the “it’s only 1 game” mantra should really only apply for Jalen Green KPJr is in his 3rd season and we have a good sample size of his shooting and defensive capability so far he has been Lakers D’angelo Russell caliber as a player…this and next season he needs to be stepping it up
And here's the thing now that you mention D'Angelo R. The conundrum with a player like that is they'll show enough talent to get overpaid as a free agent when another desperate team like the Wolves wants to swing for the fences. The Rockets, if they have championship aspirations, are likely to be the type of team that says he's not good enough to build around, and would hurt our cap ability to get a real star, and then they trade him or let him walk before he ever shows if he's a legit star or not. I can tell you now that next Summer KPJ and his agent will be asking for a max like extension regardless of the type of season he has. The team will then need to think hard about trading him. That's why I say that players like this often have to cycle through multiple teams before anyone figures out who they are as NBA players. The Rockets don't have the amount of time people here think they do to make a calculation if he's a future superstar or not. Suckage or no suckage... he's asking for an extension this Summer, and the Rockets might need to make a decision on his future sooner than you think.
If Scooter is asking for a max next season then he can kick rocks -- he would have to have a ridiculously good year for that even to be a conversation. Scoot seems to genuinely love HTown and has been humble enough to admit that this franchise took a shot on him when others left him for dead. I think there will be a substantial compromise on his part.
Nowadays you really only need to show potential in order to get a max deal or something absurd. I 100% think that KPJ will have games where he puts up huge numbers like the 50 pt game last season, and that promise alone is enough to get FA attention. Teams pay these type of guys all the time. I just think that Stone is more of a GM that "finds a Chandler Parsons, not pays him" and it'll be in his DNA to make a judgement that if he's not a true star player, they should move him as good teams often do when they draft a player like that, and they'll command too much money as a FA. I mean we are talking about a league that continues to think that Russell Westbrook is worth 40 million dollars a year, and the missing superstar to win a title. If Scooter has 2 more 50 pt games this season (despite breaking NBA records for turnovers, and shooting % and his team wins only a dozen games) I guarantee you, some dumb owner out there is going to pay him.
The flip side is that he may NOT ask for max, given his uneven play, and the Rox may be able to get a reasonable extension, only for him to really blossom. That’s a possibility, given the raw talent.
100%. However my point is that evaluation by Stone is going to be sooner rather than later, and KPJ has more than just "one game" under his belt. The chances of the team making that calculation when they need to with having the data to show he's a worthwhile gamble are pretty slim IMO. But yeah if there's something in the data that shows he WILL BE that good and they can extend him this Summer on a good deal, it's a huge win for the team. I just don't believe they have that much time. As soon as he has another 50 pt game this season, despite his other metrics, I would bet his agent will be working overtime to start canvasing league contacts to gain some 2023 interest in that max contract.... as he should since it's his job to get KPJ a max contract or two.
I mean yeah, 50 pt games are not that common; what they show is the ability. Mistakes can be cleaned-up, consistency can be ramped-up, but you have a "proof-of-principle" of elite play. GMs will go for that, rather than a clean and consistent player who’s only consistently shown mediocrity or badness. That applies to Stone and to other GMs. The advantage Stone has is that he can pass on a max deal this summer and wait another year, and then match or not match… We’ll have to see. The Chandler Parsons example is the opposite example actually. CP got in the league a bit older, and he was much more competent and consistent NBA player in his first 3 years than KPJ but never showed these elite flashes, he was a complimentary player, mostly. Also he was giving out that ditzy Hollywood vibe. So, obviously Morey made the the best decision not to match, in hindsight. It is like, I have this guy in his mid-20s who’s likely not going to be a superstar, and is a risk of losing interest, when he gets paid, to go chase models and all that bulsh|tt… So do I pay him or do I pay 1/3 of that money to a solid pro trevor ariza, who gives you the same production? A bit of an easy decision when you think about it. KPJ sitch is different. It would be a bet on him cleaning his game and getting it consistent. The ability is there, we have a proof-of-principle.
actually +/- is a poor stat to look at because it relies so much on your team mates scoring and defending as well while you are on the court
He made really good decisions tonight. Obviously the shooting was there, which was nice, but his vision and decision making with the ball was really good compared to preseason and the first game. Happy to see the improvement.
It's not fun. It was barley fun when a real all time great HOF'er played that way. What makes a guy who is not even 10% of Hardens talent worth watching? 34.5% USG first game and i don't know what this game was, but it's likely just as high. A rookie MJ had 29 USG% why do i want to watch this dude play like a homeless version of James Harden? Empty stats don't excite me or blind me. "Waa."
you are insane, with harden on the rockets we had the 3rd most wins throughout the 2010's decade behind the warriors and spurs. We just didnt win a ring. KPJ is still growing into the pg position
