So far, the Rockets have been much better with Hartenstein at C versus Capela -- Why?

He would have more posts but his wife plays really great defense!
https://lifehacker.com/circle-is-the-parental-control-for-the-internet-ive-alw-1747520805

 

Hmm, I wonder why MDA doesn't start him over Capela... Oh yeah, maybe because you can't just pull your starter whenever he is outmatched on the floor like you can with a bench player like Hartenstein.

 

A big part of this equation is likely quality of competition - Capela's a starter playing against starters for much of his on court time , Hartenstein is getting backup minutes , often against the opposition's backups , Capela gets much fewer minutes against the oppositions backups.

Have to remember that this is a team game …. who you are on the court with and against is going to show up statistically.

What this tells me is that Hartenstein is better than the opposition's backup options.

Being so young , he should improve , lets hope his trajectory is similar to that Capela has had over multiple seasons.

 

Right but you would think this would show up.

When he was pulled the other night it was after only a couple of minutes of negative basketball.

It’d be like a pitcher going an inning and giving up a run. Huge ERA.

 

Read title: never go full r****d

 

Literally all this stat says about iHart is that we are successfully putting him in a position where he is excelling.

We have found a role for a player who is executing that role very well.

 

Minutes and plus/minus for each game. Not sure where OP's numbers came from. These numbers show Hartenestein appears to have played few meaningful minutes.

10/17 Pelicans
CC 24 min, -14
IH 1 min, +2
Hartenstein played way better?!

10/20 Lakers
CC 33 min, +4
IH 0, 0

10/21 Clippers
CC 33 min, +10
IH 9 min, -7

10/24 Jazz
CC 37 min, -18
IH 2 min, +4
Hartenstein played way better?!

10/26 Clippers
CC 33 min, -12
IH 13 min, +3

10/30 Blazers
CC 30 min, -15
IH 6 min, +0

11/2 Nets
CC 37 min, +15
IH 7 min, +1

11/3 Bulls
CC 35 min, +1
IH 12 min, +7

11/5 Pacers
CC 35 min, +6
IH 7 min, +2

11/8 Thunder
CC 33 min, +4
IH 6 min, +2

11/10 Spurs
CC 32 min, +5
IH 9 min, +1

11/11 Pacers
CC 28 min, +1
IH 12 min, +2

11/13 Nuggets
CC 36 min, +4
IH 3 min, +3

11/15 Warriors
CC 29 min, +1
IH 14 min, +1

Kings
CC 38 min, +1
IH 8 min, +1

 

So I guess this means we have our back up 5 now. No need for trades or buyouts. We are just a wing away now!

 

Maybe he is usually put in when the coach is confident that he is not outmatched against the opposing lineup? A guy who is used less than 10 mpg is usually used like that, situational sub.

I think the stats (apart from small sample size caveat) do show that he can hold his own whenever the coach is comfortable putting him in, rather than bring in disaster results. Anyway, comparing this kind of numbers between a spot-minute bench player to starters is usually very misleading.

 

Look fishy, because Zhou Qi is on the chart when he have yet to play a regular season game

 

Sixers with Embiid pulling Capela away from the rim is a good test of how the Warriors will be in the playoffs with Cousins. Only Emiid has greater mobility this season

 

I think OP answered his own question a little bit. I think the data is a result of a small sample size and the circumstances around when Hartenstein has gotten more minutes. To put it simply, the guy has just gotten way more minutes as of late, and that happens to coincide with the Rockets playing better basketball as a team.

For example, in the six October games in which the Rockets were 1-5, he averaged only 6.8 minutes per game. While he's averaged 10.2 minutes in November, during which time the Rockets have been 7-2. He's also played double digit minutes in five straight games, and he's averaged 12.5 minutes per game over the last four, which were all double digit victories.

All that being said, I see a lot of positives from him and thought he's played well enough to justify those 10-15 minutes a game he's gotten lately. Hopefully he keeps it up and can start gaining a little more confidence on the offensive side of the ball.

 

Clint started the Pelicans game, which we lost by 19.
Clint started the Jazz game, which we lost by 11.
Clint started the Clippers game, which we lost by 20.
Clint started the Blazers game, which we lost by 19.

In those games, Rockets were -59.
Clint was -59.

 

Yes. And I love Embiid. But the Sixers problem is a guy like Winslow can defend him decently well both inside and outside but Embiid cannot keep up with him in transition. In halfcourt you switch Embiid on to a shooter he has to face guard and get him out of the paint and Philly goes down.

Great player playing to his max in today's game. Better than Capela. But not three right skill set defensively to deal with a small ball lineup running his butt off and making him defend all over the perimeter.

(You see, it's not about Capela. I would not even trade for Embiid unless and until there's some sort of rule changes that change the dynamics of how the game is played today.)

 

Playing against backups.

