With guys like Gordon, Harden, Terry playing big roles combo guards do work. If they are good enough then it shouldn't scare teams away. It might take some time but he can learn to use his left hand. Its not like the Rockets need someone to provide immediate results. Your right that it might now work out but I think he is worth the risk.
Harden for one is 6'8' and has some legitimate size to play both the 2 and the 3. By Gordon I assume you are talking about Eric Gordon and not Ben Gordon, who flamed out after he got his money. The things that separates Eric Gordon from Austin Rivers are pretty big. For one, Eric Gordon actually has some PG skills even though he has the great ability to score. Austin Rivers for one doesn't have that. Another thing that separates Gordon from Rivers is the fact that he actually places some good defense and is built like a running back who can actually take some contract, whereas Rivers avoids contact at all costs. As for Jason Terry, if Austin Rivers can be as good as Jason Terry, all the power to him. However, I don't think Jason Terry is the type of player that the Rockets are looking to build a team around. The team has enough role players and they desperately need a star. Austin Rivers is NOT that star.
James Harden is no where close to 6'8... he's 6'5 w/shoes, 6'4 w/t out... http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-pre-draft-measurements/?page=&year=2009&source=All&sort2=DESC&draft=0&pos=0&sort=
You're right, he's 6'5". Still, that is decent size at the 2 guard position. James Harden is also built differently and can absorb the contact. When you watch Harden play, he doesn't shy away from the contact AND I have to emphasize the fact that he can finish with either hand. Harden's mindset is also very different from Rivers, he doesn't always go down the floor always looking for his own shot. He's also a pretty good defender at his position. I'm a big fan of James Harden.
Trade Lowry to the Hornets for the 10th overall pick, Jason Smith and a Lottery protected pick in 2013 (top 5) Draft Perry Jones 10th overall Draft Jeremy Lamb 14th overall Draft Tony Wroten 16th overall ---- We will then have the biggest and tallest team in the NBA PG- Goran Dragic( 6'3), Tony Wroten( 6'5) SG Kevin Martin (6'7), Jeremy Lamb( 6'6), Courtney Lee( 6'5) SF- Chandler Parsons (6'10), Perry Jones( 6'11), Marcus Morris( 6'8) PF- Luis Scola ( 6'9), Donatas Motiejunas( 7'0), Patrick Patterson( 6'9) C- Sam Dalembert ( 6'11), Jason Smith( 7'0), Greg Smith ( 6'10) We would be the tallest team in the league
I thought we are getting the 13th overall pick because I thought the Suns would get the 14th pick since they have a better record than us I suppose. I thought the Rockets are in 10th place in the west and that should give us the 13 spot. I mean I don't remember a 9th standing team getting an higher draft than a 10th standing team.
Sorry my mistake. I didn't realized that the Rockets have gotten ahead of the Suns in the standings. If they would have lost that last game, we would be in the 10th spot instead of the 9th. I wished they should have just tanked the last few games of the season knowing they won't make the playoffs and just lose all the games that really didn't count so our lottery pick would be higher but the Rockets won the last 2 games I believe when they could have lost it since they know they are out of the playoffs race. I know its a lot to do with the pride but sometimes when you know that you are not going to make the playoffs anymore, I say just let all the young guys play and get more experience and have a few more extra lost and fall into the lower seed so they can get a nice high draft pick for a player that can change this franchise around.
http://nbadraft.net/players/austin-rivers http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Austin-Rivers-5743/ This finish with either hand idea is ridiculous. He can learn to use his other hand. Its not that big a deal. Both of these sites also talk about him being able to get to the rim. They also talk about him having the potential to be a threat as a scorer in the nba. We all wish we can get a player like harden but name a similar player we can actually get? My point with Harden both players can create off the dribble. With the rules today you dont need to be a 6'6 to play the posotion. The sg position is not the same so when rivers bulks up he will fit right in.
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/James-Harden-1241/ 6'4'' without shoes. He has a really long wingspan, though.
Rivers finishes with the left hand on first play... Looks good doing it as well. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Zbkj3eSYAb8
If you've watched Rivers enough, you will know full well of his tendencies. Just because you can post a youtube video that shows he can get off a left handed layup doesn't mean that he does that on a regular basis as I can show you about 50 other videos where you won't see a single left-handed layup. He has a tendency to drive right and more often than not, he will take that shot left-handed. For a scoring guard, being able to finish with either hand IS paramount. I never said he didn't have a knack for being able to score, however, he will find it more to difficult to score in the NBA, because he won't be able to beat athletes off the dribble quite as easily as their are far more athletes on his level or higher, athletically. I never said he didn't have a plethora of offensive moves, but is is far from a guy that is able to create shots for others. He is the very definition of a ball-stopper and almost always looks for his own shot. Somebody earlier on the board mentioned how COMBO guards can be successful in the league. This is true, problem is, Austin Rivers ISN'T a combo guard. The reason why a player is deemed a combo guard is that he can play BOTH guard positions and trust me, if you've followed Rivers as extensively as I have, you know full well that he is FAR from a guard with actual PG skills. Does he have handles, most definitely, but what he actually lacks is court vision and passing skills, both of which are important to a PG. A please, don't copy of video of Austin Rivers from Youtube with him making a pass and deem him an adept passer, because he is not. Austin Rivers is the very definition of a SCORING guard, but far from that of a COMBO guard. There is a difference. With that being said, Austin River's ability to score is not even the main concern here. The major concern here include his shot-happy tendencies, his lack of real size and strength (being a tweener at his position), lack of actual PG skills, and being a non-existent defender. To me, we already have a player like that on the roster and his name is Kevin Martin. While, Austin Rivers certainly has talent, he isn't what the Rockets need.
If you've watched Rivers enough, you will know full well of his tendencies. Just because you can post a youtube video that shows he can get off a left handed layup doesn't mean that he does that on a regular basis as I can show you about 50 other videos where you won't see a single left-handed layup. He has a tendency to drive right and more often than not, he will take that shot EDIT: RIGHT-handed. For a scoring guard, being able to finish with either hand IS paramount. I never said he didn't have a knack for being able to score, however, he will find it more to difficult to score in the NBA, because he won't be able to beat athletes off the dribble quite as easily as their are far more athletes on his level or higher, athletically. I never said he didn't have a plethora of offensive moves, but is is far from a guy that is able to create shots for others. He is the very definition of a ball-stopper and almost always looks for his own shot. Somebody earlier on the board mentioned how COMBO guards can be successful in the league. This is true, problem is, Austin Rivers ISN'T a combo guard. The reason why a player is deemed a combo guard is that he can play BOTH guard positions and trust me, if you've followed Rivers as extensively as I have, you know full well that he is FAR from a guard with actual PG skills. Does he have handles, most definitely, but what he actually lacks is court vision and passing skills, both of which are important to a PG. A please, don't copy of video of Austin Rivers from Youtube with him making a pass and deem him an adept passer, because he is not. Austin Rivers is the very definition of a SCORING guard, but far from that of a COMBO guard. There is a difference. With that being said, Austin River's ability to score is not even the main concern here. The major concern here include his shot-happy tendencies, his lack of real size and strength (being a tweener at his position), lack of actual PG skills, and being a non-existent defender. To me, we already have a player like that on the roster and his name is Kevin Martin. While, Austin Rivers certainly has talent, he isn't what the Rockets need.
At 14th, i'd draft Rivers. Low risk, high return. It's a freaking 14th pick. Ya'll talk like you foresee Austin's future. The majority wants him too. Les likes him, he will sell tickets!