I mean you drafted Reed #3. You thought he was worth the 3rd pick… Now it’s time to step up, show the fans why you picked him 3.
I say Amen-KD-Tari-Jabari-Alpi. The Rockets won 10 straight with Tari as a starter last season and some of those games were without Fred, so they can succeed with a big lineup.
You picked him 3rd, because he was the best available in their eyes. Everybody referencing his draft position is glossing over the fact that it was one of the weakest draft classes in decades. For Reed to be a contributor in the NBA he will have to shoot elite from 3. It is the only reason he was drafted by the Rockets. Without an elite shot, he is a poor man’s FVV. I hope he proves me wrong and get to be a good backup PG, but I think his real role is SG on offense. He has not demonstrated an ability to get by his man or create space for himself to shoot.
True, but the Rockets don't need Reed to play like a #3 pick in a deep draft. They just need him to be a really good shooter, a decent defender, and a capable ballhandler. Kinda like how Jabari was drafted 3rd, but the team is still doing well with him basically being an excellent role player and not an All-Star or superstar(not that it would suck if he were to develop into one).
I think we are in violent agreement. I just not sure he can get to that early in his second season after such limited exposure last year.
Assuming no trade for a starting PG… The coaching staff has more options this year. They didn’t need FVV to dominate the ball like they did last season, and KD and Sengun can carry the offense themselves. Around them, you want elite defense and shooting, plus someone to bring the ball up. Amen has shown he can do that. There’s no need for him to run plays. Just bring the ball up and let Durant or Sengun initiate the offense. There’s less of a need for a true PG on this team. I would still like to see a great ball handler who can shoot, and Sheppard might develop into that eventually, but I don’t think he’s ready yet. So, my choice would be Amen, DFS/Tari, and Bari. The bigger challenge is depth. When Sengun or Durant sit, you need someone else to also initiate the offense. The starting 5 is the easier part; the backup unit is trickier.
That's probably why Ime should go with a big starting lineup early on and have Reed as the first guard off the bench. Assuming he shows signs of being what they thought he was when they drafted him, maybe they eventually start him alongside Amen in the backcourt.
An oft-forgotten benefit of running 90's style half-court offense is the reduced mileage on the players. When you've got a HOF half-court offensive wizard like KD, an amazing offensive big man in Sengun, and a big size advantage over most rosters, you don't have to do the buzzy-bee guard-centric 3-point spam that most NBA teams do. Hammer them with size and wear the smaller teams down.
I don't think Fred can really do those things very much either, to be fair. If Reed ends up being a point guard, it will be in that mold, just a steady bring the ball up and make the right pass type of guy. That said, I think Amen is much more promising as a lead ballhandler for us and I'm betting that if Reed stays with the Rockets, you're correct and he won't play point guard much here.
PG Amen SG Reed SF KD PF Bari C Alpi If Reed turns out to be best suited for a bench role ... PG Amen SG KD SF DFS PF Bari C Alpi
