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Signature Off Season Move = Asik? We need a game changer!

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by PolarBear, Jul 1, 2012.

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  1. PolarBear

    PolarBear Member

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    From watching the NBA finals, it was pretty clear that a C with no offensive game, (i.e. one that doesn't have to be guarded), has become more useless in the NBA with each passing season. OKC continually pulled Perkins, and the Heat had their best success with Bosh at C, and LeBron to PF. BTW, Perkins is now the biggest salary cap waster on OKC - which they'll need for Harden and Ibaka.

    Pat Riley acknowledged the change of the game to more versatile small ball players & lineups in his recent interview:

    http://www.sacbee.com/2012/06/30/4602366/pat-riley-hopes-normalcy-next.html

    I tried to parody this interview and strategy on draft night, but many on this board thought that I was serious and missed the obvious tongue-in-cheek nature of my post of an all 6'9" lineup to compete with the Heat:

    http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=221963

    Bottom line - if you believe there is some merit to Riley's notion that one dimensional players (that don't have to be guarded) are less valuable than they once were, then I have a hard time understanding why this is the move we make at this time. Asik is a good defensive player, but he has no offensive game. He's a walking turnover machine with no real post moves, and can't shoot FTs.

    He's a good role player, and excellent defensive specialist - but for $8MM/year? He'll be pulled often either due to foul trouble, small ball lineups, or hack-an-Asik...and likely will play well under 30 minutes per game.

    I don't get this move. I'm not sure Asik is as good as Dalembert, and we made a 3-year commitment at more $'s. If we had to have a C, we had 3 draft choices to pick one, and could have had Zeller with our second 1st round pick. At least he would have to be guarded.

    This move tells me we've given up on any trades to bring in real game changing talent, and we're now chewing up salary cap on whatever scraps we think we can sign...much like the Dalembert signing last year.
     
    #1 PolarBear, Jul 1, 2012
    2 people like this.
  2. Ricksmith

    Ricksmith Member

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    Free agency just started today. I mean, seriously, today is July 1st. The real party begins on the 11th.
     
    #2 Ricksmith, Jul 1, 2012
  3. Dat Dude

    Dat Dude Member

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    #3 Dat Dude, Jul 1, 2012
  4. Juxtaposed Jolt

    Juxtaposed Jolt Member

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    /thread.
     
    #4 Juxtaposed Jolt, Jul 1, 2012
  5. iconoclastic

    iconoclastic Member

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    Signing Asik (fingers crossed Bulls don't match) gives us a better asset to trade for a game changer. Who would we sent out if we don't sign a defensive talent like Asik? Scola?
     
    #5 iconoclastic, Jul 1, 2012
  6. UTAllTheWay

    UTAllTheWay Member

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    I think most people here agree with you that the Rockets need a game-changer.

    Of course, that only lasts until word gets out that the Rockets are actually pursuing said game-changer (Dwight Howard, Eric Gordon) then everyone starts crying and complains it would be a terrible move.
     
    #6 UTAllTheWay, Jul 1, 2012
  7. ThisIsOurCity

    ThisIsOurCity Member

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    Asik > Dalembert
     
    #7 ThisIsOurCity, Jul 1, 2012
  8. PolarBear

    PolarBear Member

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    It would only be a trade asset AFTER December 15th, not this offseason. Per collective bargaining agreement:

    http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q92

    When can a team trade a free agent it signs? Do they have to keep him forever?

    Generally a team only has to keep a player for three months after signing a contract or December 15 of that season, whichever is later.
     
    #8 PolarBear, Jul 1, 2012
  9. Scolalist

    Scolalist Member

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    X10!!
     
    #9 Scolalist, Jul 1, 2012
  10. Petey-N-Htown

    Petey-N-Htown Member

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    Asik=1
    Gordon=2?
    3=???
     
    #10 Petey-N-Htown, Jul 1, 2012
  11. Tom Bombadillo

    Tom Bombadillo Member

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    Asik is a HUGE game changer...
     
