Also super tradeable for this reason. When the Rockets unload Wall for Lillard, Tate will be involved
Tate is a solid player but being 6'4 he is very limited who wants to plays inside. He is not a good shooter but a hard working defensive player so he should come off the bench. Martin should start over him.
I wish Tate was about 4 to 5 inches taller but If Garuba brings the same level D and can produce offensively it won't matter. I think the Rockets will be a hell of a team in a few years.
I agree. Currently, the Jalen Green and Tate combination needs some work. Their games don't naturally complement each other all that well. At this point, Martin's game seems to offer more dynamic play on both sides of the ball. It's a credit to Martin that he's earned his minutes in the rotation. Hopefully, the coaches will continue to reward his hard work. On offense, Martin can get his points off the ball with sharp cuts and finishes above the rim. It also certainly helps the Rockets defense to pair KMJ's athleticism with Green's liabilities. While Tate is a reasonable one-on-one defender, opposing players know they can get to their shots against Tate if they are patient. But they fear Martin's weak side help. I would challenge Tate to provide a spark off the bench. Ultimately, that's the role that he'll need to grow into over time.
Gonna have to disagree with you there. I'm not sure if you'll remember that past so long ago when we were competitive and we had a stocky, defensive player whose only real offensive contribution was a corner 3? Not much taller than Tate, was fundamental in winning a championship not long after we moved him...
Your Tate vs Tucker comps are fine, but Tucker has always had the same (or better) quickness than Tate plus 15 pounds and tons of strength on him. It's possible that Tate could grow into that position, but at every level, Tucker has been an in-the-trenches forward. I don't have a problem with Tate. I just think unless he becomes a lights-out 3-point shooter that he's going to have a hard time holding down a starting job. And the production that Martin brings is quite real. Both seem like serviceable options on this Rockets team. Right now, I think Green and Martin make a better pair.
I agree that the Tate-Green combo is rough. And KJ adds a dimension missing in starting lineup, rim protection plus 3ball. But IMO the odd man out is Green. Green has a really good 2 man game with Sengun but requires MAX space and pace to go super saiyan. The starting unit would play 5 out like Silas prefers while 2nd unit would be 4 out, which is to both Green AND Sengun's strengths. So I would surround him with Sengun and physical perimeter players like Theis, Snipa, Augustin, JC, etc. He should still get his 36 minutes and be part of death lineup but let him be the microwave off the bench burning down opposing teams 2nd units. Let these guys deal with 1st unit: KPJ EGo Tate KJ Wood I'd even throw Garuba into that 1st unit.
I wouldn't be against that as a starting unit. It'd be nice if we could play EG as a partner to both KP and Green, would be a positive on both ends I think. Hopefully JC and Garuba will get good run in the G-league so we can see them develop because I just don't think Silas is on that at all right now.