If you want to call him a high end role player I don't care... I don't think Landry had to be paid 12 million. I don't have a problem with guys getting paid Kobe money if they play with 100 percent even if they don't have an NBA body. As long as McHale can maintain a rotation that is close to 60 percent winning, more than 50..... I have nothing to complain about... with or without Martin in the line up.
$12M isn't Kobe money... you know Kobe makes $25M this year and $30M in the last year of his contract right?
That is called spending money to contend.... given the fact Kobe has played through injuries and is 34 years old Kobe already have five rings in 14 years in which we never reached 3rd round in the Playoffs 12 million might not be top money but it is wasted money if Kevin Martin is not motivated to play every game and especially away from home court.
Like I said I don't see a place for Martin on this team I just think it's a shame that McHale used him so badly when last year Martin was so good with Adelman.
I agree with the first sentence But I don't think McHale is to blame.... Remember he is the rookie Coach and Martin the veteran with the team.
It may be a blessing in disquise that Lowry and Martin are out, if we do make the playoffs, both should be energized. In a playoff series, the better the bench, the better chance we win series. Right now, we have by far the deepest bench in the league, we should take advantage of it and wear teams out.
And you didn't even need stats, I am tearing up here Durv, you are showing great promise young Padwan. DD
When and IF both Lowry and Martin make it back, then Lowry/Dragic/Lee/Parsons should all get 30-35 mpg with Martin getting the leftovers. By the way, McHale hasn't changed the offense. The only thing different is we have a 6'3" PG now that doesn't tire as easily as Lowry and when he is tired he is still 6'3". The point guard on this McHale led team is still handling the basketball a whole lot more than under Adelman. Dragic is thriving in that environment because he is bigger and can see over the defense better and because his larger frame allows him to play more physically for a longer period of time.
Not to pile on, but there's much more that can be added to the above list. He is far too dependent on getting to the free throw line, and tends to flail his arms when driving hoping to get to the line. When it doesnt work out, its an automatic fast break the other direction. Defensively, he's too frail to box out and defend most SG's in the league. On top of that, he doesnt seem particularly interested in playing strong defense, which compounds the problem. I was really hoping the Rockets would find a way to trade him before the deadline, but now that they havent, I'm hoping they trade him at the end of the season...
Kmart is an elite player offensively who has improved a lot on D this season. The issue here is that we have an incompetent coach who does not know how to run plays for Martin. You hardly see KMart coming off screens or the back door cut, some of it has to do with losing a good low post passer like Hayes.
Come on now. You know he's not incompetent even though you might not like him, and thats ok. I agree though that the offensive system isn't necessarily the best for KMart's unique offensive skillset. That doesn't mean that next season he wont find a way to get more acustomed to it, and fit in better with a full offseason and training camp to get more offensive sets in the playbook. McHales system, is very, very similar to alot of the old school Celtics teams that won championships. Inside-Out. Side-to-side. Very simple packages mixed in with some more complex sets that Adelman used to run that are proven. Defensively, McHale doesn't believe in leaking out his wings for easy fast break points. He believes in everyone staying home on defense to help out with rebounding. I think he's right for going this route. If this team is going to take the next step, its going to be changing the overall defensive philosophy that Adelman seemed to have lost last year, and the year before. You wont win in the playoffs ever if you cant learn to play half court defense. The Rockets dont run a wide variety of plays like they ran last year anyways, so its clear to see that Martin, like many other players on this team could use a full training camp. Also, the most important part of a McHale style offense that Martin would benefit from is a consistent low post scorer. Martin hasn't declined in athleticism, and he didnt just forget how to play the game of basketball. He was an elite scorer before, and if he's ever going to regain his touch again it will def. be going into his contract year next season where he will be looking to score his last major contract of his career.
Perhaps I overlooked it, but didn't see anyone mention this: http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterockets/2012/03/cause-for-martins-injury-discovered/
I definitely see your points. He seems to "sulk" at times and then he goes half speed. As you know, he can be really good and when discouraged, he can be really bad. Mental toughness is an issue. Unfortunately, he likely is on his way out. Adelman had him playing at a near All Star level most of last season. To bad.
Looks to me like he needs to get arthroscopic surgery, rehab, and a fresh start next year. If he tries to play on a day-to-day basis, he'll make the tear worse every time he runs into a screen. Better to be decisive now, for him (salvage career in his contract year) and for us (playing better without injured KM). We should wish him the best, and hope he comes back 100% next year.
