1. Welcome! Please take a few seconds to create your free account to post threads, make some friends, remove a few ads while surfing and much more. ClutchFans has been bringing fans together to talk Houston Sports since 1996. Join us!

[Future] Greg Smith at the starting 5

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by NL Rocket, Dec 16, 2012.

  1. NL Rocket

    NL Rocket Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2012
    Messages:
    4,382
    Likes Received:
    103
    What are your serious thought about a possibly starting Smith over Asik in the future. This is no knee-jerk thread as I will argue below. We all know Asik's hands are the opposite of Smith's and he can't catch any passes, which is getting worse. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet, but I would like to try out once and see what it does.

    You lose some rebounding, but you gain scoring. Both are good FT shooters and I'm not really impressed with the boxing out or 1-on-1 defense by either player. Asik hasn't shut down any big so far and though Smith does a nice job, for instance on Dwight, he fouls too much. Defensively you lose something.

    Now offensively, we lose quite some possessions per game because A) a player does not pass it to Asik since he would fumble the ball thus making the pick and roll ineffective & B) Asik not being able to catch passes, leading to a TO or bad possession that Smith would catch. It is not guaranteed we get a bucket but at least it's not a lost possession.

    Smith as a starter wouldn't mean much difference for the rest of the guys and I think it would work out better. We can actually play inside-out a couple of times A) Smith can catch passes & B) he can pass better than Asik. Smith would benefit heavily because of Harden. The second unit would definitely also gain something with Asik as a defensive anchor.

    The only thing is, how would Smith do against starting centers? He did well against Dwight but I'm sure it had to something with the kind of game he was having than Smith's ox power. Anyone who can provide some insight into how he did against starting centers, please provide.

    A tentative conclusion: what you lose defensively, you gain offensively given that Smith will do okay against starting centers. Right now, Asik is obviously deserving of the starting position but in case he declines I would like to see it happen in the future.

    Thoughts?
     
  2. nono

    nono Member

    Joined:
    Jul 26, 2012
    Messages:
    2,579
    Likes Received:
    156
    Asik is too much of a liability on offense.
     
  3. Rockets12

    Rockets12 Member

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2011
    Messages:
    4,894
    Likes Received:
    612
    Asik isn't a good FT shooter considering he is a career 50% FT shooter. I would keep Asik as our starter, but i still like Smith. Would it be reasonable to have both Smith and Asik on the floor at the same time?
     
  4. Captain Hook

    Captain Hook Member

    Joined:
    Oct 21, 2010
    Messages:
    1,394
    Likes Received:
    615
    That 7 Foot frame by Asik is ingredients for a championship
     
  5. jayhow92

    jayhow92 Member

    Joined:
    Jan 15, 2011
    Messages:
    7,967
    Likes Received:
    3,991
    Nah, but Marcus Morris should start over Patterson
     
  6. dachuda86

    dachuda86 Member

    Joined:
    May 3, 2008
    Messages:
    16,308
    Likes Received:
    3,580
    Start? No. Asik's D is what feuls our overall defensive prowess. We are definitely keeping people out of the paint. Greg should be played off the bench still to develop and could even be played alongside Asik to shut down the paint in needed scenarios.

    Mook should start IMO.
     
  7. split41

    split41 Member

    Joined:
    Nov 6, 2012
    Messages:
    1,504
    Likes Received:
    343
    Greg Smith has been pretty consistent (didn't have a horrible game today), but even though Asik is a liability on offence, I won't want to destroy his confidence by having Smith start over him. I'd like to GS play more minutes, though.
     
  8. SuperKev

    SuperKev Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Sep 26, 1999
    Messages:
    1,750
    Likes Received:
    727
    We should run Asik at the 5 and GS at the 4. We were crushed at the 4 today in multiple ways. Morris needs to rotate at the 3.
     
  9. jbasket

    jbasket Member

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2012
    Messages:
    4,361
    Likes Received:
    1,187
    No. They would clog up the lane from penetration by Harden or Parsons. Not Lin, he does a Nash dribble turnover :p
     
  10. jtr

    jtr Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Dec 4, 2011
    Messages:
    7,470
    Likes Received:
    275
    NO! Not enough room under the rim for both of them.
     
