The problem is we have a bunch of facilitators next season and very little defenders at PG imo. One of many problems, another being muscle with height near the rim; but let's talk defense at PG. CF's think Eric Gordon is good on defense......I don't like him guarding quicker, smaller point guards. Wall has lost a step defensively in the form of lateral quickness. Porter can't guard quicker SG's / PG's. Augustin doesn't guard PG's all that great anymore. Codman insinuated Avery Bradley doesn't want to be in Houston after trade. Rockets have team option. Keeping disgruntled older player 30 and above usually doesn't help team chemistry. From what be seen of Cade Cunningham......not that great vs smaller guards/ point guards. I watched Ignite and Jalen Green final game this season vs Raps affiliate. Nik Stauskas and Gary Payton II got by him a time or two. Will still better PG defenders if we draft either on of Cade Cunningham, J Green, Mobley, Kuminga. One less facilitator won't hurt as much as continued no PG defense. Opposing PG stats have been at All Star level each game vs us this entire season. Facilitators Wall Eric Gordon Kevin Porter Jr Tate Christian Wood (see Olynyk next line) Olynyk (if re-signed).......Silas likes PF/C receiving the ball near free throw line and orchestrating the offense from there. Add possibly:: Cade Cunningham or Jalen Green or Suggs or Mobley......if USG% were slices of a pizza....only so many slices in a 48-min game. Porter is best when operating in a 26% to 30% Usage% for a game. Some players need to get so many touches to get a feel for the game and work up a sweat. Be more efficient. If we have 10 players that need multiple touches, we can end up with no one feeling confident and the team far less efficient. "Too Many Cooks In the Kitchen" syndrome. Spoils the soup. If everyone is getting 9% smidgit slice of pizza (USG%).....everyone will leave the game hungry and unsatisfied. Unhappy campers. Bank on it
cont'd from post #61 Khyri Thomas (I know only one game): 16 pts......3 rebs......85.7% (FG%).....66.7% (3P%)......100% (FT%)........38.1 PER.......14.6% (USG%) Player USG% (20/21) Rockets: Wall 31.7% Wood 25.9% Porter Jr: 25.4% Eric Gordon: 25.2% Olynyk: 21.7% Augustin: 21.2% Tate: 15.9% DRtg (20/21): Houston Augustin: 118 DRtg Wall: 116 DRtg Khyri Thomas: 105 DRtg (one game) I wasn't happy about the signing......but I'm willing to give him a try. See if he can PnR, shoot 3's, rebound, defend. I'm looking for a PG that can defend first.....then the rest. Someone we won't need to run plays for....because we will have enough of that. We need someone that can help get stops.
Thomas was lights out on offense last night, but that was probably an outlier. His defense though is the real thing, and I think you’ll see that night after night from him. That’s what I like best about his game.
I'm hoping the defense, but an ability to hit 3's, rebound, block some shots, PnR, slash to rim, cuts, hit FT's, like a version of a smaller Ariza playing PG. A version of Tony Allen or Andre Roberson playing defense but no offense is no good to me. I'm not looking for him to play an entire game every game when we have the likes Walll/EGo/Wood/Olynyk/Tate/Porter/ & Cade Cunningham Need for stops at the end of quarters or 1 or 2 possession close games will be helpful. Right now defense vs PG's, PF's and Centers are killing us. Not sure Wall and Eric Gordon coming back solves much of that problem.
Great breakdown, this might be a foolish question but what do you think about Nwaba's on ball defense against quick guards. I remember a couple of games where he was playing shut down defense on CP3 and Dame. I think he can help out with that IF WE RE-SIGN him back to the team.
He can, (Nwaba that is) vs the slow CP3. 3 games 13 pts (EGo), 19 pts (Avery Bradley), 9 pts 10 sets (Wall) Dame: 32 pts (Harden/ Nwaba) and 30 pt's (Wall / Oladipo)......game 3 this week. I can't say we stopped Dame. But I give Nwaba a break because that was game 1 after an injured season. We could go one by one with guards in the league. Some results had Harden giving matador defense though. Oladipo slightly Injured. In the case of Nwaba does he want to come back? I expected his 3-pt shooting to be better......shooting 27% from 3 on 2.1 attempts. Teams won't respect that. Sag off and lean towards clogging the paint. I want Cade/Porter/Wall/EGo to have free reign in the paint. Not sure Nwaba brings that. I can tell you what CP3 does: Plop-plop big center defender: will go PnR left of the paint and gets a shot over that big. No big plop-plop Center, goes right predominantly. I called that in the playoffs. No Capela, instead we had Covington-Tucker; CP3 went right almost 95% of the time it seemed. Covington was getting destroyed on the perimeter. Finally took the right side drive away from CP3 in the final minute of game 6 I believe. We won that game soon after that defensive stop.
