The problem with the draft was not just talent, they again went with players that reluctantly filled the need and are somewhat either undersized (6'9 Alperen) or looked like a twig (Jalen with massively narrow shoulders and 6'4) I know they displayed some very good talent but the Rockets cannot miss out on height, length again. I have no problem with Sengün's assessment. It is a bummer because of years of accumulating shorter players and players that are one dimensional, they luck out on good talented players.
If it were me, Id look to walk away with either Jabari/Kendall Smith or AJG/Tari Eason depending on where the pick falls. I think, and this is looking long term, that Griffin represents a dramatic upgrade at the 3 and Eason has potential on defense to be perfect next to Sengun at the 4. In either scenario I would look to score a second to bring in more size. I like Badji, Diop and Tshiebwe as guys who are, at worst, 6 fouls in the Joe Klein mold but who could end up being plus defenders/rebounders with some seasoning. I still hold out hope that Garuba develops into something valuable too.
I don't have the level of confidence that you do in KPJ/NIX being good enough to win big in this league.
I actually really like Ivey/Kessler. Personally in a big I want a big that plays defense and rebounds with size. Think Steven Adams. I think that archetype with Ivey sounds fantasiric
That would be a solid outcome for the Rockets. I would be happy with Holmgren and Eason if the lottery goes well for the Rockets. If the Rockets end up with Smith or Ivey, there are still players like Jalen Duren that the Rockets could try to get with the Nets pick that defensively would allow Sengun to play heavy minutes.... but it would require Sengun to develop a reliable outside shot.
Duren was intriguing me...do you guys think his offensive game can improve beyond around the rim? Reminds me of a taller, less refined Montrezl Harrell though I could be totally wrong.
I thought we were going to draft Mobley and was more than good with it due to the 'legacy of bigs' mantra. Very pleased with Green but it's also not late too correct the lack of height. Chet! With Sengun, he can be a hustle defender and will add weight too. Jonas used to be pushed around by skinny centers. First 3 fouls vs DTX and the first 2 last night, there was nothing he could have done to avoid them, not quicker feet not being 7'5. The problem is it's on film. They're just going to look for him and run into him and get that call. Offense players should be able to seek contact. It should be punishable by a Technical foul. Having Chet next to Sengun will do wonders for interior defense. It's going to be funny when Jonas goes flying after running into Chet and drawing a foul.
A lot what we need from the pg position or center depends on what we get at other positions. Can KP3 / Nix work at the pg position? Yes if you have the right players around them. I don't think they would work with our current front court. Sengun has promise as an offensive player but he's going to have issues with quicker players and we see that already. He's got great post defense though so there is a role on this team for him but he's not someone you can have on the court universally. That said, we might not get an upgrade for a while given that really good bigs are hard to get. But if he can hit the three consistently he's going to create problems on the other end. Not many bigs in the league that can pass, shoot, post up, and be strong inside. Jokic doesn't have great defensive skills on the perimeter either, so I think for Sengun, a lot of what he becomes will be determined by how strong of an offensive force he actually can become. Overall, we do need another big because this team is undersized, but we don't have a great sf either. So if you look at this team you can see improvements anywhere but at sg. So I think the Rockets should just take the best player they can get in the draft and then go from there.
Neither. Trade. Young talent typically doesn't hit free agency, and the draft should ALWAYS be Best Player Available. That is how you create the most value for your team. If you willfully take a less valuable player to fill a role, you have by definition destroyed value. I agree that C and PG need to be addressed, but the best answer is probably trade or draft + trade.
Yeah, a lot of the blurr gets removed once we find out where our pick lands and then who is available at our position. In theory our upcoming draft pick has the most or second most upside on our team and that's more important than the positions of need right now. The biggest thing I fear is landing #4+ and Smith/Ivey/Chet are all gone. That doesn't mean Griffin/Banchero/Sharpe won't end up great prospects, it just feels like we will need to make tougher decisions regarding development/trades. Our window to be in this rebuilding phase ends once we owe our picks to OKC (doesnt mean we are playoff bound by then!) so we shouldn't make any short term thinking decisions, but at some point we'll need to have 2-4 really strong prospects to move forward with and hopefully they complement each other. This upcoming draft and potentially the next are super critical.
You are right about Green. He played the best defense on Ja out of everyone else on our team IMO. His problem on defense are players like Butler who will bullyball him on the post until he gets stronger
Definitely would improve. It's hard to be held accountable when you have the worst record in the league.
A lot of Duren's offense is still theoretical, but he's recently shown some surprising confidence and smoothness taking midrange and turnaround jumpers. Not sure if he ever stretches the floor, but i'm optimistic he'll be able to keep defenses honest. First field goal here is a turnaround J, third one is a faceup j: His value prop is still defense. If he reaches that ceiling, imagine Bam Adebayo, except 7 feet tall. I was pretty low on Duren early this season, but his recent play has opened my eyes.
That shot at the :59 mark was very KG-esque...the post up, the turn around, the face up, the high shot...if anything the kid has a very good release and his release looks really fluid for a big man. The passes he was throwing out there was pretty bad but, hey, we need the guy to do pretty much everything except for passing so it's not a big concern for me.
For Rockets fans Duren's shooting form is Curry-esque after watchin bigs like Chuck Hayes roam the hardwood at the Toyota Center.
It really depends upon IF he develops that outside shot. I don't see him as a center other than small ball - he just doesn't have the size or length, he's a high post 4. IF he can hit the 3 ball with regularity you can play him as such(4). Otherwise he's a 5 that can't defend big 5's and is unplayable against many lineups because he's going to get torched by those bigger 5's. Lot of people say they want to see him add mass / weight so he can defend bigs - I'm of the opposite opinion, I'd rather see him slim down and work on his lateral quickness / foot speed than bulking up to. That's really counter productive to his offensive skills and its those offensive skills that make him.
The problem isn't just that they are bad, but that they effect everyone else. We can't give Green good development time because he's playing with such crap. Guys who can't make decent passes or chuck too many shots on offense and have too many defensive lapses. On a team with a strong defensive culture, his D would be much better by now. And on an offense where he is able to work in a "motion" setting, he'd thrive much more. Hell, even a coach that was just willing to throw all-rookie lineups out there in blowouts would be helpful for him vs. having to play with Tate, Wood, and KPJ.
If this was 10 years ago I'd probably have the same skepticism that you do regarding his potential to develop an outside shot, probably even more. But with what we've seen with some of the bigs recently: the Vucevics, the Lopez's, the Horford's, etc--it might not be improbable any more. Definitely depends on his work ethic and what this organization wants him to prioritize.