    #11 Tom Bombadillo, Jul 1, 2012
  12. plates300

    plates300 Member

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    Asik >>>>>>> anyone on the rockets roster playing center at the moment. Everyone needs to just calm down a bit. Would you rather not have a starting center when the season starts? And don't give me that oh we'll play Patterson at the 5 for the season. One game in and everyone will be suicidal screaming why we didn't sign any stiff to man the position. The pool of centers isn't exactly big to begin with.
     
    #12 plates300, Jul 1, 2012
  13. white lightning

    white lightning Member

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    Chandler was quite a game changer for Dallas and he's offensively challenged. Don't you remember the impact Mutomobo had in games? Asik might not be their equal, but there is use for rim protecting centers, especially when Scola is in the game and Dragic is letting all the guards blow by him.
     
    #13 white lightning, Jul 1, 2012
  14. aelliott

    aelliott Member

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    Just because a player doesn't have a good offensive game doesn't mean that he doesn't have to be guarded. The best example was Dennis Rodman. Rodman wasn't an offensive threat but he was a great offensive rebounder. Not only was Rodman never left alone, his defender had to pay extra attention to where he was at all times so as to not turn him loose on the offensive boards.
     
    #14 aelliott, Jul 1, 2012
  15. Russjr2

    Russjr2 Member

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    It's not "the signature move of the offseason".. It's 1 move.

    Good pickup. Next year all these haters will be on his jock. The dude is a solid player. Defends and rebounds very well. Camby will be his backup.

    Now on to the next moves...
     
    #15 Russjr2, Jul 1, 2012
  16. SRR21

    SRR21 Member

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    Its day 1 of free agency and of 12-13 season get some patience.
     
    #16 SRR21, Jul 1, 2012
  17. Dreamshake1

    Dreamshake1 Member

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    What are you willing to put on this
     
    #17 Dreamshake1, Jul 2, 2012
  18. BEARCLAW

    BEARCLAW Member

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    Before people panic too much by saying he's making 8 mill a year please remember that the contract is BACKLOADED. He'll AVERAGE 8 mill.

    But he'll make 5 mill in each of the first 2 seasons and then get 15 mill for the last season.

    That means Houston gets this guy for 2 years at 10 mill and if he is deemed not worth that 3rd year for 15 mill, the team can probably trade his expiring contract to some other team that is looking for cap relief.

    Hopefully McHale can coach this guy's offensive game to be better over the next 2 years so it won't be an issue...

    .
     
    #18 BEARCLAW, Jul 2, 2012
  19. Rockets2K

    Rockets2K Clutch Crew

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    Your numbers are wrong.

    http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?p=6970939#post6970939

    Explains how the Arenas provision of the CBA makes the cap numbers vary based on which team you are looking at.
     
    #19 Rockets2K, Jul 2, 2012
  20. HamJam

    HamJam Member

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    The main reason Perkins was such a liability against the Heat was not for his lack of offense (which he never has) but because he could not guard the pick and role at all. It was actually really painful to watch. I mean, I didn't think anyone could be as embarrassingly as bad at the pick and role as Jordan Hill, but Perkins proved me very very wrong.

    Asik on the other hand is an elite pick and role defender. So, even though Asik, like Perkins, would not be able to punish teams like the Heat for going small by posting up whatever Small Forward was guarding him, he could stay on the court by playing pick and role defense that Perkins can not. Then, while he is on the court, he can be the rim protecting 7 footer that teams need to stop small ball from working.

    This is exactly how Tyson Chandler was able to overcome the Heat -- stay on the court by being great at pick and role defense, and while on the court shut down penetration to the rim.

    Morey may be wrong and Asik could be a disaster (nothing is certain in life), but he has good reasons to dismiss your critique and to hope he has an anchor of a defense in Asik.
     
    #20 HamJam, Jul 2, 2012
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