DD

 

The chart passes the eye test. Players seem to be where you would expect them to be. Chriss, Melo, MCW, Qi = Junk and the rest make sense too.

The Rockets haven't been much better with Hartenstein, but Hartenstein definitely has added value as a Rocket with BBIQ, Hustle, positioning, effort.... you know all that white guy stuff.

 

Sixers gave us trouble last because of Embiid. If we recall the Sixers were winning in Philly before Harden sparked
the comeback, Gordon hitting the last second shot. Rockets won by one point.

Game two was a couple of days later in Houston. Sixers we’re kicking our behinds sideways until the Rockets made it
closer in the fourth quarter......Rockets lost by 8.

In both games which were in the first 15 games of the season (I believe) Embiid was good, scoring 21 points and
22 or 23 points. But keep in mind that the Sixers were limiting his minutes and holding playing him every other game.
In both Rockets games he logged in 25 minutes.......now he is averaging 34 minutes and playing every game.

Your description sounds more like KAT to me. Cousins and Embiid can play the 5-out; but take a smaller player
into the post for some B-B-Q chicken....mouse in the house action. Presenting a problem. Guys like Embiid,
Jaren Jackson (Grizz), J Allen (Nets), Bagley (Kings), etc are studs of the near future.

Guys like Pachulia, JaVale MeGee are Bigs that you can contend with; but pay them little. I’m a believer that
Hartenstein does open things up and that he doesn’t get all the rebounds.....but he does a good job of disrupting
and tapping the ball to open shooters.

Capela averaged 28.5 mins a game in the playoff series vs the Warriors in the WCF last year; but that was with
Capela logging in about 37 mins in game 7. Take that game out and he averaged 27 mins a game (the first 6 gms).
Interesting to me how Cousins will be played by the Rockets. Cousins is going to open things up for the Warriors.
Going back to the Sixers, Embiid posts up smaller players, so if Capela is guarding Embiid out on the perimeter then
Butler and JJ Redick force close coverage........which allows Ben Simmons free to attack probably Harden one-on-one.
Advantage Simmons as he takes two dribbles from the perimeter and can finger roll it to the rim. Forces someone
to be open on the perimeter as help has to come. One can not stress enough the importance of the 5-out play
offensively while using a big center.

Takes the game to another level, as Internet mathematicians note with today’s NBA.....3’s are greater than 2’s....duh.
Teams will trade Capela’s 2’s (while giving him 28 points) if they can bury 3’s as Capela leaves his assignment
on the perimeter. Or Capela stays with his assignment on the perimeter and a Durant, Curry, Simmons, Butler types
drive against us with few shot blockers and easy buckets.

Gary Clark and James Ennis are doing better at defending the rim....we (Rockets) will need them to improve
to help protect the rim vs what you and I know is coming. The 5-Out sets as the playoffs are forced into half court
game play.

 

Good job... This post destroys this thread by providing the context.

 

Agree with practically everything you said here. And Embiid I'd add good add it gets with his massive offensive skills.

But I still don't believe he is mobile enough to grind it out for 7 games defending getting switches into Steph or Harden or Paul. He supply has limited mobility with his twisted feet and ankle injuries that I believe will be exposed at the height of extended pressure. Very similar to Yao. He's much more mobile than Yao ever was and much more gifted too. But.....I do not think he is mobile enough sand I think he's going to super a tragic blowout of a ankle/foot/knee at some point that will shorten his career unfortunately.

I do see that speed and quickness in JJJr. As well as guys like Jordan Bell.

I personally have come to the conclusion that the only way a team is going to beat the Warriors is by having 5 guys that can shoot and a center that can both defend the post but.....most importantly....switch and take the best smalls in the game and defend them well enough to drive their efficiency DOWN.

But if we have to choose skill sets among bigs then the most important skills are these skills prioritized in this order of importance with 1 and 2 being the most critical if a team plans on beating the Warriors and winning a championship:

1. Switch and be a plus defender defending smalls.

2. Shooting - Be able to shoot the spot-up 3 at close to or over 40%. And a 70%+ FT shooter so you're not a liability in crunch time.

3. Strong enough to defend the best post up players efficiently so they don't mismatch you.

4. Be great at the fundamental box-out. (With everybody shooting 3's and the rebound coming out long, teams that fundamentally box out all 5 spots from anywhere on the floor are going to pick up a rebounding advantage over teams that don't emphasize it and simply dive to the rim. Team rebounding should be the emphasis even more in today's game.)

5. Great pick-and-roll player (Ability to set great picks, and the understanding to be able to feel the right space to drift into, and the iq to know when to slip the pick versus set it hard, etc. Capela is an absolute master at this. One of the very best in the Association. He's got great feel and chemistry with the smalls. An optimal PnR player.)

6. Pass and distribute. (Specifically the swing pass into the corners and bullet passes and lobs to the rim.)

7. Handle



You probably agree with almost all that. Feels like we see the game alike right now.