Good take. Agree with you on most everything here. Regarding White — I'm not sure he gets sent down, but I do think his first year will have its challenges. Once he develops a consistent shot and learns to finish better at the rim with contact the floor should open up a bit more for him. Until then he may be limited in what he can do. You can take Summer League play with a grain of salt, but it's foolish to think there is no value whatsoever in what you see there. Two things about Royce interested me: 1) After struggling in the first game, he showed some ability to adjust and adapt to the strength and length of players there (vs college). 2) On several occasions, the Rockets offensive production was tied to his presence on the floor and his ability as a facilitator. It's anyone's guess at this point, but the reality of White's range of potential is probably much less polarized (high bust vs star) than many assume. He's too skilled, strong, and too smart to fall too far down. I could easily see him being a Battier type of player — different game, but a solid, high-value contributor. That, BTW, is fairly high praise.
Any chance the Rockets got hoodwinked by Dallas/Cleveland into passing on Zeller? Perhaps Dallas knew that Houston really wanted to do 16/Zeller and 18/White, but their trade with Cleveland was dependent on Zeller being there at 17. So they leak out their interest in Royce, spooking the Rockets into picking White at 16, leaving them free to pick and trade Zeller? McHale has quietly had a decent eye for high end big men; Kevin Garnett, Kevin Love, Nikola Pekovic, and Al Jefferson. I'd feel much worse if he was the only voice pushing for Jeremy Lamb. I'm not surprised that McHale would push for Royce White; he's a guy that would have fit right into the freeflowing '80s Celtics teams with his court vision, instincts and great hands. As we've seen constantly, McHale really struggles with designing set plays; he just tries to put guys in spots and expects them to do the rest, like how he and Bird would. I really want Royce White to succeed; I have a strong feeling it's going to be on another team. After McHale quits at the all-star break, there's not going to be any voices in his corner.
^ If so, I'd like to thank Dallas, because I'd rather have Terrence Jones than Zeller. (I confess to being slow to jump on the Jones bandwagon - at least until I saw him in summer league - a very smooth big man that was everywhere.)
i really like this guy. Instant fan-favorite. I respect him for dealing with his illness head-on. I sincerely hope the organization and his teammates do their part to support him through this first year. He's a very likable kid, and with those handles and his rebounding ability....please, he'll find his place in the NBA. Needs to get on the court though. We really do need to thin out that logjam at the 4.
This is a good comparison with his build and ability to pass, altho Royce seems to have a bit better passing. I expect to see McHale put Royce at the elbow to facilitate the offense from there since he was looking for someone like Chuck Hayes or Brad Miller to run that last year, but didn't have anyone like that.
My position is pretty clear, I think that out of the rookies, Royce will be by far the hardes to utilize properly, because he's turnover prone and needs a high usage rate to be effective. I don't at all think it's out of the question that Terrence Jones ends up ahead of White in the rotation, since he's a very good defender and a dynamic finisher who has already managed to contribute despite a low usage rate at Kentucky. I have always thought that the odds of McHale finishing his contract were very slim; either he'd be fired once Chris Finch was deemed ready, or he'd realize that being a coach is actually a fair amount of work and would resign. With this roster lacking immediate gratification and winning veterans, I'm definitely betting on the latter. I fully hope that Royce White becomes a monster in Houston, for my favorite team. But since I expect him to have a tough time transitioning to the NBA, and McHale to be gone by next year, I wouldn't be surprised to see him on another team; once he proves his anxiety issues are manageable there will be a ton of teams looking for a gamble.
so an honest question- If he DOES become a fan favorite(as i think he already is) is that going to bring on his disorder more or when he is on the court is he not affected? In the video he couldnt go down to the gym cause everyone was there for him and he stated "its like a pack of wolves". Any insight on this? Either way, he seems VERY humble and genuine and therefore i am pulling for him to succeed-on the ROCKETS!!
Aside from having a different personality, skillset, and draft placement, yeah! I'm hoping (and speculating) that he will get used to sustained attention. I could see him having problems in the playoffs though.
That was great vid. Why isn't NBATV doing videos like this? Too many flights during the season for White to be panic free; I think he has at least 2 panic attacks that keep him out of games.
Again, I agree that his transition might be challenging, but do not overlook his potential as a facilitator. I think McHale places high value on a big man who can pass the ball. Check his interview part 2 on that where he references Brad Miller and Chuck Hayes — two very different players, but both quite skilled at creating for others with their passing ability.
Just watched. awesome video.glad that mchale decide to take a risk. btw wasnt white rumored to be drafted by celtics if he's available?
