And without this being a knock on Tucker. Draymond has a couple of rings, has been doing this for 3 years now and his on court presence is not limited to his game. But I also have come to think PJ can be the best player to face him. I believe, just like you do, that Luc+Thucker+Ariza+Paul is as good as ant warrior as you can get. But I wouldn´t go so far to say that we match them in terms of super star power. They DO have a Big 4.
Honestly, if PJ had the ability to pass and handle the rock, and lead the fast-break, he can be just like Dray this season. I honestly believe if PJ can step up offensively, he'd be on the same level as Dray. I mean, I gotta let it play out a few more GSW games first, but that's how high I place his ceiling. He's going to improve too, still haven't adjusted fully to this team.
Agree, I saw a flash of that vs Milwaukee on saturday. I think it was 2Q, Paul from the left just outside the 3pt line, pass to Ryno on the right and I don´t remember clearly, but I think he comes from a PJ screen, Ryno passes right away and PJ receives on the roll and finds the man in the corner for the 3. That was Draymondesque, and had me wondering over the weekend if he can grow on that role
We are pretty close in terms of matching them for talent. Capela infinitely eclipses any center they can play outside of Green, so we have the edge there. While Eric Gordon is no where near the defensive presence Thompson is, he is comparable to him on the offensive end. Ariza is IMO a better defender than Iggy though Iggy is definitely the better ISO scorer, which always goes a long way in the 3rd and 4th. Our main advantages against GSW are: - Sustained PG play for 48 minutes - Huge revolving defensive depth at the wing - Much better talent at the C position - While GSW has better shooters, we have more shooters (Durant, Klay, Curry, Green, Swaggy vs Harden, Ariza, Gordon, Paul, Ryno, Tucker, Moute) IMO, the key matchups are going to be: - Ability by CP3 to contain Curry's passing game - Ryno's ability to prevent Green/Durant from completely making him their b**** - Exploiting the PnR with our superior big men talent
Agree for the most part. We difer on: Main Advantages: Mcgee does good defense for them. So, while I agree we have the better matchup this hasn´t been established. If we are going to beat them is going to be with Capela playing better than their big guys. I would add in key matchups: Keep a balanced score when matching small line ups. Death line up vs Deat line up. Other than that we see it very similar this. Our roster fill in the gaps of our superstarts better for now, it´s just that they really have 4 superstars. We have 2, one on the rise (Capela) and one coming back (eGo)
Not sure if you have watched Eric Gordon play defense this year but he is rated as our best defensive player at 109.7, which is actually higher than Thompson at 108. I actually think Thompson is one of the most overrated players in the league and his defense is also vastly overrated. I maybe in the minority, but I would rather have Eric Gordon than Klay Thompson. Eric Gordon can actually drive to the basket and create his own shot.
Tucker allows us to match the Warriors' death lineup by having someone capable of defending Draymond in the post and also pressure him on the perimeter to disrupt his play making. Loved the signing when it happened because I know Tucker is the type of player this team needs in the Playoffs. You can tell just how I feel now after watching him already be instrumental in a few big wins this season.
it doesn't look like you're understanding defensive ratings correctly. the higher the defensive rating is, the worse you are on defense in terms of that advanced number CC is rated as houstons best defensive player using this rating
not necessarily as the number doesnt tell the entire story. its not a number you take as a fact as it is just an estimate
I watch almost every Rockets game and have always been a huge supporter of Ego and can honestly say this is an example of where stats don't provide the entire story. For one, I would argue that Klay defenders better players than Ego. I would also argue that Klay is a much better team defender and cerebral defender as opposed to Ego who's defense is based on his physical ability and effort. Now there are moments where Ego will defend the top wing (when Ariza/Moute are not playing and Tucker is acting as a big), but by and large that is not something we ask of him. If you think Klay's defense is vastly overrated, we should stop talking here and now. Klay is a great defender, full stop. His offensive ability maybe overrated, but he is a far, far better shooter than Ego is. Man is a 42.2% CAREER sharpshooter from downtown and a smart slasher when the opportunity arises. He is also very durable, whereas with Ego there is the perpetual fear of him getting hurt. I would absolutely take him over Ego on our team in a heartbeat.
I most definitely do not feel the same. When you’re a contender it’s very hard to have contracts that aren’t worth it if that player is contributing, and I never imagined us to be contenders but here we are. Not sure where you’re coming from with the post but christ the people on this board so quick to go back and point out the wrongs but literally only had one person acknowledge I called Melo going to OKC two months before it happened. Ahhh well, as long as this season stays like this who gives a s***
Thinking about this last night. There is another are where Tucker is not on Draymond level, and don´t really know if because of his size he can do it. Rim Protection. We can switch and defend the post, but we lose a little of rim protection with Tucker at 5. We have been good working the scheme to compensate this.
Wish we could still 1 star threads because OP's thread title has PJ Tucker instead of his real name, PJ Thiccker.
Verdict: Most likely true, because starter vs bench player Verdict: Unclear, difficult to quantify Verdict: Unclear, not supported by data, very much supported by popular opinion
Seems odd to compare PJ to Draymond who is more athletic and a better passer. PJ is Chuck Hayes with the ability to hit the 3.
Chuck Hayes? He's not drawing contact for fouls (only drew charges), spreading the floor, hitting freethrows/3s, or driving the lanes for layups. The only thing Dray has on PJ, like I said, is the younger age, and the ability to play downhill and run the fast break (this is where Dray gets most of his assists). Otherwise, PJ does exactly what Dray does IMO.