  11. PersianRocket

    PersianRocket Member

    Joined:
    Aug 26, 2012
    Messages:
    1,755
    Likes Received:
    282
    If Smith can develop his mid-range game then maybe
     
  12. OremLK

    OremLK Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2010
    Messages:
    15,896
    Likes Received:
    9,974
    Maybe Smith is the future at the 5, but not anytime soon... Not until at least the last year of Asik's deal, and maybe not then.
     
  13. RedDynasty

    RedDynasty Member

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2012
    Messages:
    4,164
    Likes Received:
    122
    What defensive prowess?
     
  14. Williamson

    Williamson JOSH CHRISTOPHER ONLY FAN
    Supporting Member Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Dec 6, 2002
    Messages:
    15,227
    Likes Received:
    18,357
    I'm excited this discussion is even a possibility. I never thought Greg Smith would perform at the level he's been performing.

    It's nice to know that we could possibly include Asik in a trade if need be and still have a decent starting center (or backup - depending on who the trade is for).
     
  15. LCAhmed

    LCAhmed Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Nov 10, 2009
    Messages:
    11,034
    Likes Received:
    1,631
    Greg Smith is still young. let's have him develop a nice 12-15 ft jumper
     
  16. BeeBeard

    BeeBeard Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2008
    Messages:
    1,966
    Likes Received:
    113
    I am still unsure about Smith's effectiveness as a screener.

    It is one overlooked skill that Asik brings that many other bigs cannot: Asik is an excellent screener.

    Since a high screen is the starting point for the vast majority of plays Houston runs, the screening can't just be good. It must be impeccable.

    In that sense, the Rockets are very similar to a team like OKC. Many casual fans wonder why the Thunder keep goofy old unathletic Kendrick Perkins around. Well that's why. He is an excellent screener as well.
     
  17. BallWiz

    BallWiz Member

    Joined:
    Nov 2, 2012
    Messages:
    162
    Likes Received:
    4
    Smith would be a great starting 4 (in a couple years) an hes been doing such a great job as a back up 5 making impact right away but I dont think hes a starting 5.
     
  18. mesta

    mesta Member

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2012
    Messages:
    132
    Likes Received:
    1
    Last year Asik and his brother Noah were Bull's worst offensive players. But this year Noah has acquired steady jumper and now is an offensive threat. There is no reason why Asik could not acquire offensive weapons.
    As for greg Smith himself, he still has alot to prove , yes he scored 20+ points against Lakers and Celtics, But it was mainly because he was not on their radar and was able to sneak in for easy lay ins. Againts wizard he was only able to score 4 points in 16 minutes. I first would like to see how good he actually is now that other teams know that he is dangerous.
    And be reasonable you can't compare him offensively with Asik, it would be like a fool's gold. If you want to replace Asik, trade him for Dwight Howard, Anderson Varejao or any proven bigs.
    The best way is to acquire a big who can score midjumper, that's why i say Pau Gasol is very tempting. we can follow OKC's formula . Their center kendrick Perkins is told not to stand close to offensive rim and doesn't have to contribute offensively because they already have Ibaka
     
  19. Canadiandude

    Canadiandude Member

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2009
    Messages:
    1,844
    Likes Received:
    164
    Greg Smith's frame has filled out quite bit...
    I'd like to see him battle for position under the board for rebounds consistently. It's a credit to him for breaking in the rotation.

    Asik's free throw form looks true. I wouldn't mind seeing him pick and pop for elbow 13-15 ft jumpers once in a while. Because he has quick feet, I wouldn't overlook his offensive potential in the post. He's still learning and rushing everything right now.
     
  20. Spiegel

    Spiegel Member

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2010
    Messages:
    5,403
    Likes Received:
    101
    Smith is a good off the ball player. He is very good at making flex uts towards the basket and thats why Harden and lin find him slashing towards the bucket. He still has to learn to play better with the ball before you start him.
     

Share This Page

  • About ClutchFans

    Since 1996, ClutchFans has been loud and proud covering the Houston Rockets, helping set an industry standard for team fan sites. The forums have been a home for Houston sports fans as well as basketball fanatics around the globe.

  • Support ClutchFans!

    If you find that ClutchFans is a valuable resource for you, please consider becoming a Supporting Member. Supporting Members can upload photos and attachments directly to their posts, customize their user title and more. Gold Supporters see zero ads!


    Upgrade Now