Yea Nwaba's 3 point has to pick up for sure. But after watching Khyri Thomas on defense again against the Jazz...he is looking kind of legit as a 3&D type. ( that is my prisoner of the moment reaction)
Don't have, appreciate. I didn't want the guy but he is ballin. In 2 games: 16/28 for 57.1% (FG%)....6/15 for 40.0% (3P%)...21.5 pts....4 stls.,..2 Ast....4 rebs a game. I wish MCW played that well in any 2 game stretch. Oh no I didn't just go there. Just messing with you Williamson Khyri right now might get player of the week honors for the West. Bucks and Utah with big minutes from their starters
I didn't like the pick up.....but the kid is playing. I don't care too much for Kenyon Martin Jr....but the kid is ballin in the last 4 games. I give credit where credit is due.
Well I wouldn't make decisions with my heart. House: I saw talent in House when no one else did. Now he seems not to care. Should be scoring 17 pts a game in Silas system. I'm ready to cut bait and move on from him. Olynyk: stretch 4 who I felt would fit Silas system perfectly. Liked Porter Jr: I saw great things from Kevin the moment I saw him play as a rookie. Harden role. Like Cade Cunningham: will be a solid starter, All Star for decades. Like Jalen Green: will be Michael Jordan/Kobe Bryant level talent capabilities. Like. _____________________ I didn't see the point of signing a guard since we have little to no front court. If the purpose is to weed out Augustin, Avery Bradley, Nwaba, Sterling Brown and find their replacement on the cheap. Then I approve. If it's to have an army of guards to continue micro-ball, then I hate it. Wall and Eric Gordon contracts don't just disappear with the snap of the fingers. We could have such a bottle neck of traffic from the guard positions if Cade, Suggs or Jalen Green are also added. Of course we keep Augustin if we fail to secure the top 4 pick and lose out on another big time facilitator such as Cade, Jalen Green or Suggs. Of course I don't care what you think; but my thinking is system fit and today's NBA. Players that can shoot 3's can fit with both. Kenyon Martin Jr has been just dunks and blocks until recently. Pure athleticism doesn't impress me. I've seen many years of basketball of 50 plus years. The playground legends who could touch the top of the backboard fail to make it in the NBA. I recently posted an article naming about the 15 greatest playground legends that went that route. The Helicopter was one such named player. I've seen Kenny "Sky" Walker at 6'8" with a 40 inch vertical leap average around 9 points and ceiling seemed capped at that due to no outside shooting. J.R. Ryder could sky but an outside shot failed him. LaBradford Smith could sky but a lack of an outside shoot failed him. The jury is still out on Kenyon, but I like that he is kicking his 3 point attempts up in the last week. That shows promise. Let's see if he continues to improve. Silas system has been able to bring out the best of him with slashing and cuts. But here at the end of the season......teams are not game planning for him either. What happens when teams scheme for him next season? Will he be capped at 9 points per game max? Success from 3 can help himself from being shackled.
I think they hold onto Augustin for the rest of his contract unless they can package him for a good deal. I feel like he is a good fit and the Rockets aren't actively looking to move him.
I think they might be looking in terms of a better defender from the point. Augustin is great for our offense but a liability defensively. Turns 34 next season while Avery Bradley turns 31 (I believe). If no top 4 pick......I can see the Rockets keeping Augustin. NBA payers that are 30 and over get kicked to the curb if they aren't stars, like in the NFL. The teams want to fit 3 Max contracts and skimp on role players. With Wall, Eric Gordon, Porter, possibly Cade; Augustin gets pushed back on the depth chart. Deep depth chart. His defense will keep him out of games next year. But a younger cheaper point guard serves the Rockets well if he is active, quicker, jumps higher, rebounds.......because defensive situations can call for those serves more readily. I don't bring in Augustin for offense at the end of quarters when I have Wall, Eric Gordon, Porter, Cade; but their defense sucks. Wall stands the best chance from this group. Wall was a 116 DRtg this year. I remember when 112 DRtg was God awful. Now it's readily accepted. [Augustin 118 DRtg]
Well possibly playing for the same team for 20 years. Jalen Green is only 19. Both Cade and Jalen Green could go multiple years as an All Star in the first 10 years and then a few more in the second stretch of 10 years. How many All Stars did Michael Jordan go to? Only in his first 10 years? Do we not round it up? Why round 12 or 14 All Star appearances down over a 20 year career?
So that I am clear, in your scenario, for example if a player makes 2 all star teams in his career, one in year 5 and one in year 11, he has been an all star for decades?
Well as I said "actively" moving him. I was just saying I don't believe his contract is seen as a negative value and he has a place on the team. Of course it all depends on who we can sign and what the draft looks like but if nothing major happens I am saying I doubt the Rockets will be trying to offload him. I really want the Rockets to focus on offloading anyone with injury history. Look at the Jazz. The Jazz aren't overly talented compared to any other team they just been together for a while and for the most part stay healthy. Consistency can make up for talent sometimes. House and Gordon are barely around and I doubt they will consistently be around next year either.
