Smh wtf you talking about the dude is an athlete. I really hope you are a woman looking at this man's weight like that ....
I love CFers talking about how good Ennis is compared to Ariza or Luc. The fact is, he's a bench guy who barely cracked any rotations until the last two years, at age 26-27, and most people on here have barely seen him play other than highlight clips (and everyone looks great in highlight videos). They are so optimistic about Ennis taking the Ariza/Luc spot, yet absolutely dismissive of Carmelo Anthony contributing much to the team. That is perfectly backwards thinking of the type CF excels at: Hype the unproven guy WAY out of proportion and slam the guy who's been getting the job done his entire career.
A 33 year old Trevor Ariza isn't as helpful in our scheme as in others. It's great that he starts the possession on the other team's best scorer. One Pick and Roll later and he's guarding some PF 20 feet away. He was great at jumping passing lanes and that will be missed but our switch heavy defense is only as good as our worst defenders and our rim protection. They'll be the ones who end up challenging the scorer. Wish him the best and hope they manage his minutes more effectively than we did. As for the national media... lol.
We don’t know how good Ennis will be compared to Ariza. The point is that I believe Morey knows what he’s doing. Is Ariza, in his age 34 season, worth 15$ million? I don’t think so. This team isn’t a finished product, which was one of my other points...and I believe before the season starts we will feel better about the subtractions and additions to this team. I remember when Morey acquired Kyle Lowry from Memphis...people had no idea what he would become and he had barely cracked Memphis’ Rotation before we got him. Now I’m not saying the Ennis acquisition will compare in that regard, however I believe in Morey’s ability to value players and project players future production based on analytics, age, and a number of other factors that go into the process. Ariza played his role well here in his second stint in a Rockets jersey. Let’s not forget about the first go round. I personally am glad we didn’t give him $15 mil. And in my opinion I believe in the Ennis acquisition and whatever other acquisitions we make heading into the season. I think Morey has proven he knows what he’s doing.
@Htown Legend, sorry if I gave the impression I was talking about you. Your OP was a well-reason look at the situation. (And welcome to ClutchFans, btw.) And I agree that we were right in letting both Ariza and Luc walk, all things considered. Morey made the right call. And absolutely, Ennis might be exactly what we need, especially if the coaches put him in the right spots. The point of my thread was that many CFers are overly confident in his ability to make up for the Ariza/Luc loss, even though most I'm guessing haven't seen him play other than highlight reels. Meanwhile, Melo, who everyone has seen as he tore up the league, is looked at by many as having no positive impact on the team whatsoever. Mind-boggling.
I'm basing my opinion of the guy on watching his play during one game last season against Houston. He was really bothering Harden. Giving him a hard time, making him work, and Harden's hard to defend. It impressed me. Wish I could remember which game that was.
These are the same guys who said Paul and Harden wouldn't fit together. Shouldn't Morey and D'Antoni get the benefit of the doubt by now? They will figure it out. The media just needs to write stories about winners and losers in the off season and Carmelo is an easy loser for the lazy writer to pick.
We've seen what happens when teams overpay for players that out play their contracts with us. Parsons is just an example. This isn't Morey's first rodeo. I'm fairly certain wellwbe as good probably better offensively with Melo / Ennis. I'm concerned about our D though. Melo leaves a lot to be desired there. Let's see them play together before we decide anything.
OP, good thread and welcome to the board. I think the drama queens in the press like to spin their stories to get clicks and reactions. Frankly, our losses vs what we have gained and retained have us in a good position for next season (and we're not done yet). We can all debate how Ennis, Melo and others will fit, but frankly we're ALL just guessing and not considering how the coaches will adjust the system based on the new talent. I trust both DM and MDA as the leadership building and guiding our team. Ariza may be missed more in the locker room than the court. Luc was a pleasant surprise until he disappeared when we needed him most. They're both last year's team. This year's team is still in the process, but so far, so good from my perspective.
I agree... I also don't think Ennis was brought here to be Ariza's replacement until proven otherwise. I see the beginning of the season as a point of mixing and matching where people belong. For now the only guaranteed Starters are Chris Paul, James Harden, Capella. Everyone else is on a wait and we'll see!
You know I think we underestimate the improvement from staying together for more than one season. Looking forward to what james and cp3 can do
Love Trevor - he also had a huge hand in destroying Donovan Mitchell. But 15M is too much and Morey did the right thing letting him go. I think we’ll be better this year when all is said and done.
Flipping Ryno for a legit starter at 3D wing means PJ is 7th man off bench. Having a bench this strong and deep is critical for Rockets ongoing success regular and postseason.
