My thoughts on why its important to keep Asik and LIN, and why the team doesn't need a big 3 or to trade for a new all star PF to contend this year. Sky is the limit with our current roster #GOROCKETS #REDNATION ROCKETS I think that rockets should keep LIN/ASIK and use them to their full potential whether it's with the starting unit or coming off the bench. The organization should realize and communicate to them how important having them here in Houston really is. I feel that that they are the key to determining how far this team can go in the playoffs this season. Morey has done a great job with putting the current roster together and still be under the cap. Yes (LIN & ASIK) may not start but make 8 mill but understand that is still money well spent if we are in WIN NOW MODE. The least of worries is how much they are getting paid especially with the team being under the cap. Morey should now sit back and allow the to build chemistry and rely on the coaching still to make the right rotation decisions. (NO TRADES) Morey just enjoy the fruits of your labor. I don't feel that there is any reason to worry about bringing in other players in at this point. We have a roster that gives us an opportunity of countering any opposing teams matchup by going small or big. This is very important with making decisions in playoff series situations. We have defense specialists down low (Howard, Asik) and on the perimeter (Brewer, Bev, Garcia). The team and coaching staff has also developed a new defensive mindset since the first day of training camp, so expect to see improvements out of the team in general on defense. Rockets have 2 guards that can get to the rim at ease and run a offense (Harden, Lin) Rockets were one of the top offensive teams last year and became even stronger over the offseason due to younger players development, new additions, and players that were resigned. Don't want to bring up an injury but being realistic sometimes things happen and players do have a to sit . If harden or Howard sat we would be forced with Bev to run the offense or Smith to hold hold things down as rim protector. We wouldn't be confident in winning that game but we would be confident if LIN or ASIK had to step up and hold down the fort until a superstar returns at full capability without having to be rushed back in the lineup. LIN Is a solid PG that has great court awareness and can get his teammates involved offensively arguably the best out of any player on the rockets current roster whether he is a starter or being used in a 6th man role. This is important due to the fact that Harden's efficiency dropped towards the end of the season because of the large amount of minutes he was played throughout the season. Having him and harden gives can gives us a opportunity to have a playmaker on the floor the full 48mins of a game without the offense lacking a player in the game that can run the offense the best of its ability. Harden can have fresher legs playoffs this year if mchale handles the guards rotations correctly. This can be crucial towards the teams postseason's success. ASIK Keeping Asik is similar to keeping LIN except the focus is more on the defensive side of the floor. Having him and Howard gives us the luxury of having a defensive big protect the rim the full 48 mins. With having Asik it gives Howard an opportunity to get a good amount of rest and not be over played during the season which can cause health issues or lack of effort from being worn down going into the playoffs. It also allows the rockets to play (TWIN TOWERS) vs a team that has two bigs. Having the twin towers opportunity weapon can give the rockets just what we need to make it past another contending team in a 7game playoff series. ROSTER (in no starting order) LIN / BEV HARDEN / GARCIA PARSONS / CASSPI / BREWER JONES / DMO HOWARD / ASIK / SMITH D-League CANNAN / COVINGTON CUTS (2 of the 3) CAMBY WILLIAMS BROOKS
The offcourt chemistry and bonding of this particular group might in and of itself make it difficult for management to make a trade. Harden and Howard have already stated publicly that they want Lin and Asik to stay. Statements like that don't get made too often. If Lin starts shooting 40% from three and plays improved defense than I don't see how you can realistically trade the guy. The Rox need a playmaker other than Harden. Should Lin be willing to accept a 6th man role that would make it even more difficult to trade him. Morey has made clear that the Rox want to keep Asik. And even if Twin Towers doesn't work out I'm sure the Rox would be thrilled to keep him at any event simply for what he brings on defense to the second unit. Asik may not himself be too keen on the idea; however keep in mind that there are numerous examples of where stars accepted lesser roles and/or pay cuts for an opportunity to play on a contending team. The big question is whether or not DMo and/or Jones will pan out; and from what I've seen so far in the preseason, I think they will. DMo seems much more comfortable off the bench and playing alongside Lin. Jones needs to work on his outside shot (and free throw shooting). Way to show faith in our guys, OP; way to not sell them out so soon.
