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[ClutchFans] Podcast: Breaking Camp

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Clutch, Oct 3, 2013.

  1. Clutch

    Clutch Administrator
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    1 person likes this.
  2. DaDakota

    DaDakota If you want to know, just ask!

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    Excellent stuff.

    Except for the first 30 seconds - trying to get over that ......

    DD
     
  3. Clutch

    Clutch Administrator
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    Too loud or just don't like the intro?
     
  4. Haymitch

    Haymitch Custom Title
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    Sweet. Moved back a meeting from 10:30 to noon so I can listen to this now. :)
     
  5. tallanvor

    tallanvor Contributing Member

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    Stop screwing with our economy Clutch
     
  6. J.R.

    J.R. Member

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    12 locks - Harden, Howard, Parsons, Lin, Asik, Beverley, Garcia, Jones, Motiejunas, Casspi, Canaan and Covington

    Reggie Williams, Ronnie Brewer, Aaron Brooks, and maybe Camby on the bubble. Greg Smith a possible trade candidate. I would say they trade Greg Smith and cut Reggie Williams.


    Dropping a major nugget in there at the end, oh you. ;)

    Along the Lin line, where we saw that brief stretch where we thought he was being shopped, I did sorta get confirmed that where that Chris Paul stuff came from, Bill Simmons first reported how Paul was going to come to Houston and that scared the Clippers into getting that Doc deal done but that is what happened. Paul's agent relayed to the Rockets or communicated in some fashion that if you get Dwight, we're probably coming. There was a brief stretch where the Rockets believed they were going to get both players.
     
    #6 J.R., Oct 3, 2013
    Last edited: Oct 3, 2013
    1 person likes this.
  7. skyline07

    skyline07 Member

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    OMG TY VERY MUCH CLUTCH!!!! I LOVE THESE PODCASTS!! How about a weekly podcast pretty please?
     
  8. Carl Herrera

    Carl Herrera Contributing Member

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    It's good that Jeremy got rid of all that unnecessary facial weight.
     
  9. TexasTofu

    TexasTofu Member

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    Love these! keep the rockets podcasts coming!
     
  10. BamBam

    BamBam Contributing Member

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    Thanks Clutch, the podcast was great as usual! I just wished that they hadn't brought up the Texans loss :(, it was hard for me to concentrate afterwards.
    .......
    .......
    .......
     
  11. CXbby

    CXbby Member

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    Great discussion, Clutch. Some random thoughts on the topics brought up:

    Howard/Asik fit:

    The goal is to get your 3rd highest impact player onto the floor for 20+ minutes. That amounts to roughly 10 minutes a game with Howard and Asik playing together, or 5 minutes a half. It shouldn't be a big deal.

    On offense, to unclog the paint, you simply run PnRs with one of the bigs which would bring his defender out. This worked with Greg Smith and Asik, and it worked in Chicago with Taj Gibson and Asik. The issue with this is that it takes away Howard's post up game, because that is when a crowded paint becomes a problem. But again, it's only for 5 minutes a half without Howard posting up so it shouldn't be a big deal.

    Harden's defense:

    Harden's defensive deficiencies last year are overblown. He is not a plus defender, but the times he gets blown by probably makes him look worse than he actually is. If you want to see real bad defense, check out Ben Gordon or Deron Williams last year. Or heck, just wait until Saturday and watch Reggie Williams.

    With that said, if what we are hearing is true, and he actually becomes a plus defender, that bumps Harden from a top 10 player to top 5. That is when Daryl Morey's dream scenario comes true: where he signs Dwight Howard, and there is actually a debate if he is even the best player on the team.

    Terrence Jones:

    It is easy to see how Dwight and Lin were impressed by Terrence. He is always going to look good in individual work outs or even some 3 on 3 pickup games. His individual skill is undeniable, and plain to see. The issue is going to be how he can fit his game into a team setting. Chris Finch in his interview emphasized the value of quick decision making. Reacting on the court as opposed to thinking. The first person that popped in my head was Terrence Jones as someone who is hesitant and thinking way too much.

