After watching the NBA finals the last couple of years you have to credit the role players and 3 point shooting as difference makers in winning a chip. Casspi and Frisco give you that, glad to have both.
Simply being on a team with true championship aspirations can change a player considerably. It's quite possible this will be the best year in his career. Attitude is huge.
I think what will take much more time to tell is whether he is over achieving now and will regress back his former average as the season wears on OR he was underachieving the last year or two and is now showing his true average (or perhaps slightly above). The pre-season may not be long enough to say which is true, and cuts will have to happen while the jury is still out in all probability.
It's not all about the basketball. If you're in a good clubhouse with healthy, positive vibes then that can certainly affect the way some players play. With Lin and Parsons and Howard and Brewer and guys like that, the Rockets clubhouse is a place where newcomers will probably feel very welcome, not intimidated. Euros generally are the most unaccepted and have the most difficult time adjusting to the NBA. Some guys--like Lin--just play better when they're happy and confident. Maybe Casspi is one of those guys; maybe he's a star inside the right circumstances. Wasn't he a high draft pick?
Truly one of the worst posts I've ever seen on here. Stupid, juvenile, not funny, and classless. Not to mention it adds negative value to the thread. Grow up son.
Maybe it makes me juvenile... but I laughed. No other contribution to this thread other than saying Omri ass-pee lol.
I wonder if the Rockets should go ahead and start Casspi at the PF spot for a couple preseason games and see how it goes. He's been logging the majority of his minutes at the 4 so far and the team has done well with his shooting-- granted he's been unsustainably hot from the field but even a not-on-fire version of Casspi is probably the best shooting and best fitting offensive option at the 4. Also, Casspi has held up pretty well defensively against opposing 4s and seems to have a good nose for rebounds. He will have a weight disadvantage but that seems to be a manageable issue for the most part. Besides, it's not like starting either DMo or Jones doesn't come with its own issues.
Casspi's defense is underrated and was actually something he was known for in Sacromento his rookie year: http://www.sactownroyalty.com/2010/5/5/1458916/in-isolation-the-kings-defensive If you look at some of his advanced stats like RAPM, the last few years even in Cleveland his overall defensive impact has been positive. His big problem has been his inability to generate offense for himself on a terrible team. A non-issue on the Rockets since he won't be asked to do that. All he has to do is stand in the corner and shoot 3s, a skill he is borderline elite at: This is what Morey had to say about the Casspi signing a few months ago: http://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comment...ton_rockets_gm_ama_offseason_addition/cbp6aqm It really is just about finding an ideal fit for his skillset. That said, it's only 3 preseason games and I am sure his %s will drop. But I like his chances of becoming a contributor for this team.
One issue about the "SF playing PF" situation is whether the player's body would hold up to the pounding over 82 games. You may be able to do well in terms of defensive efficiency since the game is more about quickness than strength and all Casspi need to do is slow down the guy enough for help to come but having a smaller guy constantly banging 250, 260 lb bigs in the post has got to be hard on the knees in the long run. Miami, for example, was the best when it "small-balled" but was reluctant to do that full time, and often avoided having Lebron (who is actually PF-sized) guard the likes of David West until crunch time and use the more expendable Shane Battier for the job instead.
Great court awareness, nice stroke,can grab boards, handsome beard, what is not to like? Wished we'd signed him for three years.
I am impressed with Casspi, he can rebound, defend and put the ball on the ground. great sign, the guy can shoot, everybody knows, but this efficiency is a big surprise I would like to see Casspi in starting five at PF
