While watching some of last years game highlights on youtube, Head was in numerous ones. I had forgotten how much he contributed last season, particularly for a rookie. Many on this board complain about our past drafts, and rightfully so. Head however may the one CD got right. I think we'll see a much improved Luther Head this season.
you're probably right. whether or not he will be "much improved" on a different team is yet to be seen.
no but he can be a good spark off the bench. I don't think he's as good as Cat was, but what I see from him is an instant game changer with his scoring and his energy.
I think he does have starting potential as a PG. In a couple of years he could be something in the mold of a Gilbert Arenas. I don't mean that he would be that good, but that kind of game. Good shooting, especially from the 3, above average driving and finishing skills, and the ability to score in bunches given the touches. Just like Arenas, not be a traditional PG or distributor, but a capable who can knock down the 3 at a high clip. That would fit in quite well on our current team if he can improve his handle.
Can't edit so I'll just fix the typos: I think he does have starting potential as a PG. In a couple of years he could be something in the mold of a Gilbert Arenas. I don't mean that he would be that good, but that kind of game. Good shooting, especially from the 3, above average driving and finishing skills, and the ability to score in bunches given the touches. Just like Arenas, not a traditional PG or distributor, but a capable scorer who can knock down the 3 at a high clip. That would fit in quite well on our current team if he can improve his handle.
As of now Head is a poor mans starter and rich mans backup IMO. If Head can learn to improve his ballhandling skills, not playmaking skills, and bring the ball up the court with ease like Alston he would make a pretty solid starter for this team. A PG on this team doesn't really need superior playmaking skills since the majority of the plays will run through T-Mac and Yao.
Good observation! Gilbert is only a inch taller then luther is. Now that i think about it there skill sets are very similar at the same stages of there careers. Its funny golden state thought gilbert was good but not good enough to keep around and then he turns out to be a top 10 guard in the league when he arrives to his next team. The same thing could very well happen to luther head if we let him go.
Let's not get too carried away with the Arenas comparisons here. Head needs to improve in a lot of areas dramatically before that can happen. Right now, he's a mediocre shooter and ballhandler. In another words, a bench player staring at 20 minutes a night. I really hope Head can make a dramatic improvment in his second year, either be a better true PG or be a deadly shooter as a SG.
Head is a nice player and for once the team drafted a guy who could help them. That's why Head will get traded rather than stay in houston. He's one of the few assets this team has and they have bigger needs to fill on the roster.
got this from REALGM... Rockets Make Positive Strides Towards Contention Authored by Dennis L. Silva II - 25th July, 2006 - 12:43 am Current Featured Columns Grading The Deals: Second Week Of Free Agency Period This past week was far less exciting than the week prior, but it must have been a rush for players like Mike James and John Salmons to make headlines and earn long-term money. Now James and Salmons, along with other free agents, will settle in with their new teams. Aaron Bronsteter. 14th July, 2006. Reina +13: The Best Team $53.135 Million Can Buy Inspired by the Jose +10 campaign run by Adidas during the World Cup and the NBA's announcement of the salary cap for the 2006-2007 season, here are the 13 selections of a RealGM editor, plus himself, unfortunately, at a generous salary of $412k. Christopher Reina. 14th July, 2006. The Winds Of Change The last summer Indiana saw this much change was 2000, just months after having made their `first NBA Finals appearance in franchise history. This Pacers team isn’t coming off the same fulfilling experience, but rather a few years of disappointment that have brought about the calling for change within the organization. Andrew Perna. 25th July, 2006. Still Waiting On Harrington I don’t know if Chris Mullin has any other plans for the off-season, or if he’s putting all his faith into acquiring Harrington. Either way, it hasn’t been a very inspiring summer. The way Mullin talked about changes at the end of last season, it sounded as if there would be one or two big trades. Payam Jahromi. 24th July, 2006. Nets Need Size What can the Nets do to fill the void in the frontcourt? Well, they have the mid-level exception to sign free agents and there are some solid big men still on the market. Four names that come to mind are Chris Wilcox, Drew Gooden, Melvin Ely, and Lorenzon Wright. Patrick J. Austin. 