    It is also important to note McHale's comments on what he wants from the 4 spot: how he fits with the rest of the team, how he helps us win. With Terrence, skill is not an issue, it is the whole fit with the rest of the team part. I am rooting for him.

    Cuts:

    Barring trades(Greg Smith), the last 3 cuts should be Henriquez, Williams, and Brooks.

    Camby- there is need for a 3rd center, especially with a high probability that Asik gets dealt

    Casspi/Covington- praised all summer, our best bets at stretch 4 besides Parsons. Casspi is 25 and has had success in the past, people who think he could get cut are out of their minds. Both locks.

    Brewer- hugely underrated by people. Out of every player on the bench besides Asik, Brewer has experience the most success in the NBA. That includes Garcia, that includes Beverley. One year removed from big bench role on a contending Bulls. 28 years old, no reason why he cannot get past meniscus injury last year. A lock.

    Brooks- our backup PG is already overqualified, absolutely no need for 4th PG.

    Lin's fit next to Harden/Howard:

    This issue is overblown, or rather misunderstood. The conventional wisdom that a spot up defensive PG ala Derek Fisher is the best fit next to Harden needs to be challenged. I would point to a look at Lin's numbers last year's in our best wins- biggest blowouts/wins against top teams:

    11/23 NYK 131-103 13 PTS 7 AST
    12/17 @NYK 109-96 22 PTS 9 AST
    12/22 MEM 121-96 15 PTS 11 AST
    12/25 @CHI 120-97 20 PTS 11 AST
    1/28 @UTA 125-80 12 PTS 7 AST (in 25 mins)
    2/5 GSW 140-109 28 PTS 9 AST
    2/20 OKC 122-119 29 PTS 7 AST
    3/3 DAL 136-103 21 PTS 9 AST
    3/24 SAS 96-95 6 PTS 5 AST

    You can see that the Rockets were at their best when Lin was being aggressive, attacking the defense, and creating for others. Not when he is doing his best Derek Fisher impression. A study out of the Sloan Analytics Conference two years ago also points to an attacking PG as the best fit next to a dominant wing/post combo.

    I am not saying that Lin is definitively the best fit next to Harden and Howard, just that this notion that Beverley(type player) is a better fit should be challenged/debated/and not seen as this foregone conclusion.

    In the end, the good news is that we have both of these player types on the roster, and both good players at that. They will have time to figure out exactly who is the best fit in the games.

    Tidbit on CP3:

    So Clutch has confirmed the Simmons story about CP3. What this means:

    The rumor at the time was that the Rockets wanted to dump Lin's salary now that they have Dwight. One source on twitter mentioned it was because they loved Beverley(forgot who). So it turns out, as we thought after the Simmons story, that it had nothing to do with Beverley, and everything to do with CP3.

    The Rockets are not going to dump Lin for his contract. They have made it abundantly clear that they are ALL IN this year, and going forward. This means they will only trade Lin if what is returning helps the team win more: an upgrade. Lin's current value in the NBA after what is perceived as a "down year" is either below his contract, or at best fair value. This means the trades you will get are lateral, if that. If Lin's play picks up this year, his trade value will increase, but then there will be even less of a reason to trade a productive contributor of the team.

    What this means for LOFs- you can forget your dream of ruining Lin's career by having him rot in some backwater franchise putting up empty stats.

    What this means for those who want to dump Lin for anyone from Chris Duhon to Patrick Patterson(this happened)- get used to his mug.

    Because Lin is not going anywhere.
     
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  12. ROXTXIA

    ROXTXIA Contributing Member

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    Wups, gotta go change my shorts.
     
