Should Casspi be on the floor to close out games?

Sigh. And unfortunately you are right. However I would propose that in many situations Parsons should be the PF at the end of games.

 

Grow up and get a job? I have a job, I'm using to pay for college you idiot

 

I don't know if the Rockets will use Casspi in that role, but I do believe that at the end of games, the Rockets will have a lineup that features 4 3pt threats plus Howard. I don't know which combination of players. But I don't believe any sub-par 3pt shooter will be on the court in crunch time.

But right now I'm hesistant to say that would be Casspi. There's too much competition. Jones may actually have a legit 3pt shoot. Garcia may play there. Parsons may play there with Harden/Lin/Beverley in a 3 guard lineup. Having Dwight Howard allows you to really cheat in terms of defensive issues everywhere else.

But yes, if Casspi can play solid defense and shoot well, he probably has the inside track.

 

He could end up games in Vipers for sure.

 

Casspi's defensive IQ is low so I doubt he's there to close out the game. If the Rockets are desperate for 3's, then you have a point, otherwise no.

(Yeah he had a block tonight but I think he got lucky)

I think our small line up with Lin & Beverly has a better shot at closing out the game than Casspi does. Casspi was on tonight and completely off in the scrimmage. He's a streaky player and can't be depended on. Delfino seemed less streaky and had much better defensive awareness - actually I think Delfino's overall bball iq is way higher. Sucks that we lost him to injury and the Bucks.

 

I think if he can shoot 90% the rest of the year then he deserves some playing time at the end of the games.

 

Here's a link for those who don't remember.
http://www.clutchfans.net/feature.cfm?FeatureID=106

 

Garcia, in the middle of the season with no chemistry with the team, could not beat out Delfino, who played very well last season. This year, Garcia has full training camp and he's a lock to be the first wing player off the bench.

If you think that little of Garcia, I will make a tipjar wager with you. $10?

Also instead of total minutes, since injuries can derail such a bet in terms of who's actually right and who's wrong. But something like MPG with a minimum games not on the injury list, meaning DNP-CD counts as game played. This will account for one player getting hurt, causing the other one to play a lot more. Say, both have to play a minimum of 50 games and comparing mpg between Garcia and Casspi.

 

This game just does a whole lot for his chances of making the team, if that was in question, and slightly increases the possibility he will be in the rotation for the regular season.

Let's be realistic.

 

Yeah, let's just work it out at the end of the season if there somewhat of a tie. I think the odds of both being similarly productive is quite low, since they share the same positions/duties. One or the other should get a Delfino-like role. If someone else steps up and beat out both of them(Reggie Williams?) then we should both pay up for both being wrong. :grin:

 

I'm a Casspi fan.
I'm quite confident he'll make the team, but other than that, I'm not sure what his role will be. He could become a super sub, he could be out of the league at the end of this season.

Just like we shouldn't jump to conclusions about a scrimmage, nor should we about his first preseason game.

In fact, I remember he had a good debut for the Cavs in his first preseason game there. I found one article:
For a player who was expected to miss the entire two-game preseason for the Cleveland Cavaliers, newly acquired Omri Casspi shined in his debut as the Cavaliers fell to the Detroit Pistons 90-89 on Tuesday, December 20.

Casspi has been dealing with a sprained right knee in recent days but was able to participate with success in Cleveland's free public scrimmage on Sunday, December 18. In that contest he scored nine points in 17 minutes.

In tonight's preseason game against the Pistons he led all Cavaliers scorers with 18 points in 30 minutes coming off the bench. He went 8-11 in field goals and was 2-4 from the three-point line. Add five rebounds and a blocked shot to the mix and it would be safe to assume he will be a welcome addition to the team this season.

Here's the link.

We all know how that turned out.

This is a nice start for Casspi, and he's a condence player, so he needed that. He is also streaky, and has holes in his games. As long as he works hard defensively and provides some other things when his shot isn't falling, he'll be a nice addition.

 

oops. I meant "confidence player", at the end there.

 

Yea. That's right. You better believe it.

For the Rockets tonight, everything has changed. I would like to introduce you to the new face of the franchise: Marcus Morris.