22nd July, 2006. More from RealGM's Columnists RealGM Search Search: Preparation for becoming an NBA championship contender is never an easy job. Just when you think you’ve made the correct transactions that allowed your team to compete with the elite, it never works out quite as you would have liked. The Houston Rockets are a prime example of such a scenario. Last offseason, the Rockets made a few moves that would have suggested that they were ready to become a formidable team that could go deep in the Western Conference. They acquired prized forward Stromile Swift with their mid-level exception. They signed guard Derek Anderson. They re-signed their own significant free agents, Jon Barry and Dikembe Mutombo. To capitalize on such movement, they had even drafted a diamond in the rough in guard Luther Head with the 24th pick in the 2005 NBA draft. It seemed as if all was well and the Rockets were one of the few teams mentioned who could possibly give the San Antonio Spurs a run for their throne. But as is often the case in the cruel and unforgiving world of professional sports, things did not work out in the Rockets’ favor. Tracy McGrady missed 35 games due to a lingering, chronic back injury. Yao Ming was also held out of action for most of the season, participating in only 57 games, most due to the inflammation of a toe. That led to a 34-48 season, and placed Houston in the draft lottery for the first time in four years. It also signaled yet another important offseason for the Rockets as their window of opportunity seems ready to slam shut at any moment’s notice. Unfortunately, what took place was a horrific series of player movement that, if nothing else, verifies that Rockets management knows not of what they’re doing. After a questionable draft night in which Houston traded their No. 8 selection—Uconn hyper-athlete Rudy Gay—and reserve forward Stromile Swift for Memphis’ Shane Battier, it appeared the Rockets were quickly looking to add defense, shooting and veteran leadership to a fragile rotation that, aside from McGrady and Yao, was overwhelmed with inexperience and/or the inability to provide consistant contributions on both ends of the floor. "I got all kinds of calls from people in the basketball world who congratulated us on a great pickup because they know want Shane can do for us," Rockets GM Carroll Dawson said. "I understood why fans reacted the way they did to the trade, but Shane is going to become a very popular player in Houston for many years to come." That fan reaction was based on how the Rockets could possibly trade a young, athletic swingman who can run the floor, as well an athletic forward who could block shots and provide a dose of energy, for a veteran swingman who has put up steady impact, but whom, according to fans, would not have as dramatic of an impact on the Rockets as Gay would. For the following few weeks, Houston then tried to pursue free-agent guard Mike James, formerly of the Toronto Raptors. In the irony of ironies, the Rockets had traded James prior to training camp last season, and now desperately demanded his services as a potential third scorer for the team. Rockets management, and fans alike, felt James could bring them a spark and revive a cold and dreary offense that has been amongst the league’s worst since the departure of Rudy Tomjanovich. Instead, James proved he has a lasting memory and essentially played the Rockets, using the club to up his asking price, which he did successfully. Minnesota offered James a trade-kicker clause in his contract that Houston, nor the Dallas Mavericks, were willing to include. The action since then? Trading cash and future draft considerations for Hornets swingman Kirk Snyder (6.5 ppg on 41.9% shooting for his career), signing Euro guard Vassilis Spanoulis to a 3-year deal and coming to a verbal agreement to sign guard John Lucas III, who, at this point of his career, has shown nothing more than to be one of the best players in the history of summer league basketball. All in all, not a promising offseason for the red and silver. "Getting Shane Battier, getting Kirk Snyder and getting (2006 second round pick) Steve Novak fills a lot of holes that were on the board," Dawson said. "We've still got the whole summer to improve the team and we're still looking to trade. But we're real happy with what we have done so far." Of course they are. But the Rockets have made moves out of desperation. They lost out on James, so what do they do? Acquire Snyder, who is not significantly better than last season’s token backup swingman, Keith Bogans. The Rockets took too long to decide if they wanted point guard Marcus Banks—who would have added speed, quickness and defensive ability—so they let him head to Phoenix and instead pen Lucas, who is, essentially, a poor man’s Banks. Prior to the end of the 2005-06 season, coach Jeff Van Gundy listed assets that the Rockets would covet during this offseason. He wanted a range-shooting big man who could space the floor and be deadly in pick-and-roll situations. He wanted speed and athleticism. He desperately wanted depth in case the injury bug of last season bit again. Battier is the only new acquisition who will make an immediate impact on the club. Snyder will be in and out of Van Gundy’s doghouse. Bogans worked hard at his craft, despite his limitations. Snyder’s work habits have been called in question by two coaches who have histories of winning—Utah’s Jerry Sloan and the Hornets’ Byron Scott. Novak is a solid shooter but suffers on the defensive end. Lucas—at 5’10”—is too short to make a drastic impact. He’s effective in short 5-10 minute stints but other teams will post their bigger guards on him time and time again. No one is sure of what Spanoulis can do. Perhaps Dawson still has a few more tricks left in his deck of cards. At this point, however, with the free agent frenzy a month in, it appears that he’s played this offseason as a Joker.
