I'd say more like 8, with spot minutes to two backup centers combining to make it more like 8.5, though your point's well taken. Here's my 8.5 man lineup with Nene/Hartenstein (or maybe Chriss) combining to equal the 0.5 player: Paul Harden Ennis Tucker Capela Gordon Melo MCW (Nene/Hartenstein) I'd sort of expected Gordon to get a look in the starting lineup next to Tucker but since he hasn't gotten minutes as a starter in the preseason I'm guessing D'Antoni's not trying that, yet at least. Mostly though this thread made me consider a lot of different rotations because we're so dang deep right now and have so many reclamation projects and I believe in a lot of these guys. Melo is a steal at the minimum and his shot is butter and he seems deeply bought in which was my only real question wrt him. Well, that and defense but that's part of what I mean by his seeming buy-in. MCW is so much more ready to contribute than I would have guessed. Ennis looks like he just needs a little time to play really well for us. Hartenstein looks promising and in peculiar ways; he seems gifted in unusual ways for his size. Clark has looked pretty incredible for a guy that almost nobody has making the rotation. Caboclo is a total enigma and I'm super interested to see what sort of player he turns out to be. That's not even to mention Chriss, Knight, Edwards, Sampson, or Zhou Qi, most of whom merit mention. This team feels deep enough that I feel like Gerald Green is only going to get play when we have injuries. This question sent me to ESPN to play around with our roster and when I was there I was reminded how their depth charts never fail to crack me up with how off the mark they are, ALWAYS. Here's ESPN's answer to the question, with passe/classic player positions: PG: Paul/MCW/Knight SG: Harden/Gordon SF: Melo/Tucker/Green PF: Chriss/Ennis (LOL) C: Capela/Nene/Zhou Qi They have our two 4's playing 3 and they have Chriss, a possible backup center, as our starting 4. With Ennis backing him up at 4. How are these charts always so incredibly wrong? They'd do better just to list whoever played in the most recent game than to guess at it and get it wrong every single time.
Not a 7th Center just a reliable one who isn't a project or Nene so we can get rid of some of the dead weight.
Paul Harden Ennis or Tucker Melo Capela Gordon Tucker or Ennis Knight MCW Green Chriss/Hartenstein/Nene Some games Chriss, Hartenstein, Nene and Green won't see any action. We will more and likely rest Paul, Melo and Harden here and there. Paul might not play when we have back to back games.
Exactly, he will give us what Anderson gave us and more. I really don't understand why so many people on here doesn't see that. They want to play Tucker at the four so badly. Man basketball is so freaking different these days.
In terms of rotations this is about how I see it. The real revelation is where MCW fits into the puzzle. And yes, I think he is ahead of Green on the basis of defense. But time will tell on that. And it will be interesting when Brandon Knight is up to speed as well where he could fit into the calculous. I have to be frank, at this moment I am writing off Chriss. He isn't sniffing minutes unless in garbage minutes. Nene/Hartenstein and TuckWagon lineups will get all of that center burn. And yes, ESPN is the worst in their "depth chart" stuff. Like comically bad. There has to be some noob staffer that fills in those things. Baffling.
CP3 (He will be put on a rest program but not as drastic as Nene's) Harden Ennis Tucker Capela (The dream is that Capela dominates so much he even plays closing mins and we use Tuckwagon less.) EG3 (will close games in place of Ennis in most situations) Melo (20-25 mins) MCW (will play mostly in smallball lineups where the other 4 can shoot) Green (he's not been great in Preseason but will see some mins. Esp if we need to go to Tuckwagon more because backup Cs aren't dependable) Hartenstein!/Nene (Yup, eventually Hart gets more mins than Nene but only in the reg season)
Will Chriss be waived by the Rockets if his option is not picked up by October 31st? I'm a bit confused because Spotrac mentions that his 2018 option has been exercised, and that he has another option in 2019. I don't expect him to be in the rotation, but I want to know if he will be part of the potentially 15 guaranteed contracts.
