I don't know if I believe that. I think we have decent shooters who's stats are deflated by this systemic issue. I'm not saying we are necessarily good at shooting, I'm just saying I don't think we're as bad as the stats currently reflect (23rd in 3PT%). I believe if a coach comes in who's the opposite of Ime, our defense will drop and all our offensive efficiency stats (including individuals) will go up. A good example would be MDA who is similar at exhausting his players and obsessing about only one side of the ball. The truth is somewhere between those 2 guys. Championship coaches are balanced, they are at least very good on both sides of the ball and actually apply equal obsession to both sides of the ball. What sucks for the report cards that are going to come out this offseason: what happens when a player spends their first years in a forced losing situation that forces their efficiency downward and then it's followed by 2 years of Udoka's offense? What Ime's offense robs from us is the most efficient points in basketball: drive to the basket for 2 (and resulting free throws and kickouts). All the guys who we need to drive to the basket: - Cam's never been able to get to the rim well - Jalen significant decline in drives to the basket - Amen basically can't drive if the other team packs the paint well, that's why you see MASSIVE swings in his attempts, because when it's packed he becomes a passer to shooters who are already over-capacity, and then you see Jalen taking his 12th 3pter and wonder what's going on. Do people really think it's a coincidence Cam, Sheppard, Amen and Green >> all of their handles suspiciously were below expectations on the Rockets? Do people realize how unlucky you have to be to mismeasure that 4 consecutive times on draft picks? Do people truly not see how a clogged paint negates the speed advantage and puts pressure on you to be physically strong and have an elite handle? An insanely clogged paint WILL put noticeable pressure on your handle. That's not our core strength. Our offense and defense should be designed for our core, not for Ime's ego. We need ONE more shooter plus internal improvement. We definitely need that assistant coach, Ime was not great even with Mazzula as his assistant and he seems to be on a quest to prove that he can coach offense. I don't know why they're allowing him to do that, every idea he's had has flopped. Right now with a team that's a million times more offensively talented, he sits on the same TS% as Silas >> the only reason our offensive rating is better is because of offensive rebounding. But how were we NOT going to be an excellent offensive rebounding team with Sengun, Adams, Amen, Jabari and Tari? That's an elite offensive rebounding personnel with or without Udoka. I think Ime's potential is higher than that. An assistant would do wonders for him and us. He can learn so much. I feel like he's resentful of Mazzula in Boston and is so tied to this idea that the old way is the only way. In reality there's no reason you can't have an old school defense and a new-school offense. The ego f*cks people's options and potential in life. Man if Ime gets an elite assistant for offense, he will grow a lot and we'd benefit a lot (as long as he treats it as an asset and not a threat). Really hoping Stone talks to him about this in the summer. The numbers are bad man, we should surely have a higher TS% than we did under Silas in a season where shot selection didn't even matter.
I believe that was the intention, but I fear our success this year in a down Western conference is putting pressure on Stone to keep FVV. I’m glad we are improving and I’m glad we are going to the playoffs, but FVV was intended as a culture setter, a cap space holder, and a trade-able contract. I would rather they pick up the team option than to extend him to use the contract for trades. If FVV is our starting PG all of next year, we are punting the season and kicking the can down the road once again.
Extending FVV to anything more than a mid level contract to be a steadying veteran presence on the team makes no sense.
That’s a good post, but you got the ending wrong. I tend to be “in the know” and am telling you all that the numbers being tossed around are 38-42mm per year. You can wish it to be lower, but that doesn’t make it true. FVV’s agent wants the 42 range and the Rockets lower, so we’ll see who caves first. Agent doesn’t feel that 30 is old as players are playing with ease into mid-30’s. Udoka feels that FVV and Amen are the most critical pieces to his success and there is zero chance he’s not extended. That extension will not include an insulting pay cut of more than 3-5 million a year.
What the hell does “tend to be in the know” mean. I don’t care if all the years are team options as that would make him a valuable trade chip.
Will Ime continue to feel it is "critical" to play Fred 42 minutes on nights when he couldn't stand on the beach and throw it in the ocean?
