yes he does, but my post went over your head, People wanted asik gone for a PF I listed going into this season & currently. Not everyone me & some posters "but not many" said this summer that we should keep both him and howard. My reason for was for DEFENSE. I made the thread “keeping asik & lin for contender purposes”. So its strange that now all of a sudden when we have D problems, people are quick to say we don’t have a backup center, ASIKs not being healthy as an excuse. We should address the problem instead of the excuses.
Asik was good at defense last year, but obviously Howard is better. However, we ranked 16th in defensive efficiency last year, without PB starting a single game. Currently, we are ranked 15th.
Wait a minute, one of the best defensive centers not playing any minutes means our defense is dropping? No really? I couldn't see this happening at all. Seriously look at the state of the bench right now. Garcia=Worse player on the Rockets. Sign the dude to shoot 3's and play D. Can't seem to do either these days. Casspi= Surprisingly doing well in terms of overall defense. But his offense been slipping further and further. Brooks= ZERO defense. Greg Smith= FOUL MACHINE.
Not true I all. I love Bev's play and I don't knock him at all. And I criticize Lin's weaknesses and challenge others when they go overboard about them. What I wrote stands. We need Beverley's defensive play on the floor, but I don't think it matters if he starts or not. Except for 2 games since coming back from the back spasms injury, Lin has done a fine job on some high-powered point guards, almost as good as Bev was doing. We have defensive issues when Bev is playing PG as well.
You post in every single thread, and it's typically either "good post" if it fits your views or full of vitriol and sarcasm if it doesn't. Why? There is a direct correlation with Asik not playing backup C and our overall defense. All you have to do is watch when Howard isn't in the game. Casspi, Jones, and even Parsons and Garcia get forced into rim protection duties, and all are much better at pump faking a block than actually challenging when forced to be the last defender. Bev is also very good at disrupting the overall flow of offenses just by early clock pressure. As good defensively as Lin has been in certain matchups, he's certainly not a good defender, and other matchups can straight expose him (Udrih running him into picks with ease was particularly concerning). None of our perimeter players are good defenders, really. Bev is at least above average and will make a significant difference when he returns.
That's not fair. Just because I think the team is better with Lin as a starter overall, I know that Beverley overall is a better defensive player. The positions that have hurt the Rockets in the games over the past few weeks have mostly not been the PG position where Lin has held his own for the most part.
Actually, it didn't go over my head at all. I recall that most people thought PF was our biggest hole in the offseason -- and I also recall that most people recanted that view once (1) it became apparent how useless we were defensively without Asik, and (2) T. Jones simultaneously emerged as a possible/at least temporary solution at the 4. Most have been calling for a legit backup center since it became apparent Asik was not going to play his position, a few weeks into the season. I don't think pointing to the lack of a backup center is an excuse for poor defense -- it is an actual reason that our defense is poor, which you've acknowledged yourself. I don't see why some thinking the PF was our largest weakness in the off-season now precludes acknowledging that a backup center is possibly the largest weakness now.
thanks for the reply bro, really cool you could admit that. But yeah when I made the thread "keeping asik & lin for contender purposes" this summer after we signed howard, it was because I was looking at the playoff picture. I knew asik could help with LMA, ZBO, DUNCAN, P&R D, HEDGING, SWITCHES etc elite at those things. These are the kind of things that a team will benefit form in a playoff series. Howard struggled agaisnt duncan on D last year 1st round and let him get into his head. That’s why I wasn’t too quick to jump ship and say we don’t need asik, I want to win the playoffs. I see camby is almost back healthy so Im sure morey will waive brewer or Covington and pick him up. Camby has always been moreys plan as backup cenetr since he was signed, Morey didnt trade asik ealrier because camby ended up being hurt, now we have an unhappy and hurt asik. Cambys a vet so I think he will help in the playoffs.
I'm not sure if injuries itself explain the 4th Q defense. Looks at our avg margin by Quarters and compare it to 2012. 1st Q +2.9 (2nd) (2012 was -0.6) 2nd Q +0.6 (10th) (2012 was +0.9) 3rd Q +0.5 (11th) (2012 was +1.9) 4th Q -0.9 (25th) (2012 was +0.8) Defense usually tighten up in the last quarter, but in our case, both our offense and defense drop. My guess it our rotation in the 2nd half and the mins played by starters in the 2nd half is a factor.
BS. I loved watching Harden when he was with OKC. The only reason I post here is because I like this team. I like Parsons, Beverley, T Jones, Asik, and I liked the style of play when they were running and gunning. It's amazing how many of you extreme posters get away with this silly LOF labeling.
Getting Asik back would obviously be a big difference. Beverley makes the biggest defensive difference to the extent that his time on the floor replaces Brooks.
Weren't you in the other thread claiming Harden inflates his stats by playing against bad teams but mysteriously succumbs to illness and injury in order to avoid playing against good teams?
I notice more ISO ball in the 4th, i wondering if there is a stastic that show's how well the ball moves in the 4th qtr. The eye test shows me that our offense slows down because the opposing team plays more Defense and we play more conservative as well as more ISO ball. Our D suffers for a lot of various reasons. We dont make good adjustments in the Defensive scheme. Ie; Dallas Mavericks game, the switch where Lin ended up on Dirk. The coaching staff should have adjusted the D much sooner. I think in the fourth we need to come with a better line up. Lin/Bev/Harden/Pason/Dwight - I think that is the most active line up on D that can Score at the same time. Granted it isnt the biggest line up we have. But I think this line up is good on teams with a penetrating PG and will allow us to keep scoring. Just my thoughts