[Spanish Radio] Sergio Llull close to deciding to join the Rockets?

Good question, I believe that it's wherever you are at the start of free agency. But I believe if we maintain our cap holds and don't renounce any of them before free agency, it'll be pretty easy to operate above the cap and use the MLE.

 

Not a cap expert so maybe i am inaccurate in details.
If you are under the cap the mle counts as part of salary. If you are over the cap the mle doesnt count as salary. So even if they trade a big contract away then the mle money will start counting as salary.

 

http://www.nba.com/video/teams/rockets/2012/02/27/SergioDefense512Kcopymov-2017507/

I really like the confidence and energy I see here.

 

So true. I'm sure Morey floats these ideas in the press and then checks this board to see if we hate the guy under consideration, because the analytics say our hatred predicts good pickups.

 

He's a nifty player....a play like this doesn't look like a big deal, but you can do it two ways...by gathering yourself under the rim or by quickly turning and flicking it up. In the former you waste time, allowing the defender to come over and in the latter you risk shooting too hard. I've seen plenty NBA players make both mistakes, but Llull shot it quickly with a good touch.

He really is just what coaches call a "basketball player" and not some good athlete trying to make basketball plays. Dribble penetration, passing, shooting, rebounding, etc...he can make any of those plays at any crucial moment of the game, including playing good defense. On top of that he's passionate and a good competitor.


<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OwUSbGFVDiY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

I think Llull could be a very useful player, hopefully we don't require him to start. But he has been playing in Europe for a while I think he could be very useful coming off the bench to help create for our bench unit. One thing that worries me is if we give him the full MLE, that we won't be able to bring back Smoove.

 

Did I read somewhere he's a southpaw? If so, this right-foot-right-hand play is truly impressive.

 

Nah, he's right handed.

 

I feel like we all need to temper expectations on him. He's really good in Europe. Some people struggle to adjust to the NBA game. Time will tell.

 

Hate to generalize, but the last time an overseas guard was labeled as our savior and projected by CF to be an instant contributor, we got Spanoulised.

 

Hate to kill your pessimism but the last time we had an overseas guard labeled as our "savior" he was Van Gundy'd.

Spanoulis could have been a productive NBA player in the mold of Rudy Fernandez when he came over but he was never utilized the best of ways.

 

Let's hope that this will be not the case this time. I admit I thought about that too. Llull seems more mature than VSpan.

 

Euro players can thrive if given the opportunity to player "their" game and to play within a system. If you're expecting all of them to stand around and be a spot up shooter then you're in for a huge disappointment. The good thing about Harden and McHale (and his lack of a TRUE system) is that it gives players a chance to get, at worst, a yellow light to do whatever they want.

 

Every player entering the NBA has to adjust, and none -- save for a select few elite talents -- are entitled to getting to play exactly how they want to right off the bat. You have to buy into whatever system/situation you're thrown into, and find a way to contribute based on what the team needs.

It's usually easier for American CBB players, because they're more accustomed to playing a style of ball similar to NBA ball than overseas players, but it is what it is. The same thing goes for American HS players who go to Europe to play for a year (i.e. Jennings). Was Jennings more talented than some of the guys he was sitting behind? Probably. But it's a different game, and the team wasn't going to change everything to implement an AAU style for him. He just didn't have the strengths to contribute much to that squad at that point in time.

JVG didn't have some sort of agenda against Spanoulis. Spanoulis just didn't have the skills (or mentality) to fill what we needed from the guard spot at that time. Maybe it wasn't the best situation for him, but the good players find a way to contribute even in situations that aren't the most conducive to their success. And Spanoulis did very little good on the court for the Houston Rockets.

 

V span came in a few years younger, so i don't think he was as mature or prepared for the change, as Llull will be.

Llull also seems to be a faster player, or at least plays faster, and that's only going to help him here.

I also believe Llull has played against better competition.

 

Does anyone think that Jerian Grant is similar to Llull in his skill set and ability? They are both combo guards. Grant is quite experienced as a college senior, while Llull is an experienced Euro pro.

I wonder if Morey will pick Grant if he falls to the 18th pick. If he does, will the Rockets still want Llull to join them or will look to trade his rights to let's say Toronto or Denver?

My hunch is that Morey will try to trade Jones, the two picks, fillers and possibly Llull's rights for Lowry or Lawson.

 

I had never watched Llull before. But watching the clips in a couple of the videos posted here, I have this nagging feeling that he is successful in a Larry Bird way. He doesn't blow anyone away with athleticism, but finds a way to score.

The thing I have to smile about while going through the thread is, in all the proposed lineups Capela is penciled in the rotation. Not bad for a 21 year-old who most thought would be left in Europe a season or 2.

 

i think the Rockets trust Llull to play right away, even if in limited minutes. I really doubt they're going to play a rookie, at all, as has been the case the last few years. They basically just let them take a peek and then stash them in the D League.

 

SL can repeat this play often - - just by having Monta guard (sic) him. :grin:

 

So true. I do believe JVG has matured and would be better suited for today's V-Span. Maybe he was Yaoed?