A team with a bunch of no name scrubs that won't make the league lost and you have come to the conclusion that our real team is too small? Our real team is way bigger than our summer league roster....
Like a few have stated, it was Summer League. Maybe 3 of these guys end up on the roster. Besides your talking about "big" men. The Cavs that beat us as follows: Mobley (6'10 in shoes) 28 points Bates (6'9 in shoes) 17 points Merrill (6'4 in shoes) 27 points If Bari and Tari had played we'd have smoked them.
That's a delicate topic @himbasketball because that may become a threat to Sengun and Sengun fans. Because Sengun doesn't shoot 3's well (to this point) it's hard to play another big that doesn't shoot 3's. In today's basketball, having both PF and Center not shooting 3's, is unwinnable basketball. That's where Stone screwed up. Rockets should have secured Brook Lopez at any cost on a two year deal first. Lopez signed for $25M (23/24) and $23M (24/25). Rockets should have spent $30M to $35M to get him. Hint: Rockets were scrounging for spare change to pay him by trading Garuba, TyTy. Josh Christopher. 1) Lopez was a DPOY candidate that would have anchored our defense for the next two years. 2) shoots 3's, so on offense you can play Sengun and Lopez together at C/PF for spacing purposes. I've heard that you can't play both Sengun and Lopez together because of defense. Milwaukee funnelled the ball to Lopez playing drop coverage defensively and the Rockets would have done the same thing. Sengun just had to patrol an area of the perimeter.....run players off the 3-pt line. Funnel players to Lopez. But that would be too much of a threat to Sengun playing time, as Ime might want more of Lopez-Jabari together. I would be have tried to move back to get Jarace Walker and Lively......would have ended up moving back in to get Cam Whitmore with Garuba, TyTy, Josh Christopher trade. Ime Udoka is like a new NFL football coach. They always come in and trade or draft, "Their Quarterback." Often, even if the previous coach had the team draft a top quarterback. Amen/Fred VanVleet mentorship for the next two seasons his Ime Udoka's baby. It prevented us from getting Brook Lopez imo. I would have been good with Monte Morris or Jevon Carter or both if we needed to spend money. Get a PG in the next two seasons of KPj, Monte Morris, Jevon Carter haven't stepped up. Udoka with Boston was not big on Point Guard play. It was mostly a bring the ball up past mid court and give the ball to Tatum/Brown with a side of Smart/Horford.....get in to some isolation or PnR action. Don't need a $43M player for that.
Its NOT just about Summer League. Look at our roster compared to others and its not just about this yr, its been the Rockets philosophy for yrs know, especially during Morey's era. Playing Small Ball and shooting 3's. We are thin along the frontcourt. I appreciate that Stone went after Lopez but is Landal really an answer? We need ANOTHER big, besides the three that we currently have
I don't believe the future screams "Small Ball". In 2 yrs the starters height's (in shoes). Amen 6'7 Green 6'5 Tari 6'8 Bari 6'11 Sengun 7'0 I also think you're underestimating Landale.
I do understand we have some length but is that enough? I think we need more along the frontline. A 3rd center.
Today's NBA is much more about skills than size. All you have to do is to look at the last two league champions. Here's the Denver players who averaged at least 4 min/game in the 2023 playoffs: Murray 6'4" Jokic 6'11" Gordon 6'8" Caldwell-Pope 6/5" Porter jr. 6'10 Brown 6'4" Green 6'8" Braun 6'6" Two guys over 6'8". Their main backup big now plays for the Rockets. Here's the GS players who averaged at least 4 minutes in the 2022 playoffs: Thompson 6'6" Wiggins 6'7" Curry 6'2" Green 6'6" Poole 6'4" Looney 6'9" Porter 6'8" Payton 6'2" Bjelica 6'9" Igudala 6'6" Kuminga 6'7" Moody 6'5" Lee 6'5" Nobody over 6'9". Two guys that are 6'9". So, where's all of the size that's required to win in the NBA? The Rockets are bigger than either of the two previous champions. Signing a third center won't magically make us a contender.
Having both a PF and Center not shooting 3's is unwinnable basketball? Don't tell that to the '22 Warriors. Looney started at center and didn't attempt a 3pt shot in the playoffs. Along side of him was Draymond Green who shot 20.5% from behind the arc. I think that they proved that you could do it.
I was quoting stats for the entire playoffs, not just the finals. In the finals though , Looney still was 5th in minutes behind Wiggins, Klay, Steph and Draymond.
They did shuffle Looney in and out of the starting lineup throughout the entire playoffs that year. He definitely played a huge role in their run that year but playing them two together in significant minutes wasn't a good lineup. it did work in their favor with their matchups that year though
We didn't learn that, we knew it all along... well maybe not you. Ime has been reported on many occasions saying he likes to play big. Not sure why you are taking a summer league where our main center (huff) didn't finish because he got a contract with another team and Jabari also didn't finish. Not sure if you remember a guy the Rockets tried to pursue in free agency named Brook Lopez.
Let me reiterate. If you go back and read all of my post in this thread, Im pushing for an additional big and yes, someone withmore length. We need a bruiser. All of our bigs are slightly built, except Sengun and he's not long.
It's SL, no one cares. Bari and Tari would have dominated if they were left on the court because they were/are playing against a bunch of G League bound rookies or rooks that won't get much playing time in year 1. Of course size is a plus but we had plenty of it when Amen, Cam, Bari, and Tari shared the floor... Cam got the MVP of SL without having to be the biggest on the floor and if Bari would have played till the end he would have took the triple crown himself (SL MVP, Finals MVP, and Championship).... again, IT'S SUMMER LEAGUE!!! I'd rather Amen rest and recover, with the other guys resting for what really matters, next season.
I think if a big becomes available that fits in their plans and what's left of the cap, they might bring them in. No way, small ball is in Udoka's plans. He liked to play two bigs most often. Give it some time. No need to flip out over Summer League.
Udoka played two big line ups many times during the Celtic's run. Keep in mind, none of the bigs were taller than 6'9. Out of the 4 guys he had in rotation, the only one that could shoot from distance was Horford. That roster made it to the finals. We have more length in the front court and better shooting. No doubt they can surpass that group of bigs. Zero.