I try to say it in a more concise manner.... Lin and Omer become borderline allstars, (one of them is an allstar) this team gets into Top 3 of All teams and should be Number 2 behind the Champs
You could also see it like this. Because Lin is effective on both groups, bench and starters, and Bev is only effective with the starters, that's why Lin should be 6th man. And by effective I am referring only to the first 2 pre-season games. Where the bench didn't play very well with Bev, but they did play well with Lin. Both played well with the starters though. (Or you could say Lin needs to play 48minutes with both groups, cus he's good on both groups...)
Agree. We need to keep both of those guys. The only issue is making it work money wise while also keeping Parsons. If the front office can continue to churn the bottom of the roster and find good shooters then it might be possible.
i definitely think we have the talent but what I am not convinced of is: 1. coaching- Mchale has not proven he can take a team to any type of contention level. he is a a good coach for what we needed BEFORE which is simply to rebuild but NOW we need someone who has done it like a Phil Jackson, Doc Rivers, Van Gundy etc. 2. leadership- I think we will need a real leader on this team. Dwight likes to joke around and tell fart jokes and Harden hasn't shown that he could lead. Championship windows are very small (we have maybe 4-5 years) so we can't let this great op be wasted
Thanks for the reply, Yeah I know keeping parsons plays a big role into this, I was going to mention that in my write up, but this is all about this season, after this year then we can see what adjustments need to be made we have have a full season with playoffs to determine what's more important, not to be funny or anything but we never know heat need to go it could not be Lin or asik at that point we never know
Thanks for the reply, see that's my biggest concern the coaching and MCHALE.. Like you said he was what we needed before but after this season we can sit back and see if he really is what this team needed now. It plays a big part on how he uses the rotation and drawing up plays in different situations. I can tell you right now if DOC or POP had this team we would be favorites in the west and ahead of the clippers and spurs and would go to the finals. That's why the media always has clippers ahead of us because they have DOC even though we have more talent. I'm ok with giving MCHALE this year to see but he needs to step up to the plate.
Dwight has had a history of "issues" with Orlando and then the Lakers Guy is a bit goofy and not serious There are clips when he was on the Lakers getting blown out sitting on the bench goofing around, laughing, smiling and having a grand ole time Hakeem, Jordan, Kobe and other great leaders would not have done that Tough to take someone seriously when they have no track record, jokes around all day and has a history of "issues"
I think the choice is going to shake out as: 1) Keep them both for their two remaining years. Push hard for a championship. Be okay with having them walk for nothing. Might be worth losing them for nothing if it nets a ring in the 2 more years that they're here. But if you don't get a ring, you just lost them for nothing when they walk. 2) Trade them. Lose Asik's defense off the bench, and lose Lin's playmaking. Have to redo chemistry and adjustment issues and familiarization time with whatever you bring in from the trade. Good if what you bring in is much better or at least replacement level, bad if the chemistry adjustment time means you just squandered the contender window right before a Harden/Howard ACL tear (no need to tell Morey about this scenario after the Yao/TMac era when Morey thought he had a long window and it ended up being just 2 season of full health) I think it's clear neither of them will be here after their contracts end. They don't seem to be in the long term plans, as you saw during the Dwight recruitment selection committee membership. They'll either be traded or walk. Asik would rather start than come off the bench for a championship team, just like Harden. Asik left the Bulls bench and Harden left OKC's bench, both of which were considered close to contender status. Jeremy Lin won't be 6th man because he won't get the minutes. I think one of the Rockets beat writers or someone mentioned, even before the trip, that Bev would probably be finishing games. Add in that Bev will be starting, then Jeremy just ends up being a regular backup who neither starts nor closes, so that's not 6th Man minutes. Then you have the money issue. If Lin is a starting quality PG, as Clutch said in his radio interview recently, then other teams could well be willing to pay a starter more than Morey might pay Lin as a backup. Add in that other teams might sell him on starting with an offense that lets him run his game, and he walks just like Asik or Harden or anyone else did when given the choice between bench and starter. He'll be a good soldier while he's here and do whatever the coaches say instead of throwing a tantrum on twitter like TWill or Royce or Lowry, but that doesn't mean he'll stay when his term is up. He's mentioned that starting was important to him in 1) his Christian testimonial where he said he was on the verge of tears over being benched 2) in his Volvo commercial where he brags about being a starter 3) in his exit interview where he says he definitely cares if he starts. There's no real need to fuss over McHale's lineups since that's the coach's choice and we have no control over it as fans. And Lin isn't