Where was the outrage last season with the lack of starts from Delfino at PF?

Actually, it's the other way around. The small ball lineup was great in most instances when it was employed and had small intervals when it did not work, which people b****ed about endlessly in the Fire McHale thread.

Morey had noted multiple times that small ball (especially with Delfino at the PF) was numerically the best lineup as measured by +/- type stats.

 

They all sucked equally. Delbricko at PF was great when McSuccess was seeking to exploit a particular match-up some time during the game and his shots was falling. However this does not mean that it was a sustainable strategy. I remember the Pacers (or was it the Nuggets?) feasting on it during the regular season. There would be a lot of complaints about Delbricko being out there at PF along with Asik's random benching. The Rockets won a lot of games inspite of turds at PF.

 

The coaching staff themselves have said in various interviews (I can't remember which ones) that they want small ball to be their "curveball" and they don't want to go small as often as they had to last season.

 

I agree with you that the best player doesn't have to start.

But if you are trying to use the Delfino situation to make a point about the Lin/Beverley starting PG choice, I don't think it's a very good comparison.

The difference is that neither of the PGs have any worries about physically lasting 82 games playing starters minutes at PG. So, whatever the coaches decide will be purely a matter of tactics and free from any physical wear-and-tear limitations questions.

 

I actually wanted the Rockets to start Smith at PF last year as early as last year's preseason and even started a thread about it (where I got criticized for the most part due to folks worried about spacing issues but supported by some). I did not think Jones or DMo was ready. Smith produced about what I expected, but frankly it seems to me that DMo has made a bigger jump from last year to this year and has leapfrogged Smith. Jones also seems to have improved more than Smith did, and those two are close in my book. One thing that disappointed me about Smith was his free throw shooting, which actually regressed as the year went along. He has a habit of bouncing/cupping the ball in the palm of his hand right before he releases forward, which greatly impacts accuracy. He had shot free throws decently the prior year, and I thought that he had potential for a midrange game to complement his great strength and solid inside game, but the shot mechanics held him back. I was hoping that he'd have a great summer but have not seen him enough to see how much he has improved.

 

can't defend Gasol with Delfino.

 

So this is why you started this thread?

Thanks for instigating another thread out of nowhere about a player already not on a team about a topic not even discussed last year, just so you can make a point that Jeremy Lin should come off the bench (or that LOFs should have no problems with Lin coming off the bench).

Jeez, another thread on Jeremy Lin, and disguised to this extent???

Merge it with the whether Jeremy Lin should start or be a back-up thread.

You of all people that posted this

now turn around and make up a superfluous thread on Carlos Delfino so you can create another thread that is about Jeremy Lin.

Head palm.

 

Ah..So it was not a serious discussion of small ball and Delbricko's role in last season's offense? It was just another disguised Lin thread...Meh

 

Should've been obvious based on the poster and the content (or lack thereof) of his post.

 

All unprovoked troll posts. Meh just can't stop himself from Meh posts.

Don't complain about LOFs on too many Lin posts. Just complain about Meh.

 

I've answered twice, and I'll answer again.

Because Delfino isn't built like Chuck Hayes and Delfino was our only perimeter threat off the bench, so it made sense to play him off the bench and in a stretch 4 in limited capacity.

Why did you not complain about James Anderson not starting in front of James Harden? Because he had much better +/- than Harden off the bench?

And before, knowing you, you change this into "BBAAB thinks James Harden should play off the bench, you no know he our superstar", no I think that's ridiculous, just like your attempt to create another thread about Jeremy Lin based on a person not even on the Rockets about a topic not even discussed when he was a Rocket.

But hey, why don't you go make a thread about why nobody complained about James Anderson not starting in front of James Harden? And throw out James Anderson's +/- numbers against Harden? At least Anderson and Harden actually play the same position and you're not trying to create an issue about Jeremy Lin based on a 6'6 SG/SF not starting at PF.

 

Stick to arguing about Jeremy Lin. No need to hide behind Scola. You can make a post about it too! Now that you've exhausted 2012-13 Rocket Delfino, let's bring out 2011-12 Rocket Luis Scola.

 

Now, by your logic, if Harden couldn't defend Thabo Selfolosha last year? Or Tony Allen? Then ...


Let's not go there, shall we? And stick to this year's Rockets.

You keep this up, you'll turn into Tinman.

 

saying theres much bigger difference between Delfino defending Gasol and Scola defending Gasol. Don't get me wrong, small ball worked for us at times last year depending on matchups, feel we have longer/more athletic players to play at the 4 though

 

Actually, anybody here knows this. You think Delfino not being built like Chuck Hayes doesn't mean Delfino as a 6'6 SG/SG without the muscles/weight of a Chuck Hayes can't survive a season at starting PF?

Or you don't think enough people cared about DMo's arms and weight over the past year? Or Cassipi's weight for playing stretch 4? Or that Parsons gained a good 8-10lbs of muscles allowing him to play more stretch 4 this year?

Written over and over again during the offseason and preseason. Except, you, with your biases, can only see a small portion of Lin posts and want to bring out this ridiculous argument and turn a blind eye to all the other evidence out there that people actually do care about a stretch PF's height and ability to rebound and weight, and defend (duh! calling Delfino defending Gasol meme) ...

Just ask Clutch to merge it into the Lin thread. This is embarrassing.

 

Because Delfino never scored the most points in his first 5 starts out of anyone in NBA history. Delfino has never produced at a superstar level when used as a main option, so not many noticed that he was the most efficient option at PF last season. Also, he was effective because the situations when he was deployed was when he could be the most effective (aka only used when the matchups were right and he wouldn't be abused). If he was with the starters all the time, his effectiveness would probably have declined, not to mention the danger to his health to play him at PF.