Defense would be our problem if FVV and Sheppard are our backcourt, and, yes it is because of size and foot speed. Sheppard has quick hands and will get his share of steals which is a positive, but that will not even out when he is hunted and continually overpowered in the lane. Amen and Sheppard will be a much better backcourt pair than FVV and Sheppard. I love FVV because he is a good defensive player and stays between his opponent and the basket. I think we have FVV for this year and next, unless he is packaged for Booker or Giannis. After that it will be Amen and Sheppard or Amen and Jalen (if he pans out). Amen, Sheppard, Tari, Jabari, and Sengun is a good defensive unit and gives Sheppard plenty of time to adjust to the NBA. Amen will make up for Sheppard’s defense in the backcourt and Tari and Jabari will make it difficult for anyone coming into the lane. Sheppard will add better outside shooting to make up for Amen (although I expect that to get better). Of course, if we get Booker, I believe Sheppard will either be gone or come off the bench. If we get Giannis it will be at Tari’s expense and Sheppard will come off the bench if Jalen is still around.
If we're speaking long term, I agree that Amen-Sheppard backcourt is a match made in heaven. They cover each other's weaknesses so well. But for now, Amen needs to stay out of the starting lineup until either his or the starters' shooting shows genuine improvement.
The growth of Sengun/JG4 and Bari coming around on his 3ball shot, is going to keep VV in his preseason role with his crazy assist to TO ratio to add with his plus/minus numbers VV is also playing for a quasi new deal (opt in), if he plays like this for 80-85% of season, then Rockets may have to opt in, or reconstruct to a deal to fit around who they extend$$ from core7 Rockets may be that team nobody wants to face first round of PO if they get in
I love Sheppard, but if the team is clicking, I think there's a solid chance the Rockets opt-out and resign FVV. You can do something like 100 - 110 mil over 3 years and still be under the tax even if you extend Green and Sengun to max contracts. If you want to get nuts, you could probably even do something like extend Adams to a Gafford-esqe contract and still be under the apron. The only thing that may get tricky is what to do with Bari and Eason.
I'm not so worried about the supposed Bari/Tari pay trouble, neither looks close to a max player at all. That's always been the false dilemma people have placed in the near future. I think it'll be very easy to pay one or both of them because they'll be earning role player money.
If Green gets the max, things get dicey from the a cap payroll point of view even if Jabari and Tari are signing role player money. I see them taking up about a max spot combined. And by dicey, I mean great as I'd like Green to be worth the max. It just likely means roster decisions are going to be made sooner regarding who gets non-max deals and who doesn't. Also, makes it harder to extend FVV and have years overlap with Amen and Cam when they are up for extensions.
How do so many teams manage to have full rosters and 2 max players then? Seems like everybody else manages it, I fail to see why we couldn't. I'd be more worried about being able to keep Amen as well if he keeps developing a jumpshot if I'm honest.
The point is between Green on a max, Sengun on a max, FVV on a large extension, and Brooks' existing contract, that is a massive portion of the salary cap between four players. Like 90%. It'd be fine, but it'd probably be more feasible to keep only one of Tari and Bari in such an instance. Amen I'm not too worried about because his extension would kick in after Brooks comes off.
Rockets would have 2 max rookie extenions plus FVV plus 1-2 more guys needing max in the future along with the non max guys. Having Sengun as a max without Green would allow the Rockets to sign FVV to a declining contract to make his salary much smaller by the time other rookie max entensions are added. Having Green at max would make it more difficult to game the system with FVV and the increasing salary cap as they would already have 3 max, near max contracts by the time Jabari and Tari sign (i.e., they can't frontload FVV as much). Most teams with multiple max contracts have thin rosters or guys that got better after signing extensions.
They play out the RFA and see what is what there. The only teams that would flat out give him the Max without any thoughts and considerations are bad teams with tons of cap space. Those bad teams do not have the tall task of building an NBA Contender right away.
History has shown these types of all in trades don't work out vast majority of the time. The teams going all in lose too much value and don't win against other teams in the end. Even if we get a Booker or Giannis but they cost half the team to get then its worthless IMO. I would rather trade our guys for more assets and then sign a disgruntled star in free agency like Miami getting LBJ or GSW getting KD. The other option is we trade for a guy who isnt a superstar yet and he becomes a superstar on the team like Harden or SGA. These are the two other scenarios that work out. Trading for stars cost too much from what I've seen the other team almost always get ripped off see Mikal Bridges, Bradley Beal, KD, James Harden (non Rox), Rudy Gobert etc Like imagine a good Giannis trade that will take all the picks, Sengun, Amen, Tari and maybe Reed Sheppard. That would leave the team with just Giannis, Green and role players, I dont think thats a championship team at all.
The only way Gianni’s is available is he asks for a trade. I wouldn’t gut the team for him. All the Phoenix picks, FVV and Jalen or Jabari. If that doesn’t do it maybe add cam. That’s it
So you agree with me that adding Green to a max will cause the Rockets to make a decision on a very good player if they sign Green to a max that they would not need to do if they don't.
I’m not sure anyone is suggestion signing FVV to the max. I think something like 30 - 35 mil a year should work well in the event both Sengun and Green earn the max.
