has been a really good post defender which surprised me a lot.

Our issue is more on rebounding and defending the wings than it is on people scoring in the post.

 

I think Onuaku is fine in the DLeague for now, getting scrap minutes in the NBA won't do anything for him he is still young he needs an environment where he can test the limits of his capabilities. He needs time to get experience and build up his confidence, he can do that in the DLeague esp. if he becomes the focal point of their offense.

 

Defensive rebound is not paint protection. Capela is good in space and helping defend somebody else's man. What he's terrible at is defending his own men and containing drivers when they come to him. He leaves his man and shows help way too early and gets beat because he's out of position. He's terrible defending the rim. You can see it on the court. And you can verify if by his on-off numbers. Our point differential is better when he sits and Nene is in there. Because Nene is the superior rim protector and just as good, maybe better, on the offensive end.

 

Well u are comparing a veteran of many games Nene to Capela, a player that is relatively young. Let's hope he will eventually get better at defending the rim. What were your thoughts when we first drafted Capela? I'm pretty sure many us wouldn't have believe that he would develop this fast, granted there's still room for improvement.

 

Our perimeter defense is DESIGNED to get blown by. We want to defend the three-point line and either closely contest those shots or force the opponent to put the ball on the floor. Which makes paint and rim protection even more critical for us since we understand the efficiency of the three-point shot and the inefficiency of the long two-point shot outside the paint. That's what we are trying to accomplish. Force two-part shots outside the paint.

Unfortunately for us, Capela doesn't deter any opponent penetration into the paint and clear to the rim. You can see it on court. And the numbers bear it out. And in the playoffs it's going to show even worse.

 

What I'm comparing is our starting center and the guy who is supposed to be our primary rim protector to the opponents we are going to face in the playoffs.

This season is not about developing Capela. We're trying to win a championship while we've got the presumed MVP in his prime.

Our two critical weaknesses are paint/rim protection and lack of playmakers who can create.

Those problems need to be solved. And very simply, Capela is a big part of that problem.

When we drafted Capela I knew nothing of him except he was a gangly kid with a lot of lift. Just watching guys run and dunk doesn't tell you who they are. You're raving about his "development". What I see is 7-foot spring that dunks at the rim when he gets the ball with some space to go up. What I see is the same mediocre to poor defensive reactions that I seen when he was a rookie. I think if you took a rookie Capela and put him in this starting line-up with this system that you'd have the same results you have here in his third season. He's been running and dunking (in spurts since his stamina is low) since he was overseas. When you put him at the 5 defensively he stinks it up. Doesnt mean he's still not throwing down a few dunks off his rolls to the basket (the same way a hundred other bigs could do). But he is way too porous defensively. He does not react quickly and when he tries to react quickly he gets out of position. Once again, you can see it on the court and the numbers bear it out.

Enjoy the dunks.

 

this season was very much about capela developing. he's a big part of this team. You don't skip steps. The fact that the pieces brought in and coaching fit so well just made this team as good as they are and offer a good opportunity to make a real run in the playoffs and to see what happens. It's a testament from all the guys top to bottom and yes that includes capela. You've been ragging on him all season, yet he has improved which is what you ask for in your young guys because that's what makes the team better.

 

He's improved his free throw shooting. What other parts of his game has he improved? I'm not trying to rag on the guy. It's not personal. It's obvious what our team Achilles is here. And any development of any player on this team is a distant second to us making a championship run.

Go ahead and describe/show me how Capela's defense has improved.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/HOU/2017/on-off/

 

I suspect Nanu will be our 3rd string center next year like Harrell is this year. Harrell needs to find a 3 point shot or he is getting traded to a team that can use him

 

hes vastly improved his pick and roll play both on reads and finishing. His decisions are much quicker now compared to even just a year ago. Obviously he still has trouble picking up some silly fouls but improvement comes with playing more and establishing himself on the floor. For the C position hes doing very much what his role is asking for. You're singling out one guy when it's not even about that. We saw what the defense looks like having a "rim protector" last year and it was pathetic. Those days of having one guy in the middle to be able to be your anchor are over. If the rockets are going to rely on their defense and we've seen this year that, when they are locked in as a unit they can get stops. You get stops when it matters most. Because with the top teams of GS, Clev you're going to have to be able to score with them. That's not a question. The only problem is has been maintaining the consistently collectively. The only way the rockets are going to establishing a tone defensively is as a group not by an individual. that's what all great defensive teams do.

 

unless Nanu gets minutes (which are taken by Nene and Harrell) it's much better for his development to stay at RGV.

I mean dude has been getting better and better so why take that away?

it doesn't matter for Witljer as much because his focus needs to be on strength and conditioning...and of course chief hype-man duties.

 

And when we switch as often as we do, which is DESIGNED, then that weak side help is very important. Capela can't make Ryan Anderson move his feet faster or make him realize he needs to cover. I think you are confusing Capela for Anderson..... easy mistake to make....

Post your numbers as he's pretty average defensively.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/capelca01.html

http://www.foxsports.com/nba/housto...&time=0&pos=0&team=0&qual=0&sortOrder=0&opp=0

http://stats.nba.com/players/defense-dash-overall/

 

I think there may be a little bit too high of expectations on Capela developing. You can see how much the game has slowed down for him since his rookie campaign. He's added weight and strength, he's a better rebounder, better scorer, free throws... I mean if he starts averaging 2 blocks a game now he's basically playing at all-star Deandre Jordan level. He's DJ-lite right now.

 

Let's see.... he's maintained his rebound rate and has improved his offensive efficiency all with greater usage and minutes. Capela on a rookie contract is more valuable then a slightly better defender on a non rookie scale contract.

 

Onuaku was a weird pick. I would have taken McCaw or Whitehead.

 

He's improved his pick and roll play? MDA is griping because he's not putting up some 30/10's. Like I said we could replace CC's pick and roll play with a hundred other bigs including Harrell.

The rest of your post you glossed over his defensive deficiencies with all the "team play" commentary.

You'll have to tell Bzdelik the days off a defensive anchor in the paint are over...among with the other 29 teams. Because now more than ever before teams are looking for defensive monsters in the middle that will stay out of the way of the other guys on offense.

 

he sure has. you could very well do that. But obviously harrell is the one sitting so I wonder who MDA trusts more at this point and harrell's pnr play is below capela's. He's at the point where capela was last year basically. finding himself minutes here and there and still indecisive/hesitant when he gets the ball. I don't have to tell him anything because having a defensive anchor in the middle that is your defense is truly over. You can just look around the entire league and realize it's true.

Oh sorry you don't understand team defense trumps your individual narratives. that's your problem not mine.

 

F Does not address our main problem which is paint and rim defense needed to win a championship. We're not talking about contract values, etc. We're talking snot winning a championship. We need two Nene's and a lot less Capela.

 

The numbers are there. You have to dig. peel back and look at his numbers against playoff competition.