  13. Ultimate6thMan

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    So here's what we still have so far:

    PG - Lin/Beverly/Brooks/Canaan
    SG - Harden/Brewer/Williams
    SF - Parson/Garcia/Caspi/
    PF - G.Smith/TJones/DMo/Covington
    C - Howard/Asik/Camby/Henriquez

    I see us keeping 3 players at each position, especially those that can play multiple positions other than their primary listed position.

    Obviously Henriquez will be cut, so that leaves 2 additional players that will need to be cut afterwards.

    I don't see us keeping 4 PGs, so either Brooks or Canaan will probably be cut.

    If Covington proves to have that great shooting touch and exceeds in other areas as well, then either Camby or one of Caspi/Williams will probably be cut. I think we keep Brewer because he is a proven defender, and with our extra focus on defense this year, even if he doesn't get any minutes, we keep him around for the defensive attitude in practice.

    Or the other move could be to trade G.Smith as many as suggested. But TJones or DMo could possibly be traded as well if G.Smith out performs either of them in training camp.

    With that said, anything can happen, but my predictions for the final roster are:

    PG - Lin/Beverly/Brooks/Canaan
    SG - Harden/Brewer/Williams
    SF - Parson/Garcia/Caspi/
    PF - TJones/DMo/Covington
    C - Howard/Asik/G.Smith

    I can't decide between Brooks and Canaan until I see both play in Preseason. To me Brooks has the edge, but I haven't seen Canaan play and I know a lot are high on him being a great shooter. On the other hand, Brooks is still young, so he may not like a long term future here being a 3rd wheel, unless he can get more minutes playing the two guard in certain sets. Will Morey be willing to risk someone picking up Canaan if he cuts him? I don't know. But we know that Brooks can definitely come in and contribute/run the offense if one of our other PGs goes down with injury. That's EXTREMELY important when you are playing for a title as we are most definitely doing this year!
     
  14. Ultimate6thMan

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    Oh, I forgot to mention that I think we cut Camby maybe because he is probably going to stay injured all season, and we really don't need his expertise with having McHale as a low post guy and now having Dream work with our players. That's what I think at least. We will see what the Rockets think if he doesn't get well and practice at all during training camp or play in any preseason games as I suspect.
     
  15. wfeebs

    wfeebs Member

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    There is 0 chance Canaan gets cut
     
  16. ada32

    ada32 Member

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    Great podcast, Clutch! Need to do it more?
     
  17. sleepyazn

    sleepyazn Member

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    PG - Lin/Beverly/Brooks
    SG - Harden/Brewer
    SF - Parson/Garcia/Caspi/
    PF - TJones/DMo/Covington
    C - Howard/Asik/Camby

    This is my preferred final roster
     
  18. Play07

    Play07 Member

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    [
    Cuts:

    Barring trades(Greg Smith), the last 3 cuts should be Henriquez, Williams, and Brooks.

    Camby- there is need for a 3rd center, especially with a high probability that Asik gets dealt

    Casspi/Covington- praised all summer, our best bets at stretch 4 besides Parsons. Casspi is 25 and has had success in the past, people who think he could get cut are out of their minds. Both locks.

    Brewer- hugely underrated by people. Out of every player on the bench besides Asik, Brewer has experience the most success in the NBA. That includes Garcia, that includes Beverley. One year removed from big bench role on a contending Bulls. 28 years old, no reason why he cannot get past meniscus injury last year. A lock.

    Brooks- our backup PG is already overqualified, absolutely no need for 4th PG.


    I could live with these cuts
     
  19. finsraider

    finsraider Member

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    Brooks isn't going anywhere. He's not just a backup point guard...he's also bench scoring. One of Williams/brooks is needed to give us an offensive bump with the 2nd unit (assuming they can do that).

    My guesses for cuts are Henriquez and Williams. Greg Smith will be traded.
     
  20. Easy

    Easy Boban Only Fan
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    Brooks' jumper seems to be Broke. If it continues to Brick, he won't be able to Break into the roster.
     

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