I think, with Scola, you have to decide when you plan on being at an elite level again. I guess the pipe dream is Howard + PG in 2012. Well if you "plan" on being a contender in 2012 with a 32 year old Scola declining, you are less likely improve upon that core and more likely to decline instead of getting better. I love Scola, but his defense is just absolutely terrible. I mean, it is trully awful. I would pick up the phone and offer Scola and Budinger for Granger, and move Patterson into the starting 4 spot. I think you could do alot worse sitting at the negotiating table with Howard/Paul and say hey come play with Martin/Granger/Patterson all in thier prime. Thats a dominant post guy with 4 excellent shooters and you are strong at 3/5 positions.
Looks like Scola is injury prone to me. He's missed two games now after playing in 350 +/- consecutive games. He's worthless!
That simply isn't true. Scola plays good team defense. He makes his rotations, boxes out, plays help D. The problem Luis has is that he isn't very athletic compared to a lot of the players he has to guard. Scola is average and sometimes better than average, depending on the matchup. He never takes a play off. You want absolutely terrible? AB could be absolutely terrible. Not all the time, when he put in the effort on that end (not very often), instead of just on the offensive side, but Brooks is often awful defensively.
I can't disagree enough. Scola is a really really bad defender. Sometimes I see him step aside when players come in for layups and just go straight out of bounds so he can push the next transition play quicker. He also wont close out on shooters. He rarely leaves the paint at all. Brooks might be a worse defender, but at the PF spot Scola's weakness is far more impactful. He is good for a charge or two during the game, and will make rotations, but for a hustle guy, I expect much much D.
scola can only live and work in certain cities in the USA due to the language barrier he hasnt learned english nearly as fast as yao or hakeem so if he was going to get traded he would probably want to go the spurs, lakers or miami
By basically all defensive stats, Scola was absolutely beasting on defense when Yao was around. Especially in his second year, when opposing PFs performed very mediocre when matched up agians Scola. When Yao got injured, and he was basically playing with Hayes/Hill/Landry for the most part, his defense suffered A LOT. This shows that Scola is a limited defender, not a bad one. A limited defender can perform limited defensive tasks, but can perform them well. A bad defender just sucks. Brooks would be a bad defender. There's no scenario where his defense would be acceptable. Hayes is a great defender, because he can perform well in any given situation. Scola's really in between. He needs that paint-clogging center because he's not that type of a person. In the end, like just about all other Rockets problems, Scola's defense come from a lack of an inside presence.
After watching the last 3 games, saying something about Scola defenses a big mistake. The first quarter against the Spurs was the worst in the entire seasons. Our defense allows more points than in any other game. We must support our players when they play with her heart every single game.
Hey, look. All I'm saying is: Can't they just teach him the stuff he doesn't know? Because he's still only just ~4 years into the league. And, as far as I'm seeing, it seems that, once he became a good scorer, everybody became content and everyone thought that's as far as he can go.
When I look at this in its totality especially in terms of younger cheaper talent, it comes down to not just scola, but his replacement. 2012 should be the year to get this team out of the cycle of mediocrity and make a real money and talent push to do so. So it comes down to this, Hill v Patterson v Thompson v Hickson. Of those 4, whom would you prefer to play alongside Howard and with Williams? 2 of those guys are already on the roster, the other 2 can be had via trade. All 4 are around the same age and are still cheaper than scola,but have room to grow. If it were me, i would get Jason Thompson and when I get howard, it would create a rotation of Howard-thompson-patterson. Thats just my thoughts.
I love Scola but this is my stance also. For trading purposes, the market for a player like Scola (age + contract) doesn't figure to be all that strong. That said, I expect him to remain in a Rockets' uniform for quite some time.
Thompson looks like he's going to do a Potapenko, ie a good couple of years early on in his career then nothing.
Yes they are and Scola at least hustles on every play. Scola's D would be better if a shot blocker would be playing beside him.
The smartest management trades its players before their rookie contracts expire. 1. Everybody knows that players on rookie contracts are the best values. 2. Since they are young, injury concern is at the minimum. 3. By playing all young players, the team is bound to get a very high pick every year. This is how the Clippers build a dynasty through the years. Every smart team should follow the same model.
Nice post, although there are folks here that see what they want to see regarding Luis and his defense. In other words, they are blind. I'm willing to trade any player on the Rockets if it makes us a better team. Anyone. I've always felt that way. What I don't understand is how myoptic some members are regarding Scola and his defense. OK, I do understand it. They have a predilection towards hammering Scola's defense because they either don't watch the games (I watch them all, often more than once), or they have some prejudice that blinds them to reality. Take larsv8, for example. he happens to be one of the most ardent defenders of Aaron Brooks, who's another player I like, but wanted coming off the bench behind Lowry. Brooks is an awful defender. He makes Scola look like A.C. Green on defense. Yet how often did larsv8 raise hell about AB's awful defense? What's that? Are those crickets chirping? Right. Then you have members like leebigez, who came around and has recognized both Scola's value to the Rocks and his limitations. In other words, as often as I disagree with the guy, I respect his opinions (and I respect the often wrong opinions of larsv8! ;-) ), because I know he doesn't have blinders on. OK, except for thinking we're going to end up with Howard and Williams in 2012. I figure the odds are around 2%, but if he's right, I'll donate $50 to the tip jar. (As it is, I'm donating a dollar for every win at the end of the season and will be glad to do it, along with The_Yoyo.) Scola is a decent defender. He definitely has his limitations, both on offense and defense, but he is not a bad defender.
Deckard,scola is a bad defender, but he gives effort unlike martin. Now most consider rebounding as a defensive stat, so in that he's ok. Scola was terrible even when we had yao, but it wasnt really exposed until teams needed a basket. He below average in small space and in space in genral. He's ok in rotation, will take charge every once in awhile. In terms of howard and williams, the best thing for the rockets was williams going to jersey and if howard goes out in the 2nd rd. Nj will not trade williams during the season, but I think Orlando will if howard doesnt sign that extension. Morey now have enough picks and young expiring talent to offer orlando. Thats why I think its crucial thabeet shows some kind of progress this summer and next season. The Lakers are going to offer bynum which the rox cant compte with, but if thabeet shows progress, the rox can offer thabeet and some of the picks they have. They get howard, williams is coming in the summer if the rox have the money.
So much for Peace and Love! R2K and I disagree with you, but I'm not going to have a fight. I'll just say YOU'RE WRONG!!
I dont really look at defensive stats, I just eyeball layups and then rewind via DVR to see where the defensive breakdown was. Alot of the times, its Scola. But I would be happy to look at your data, please share. Well in 2007, Rafer was traded and both Scola and Brooks started for a very good defensive team. Neither, in my opinion, are decent defenders. . I don't buy that. You can have great defenders on a bad defensive teams (see Battier and Hayes this year) and you can have bad defenders on good defensive teams (see 2007) but an interior presence doesnt make someone else a good or bad defender. As I said above, he hustles and rotates alot of the time, but overall he is not a good defender at all. Wow Deckard, of all the flack I have taken on the forum, this one probably hurts the most.
