Rockets' Sam Dekker finding niche at power forward - Jonathan Feigen, Houston Chronicle 10.17.2016 Looks like we can repeat the same weight gain argument we had with Capela. ------------------------------------------------------- After playing just six minutes without taking a shot as a rookie, Dekker will take any role he can get. As a power forward, he can be undersized, but he believes he can use his quickness on the perimeter to take advantage of bigger defenders. And if there was a bright side to the time away, he has gotten considerably stronger. Listed at 6-9, 219 pounds, Dekker looks slimmer but said he weighs "almost 235" after a year of strength training. "I've put on some good muscle mass, so I'm physical enough," Dekker said. "I'm definitely stronger." ------------------------------------------------------- Click Spoiler for Full Article Spoiler: Full Article Eric Gordon's lob sailed to a point only Sam Dekker could reach, but in full flight, Dekker was not satisfied just with the bucket. A season ago, when back surgery limited him to three NBA games without scoring, any basket would do. But Dekker has left those days behind, just like the Grizzlies he beat down the floor Saturday on a fast break. So instead of a putting in a layup or even a tidy alley-oop dunk, he caught Gordon's pass with his back to the basket and threw it down over his head. One highlight in a preseason game would not normally be notable, but for Dekker, it speaks to how far he has come and the role he could have secured. Rather than an aberration, such moments have come to be expected of the Rockets' 2015 first-round pick. His place on the floor and, in this case, above the rim might now be routine, with a position change, a pair of strong performances and a role to fill with Donatas Motiejunas still unsigned heading into the final week of the preseason. "I see him as a really good four," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said of Dekker. "He's come on. He's embraced it. He'll play where he needs to play. He wants to play. So if I ask him to play three, four, it doesn't matter. Our threes and fours aren't that different in our system. But he gives us a lot of power, a lot of speed coming off the bench at the four that helps the team out." Opportunity knocks Dekker was thought to be in a competition with Corey Brewer and K.J. McDaniels for playing time as the backup small forward. With Pat Beverley out, McDaniels has played in the backcourt, defending point guards. With Motiejunas unsigned and Montrezl Harrell a backup center in D'Antoni's system, there was more of an opportunity at power forward. "I'm just worried about making plays on both ends of the court in any way that I can contribute, and if it's at the four, then so be it," Dekker said. "I know I have a skill set that can play many positions. So I'm embracing it, embracing that it will be my role this year. It's a long season. Things can change, but right now if (D'Antoni) wants me at the backup (four), then I'm going to do that and play my hardest." After playing just six minutes without taking a shot as a rookie, Dekker will take any role he can get. As a power forward, he can be undersized, but he believes he can use his quickness on the perimeter to take advantage of bigger defenders. And if there was a bright side to the time away, he has gotten considerably stronger. Listed at 6-9, 219 pounds, Dekker looks slimmer but said he weighs "almost 235" after a year of strength training. "I've put on some good muscle mass, so I'm physical enough," Dekker said. "I'm definitely stronger. "Defensively, I can guard many positions. Offensively, our threes and fours are pretty interchangeable. With the roster we have now, how deep we are, that might be the best spot for me. At the four, I can be a matchup problem. I don't care what my position is as long as I'm bringing energy and helping this team. That's what I'm focused on." Shooting needs work Dekker worked to hone his 3-point stroke, getting more consistent arc on his shot. He has been inconsistent in the preseason, making 27.3 percent of his 3-pointers. But he has had success putting the ball on the floor when traditional power forwards close out on the perimeter. The use of range-shooting power forwards, unusual when Rudy Tomjanovich stationed Robert Horry or Matt Bullard at the 3-point line or even when D'Antoni used Shawn Marion on the perimeter in Phoenix, is now common. Big men have become more accustomed to defending far from the paint. But the Rockets have had little difficulty getting open shots for shooters and lead the NBA in offensive rating through five preseason games. "With the guys we have, guys like James (Harden) and Eric (Gordon) and Pat that can get in the paint and draw a lot of attention, us guys on the wings are going to get open looks," Dekker said. "With me, one of my strong suits is being able to put the ball on the floor to get to the rim. That's what Coach likes to see. When a bigger, slower guy is on me, I like to attack. We've had some success with that. We'll try to go to that a little more." The final preseason games, Wednesday in Dallas and Friday in San Antonio, could offer Dekker chances to lock down a rotation spot heading into the Oct. 26 opener. "I think our coaching staff has faith in me," Dekker said. "They want me to put together a body of work and prove even more I can earn some time with this team." Pet peeve -- why don't teams list the player's true weight each year??
If he can knock down some threes his rim attack game will open up even more. He really has a talent around the basket.
He's looking solid! So he's being slotted to a small ball four and Harrell getting bumped to the five. Do we have too many front court players?
Height is even more annoying to me lol. Weight can change, but how can players gain 2 inches when they move from forward to center and lose them when they shift back?
So that's where Beverley's 15 pounds went. I love the offseason/preseason cliches....gained 15 pounds of muscle, lost 15 pounds, best shape of my life, will do whatever the coaches want, etc...
I'm hoping it works out for him, but i don't like the idea of putting on weight after recovering from back/knee/feet injury. I just don't trust our team trainers lol.
What's the point, even? You're not gonna rebound or defend at 219, you're not gonna rebound or defend at 235.
True, if you're not going to shoot the ball at 33 percent, why even work on your 3 pointer at all. It's hopeless and small improvements never add up to anything greater. Give up already. Geez Louise, Dekk!
It's different to work on things that make sense vs something that doesn't. If you want to play the 4 to take advantage of your speed, then stay slim. Parsons' weight gain is an example.
Ryan Anderson looks like mashed potatoes, but at least he can shoot. Dekker needs to learn from Parsons: first you get the 3pt shot, then you get the muscles, then you get the Buffalo jeans, then you get...the weeeemen.
Why is gained weight considered a good thing sometimes, when it just seems lead to more injury's as with donatas, slim and flexible is the way to go, with some lean muscle. I do not get this weight gain for people whose body is just not meant to gain all the weight at the time.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it would be a borderline historic achievement to gain 16lbs of weight looking visibly slimmer, adding muscle mass (presumably significantly more than 16lbs to offset the fat loss), reducing body fat and keeping your hydration at a healthy level in just 6 months or so. He barely looked different from the beginning of last season to the end of it, so I assume most of the work started towards the end of the season when he was healthy. Or was he actually bulking up heavily last season in order to start cutting down as the season approached? If all that is true, major props to the guy.
I don't believe this. Dude can't shoot for **** and is very slow laterally. How will adding 16 lbs help his lateral speed?
