[NBA TV - Game Time] Isaiah Canaan considered Top 5 ''Ready to Play'' Rookie

lol this kid is like a steve novak , great shooter and nothing else.

 

He is reluctant to pass the ball in the video. The reason is simple. He ain't got anybody to pass to. The question is does he make the highest efficiency play? I think he does that quite well. I'm not worried about his passing game nor his shot selection. He's a rookie. He's got the right attitude. He's coming onto a championship level team. He's going to work his tail off to fit in and contribute. Those are all the key components that a guy has to have to go along with the talent and skills he already has mastered. There's no question in my mind he finds success as a rookie. Yes, he might spend the first half of the season at RGV. Who cares! He'll go down there and burn the league up and will be just waiting for his shot.

If we trade Lin (and I really think it's a matter of when), we will need a second playmaker behind Harden. This kid is the most capable prospect we have in that area. So, while initially he will be essentially a spot-up shooter and finisher and will be very successful in that area...the key thing to watch for is how he develops as a playmaker at this level. If he does that successfully then it makes it much easier for us to trade Lin. Right now, Lin is the second best (and some of you think the best) playmaker on this team. If Harden weren't on this team, Lin would be leading the charge. And when Harden is on the bench it is very important that Lin is on the floor to run the offense and make plays. If we trade him we will need someone else that can duplicate that ability when Harden is out of the game. And no...that guy isn't Chandler Parsons nor Francisco Garcia. Those guys are decent playmakers when they have to be. But they are best when playing alongside another playmaker (Harden) and they are best in a playmaking role when the offense is inverted and Harden is moved to the wing and provides a nice distraction. When Harden is off the floor their playmaking shortcomings become visible. Hence, if we trade Lin we've either got to get another playmaker or we've got to know that Canaan can fill that role. And no, Beverley is not the next playmaker either. Beverley is a facilitator. He's a great player in his own right. But if we ask Beverley to make plays for us from the top we are going to water down his overall effectiveness. Canaan is the only real possibility of a playmaker to replace Lin if we trade Lin away without getting back another playmaker.

 

Well, he didn't have much talent around him yet led his team to the tourney much like curry but they didn't go as far.

He was fun to watch for a scorer. As the leader of his team, he had to carry out all the duties which might've not shown his true skills as a player. I think he will be good with another ball dominant guard.

I haven't seen his defense yet so I can't comment on it.

 

from the video it points out that,
He misses open players, has difficulty passing over Defenders due to his height. overdribbles. etc etc

Whatever it is his playmaking and defending skills are underdeveloped at the point of scouting. alot to work on this summer.

 

If he can play some hard nose defense along with that sweet stroke, I would say he would be more than servicable.

Defense/Stroke=Starter "on this team"

 

One of the reasons we traded Patterson was the idea that Robinson would be an easier asset to trade in order to free up the cap space for a run at Dwight. I might be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that if we hadn't traded Patterson for Robinson, we still would have had to try to trade Patterson during this offseason for the cap relief.

 

This kid has parking lot shooting range and can play off the ball... The #1 thing a point guard playing with Harden has to be able to do. People forget he also has a 40 inch vertical which is amazing...

Neither Lin nor Bev have proven they are the best options in the backcourt with Harden. The Rockets had needs at other positions but yet Morey drafts a point guard... And as good as Morey has been with finding point guards _ Isaiah may be his best one yet... Isaiah may start the season in the D-League but he may not be there for long.

 

To bandwagon your point - they were also looking to avoid losing him to free agency because his play was going to ask a lot more than people thought he was worth and Robinson was thought to be at least close to as good but significantly cheaper. Clearly didn't work out but had to take a shot I think.

 

Unfortunately, playmaking/passing is the hardest thing to improve from college to the NBA. Many small shooting guards (or shoot-first point guards) have tried to become point guards, but few with much success. Hopefully Canaan bucks the trend, but we shall see. From a statistical standpoint, one interesting example is Lin, who did not have a particularly high assist average in college, but which was due primarily to his being played at SG.

 

I'm not talking about a point guard, per se. I'm talking about that guy that can come in behind Harden, run the pick and roll, and make the right decision with the basketball, whether that be finish at the rim, or shoot the J, or get the ball to the roller, or pick out a spot-up shooter and the guy that can straight-up take his man one-on-one and get a high percentage look.

 

I would say that the cards are stacked against him getting even 100 minutes of NBA floor time next season. In all likelihood he will spend most of his time in the D-League.

 

Only way that happens is if either he gets injured and misses most of the season or Lin is not traded.

 

both Patrick Beverley and Aaron Brooks are ahead of him at the PG spot. Morey has stated Cannan will probably spend most of his time in the D-league.

 

Very true. I was being pretty conservative when I said the first half of the season, but I'll leave the door open to anyone in the 2nd half of the season knowing how Morey works the Feb trade deadline.....

and no, I'm not going to make bold assumptions like basketballhollic about what is a for sure, or never going to happen move. That's a quick way to ruin your credibility on here during the Morey era. Nothing is for sure this season other than Harden/Howard/ and most likely Parsons will be a big part of this team moving forward. Everything else is up in the air, and only time will tell who works out or doesn't.

 

I agree. However I would speculate that Lin is not going anywhere anytime soon. He is, after all, the only player other than Harden who can create his own shot.

 

Hope this kid can get some playing time, bench Lin until he proves himself ready

 

The ONLY reason Brooks is ahead of him is because Canaan needs playing time. So Canaan will most likely go to RGV to start the season. That is....if we actually keep Brooks. But Brooks has no role here. If he is on the roster it is simply to keep him around as trade fodder after he becomes trade eligible. If something were to happen to Beverley or Lin (either injury or trade) then Canaan will be brought out of RGV and immediately go ahead of Brooks in the rotation. Brooks has no long-term role here.

 

why?

DM and McHale will be considered quite unprofessional if they dare put in a 2nd round rookie to replace a decent starting NBA ready pg in JLin for a contending team like the Rockets. If the team don't make to playoff, or don't go to 2nd round, some heads will fall for such a risky move. There is no chance in hell this will happen. They better get an upgrade on pg if they trade Lin or better keep him. Putting a 2nd round rookie to start for a contending team will be the laughing stock in NBA circle, unless the rookie is a lottery pick like Rose of Chicago or Irving of Cleveland.

 

People that keep harping on his PG skills don't seem to be aware of (even though he has said it himself many times) that his team did not ask for him to be the facilitator but rather the scorer since they had no one else. None of us have seen his passing abilities.

 

maybe he was the only scoring option or on a ****ty team?