Fred and his agent are not in position to get $40 million a year from anybody. There is only one team in the NBA with that kind of cap room this off-season and the Nets will not be targeting Fred VanVleet. Fred's counting stats are also not very impressive this year. I think he's critical to our success but his traditional stats are not good. I think it will be $25 to $30 million per year. I think FVV loves playing for Udoka and the feeling is mutual. I'm pretty sure this will work out fine for both sides. I predict 3 years, $80 million with the numbers declining per year. I also predict a lot of posts complaining about the contract. The same posters who insist that Jalen Green is on a superstar trajectory will gripe about FVV's fair contract. The Rockets are also not in a position to walk away. Reed Shephard currently sucks and needs to prove he can become a competent NBA backup before we can trust him with the starting position. Amen might eventually develop into a competent PG but he's not there yet. Ime Udoka will not be separated from his basketball soulmate. Welcome back next season, Fred VanVleet!. A few of us appreciate you!
I would greatly appreciate Fred as our backup PG to Amen. That should be his destiny if we don't trade him.
Wrong. You asked what “in the know” means and I’ll let you figure that one out. I don’t disagree that FVV would be an excellent backup as he ages and slows down (was painful watching Trey Young blow by him multiple times in first quarter) but again that is not the reality of the situation at hand. I encourage you to listen to Ime’s post game comments last night. He basically said unfortunately he couldn’t play FVV 48 minutes a game and would if he could. FVV is getting 3 years 120 million like it or not (and I’m in the “Not” category).
I wish Ime would have told James to ring chase here. He's such a massive upgrade over Freddy. I appreciate Fred coming to our bad team and helping us right the ship, but I don't want to pay 33 year old tiny Fred 40 million. I think you're right though, we will do it.
Until FVV is benched and has at least a backup role the Rox aren't winning anything significant in the playoffs. DD
Ime is the one that ran Harden off from here. If you oversimplify the comparison by ONLY looking at the PG position straight up, Harden is better ...but at what cost? Currently the Rockets sit at #2 in the west. With Harden, are the Rockets 13.5 games better to overtake OKC? Say the Rockets are 6 games better with Harden but still in 2nd place. Is that worth the contract that Harden demanded? Right now, the Rockets can release FVV but they'd be locked into Harden for several more years. I don't get all the FVV hatred. He is what he is, and what it is is pretty good. 2nd place.
Wouldn't have used that term, both had a grown man's conversation in which Ime told Harden what he would expect under him and he recommended going to a veteran team and Harden actually took that advice. I think it went down more amicably than folks here can stomach.
If Jalen averages 18ppg in April, it doesn't matter what FVV does. Rockets lose. If Jalen averages 35ppg in April, it also doesn't matter what FVV does. Rockets win. Obsessing on FVV is a misdirection.
Semantics. Udoka never wanted to get locked into a long-term deal with James Harden. That's literally why he came to Houston. Folks need to let it go. Plus, as a reminder, 2 years ago, Harden's stock price was at an all-time low. He looked better this season, which is revisionist history. Here's a quote from Udoka about what attracted him to coach for the Rockets. "“They talked about cap space and some of the flexibility we have, and I think they’ve done a great job of building for the future" Ime Udoka introduced as new coach of Houston Rockets | NBA.com
One thing we have to think about Ime is that he's effectively entering into a contract year as a coach. In general, you never want your HC to be on an expiring deal, so his performance next season is going to dictate his long term job security. He was strictly a minimum salary guy as a player, with career earnings less than $4M, lost about half his salary in Boston due to his suspension/firing, and is well outside the top 10 in coaching salary right now. He needs to secure his bag, same as both Bari/Tari, and that means a deep playoff run by any means necessary. I'm not going to fault Ime for standing his ground and thinking "if I'm gonna get let go, at least I'm going out doing it on my terms." You give him a raise and an extension, maybe he's more receptive to bringing in an offensive assistant outside of his close associates, letting FVV go in FA, and trying new things. It took a decade and two high profile flameouts for D'Antoni to bring in Bzdelik as the Defensive Coordinator, can't really expect Ime to be that willing to throw away what got him hired and what took him to the finals while he's effectively on his "entry-level deal."
He can think that if he likes privately, but I am of course going to fault him for that because that's not in the interest of the team I support. The two interests can't exist together, and I don't care about someone making their money. Everyone wants to make their money. The players want to maximize their salary too, how do you think it will work out for their profits to be coached by someone who makes every team's offense regress? Stone can tell him it's happening and if he doesn't like it, well he's entering a contract year. We can carry over everything he's done defensively, it's nothing novel. Why would we give a big contract to a one-way coach who preaches the importance of players being two-way? The sidelines are littered with guys who can pull off an elite defense and nothing else. JVG would sign back here any time we want him. Udoka has to get better just like he asks of everyone.