[QUOTE="Batman Jones, post: 12000821, member: 711] Here's ESPN's answer to the question, with passe/classic player positions: PG: Paul/MCW/Knight SG: Harden/Gordon SF: Melo/Tucker/Green PF: Chriss/Ennis (LOL) C: Capela/Nene/Zhou Qi They have our two 4's playing 3 and they have Chriss, a possible backup center, as our starting 4. With Ennis backing him up at 4. How are these charts always so incredibly wrong? They'd do better just to list whoever played in the most recent game than to guess at it and get it wrong every single time.[/QUOTE] That is the most idiotic selection. It shows how little Espn even pays attention to teams outside the lakers and warriors lol
As it currently stands, the Rockets have 19 players on their roster. They’ll have to get the number down to 15 before Opening Night, with two extra spots designated for two-way contracts. Who goes and who stays? Let’s break it down, starting with this list of contractual obligations. Big man Bruno Caboclo and guards Angel Rodriguez and Brandon Sampson were signed to training camp/Exhibit 10 deals. It’s an attachment to a standard NBA contract and allows a team with a G-League affiliate to convert it to a two-way contract prior to the start of the NBA season. Any player with four or fewer years of league service is eligible for a two-way contract. Rookie forwards Vincent Edwards and Gary Clark were signed to non-guaranteed deals, the latter having gone undrafted out of Cincinnati. Zhou Qi, the big man out of China who’s been considered a long-term project, is in the second year of a multi-year deal, also non-guaranteed. Michael Carter-Williams inked a one-year deal for the league minimum, partially guaranteed. Oct. 11 was the deadline for teams to sign their ‘tryout players,’ i.e. players who are team-protected during training camp, which explains why the Rockets brought in Rodriguez and Sampson so close to the deadline. They’ll likely be cut in the following days, but could join up with the Vipers, the Rockets’ G-League affiliate. Rob Gray, who was waived earlier this week, will likely end up there as well. Here’s a look at the eligible candidates, followed by a prediction of the Opening Night roster. Michael Carter-Williams, G/F Preseason Stats: 2 GP; 17.0/4.0/3.5 (PTS/REB/AST) 66.7 FG%, 76.9 FT% The Skinny: The former Rookie of the Year impressed during camp and in two preseason games, despite not hitting an outside shot. The Rockets love his ability to push the pace and his finishing ability, and he’s a solid defender with sneaky good instincts. He wasn’t afraid to go at James Harden numerous times at camp in Lake Charles, La., on both sides of the floor. His jumper still could use some work, but so far so good. The Verdict: Rockets guarantee his minimum contract by Jan. 10 and sign him to the 15-man roster. Brandon Knight’s injury status makes this decision that much easier, as Houston doesn’t want to go through the point-guard musical chairs game it played last season when Chris Paul went down. MCW is a solid option in case of injury and should be able to steady the ship on nights when Chris Paul’s services are not available. Gary Clark, F Preseason Stats: 4 GP; 8.0/3.8/1.0 52.4 FG%, 53.3 3P%, 100 FT% The Skinny: If there’s anyone who’s been raved about more around the team, I’ve yet to find it. Take Mike D’Antoni’s word for it. Before training camp and even before Media Day, Clark confided in me that the biggest thing he had worked on since his days at Cincinnati was his jump shot. The former Bearcat has been lights out in the preseason, notably missing his first two threes, then proceeding to hit five in a row Tuesday night. In addition to his shooting he’s shown what made him win DPOY, whether it is being able to switch 1-5, diving after loose balls or displaying his athleticism on rebounds and in transition. The Verdict: Houston signs Clark to a multi-year deal under the rookie minimum ($838K). If the Rockets guarantee this year only, they can either decide to partially/non-guarantee the remaining years to retain his full Bird rights. Houston gets an athletic 3&D wing, almost a younger Luc Mbah a Moute. Vincent Edwards, F Preseason Stats: 4 GP; 2.8/1.8/0.8 33.3 FG%, 30.0 3P% The Skinny: Edwards hasn’t seen much time on the floor, and he hasn’t been as accurate from distance in the pros as he was at Purdue, dating to Summer League play. Lack of game time probably is affecting his