the type of guy to throw a fit over it. He'll do what he did last season and write in his diary and cry himself to sleep and put up a smiling, good public face and embrace it as much as he can and soldier on for the good of the team with no tantrums. But free agency is a different matter, when he can evaluate his options. Unless the Rockets win a ring (in which case players give teams a ring-chasing discount in salary and willingness to limit themselves), or if the Rockets are willing to give him more money as a backup than other teams are willing to offer as a starter (and even that is no sure thing if he really wants to start), there's a good chance he'll walk. Manu Ginobili is the exception, not the rule. Look at Harden. If Manu left to start elsewhere the way Harden left OKC, who knows how good Manu could be. Asik and Lin will either be good enough to start and walk during free agency (when they will both be young and in their primes), or they'll suck and have to stay with whatever lower offer they get on the Rockets. Besides, with Canaan slated to enter the rotation after a D-League stretch, and Bev moving into the starting lineup, the writing is on the walls for Lin, just like the Howard signing meant the Asik is out either by trade or by his own choice of walking in 2 years (I'm skeptical of the twin towers thing, though I hope I'm wrong and it works). The choice really is if you want 2 solid years remaining on their contract to gun for the ring in Houston, or trade them before they walk even if it means wasting time on Howard/Harden's contender clock before there's a TMac/Yao type of injury window closing. By Morey's admission in a radio interview, there were only 2 season of full health for Tmac/Yao. I just don't see McHale being able to coordinate the offense to harness 2 playmaking guards maximizing each other to share the ball the way the Rolls Royce backcourt worked in the 70's. He's a big man coach. So you have to weigh Morey's Yao/TMac experience of a short contention window, even though he expected a long one, versus his propensity to deal and try to get value for assets since Asik and Lin will be walking in 2 years anyway if they're still coming off the bench. As fans, we have no control over it. So the constant back and forth trolling is just pointless. Just sit back and enjoy whatever time Asik and Lin have left on the Rockets. Then follow their story lines to see what happens on their new teams, just as people do with Lowry/Dragic/Scola/PPat/TRob, etc.
Good points Even Morey said himself that PRIOR to landing Dwight and Harden, we had to draft people like Royce White (high ceiling type guys). But now with a lot of talent, chemistry and fit are important. Therefore, it is clear that NEEDS have changed after LANDING THESE STARS This is no different than in coaching. Mchale was fine managing the Kevin Martins of the world but now and getting us to play 500 ball but now we have stars and need to win championships It is time to bring in the Phil Jacksons as amateur hour is over
I agree with everything that was posted especially the 6th man situation, I don't feel that MCHALE is just to the job of using the right rotations so that Lin still gets 30mins. He doesn't have to start but him having his mins staggered with harden and Bev is what is important. Only time will tell so we will see what happens.
It's always funny to me how people think that Phil Jackson is some kind of great coach. He's rode the coattails of some of the greatest teams ever assembled and run out on them as soon as they don't have the most talent in the league. At best he is a decent camp counselor who keeps the kids from fighting (sometimes) but he's not a coach that can turn around any team or take any team to the next level unless they are absolutely stacked from top to bottom. Hell, he won't even agree to coach a team if there is another team in the league more talented than them.
You do know Doc was run out of Orlando before his success in Boston right? Just like what you want to do with McHale. Now that the team is built how about we give him a chance?
Don't the rockets have that talent right now though ? ask he has proven he can be successful with talent but get the players to respect him and fill his lead and make the right rotations in the playoffs. Is Phil going to come here or motet go get him no. Just thinking aloud
That's ridiculous, it's not like McHale took the youngest, least experienced team in the league to the playoffs or anything.
Nope, there are more talented teams out there so he'd never take the chance of someone figuring out that he's not actually a good coach.
Actually, to be fair the statistics do back up Phil Jackson's impact on the game as a coach. http://www.suu.edu/faculty/berri/IJSF4-2CoachingPaper.pdf Take a look at table 6b. All that aside, PJ is very picky in terms of what teams he is willing to coach. On the other hand, the guy has more rings than fingers so I don't blame him at all for not wanting to coach teams that aren't stacked, especially at his age when coming out of retirement isn't his top priority. The guy literally has nothing to prove in his mind. Agree or disagree, I think most coaches would be happy to have a whack of rings and a few people complain that the teams he coached weren't bad enough. Could PJ take *any* team and elevate them? We'll never know, but even if his niche talent is to maximize top level teams, isn't that one heck of a useful skill if you're gunning for championship rings? I'd take that over a coach who specializes in developing young and inexperienced teams any day of the week.
