The 3 point shot is not necessarily more efficient than a 2 point shot. The PPS for a 3PA league-wide last year was 1.05, while the PPS for a 2PA was 0.97, but the FTrate was far higher for 2PA, which nearly evens things out. In addition, the ORB% was highest for close shots (<15 ft), then three pointers, then long 2PA, and you can presume that the closer ORB had a higher rate of success in terms of scoring. Now that being said, a high volume 3PT shooting team that does it right (multiple above-avg shooters, strong ball-movement, high quality of shot, more catch-and-shoot attempts, less off the dribble) is the most successful type of offense in today's NBA, as seen in Golden State. But there are successful teams in the NBA that aren't high-volume 3PA teams, because they play to their strengths. In this league, a philosophy or scheme isn't going to do **** if you don't have the right personnel for it. Talent will nearly always win over no talent (we may be trying our best to disprove this), and you play in a way to best utilize the talent that you have. Now that being said, well-coached talent in a scheme that works for them is far better than talent being thrown into a scheme for the **** of it. So either you change the scheme or you change your players. Because our current 3PA-centric offense is not going to work with the average/below-average shooters we have.
It doesn't seem like we have the right players for the way Morey wants the team to play. You would think that an elite three point shooter would be on the roster.
Thanks for not thinking about the previous seasons and only focus on the here and now. Makes it THAT much easier to find the root cause of all this.
Everybody wants an elite shooter. Who was this elite shooter that the Rockets could have picked up, but didn't because they were being cheap?
Again, why is everyone focused on this year? They should have gotten an elite shooter when they started down this offensive system. You're telling me they could pay Corey Brewer 8 million a year but couldn't find a way to sign a player like Danny Green? Korver signed a 4 year $24 million dollar deal in 2013 when we could have found a way to get $6 mill a year to get him Mo Williams could have been had at various points in the past few seasons. If Morey had plans to move salaries around for max cap space for an elite player he couldn't have created smaller spaces for players this offensive system actually needs? Call me dumb or whatever y'all want but I'm not the one that pushed for a system that required the team to shoot 3s all night and not sign an actual pure shooter.
Because I'm dumb and we're in the luxury tax. THAT is the main reason why we didn't sign a shooter this offseason.
Bellinelli is offering the Kings roughly the same production as Marcus Thornton at 6 times the cost on 3 year contract. I'd have been fine with signing him and I agree that it would be nice to have more pure shooters in general. We weren't contenders to sign Danny Green because he had no interest in leaving San Antonio. Korver could have been a nice fit, but he would have had to be willing to come here as a back up. At the time he would have been considered a downgrade to Parsons over all. Korver signed that contract coming off a 10.9 ppg season, with a reputation as a weak defender. JJ Reddick was considered the superior option at the time. Most importantly the Rockets needed that cap space to sign Dwight and Korver agreed to terms with the Hawks before the Rockets had even met with Dwight, much less had a commitment.
Analytics is great. But Morey uses analytics to produce the worst bench in the league pretty much every year. And he somehow uses analytics to discount heart and effort and character and team play as irrelevant and trades off anybody who shows evidence of "intangibles" as soon as possible. It's not the analytics. It's the analysis.
Your original question asked me what elite shooters were available. I answered with the available shooters that the Rockets could have gone after. The question you should pose is why didn't he go after shooters when his system requires elite shooters? As for Thornton, how much did he cost us? a million? That proves my point that Morey don't want to leave the clearance rack. Don't get me wrong; I like the risk taker in Morey but you can't continue to shop for bargins and steals when you don't have to overspend to fill a need.
All I have to say about the majority of the comments in this and the "Morey's in the hot seat" thread is... Sweet, sweet music...
The reality is Green wasn't available and Korver was only available if you went after him instead of Dwight Howard when Korver wasn't likely to be a starter for the Rockets based on his play up to that point in his career. And we went to the western conference finals with the moves that were made instead, so everything that happened prior to this last year is really irrelevant. Bellinelli is a good shooter that they could have gone after. The Kings did over spend to get him. No contender is giving him that type of contract at his age or he would be with a contender. He isn't starting for the Kings. He is a shooting guard and Harden is playing most of the shooting guard minutes so at best he would get Thornton minutes and their production offensively has been virtually identical statistically. Though certainly if they thought Brewer was going to continue to suck they might have considered Bellinelli instead. I'd like to see more shooters, I just don't see this plethora of options that you seem to think were out there begging to be part of the team if only the Rockets weren't cheap.
Its a lopsided mix IMO. Greatly helps acquiring and scouting talent, helps In spots for on court play.
Your best player can't be a coward on defense. Even mcgrady shown he could shut anyone down for stretches. When your best player is a terrible effort guy, plus he does nothing when he doesnt have the ball, your team is doomed. Look at Carmello. Thats Harden v.1.0.
Isn't the main focus of Morey's offensive system (less mid-range and more 3s) enough of a reason to bring in a Bellinelli instead of bringing back Brewer? I can understand what Brewer did for this team last year but if your offense relies on getting shooters for your best player to pass to shouldn't you put more of a premium on that skill than everything else? I don't know what KJ McDaniels will ultimately bring to this team but so far his potential is not translating into meaningful stats for this team and he took up most of our MLE. I just find it frustrating that our GM wants this "Shoot 3s all day" philosophy to be implemented and then looks confused as to why the offense looks broken when he hasn't signed one single elite shooter. They certainly don't grow on trees, that I'll concede, but Morey needs to find a way or two or 30 to find that specific player if this offensive system continues.
There's a prevailing rumor that proper coaching and a structurally supportive teaching environment helps cultivate a winning mentality in a young player during their professional formative years... when they're "statistically" more willing and able to learn... Harden is 26 now, with most of his career, certainly all of his years as a media ordained "superstar" in a hands-off, just-do-what-you-like-it's-your-world-but-try-to-play-a-little-defense-once-in-a-while-if-it's-not-too-much-bother environment... This team will be lucky if they can find a coach and staff that can reach him... especially when the GM encourages his bad habits, "just keep chucking it, who needs plays, structure or defense, your talent and the odds say it'll eventually go in"...