rhythm, because Edwards has a beautiful looking shot, Rockets coaches tell me all the time. Would be playing more if not for the performances of Gary Clark. The Verdict: Rockets offer Edwards a two-way contract. He hasn’t shown enough to warrant a roster spot, but the front office paid $1.5 million to get back into the second round to get him. It likes what he can bring; he just needs to get on the floor. Some time with the Vipers should do well for his confidence and rhythm. Bruno Caboclo, C/F Preseason Stats: 4 GP; 3.3/3.3/0.8 33.3 FG%, 20.0 3P% The Skinny: There was a moment during training camp in Lake Charles in which Caboclo finished an agility drill, caught the ball, did a crossover and dunked it home. It was a pretty smooth sequence, one that led GM Daryl Morey to declare Caboclo “Zero years away.” This was in reference to ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla infamous 2014 draft analysis of the big man, calling him “two years away from being two years away.” He showed some flashes of his improved motor, something that had plagued him in his previous stops. Nene, who is also from Brazil, took Bruno under his wing upon arrival, eager to show him how to play the 5 in D’Antoni’s system. His three-point shot is a bit rough around the edges and his rim protection could be bolstered by bulking up, but Caboclo is definitely intriguing. After all, he’s a 6’9 player with a 7’7 wingspan. The Verdict: Houston can’t convert his contract to a two-way deal, given that 2018-19 would be his fifth year of service. It can waive him, and if he clears it can send him to its G-League affiliate, the Vipers (who will retain his full rights). If he stays with the Vipers for at least 60 days he is entitled to a $50K bonus, one that is not reflected on Houston’s cap sheet. However, Morey is obviously a big fan of Caboclo, and may just end up signing him to a partial or non-guaranteed deal. Houston has until Jan. 10 to decide whether it wants to guarantee the contract. Zhou Qi Preseason Stats: Not enough games to qualify The Skinny: A year after reaching a multi-year agreement deal, Qi finds himself way down the pecking order of big men. Even Isaiah Hartenstein, who was deemed not ready last season, has taken great strides and earned himself a roster spot for 2018-19. An unfortunate knee injury earlier this week only cast further doubt on his future in Houston. He didn’t participate during training camp due to a sprained ankle, and isn’t expected to return to the court in the near future. The Verdict: Houston might be best off cutting ties. Currently, he’s behind Capela, Nene, Hartenstein, Chriss and even Caboclo on the depth chart. The Rockets have one too many big men as is. Adding another and having to spend an extra $1.38 million might be the line Morey and Tilman Fertitta don’t want to cross. Once he clears waivers, Houston can still bring him back on a two-way deal and send him down to Rio Grande to continue his development. Final Roster for Opening Night PG-C.Paul/M.Carter-Williams SG-J.Harden/E.Gordon/B.Knight SF-J.Ennis/G.Green/G.Clark PF-P.Tucker/C.Anthony/B.Caboclo C-C.Capela/N.Hilario/M.Chriss/I.Hartenstein Two-Way: V.Edwards
9 man rotation PG: Chris Paul / (Harden) SG: James Harden / Eric Gordon / (Green) SF: James Ennis III / Michael-Carter Williams / Gerald Green PF: PJ Tucker / Carmelo Anthony / (Ennis) C: Clint Capela / (Tucker) Gordon/Melo/MCW/Green are the 4 rotation bench guys. Nene & Hartenstein are situational. Clark is next man up at SF/PF and will likely bounce up and down with Rockets & Vipers. Who can say where Knight fits in when he comes back. Chriss will not see minutes. Edwards is likely a Viper all year long. Zhou Qi is likely a Viper when he is back healthy.
Some, but not enough. His shooting has improved, but he hasn't shown much else. He is too good for the G-League, but not good enough for the pros as yet. If he doesn't make much improvement with his fitness( speed, strength and to some extent stamina) plus attitude, then he might be better off in Europe, in my humble opinion.
I still feel Melo will be at his best offensively as a starter, but I believe Tucker should start at the 4 with Ennis at the 3. Melo can still be inserted fairly quickly to give offensive punch. This will retain his effectiveness. It's a luxury to have EG as our 6th man. As long as our overall defense is solid, Melo can be hidden on defense as a small 5.
