@Nook pretty spot on overall, though if the KPJ obsession is a Stone thing than that has to be on him rather than Silas. I actually think even though the box score #'s are good, a huge amount of the overall problems with the Rockets come from KPJ's shortcomings on offensive orchestration and his slow-down pace that snowballs the poor play and decisions even when he doesn't shoot. I also the think the failure to bring in any insurance policy for KPJ - who like we said, is not suited to be a true PG - and coming into this season with non-NBA players like Nix and TyTy as the whole ballhandler depth chart - is astounding to me after the Denver halftime debacle. That's got to be a Stone responsibility.
Kevin Porter Jr. is a starter in the NBA and just because a narrative has spread that he should be 6th man doesn't make it true. He is a 22 year old shooting guard who is shooting pretty damned well - is he a PG, not yet, but that is what he is doing until someone better gets here. If we draft Amen Thompson he becomes the Point Forward, KPJ and Green are both SGs and we are golden. In General an excellent thread though...@Nook. DD
Great analysis, as always @Nook Trade or buyout EG Play the young guys Fire Silas, if you have to, but it’s mostly rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic Get Jabari more looks Take a swing on a low-risk PG before the trade deadline Try bringing KPJ off the bench like Miami used to with Herro There are ways we can suck but suck less, and try to end the season on a positive note in terms of player development. We’ve made it halfway through yet another awful season. We can stomach this for 40 more games. The only thing that matters is walking away from this season with a top two draft pick. Maximize your odds at that (despite how mathematically low they actually are). If you end up with Wemby or Scoot, it’s all worth it. By all accounts, those guys are can’t-miss and have realistic potential to become the true alpha-superstar (and hopefully leader) that this current group is lacking. Literally, nothing else matters. This has to happen or it’s back to the drawing board.
I tend to agree - the groupthink on Jabari Smith seems suspect here. I think i mentioned it yesterday, but the flaws in his game (at rim, not a quick release, not explosive) are all visible to me, why wasn't it visible to NBA scouts? Or was he just such a good shooter that nobody cared? Tge whole "Big 3" thing with Him, Chet, Paolo seems so laughable in retrospect given Banchero's ability to go to the NBA and become even better than he was in college. That said if Smith continues to improve his at rim #'s (they have been creepin upward each month I'll feel a lot betterabout him I think that's one of the pitfalls with drafting high now, drafting 19 year olds off of 30 or fewer college/post HS games is much higher variance than drafting 20-21 year olds after 60+
The main responsibility for Silas is payer development. The main problem for Silas is that he has a young team who unsurprisingly play inconsistently. The young players are developing but it is below my expectations (which may or may not be realistic). The NBA is a players league. In the end the Rockets need to find a coach who can work with their set of players. Internally the Rockets need to figure out which players are "keepers", regardless of who the coach is. I would not be surprised to see the FO move on from some payers this offseason ... or move on from Silas if the players are not developing fast enough. Trade deadline is Feb 9th. I expect some roster shakeup by then. I do not expect EG to play much more before the deadline. His trade value is what it is, so no sense in playing EG and running the risk of injury, even a minor one. That is 30 minutes per game that can be spread out to bench players like Christopher and Washington (or Nix). I would like to see the KPJ point experiment die, but the kid gloves would have to come off ... and that will be telling either way. KPJ's future in the league or at least with the Rockets will be a backup 2/3, but I am unsure how well he will make that transition.
How about a mid season evaluation on the owner? The Rockets are #26 in attendance and on pace to be the worst team in the league. I think he deserves the most criticism.
Kenyon and Alperen were the best performers this season and they only got this evaluation? We got to find better Defense but not every Center is a defensive C. Just live with an Offense oriented one.
@Nook Fantastic post. Silas's stubbornness in "developing" KPJ as a point guard should be his undoing. I don't know how you could be more headstrong in trying to make something work that doesn't. If KPJ's ego is so large that he can't accept a 6th man role (and if the coaches can't persuade him to move into that more natural position), it's time to make changes. This necessary house cleaning might be the best thing to happen for Jalen Green's future career. He needs to see the business side of things and that building a franchise can't rest simply on playing with your friends like Josh Christopher, KPJ, or Nix. This is a business, and changes happen if there aren't results.
KPJ is currently the best player on this team all around, and yet people can't wait to make him the 6th man or a SF. Everybody else gets excuses made for them yet for some reason KPJ game is fully formed, and he can't get better even though he is getting better as the season goes along. I really don't understand why people keep making letting their personal feelings cloud how they look at these players, if they would be truthful with themselves, they would be far more worried about Smith and Green instead of trying to run KPJ off the team or make him a 6th man. I am not saying anything is set in stone from any of these players, but I really don't understand why KPJ seems to be the issue with so many of you.
