You could argue that Asik is even better than Howard defensively. The problem is that he is so much worse offensively that there is no question that Howard should start. Having said that, I believe the OP meant that Asik should start alongside Howard. We've seen all year that that lineup will only work in small doses. It isn't going to happen. We need Jones or DMo to play well in the playoffs to have any shot at the title. In conclusion, Asik is a bad MOFO! Although I want him to stay, Morey will probably flip him in the offseason. He's going to help some team out in a big way.
I don't care who starts, they are both good players. But, there are some nights that the team plays better with Asik on the floor. I just hope that McHale will be open to the idea that against some teams on certain nights Asik should get more than 12 minutes. Howard doesn't always play well, and on those nights, Asik should be getting some solid minutes.
I didn't have an issue with the idea of developing the TT. My main issue is HOW it was being developed. TT is something that should have been worked on ONLY in blow outs or select match ups where you needed the size (like against Memphis). What bugged me the most is they would throw in TT, blow the lead or get us in the hole, and then expect the team to drag us back to a win. Sure, it takes longer if you're not burning them a ton of minutes, but it keeps Asik happy and you don't sacrifice so many wins. Still, we're at 51 wins right now so despite the fact it cost us some games I think we can live with it. Unfortunately, it may have cost us Asik in the long run. Dwight + Asik could have eventually become very effective if given enough time.
The problems with the TT are all simple fixes. Especially now with Asik seemingly settled into the team, knowing he's here for the duration. Asik is one of the 5 best players on the team. We have to find a way to get him on the court for 30 minutes. To fix the TT, McHale simply needs to examine the matchups and put Asik and Howard on the right guys. For instance when we play the Clippers, Asik needs to defend Blake. When we play the Grizzlies, Asik needs to be on Gasol. When we play Portland Asik needs to be on LaMarcus. When we play OKC, Asik needs to be on Ibaka. When we play SAS Asik needs to be on Duncan. When we play Dallas, Asik needs to be on Dirk. When we play GS, Asik needs to be on Lee. Guys, on every one of the matchups I mentioned above (those are our probable WC opponents) Omer Asik is the best defensive matchup we have on the roster to deal with all those guys. And the best defensive matchups against all those same teams means Dwight in the middle and Asik on the guys I named above. There simply is no argument of any substance that Jones represents the better defender than Asik on any of those matchups. You can keep trying to argue it...but those matchups all abuse Jones. So...the point is there is plenty of opportunity to run Asik alongside Dwight for enough minutes to assure both guys get 30+ minutes and we get the best possible big man defenders on the floor. Of our 4 big men (Dwight, Asik, Jones, DMo) none of them can space the floor and shoot from distance. The best shooter of the bunch is DMo and he isn't effective shooting the ball outside the paint area. NONE OF THE 4 BIGS CAN SHOOT A BASKETBALL EFFECTIVELY OUTSIDE THE PAINT! So if we are going to be playing 2 big men at a time, then Asik should get his share of the minutes. He's the better defender by far than either Jones or DMo. They can't even come close to doing what he can do defensively on the other great bigs in this league whom we will be facing in the playoffs. If McHale is going to be a quality coach for a long time in this league, he's going to have to wrap his mind around what I'm saying and he's going to have to make the Twin Towers work. If he does...we've got a decent shot to win a championship this year. If he doesn't .... we COULD get knocked out in the first round and will most likely be gone in the second round. It's as plain as the nose on my face.
Sigh. Give it up dude. McHale, Morey and company do not agree with you. Politic all you want, for all the good it will do you.
Nope, won't. I know I'm right. You have no idea if Morey does not agree with me. Phil Jackson agrees with me. And I'd bet my molars that if we got the truth out of what Morey believes he sees it closer to me than you or anybody else that keeps poopooing the TT. It doesn't take that much rationale. Asik is at worst the 5th best player on this roster and he may be the 3rd best player on this roster. Jones at best is the 7th best player on this roster and really he's probably only the 8th best player with a significant drop off after the top 6 players. There is NOTHING that the Dwight/Jones combo can do that the Dwight/Asik combo can't do better except dribble the ball up court which neither of them need to do when we are playing Harden and 2 other perimeter guys out there. By the way, how's those DMo defensive numbers looking now the last few games with Dwight out of there and DMo having to play minutes at the 5 without Asik or Dwight out there?
the thing i like about asik is how low maintenance he is...you never have to get him shots and he still does his thing...
Well good luck with that. You will never be able to test your hypothesis since the people who make the decisions about the Rockets are not going to let TT happen, unless we see a match up against the Griz or the Pacers. And D-Mo is reflecting his position on the Rockets. As a back up or a back up of a back up. He will be Howard's back up when Asik leaves.
IF they don't then we will be gone in the first or second round this off season. IF that happens Morey is going to be super pissed and McHale may lose his job. But I know this organization is smarter than that and I believe McHale is smarter than that too. Watch them play the TT in the playoffs IF Dwight gets healthy and able to play. Watch it happen against all those matchups I mentioned. No comment on those defensive numbers for DMo???? You been pumping his defense hard jtr...hard. What do those numbers tell you now?
there's just something about Asik that makes him very likeable, especially when he huffs and puffs at the free throw line
Whatever. But Morey is one of the brightest minds in NBA basketball, McHale has more NBA knowledge in his pinkie than everyone on the GARM and he is backed up by the best assistant coaches money can buy. Bring this argument back when the TT gets playing time together. They have had what- 11 minutes together since the 12th game of the season?
Morey is one of the brightest minds in basketball. That's why I know if we had the truth on it that we'd discover Morey still likes the idea of the Twin Towers in the right matchups....which is practically every opponent we are going to face in the playoffs. Still no comments on those DMo defensive numbers????
Here is a video of Asik from last season totally destroying bigs who are trying to face up on him and either shoot the jumper or fake him and drive. He destroys LaMarcus, Big Al, Timmy D, Nene, even Galinari and Kevin Love way outside. People that think Asik can't guard out on the floor out in space don't know what they're talking about. This wasn't one game either. We seen it game after game all season long. Jones nor DMo can take any of these guys. Neither can Dwight for that matter when these guys face up outside. We need Asik to defend opposing star power forwards to have any chance to win a championship this season. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/z0IFNcYpKzg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Both Asik and Howard can totally dominate the paint, but currently Asik is more stable and dependable. He makes less mistakes and has less backdrops in the 3rd. And the best, he developed fast hands and safe dunks this year. What a great development! We even fed him the ball like Howard this game. Only the hook shot is missing, but he got much much better in deciding when to jump and get it in. Unfortunately both TJ and Parsons are a bit out of form, so I'm not sure if a twin tower or the great great TJ+Howard team-up will work better in the playoffs, but Garcia and Casspi can easily fill in. We have the luxury to have a lot of options now.
