This. Some people might think it would be redundant to keep Wiltjer when we already have Anderson but Anderson is the absolute PERFECT player for Wiltjer to learn from. He would be insurance if Anderson ever went down so we don't lose a lights out shooting 4.
Yes I'm confused by that bench ideology too. END of bench is supposed to be NOTHING BUT Ben Wallace, Jerrmaine O'Neal and Paul Millsap to-be. And if they even figure to be Trevor Ariza level then you gotta ship them out, because an every 15-years Hassan Whiteside example is out there.
Dekker looks good!! He's like Ryan's younger brother, I really hope he can do this against NBA players and take Brewer's minutes. He looks a lot less mechanical and slow like last year when he received some minutes in pre-season I believe it was.
Has anyone seen Isaiah Taylor? Curious as to how he is playing. I don't think he is much of a shot creator for others (I didn't watch a lot of UT basketball), he can definitely create for himself and has a nice tear drop (can someone say "Raferrr"). Doubt he can contribute for a few years though.
Wiltjer's post defense impressed me today, if he can defend like that consistently, he has a pretty good shot at making this roster
Kyle Wiltjer is the man. Feet are a tad slow but if you can shoot like that, you belong in the NBA. Already better than Terrence Jones and Montrezl Harrell.
I haven't seen much from Wiltjer yet except his shooting. People think Anderson is unathletic but he does have surprising athleticism and strength. Does Wiltjer possess that? I am not saying he can't work on explosiveness and strength but there is no doubt that Anderson is more gifted than people give him credit for. He is much more than just a shooter which I can't say the same for Wiltjer at this point. Will obviously like to see more of him and see how he boxes out rebounds and plays defense. I did see him defend pretty well on a post up. Hopefully he has the ability to get quicker, stronger, and more explosive as that is needed more and more. Also, Anderson is so good at posting up and taking one or 2 dribbles to get to a spot on the floor where he is just as deadly. Can Wiltjer do that? There have been countless 6' 10" white guys with even average athleticism and a great 3 point shot that never sniff an NBA court. Anderson is the exception. Can Wiltjer be that? Time will tell but I will be shocked if he can make a roster.
Wiltjer reminds me of a whiter Kevin Love. Love is a poor defender, but he can rebound. Not sure what Wiltjer can do other than shoot.
So glad some of guys are not scouts. Wiltjer comparisons are ridiculous. Lol Matt Bonner is his peak if he pans out with weight room and learning other tricks. Steve Novak level is where he will most likely be if he doesn't
We need to start collecting assets! Because we are flat out of assets. And we can't make trades for impact players without assets. We need to move all of these summer league scrubs for 2nd round picks, including KJ. Keep Dekker because he's actually good ("asset"). If we can resign DMo to a reasonable deal, he becomes an "asset". Capela is an "asset". Trade Beasley, Llull, Bev and Ariza for impact talent, picks, or young "assets". Bring over Gentilie or trade him. We're stuck with Brew I bet, but if you can clear his cap without giving up a 1st rounder, do it. So your core is Harden, Gordon, Anderson, DMo, Capela; you hope Dekker & Gentilie pan out. Maybe you live with Brew. And you've stock piled a bunch of young talent and picks; probably one or two impact players as well. All of the sudden we go into next offseason with actual "assets" and a nice little core; maybe even a little extra cap space to play with.
The most amazing thing about Wiltjer is how slow he moves. I don't think anyone in the NBA is used to guarding someone on the perimeter who moves so slowly. Maybe he can find a way to use that to his advantage. And agreed with the poster above that his ceiling looks to be Matt Bonner. And that's fine.
As a team, the Rockets shot 27% from 3 last year. 27%!! One of the worst in the league Already, Wiltjer would be an upgrade. Just prop him up out there and kick out the ball when James is double teamed and let him fire away. Between he and Anderson, we can improve our firepower from the arc. Last year proved to us that we need shooters. We have enough bricklayers already. Not saying Wiltjer should start. But let's don't discard him just yet. KJ on the other hand. . . sheesh
A lot of GM's and scouts around the league believe Shooting is the one skill that can be taught in the NBA. After watch KJMcD i'm not sure i totally believe that statement. Dude has plenty of athleticism, that much is clearly evident, but his shot is so inconsistent. He doesn't miss them short or long, he misses them left or right, which states something is wrong with his mechanics. Hope the shot-doctor we hired can help him with that. Wiltjer can flat out shoot. Whether his nba career will be like Korver, Bonner, or Novak, he'll make a good living in this league shooting like that. He just needs to work on his defense and rebounding. If you have 1 skill that is NBA level, you'll be able to find a team in this league.
Anybody have a link to watch the game? NBA TV said they were playing it at 3 AM and I recorded it but apparently they lied and played NO vs Utah
Taylor didn't do much in the first game. He wasn't on the court much, either. Yesterday Taylor saw a low of playing time due to GP2 being injured. T has done a good job running the break and getting the ball to the right players in the half court. He has not looked for his shot much and I think that's a good thing for now. Looks like he's trying to show that getting teammates involved is more important than him just driving to the hoop. He's making good decisions with the ball. Have not noticed much about his defense.
GPII's injury is a huge opportunity for Taylor. Definitely want to see him take a little more control of the game and push the ball when possible. He was more assertive last game but still a little timid overall.
I'd certainly be for keeping Matt Bullard 2.0 over keeping granny shot. I know we drafted him, but granny shot has looked worthless thus far even against Summer League competition.
The Rockets did not shoot 27% from 3s as a team. Without looking up, probably around 34-35% But it certainly felt like it many nights. 27% is where Brewer and KJ shot last year. The while team defintely much higher than this.