Individual evaluation is hard because there seems a growing and misunderstood (by me) phenomena that is affecting things team wide. Might be lost faith in the coach(s), lost faith in the team direction or perhaps they just lose faith in themselves and each other. But its not like its a couple guys are hot one game and a couple others are cold, which happens, but mostly it seems the entire team individually prospers or fails at the same time. Lately, the latter. Up until very recently, I was a stark proponent of letting Silas finish the year, and see how things look then. Its one thing for individual players to get frustrated, unhappy and have that show on the court. That is normal. But when its the whole team, and mostly its about the same issues, some higher or greater action seems required. The kind of action for which I speak can only come from Stone or our glorious owner. My feeling is, these two would rather wait till the off-season to make significant changes. But bad PR and fan outrage may force their hand.
Agree with most of this. Green can be a more efficient scorer and playmaker and I argue KPJ has stunted his development. He needs to be running the team in terms of primary playmaker and the split duty with KPJ isn’t working. I think he would pair best with a pg who can shoot and defend and take the lane when needed and not a ball dominant scoring point who doesn’t pass. I think given the opportunity Green can make a lot of plays and develop his passing but the current setup doesn’t allow it limiting him to split duties and also a lot of one on one dribble drive play. Sengun isn’t an ideal high screen and roll guy since he can’t jump for alleyoops or get a high pass on the deep roll. He is good on the short roll when he can dribble past or attack the opposing big. He plays poor help defense as well often late and committing silly fouls.
The best player on the worst team in the league for three seasons running? Slow clap…. Colored me unimpressed by KPJ. Of course he isn’t a finished product but how long are the rockets going to give him? Also why should we give him more time? Will he accept a lesser role on the rockets after being given the keys to the offense?
Do y’all feel like you’re watching the same game over and over? The same scene plays out with little variance? I feel this watching Rockets games this season with their predictable and stagnant offense. -KPJ dominates the ball every game with little passing or starts an offensive set in the corner or wings with a 2 man game that does nothing -The offense stagnant with Smith in the corner for most of the game -Tons of passes that don’t shift the defense but goes back to KPJ wasting at least 4-5 seconds not including 6-8 more seconds with KPJ dribbling. -Tons of Dribble handoffs that go to Green only to be a one on one iso play -Tari under the basket missing shots or stationary in the corner or wings -Sengun in high post but ball results in dribble handoff It seems like these players are set in an area of the court every game with so little movement or variation. The ball stays in the hands of 2-3 players. No cutting no off ball screens. Every game. Quite predictable and boring to be honest. Which fuels my suspicion that the team is tanking on purpose. Hopefully the players still develop and learn this season and trials endured now will allow us to reap rewards later.
I feel a little better about Jalen's lack of development when I think about Mobley's and Barnes' lack of development. Jalen really needs to get stronger and change his shooting stroke. I guess, realistically, that was never going to happen in a single year.
I think KPJ being IMO the second best player on the team behind Sengun says a lot of bad things about Jalen Green and Jabari Smith. It's not that KPJ is so good, it's that they are so bad. You ask how long the Rockets are going to give KPJ.... how long are they going to give Green and Smith should really be the question. Can Jalen Green be absolutely terrible a 3rd season without yanking him from the lineup? How long do you give Smith? The questions shouldn't be about the best performing players on the worst team, it should be about the worst performing players on the worst team.
It's not about being the best player on the worst team, it's about showing you have replicable NBA skills that would benefit any team, that's what I am judging him by. Fast clap...... How long are the Rockets going to give any of these players? Because Smith looks way farther off and Green looks to be regressing, that's my point, why are all these other guys getting the benefit off the doubt yet for some reason KPJ should get on the next train out? You act like he is just coming down jacking and not trying to do what is asked of him, Green has a duplicate set of keys to the offense, will he accept a lesser role if that makes the team better. Your question about a lesser role illustrates perfectly my point nobody has secured a role on this team yet for some reason you and others seem to think KPJ should already have a lesser role when he is the best player on the team, why is that? It's astounding that just talking positively about KPJ makes people feel some kind of way.
@Nook it is a really good, thoughtful and fair post. I don't necessarily agree with everything you have said, but you have demonstrated solid evaluation ability for years!!
Mobley is already one of the best defensive players in the league, Jalen is one of the worst players in the league. Mobley should make you feel a lot worse about how terrible Green has been