You should know plenty about him since I have been bombarding the BBS with info on him leading up to the draft. But since misinformation is still widely evident, I think some of the things bears repeating. After all, a proper introduction is warranted for someone you will be seeing a whole lot of in the coming years.

As a power forward, Marcus Morris is undersized, has a short wingspan, with subpar athleticism, and can't block shots. While skilled, that is just enough to earn you the "versatile" tag. Which is just another way of saying, "We don't know where to put you." You add all that to an upperclassman who only came on the scene his junior year, and you have your recipe for why he was available at 14.

Only problem is, he isn't a power forward.

Playing at the prep charter Apex Academy, Marcus was almost exclusively used as a wing on the perimeter. Gifted with the ball handling of a guard, he was often called upon to bring the ball up like a PG. Only upon arriving at Kansas, and under the tutelage of Danny Manning did he start to develop in the post. After improvement each year, and biding his time behind a deep team with multiple NBA prospects, he finally molded himself into one of the most elite post scorers in the nation this past year. Unfortunately for him, that success has clearly made a few NBA teams forget where his roots lie.

You see, as a small forward, Marcus Morris is massive, overpowering, and a complete bull. His underwhelming wingspan and shot blocking is less blatant when playing on the wing. Meanwhile, his post game is accentuated and could result in true mismatches all over the court. Most importantly of all, Marcus plays a triple threat game that only the stars in the league possess. One of the most efficient and productive scorers in college, he does so in the post, off the dribble, pull up, off screens and any and every way possible. His passing ability and court vision is extremely underrated, and will surely surprise a lot of folks. Meanwhile, his dribble drive is very effective due to his range out to the NBA 3, and his advanced ball handling.

As a small forward, he is a top 5 talent in the entire draft. And one of the true impact players that a team can build around.

As someone who has clamored to trade up to grab him, even if it cost one of our veterans like Scola, it is nothing short of stunning to have him drop into our laps. Today, 6/23/2011, the fate of the Rockets have changed. And I am not bull****ing you. This is a coup that makes up for the disaster that lost us Brandon Roy. In fact, that is exactly the caliber player we have just acquired.

What I see in Marcus Morris is a similar career trajectory as Roy: a late bloomer in college, heralded for his all around game, yet master of none. Without elite athleticism or physical measurements, but dominant with skill.

As a player, I see him as a heavier Paul Pierce with a much better post game. A less talented Carmelo with infinitely more toughness and commitment to team and winning. A healthier and more complete Caron Butler afforded with a great situation, a great coach staff, a great supporting cast, and every opportunity to succeed.

I can go on and on. I can not adequately express my excitement as a Rockets fan. To me the biggest problem for our team was not a center. It was the lack of a franchise player to build around. Without one of those, there is no clear path to a championship caliber team. No starting point. I resigned to the conclusion that tanking was the only, and easiest way.

I WAS WRONG.

The reason I was wrong is because I significantly overestimated the competence of NBA GMs. The same group of aholes who let Paul Pierces and Danny Grangers slide time and again while reaching for the next big thing with a 40 inch vertical or 7'7 wingspan without a lick of basketball skill. Or hey, for someone who simply haven't even played in 2 years. Yup, not being able to see someone play actually BOOSTS their value.

Nevermind that though, nothing can get me down for this glorious night.

Mark my words:

Marcus Morris will be in the running for Rookie of the Year.

Marcus Morris will breakout his 3rd year in the league, averaging above 20 PPG.

Marcus Morris will be a multi-allstar the next 10 years, bringing a championship to Houston.

If you are a Rockets fan, rejoice. The light at the end of the tunnel is here. And it isn't a train. It's a pot of gold the size of Mount Rushmore.

**** YEA

 

"The other choice is swapping Beverley with Brewer in the first lineup for matchups, vs Kobe for example."

I'd rather have Harden on Kobe, they have a history playing against each other, Harden will definitely play defense on him.

 

Casspi isn't good enough to be a rotation player on a contender.

 

Ooh, two clutchfans making a wager... Winner bet pay up because, guess what, you have witnesses.