...has been and will be Omer Asik. It is easy to see how Harden benefits from playing with Howard, throwing up 30+ like a stroll in the park. It is easy to see how Lin benefits from playing with Howard, with a target who can now convert his passes with ease. However, the biggest beneficiary of them all is doing so indirectly, but seeing the greatest difference. Everyone agrees that Omer Asik was one of the best defensive bigs in the league last year. Doesn't matter if you comb through advanced stats, or simply watched how the team performed with him on/off the court, he was a huge difference maker on that end of the court. But how did he make that difference? Watching the games last year, I couldn't help but notice that his actual paint defense was underwhelming at times. After averaging a block a game in limited minutes in Chicago, he barely improved upon that in double the playing time in Houston. Dig through his synergy stats, and indeed he was actually a fairly BELOW average post defender. The biggest reason why he was such a difference maker on defense was because he is an elite defensive rebounder. Quite possibly the best in the entire league. And the reason for his underwhelming paint defense at times is obvious: he could not afford foul trouble because we did not have any semblance of rebounding or paint protection at backup center. The second Asik went to the bench, the team collapsed. He had to sacrifice aggressive defense to preserve his fouls and stay on the court. Now that we have Howard, what we are seeing from Asik is someone who has been released from his shackles. If he is only going to play 25 minutes on most nights, there is no fear of saving your fouls, and he is free to play as recklessly and aggressively as he pleases. And the early(tinysamplesize) results have been monstrous: Opponents FG% at the rim against Asik is a paltry 18%! compared to 53% with Howard. http://stats.nba.com/playerTracking...age=25&sortField=FGA_DEFEND_RIM&sortOrder=DES But beyond any stats can tell me, what I am seeing with my eyes is that Asik is completely dominating the paint on defense like he rarely did last year. Without concern for fouls, and with total disregard for human life, I wouldn't be surprised if Asik becomes THE preeminent defensive bigman in the league this year, surpassing even Dwight Howard. Some things to look for in Asik this year: His foul rate should go up. His block rate should go up. His effectiveness should go up(RAPM). This was my observation after the playoffs last year, regarding the team's biggest need: http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=238199 I am glad that Daryl listened, and finally went out there to find Asik an adequate backup.
I agree with everything except that Asik's block rate won't have a boost. The man simply lacks the hops to really go after baskets. The block is really an overrated metric for defensive capability anyway.
Blocks are not indicative of good defense(hello DeAndre), but they are an indication of aggression. Asik had double the block rate in Chicago compared to last year. Expect him to return to those levels, without losing his strengths in positional defense + rebounding.
I don't see the point of trading Asik. We have 48 minutes of elite defense, and it'll hurt us if we trade for a shooting 4. I really hope Asik buys into the system and hopes to stay. We should assess this again after the 10th game.
I think the only way Morey gives up Asik is for Lamarcus Aldridge. 48 mins of post D is nine, but having possibly 3 of the top 5 guys at there positions would be impossible to pass up.
Man this obsession with LMA in clutchfans is hilarious. His game isn't suited for the Rockets at all.
Because Howard is playing PF, this allow Asik to dominate more in the paint or vice verses by rebounding the ball. It was Asik last year that like to go out and block shots and guard the basket, and so we ended up not having anybody rebounding the ball. Now Howard can block shots and allow Asik to rebound or Asik can block shot and let Howard rebound, depending who's attacking the basket and where. That's why Howard is getting so many rebounds because Asik is guarding and watching whoever is coming at the basket and ready to block shots.
Against Charlotte, Dwasik had 40 rebs in 61 mins. Last night, it was 28 in 47 (including Asik's 12 in 15). That is truly ridiculous! In limited minutes, Asik is a beast. I know he doesn't like it, but that may be where he belongs in the NBA (for the next 2 seasons).
One thing I've been enjoying during this brief stretch (2 games, people!) is simply watching Omer play, with and without Howard. If Howard is the best defensive center in the league, and I think he is, what's remarkable to me is just how well Asik is playing defensively in comparison. Using the eyeball test (my eyeballs), Omer has ramped up his play in response to Number 12 and compares very well with Dwight. The guy is such an intelligent defender. At that end of the court, he rarely makes mistakes. He doesn't gamble. He grabs defensive rebounds like a machine. I'm tripping out on the fact that we have, in my humble opinion, the best two defenders at the center position in the league. That's incredible. We should consider ourselves extremely lucky, Rocket fans. We are witnessing something rare in today's NBA. Two honest to god beasts at the 5, and wearing our uniforms. (I have to nod at A_3PO, who made his post while I was writing mine. Yes, he's a beast!)
Dwight allows Asik to play more minutes against teams' 2nd units, lower grade players. That fact alone makes Asik more effective and might explain why his block rate didn't improve even with increased minutes.
great observation!, I just hope that the Two Towers experiment would work and I hope Asik won't get traded, its a luxury having 2 of the top centers in the league, Houston is always blessed woth great big men
Rockets are currently #1 in rebounding. The difference between us and #2 is #2 to #12. Recipe for a championship. We had a similar situation with Yao/Mutombo, but defensively-wise Dwasik is clealy better and younger.
I really think the twin towers can work. Remember it only needs to work for 15 minutes a game or so for Asik to get close to starter's minutes (with the minutes he's getting as Dwight's backup). Therefore, the TT lineup doesn't have to work against a team's starters necessarily. Employing it against backups is fine too. The Rockets' coaches just have to be flexible with their rotations. For instance, last night I think McHale should have planned to use it when Dirk was on the bench and Dalembert and Blair were on the court. Asik just has to be willing to sometimes start and sometimes come off the bench. And Dwight has to be willing to sometimes get subbed for in the middle of the first quarter and sometimes at the end of the first quarter. Most teams have at least some front-court rotational combinations that will be a good match-up for the twin towers. So long as the team can be flexible when it comes to the rotation and substitution patterns, the twin towers can be effective and Asik can get adequate minutes.
Dwasik is also much more athletic, versatile and explosive, especially on D, than Yatumbo. While the Yao/Mutombo combo was more efficient in the post, it was almost impossible to play the both of them together. And could not run the floor like Howard/Asik. Even with the obvious growing pains, their dominance on the boards is obvious. I cannot imagine how much better they will be when they finally figure it put. Rockets have some amazing depth at key positions that they can afford to be a little weak at PF. I for one do not want any more trades this year. Team needs to build chemistry.
I just have to laugh when some posters suggest that either Smith or Dmo could play some backup center (12 minutes or so) if Asik gets traded. Smh... Asik is not a luxury at all; we need him.
Really is I think a serviceable PF like Antwan Jamison on his vet. Min contract would have been great in mchales system and would have allowed us to keep Everyone on without trades. unfourtanley the clippers picked him up but made him wait until they figured out Lamar odoms situation. That was a good time to grab him then but Morey was hoping for jones and dmo to step up which was a fail.
Asik is working on finishing better around the rim, I've think he has saw enough, he is looking at Howard finish strong and how we brought him in, like hey maybe I can at least do half of that dunking which he can just have to play strong down there
Yeah, watching the difference between Asik/Howard and Smith/Motiejunas is like watching varsity vs 8th grade basketball. DMo, Smith, and Jones are not ready to play big minutes on a contending team (I am not sure they ever will be)
