When will Reed be placed into the starting lineup?

Yup, it’s why starting Okogie makes way more sense. Also because they had a great thing going, but of course Ime messes with it. It’s so obvious since off the bench Josh is not producing and thus playing measly minutes. So you solve both issues by just going back to what worked!!

 

I think Reed, Amen, Sengun and Durant are a perfect fit offensively. They need the right defender as the 5th guy. I think that defender has to be more like a 2/3 defender while Jabari is a bigger 3/4/5 defender.

I feel like we're missing a little bit of fight and athleticism in the starting lineup this season so I wonder if a healthy Tari or Okogie would be a better fit than Jabari in this lineup. They're more similar to Dillon Brooks in terms of energy.

Sengun
Durant
Eason or Okogie or Jabari
Amen
Sheppard

 

I'd say one of the long-term benefits of Reed in the starting lineup is for him to develop chemistry with KD/Sengun/Amen. Right now, he just is not a big enough part of the offense with them.

 

He is trying to fit in.

DD

 

I think the results are showing that it clearly does matter. If he's going to play the Matt Maloney role as a starter then he's basically a wasted player.

 

Yep, you are right. We should base decisions on 4 games.

 

First 14 off bench 13.5/3a/2r on 51/49/67 (24mpg, 10 FGA, 6 3PA)
2 starts without Durant 19/5r/5a on 41/29/83 (32mpg, 17 FGA, 8.5 3PA) (one great GSW, one bad PHX)
2 starts with normals 9/4r/3a on 44/40/— (27mpg, 8 FGA, 5 3PA) (both Utah)
4 starts total 14/4.5r/4a on 42/33/83 (29.5mpg, 12.5 FGA, 6.8 3PA)

Let him come in firing off the bench, playing free, no deferring.

Okogie has predictably come back down to earth (and seen his minutes drop) but **** it.

 

What decision? The Rockets made the decision that he stands around and watch KD and Sengun before these 4 games, and therefore these 4 games are the results of those decisions. If you agree with this decision to make Reed into Matt Maloney, make your point on why that's his best role. Since you are disagreeing with my viewpoint that this is not the best role for him, then make a case why this is the best way he can contribute to Rockets contending.

 

It is obviously best for Reed to be used as Matt Maloney. The Rockets should strive to gets its best players on the court together, but should give up on trying to get them to play as a team going forward. 4 games has shown that Reed will be nothing more than Matt Maloney for the end of time if he continues to start, and I am here to enjoy it.

 

What make you believe Reed's best role is to be used like Matt Maloney?

 

That’s such an absurd thing I wouldn’t bother asking . I thought it was Satire

our bench production was **** and we take predictable bad shots without much movement on offense


All things magically fixed when Reed is allowed to do his thing

 

If all Reed can be as a starter is Matt Maloney, then the Matt Maloney role is best. Playing your best players together never results in chemistry such that players learn to play together.

 

I don’t think he is understanding the sarcasm. I’ll try it more directly: “judging the intent or the results by what you see in the first few games as he learns to play with the starters (and them with him) is just as ridiculous as judging Reed’s capability by what you saw while he was learning the NBA last year. Unless you thought he would be a perpetual low % shooter dribbling off of his feet based on what you saw last year, shut up and give them time to work out this next evolution. It will eventually end up looking as good as his 3-point shot does right now, and it won’t look like Matt Maloney.”

 

Reed should continue to start. Amen needs to initiate the offense a lot less against set defenses. In transition, hes great pushing the ball but against set defenses until he gets a jump shot its just not going to be good.

He had some really bad defensive moments this past game, but he shouldve earned some grace to be able to bounce back within the game. And the defensive breakdowns weren't all on him.

He should continue to start and they need to figure it out because when hes rolling and they have him finishing games they'll need that chemistry. Throughout the game Ime can certainly sub better to get him on the floor with lineups where he can be more involved. Regardless, they were a positive in the minutes he played so they didnt lose his minutes.

 

The guys need to make a much better effort to switch Reed out from the post.

Yes he’s got great hands and can get a few strips or tips, but it’s a free layup most of the time.

 

Personally I was liking Reed as a 6th man. He was giving us instant offense and great energy. I think the chemistry just isn't there right now so we have to give it time if this is the line up going forward. Not liking the lack of aggressiveness right now.

Hopefully DFS comes back soon, that's who I would prefer in the starting line up assuming he is healthy.

 

Curious - what do you think DFS brings that we don't already have on the roster? Honest question. I feel like DFS is another Jabari/Tari three and 'D' guy with more experience but I'll admit my DFS scouting has been minimal and was mostly when he was a Laker and still dealing with some of the injuries he eventually got the surgery for. He seemed valuable and is a good acquisition for wing depth here but I thought he was fairly redundant to who we already have - maybe a bit better at some aspects and a bit worse at others compared to Jabari/Tari but not a wholly different type of player or role to what we have currently. My take was DFS was probably a bit better at guarding down to bigs than he is at guarding up to smaller players - but otherwise similar in switchable wing defender with some skills to make teams pay when he is left open.

 

Reed should be starting...with the ball in his hands.

 

We've gotta get more Aaron Holiday, sure he's a traffic cone on defense and he's an objectively worse option, but Ime loves him.

 

I think he picked up on the sarcasm. I just think he sees Reed as Matt Maloney if he starts and Steve Nash off the bench.

I understand there will be a learning curve and some diminishing of returns for the on-ball value of having a lot of offensive players playing together (though Reed does add off-ball value as well, which usually doesn't diminish as much). Though, getting more minutes out of Reed is more valuable on a per-game basis*, even if the 10-12 additional minutes aren't as valuable on a per-minute basis as his off-the-bench value.

*once he gets integrated well with the starters.