He's talking about Josh Smith, who is nursing a sore back at the moment. I think Smith isn't motivated to play nor has the quick spring to defend and block shots like back when he was a Hawk. The line up to experiment with is DMo and Beasley.
Beasley wasn't a major factor in this game but he wasn't a negative imo. He played strange minutes last time vs. OKC too. Might be something to it. Maybe Durant has his number
Yea Smith recreating what he did last year is a pipe dream. And why would we try to play that card when Beasley is creating from the PF position w/ or w/o Harden, the exact thing everyone said we needed
Beasley had that sick right handed lay up late in the game during the comeback. I don't like how JBB takes him out the majority of the game just because he goes 1-6 but when brewer/Terry go like 1-100 they continue to get big minutes. Capela/Beasley/Harden/KJ/Ariza line up is my fav. Let Harden run PG. Gotta use the youth and hustle line up more than anything!!
9 mins for the Beas. Will this be a permanent change by JB or more of a match-up effect? Cause I honestly think KJ, Beas and Mini Mamba could ALL help the Rockets in some capacity every game. If anything, banish Brewer and Terry completely for these guys.
I'm glad he took him out, he did have a nice flow there with the Harden pick and roll leading to a lay-up and a hand off to Capela. Kind of like Josh when he would get the ball in the middle and pass it to the corners or Dwight. The guy needs to understand just like Josh and most of our players when to take a shot, who is guarding you, how much space you have and not rush anything.
Beasley can easily play SF that is his original position after all. Beas back up SF/PF smith back up PF. I wanna see a good lineup with smith and Beasley on the floor. How big and athletic eould a harsen, Ariza, Beasley, smith and howard lineup be for a few minutes. Big but athletic Nd fast
Beasley is certainly better than the player formerly known as Smoove, but Bickerstaff made a good call keeping him on the bench. I don't like that he played Ariza 40 something minutes, but we needed this win and Beasley is just flat out a poor defender, and when his shot isn't falling (like yesterday) his on court value is limited to rebounds, which he's actually been pretty good at as a Rocket (much higher than his career rates).
There hasn't been much wrong with Beasley's defense since he joined the Rockets. So I wouldn't judge his previous NBA history. (just yet) Strange he only played 9min, but given we got the win and it's 1 game, I'm not too concerned. Maybe there's a strategy with it given he's supposedly friends with Durant. Maybe he has a cold. Maybe it's a matchup thing.
As you mentioned there were two Harden/Beas consecutive pnr both of which ended up in buckets. Really want to see that continue.
Josh this year? Are we sure about that? On the perimeter? On pick and roll coverage? I'm not so sure. Josh is not Atlanta Josh. Hopefully he has gotten himself healthy, but this year he has been pitiful.
Jopat was actually talking about Smith backing up the 5, not the 4 which is Beasley's position on the team.
There's room for both Smoove and Beas to contribute. I'm not sure why people are comparing the two. They're very similar in a lot of ways but also very different as well. We want and need Smoove to play well and I think (hopeful) he can come alive again. Smoove's defense will be pivotal against slowing down Draymon, LMA, BG etc. he's our best bet against those guys as bad as he's been this year. I think our most versatile lineup would actually consist of Harden, Ariza, Beasley, Smoove, Capela. I hope to see that lineup at times during key stretches of the playoffs.
JBB is dead man walking as it is. He knows (or should know) that this season was a "hood rat" for him. Hit it, get it out of the way, maybe he won't be so awful at it in the future. Not playing Beasley........kinda weird, though, but one of JBB's faults is his loyalty to players who, um, haven't helped us win much.
Yeah, like play Beasley, Goudelock, Harrell, KJ +Capela that is not a bad bench. Wish JB would give more PT to these players. Capela is already getting good minutes but the rest yikes!