As far as Luther Head is concerned, the injury plauged season last year might have been a blessing in disguise. If the team had remained healthy he would not have had an opportunity to contribute like he did last year. As a result he was able to acquire invaluable experience and demonstrated that he's not afraid of taking and making big shots. I think with a solid year of pro ball under his belt, Luther can come into this season confident, because he knows he is a solid NBA player. Hopefully this means he is now ready to contribute on a slightly larger and more consistent basis.
Head is so much more athletic than people realize. If he can handle the ball a bit more and attack the basket, you will see him ferociously dunking on people even at his height. If not dunking, he will get to the line. He definitely has the ability. He is a good shooter and he is clutch. Good things always happened when Luther got the ball last season. I can;t wait to see how he does his second year. I hope to God the Rockets do not trade him for next to nothing. He is worth so much more. I know Laker fans want him badly because he is such a perfect fit for the triangle offense but I wouldn't let him go unless Odom comes our way.
He is not as good as Cat but only because his size henders his ability. He will be a similar player to Cat but might be forced into 30 minutes of the bench because he is only 6'3".
Wow very convincing post you should be the rockets GM by the end of that post you had me thinking Luther was the next MJ. And thinking it would be a steal for the lakers to give up Odom for Head and that we needed to ask for more. Never the less you have some nice posting skills. Good job.
some of the most important things in this league are: work ethic, confidence, clutch.... L.Head has them all..
I can't edit this either, so I'll just fix it. He will never be a starting point guard. The only thing he has in common with Gilbert Arenas is that they are both undersized shooting guards. He definitely isn't that good, and he definitely doesn't have that kind of game. Good shooting , only from the 3, terrible finishing skills, and we're doomed if he's getting enough touches to be scoring in bunches. Just like Arenas, not a traditional PG or distributor, but the comparison ends there. He will fit in quite well on our team considering we have no other guards of note.
I like Luther Head. He has a great inside game, an excellent ball-handler.......wait a minute, what hte heck am I talk about? Luther Head has grown on me after playing through the last season. I don't think he could ever be in the starting lineup, but he could get the team energized. Lol, I remember watching a Rockets game and Head fell down to the floor while throwing up a three-point shot. He made it.
Haha I knew I would get a flame for throwing that name out there. I think you are discounting him too much for being "undersized". His jump shooting is 47% and Arenas is 46%, so he a good shooter, not just from the 3. His finishing skills were suspect last year, but he is a very good athlete and will benefit greatly from some apparent added bulk in the offseason. I bet he tips the scales at over 200lbs, which makes his size very comparable to Arenas'. This will make him a much stronger finisher. Having the strength and added experience of a full NBA season under his belt will give him the confidence and will to get to the foul line and possible convert some AND1s. I don't know whats wrong with him getting enough touches to score in bunches, especially since they will probably come as fairly open looks off of double teams on TMac and Yao. We have been looking for a 3rd option, and Head along with Snyder could combine to provide efficient scoring from the SG position. Since the name Gilbert Arenas put such a fire under your ass maybe I can give you come ice for it in the form of Kenny Smith . Luther Head could be like Smith during the championship years. Not really a prime assist man, but a capable ball handler and consistent 3 point threat. With Yao feeding him from the post and TMac hopefully driving and dishing more often, he should duplicate the success he had at Illinois knocking down big-time 3s. He came from a winning college program (37-2 his senior year) and has proven to be clutch in the NBA (http://www.82games.com/0506/05HOU3E.HTM). Just give him a chance man. He was one of the top rookies last year and the fact that he is "undersized" is no reason to write off his potential for improvement. You make him out to be some 32 year old, average bench player with stagnant production for the past few years. Oh and don't take any of this personally. I just enjoy arguing my point of view as much as you do. I look forward to a well thought out response.
