Im in full agreement with you. Look I get that he was injured but the dude has never had a playoffs above 55 TS% in his whole career(except his rookie year). He won't even have 57 TS% in the playoffs because A. He was on a hot stretch of sorts and B. Its because that was the regular season. And C if you dont expect more injuries with his style of play I dont know what to say. He can definitely play better than what's shown but even when he's healthy he still wouldn't be good enough. Schematically teams will always just double Harden because Westbrook shoot or make the right decisions out of a 4v3....The Lakers based their whole defense on this and it worked. They knew Russ was the weak link there and they exploited that. He was also atrocious defensively. He's not a good fit for James.....and after last playoffs teams are really low on him as a whole. The only hope we have is that he works on his shot like crazy. That or Daryl Morey becomes the best GM of all time swinging Lillard for Westbrook
The common denominator in these types of threads is missing critical attention to details. I bet a fully healed, pain-free, and refocused Westbrook makes a difference. These bubble games are a flake. Let a real post season get underway.
Excellent thread and post, @pr0wler. Regardless of who coaches us next, I doubt we'll look like the MDA teams. That means we will learn one of two things about our non-star starters and role players : 1. They look better running the new system than the old one. 2. MDA made them look better than they actually are. I'm guessing it won't be #1. One of the things the MDA system is famous for is artificially inflating player values. If I'm Daryl Morey (hint: I'm not), I find my new coach ASAP and beginning working on getting the right personnel for that coach's system. In the right system, Westbrook can be an asset. Use him incorrectly only if you want to tank without tipping your hand.
Only problem with this theory is that Russ played his most efficient season under MDA. Using him any other way or in a different system would be the definition of using him incorrectly.
Thanks for posting this. Many references to the Rockets in here. He also mentions Les Alexander, Shane Battier, and... also how Chris Finch (future Rockets head coach... lol) would want to kill him for shooting mid-range shots in New Orleans.
I get your point and agree that we briefly saw the optimum version of Russ, but I think he could be used that way in another system that's not exactly the same. It would still have to be a system based primarily on spacing that pulls defenders out of the paint. The great thing about MDA's system was that when Russ had the ball on the perimeter, he often saw a better opportunity than chucking up a three.
I hope the Rockets go after Marcus Morris and maybe Jamychal Green. He is a huge piece. If the Rockets get him and he plays the Power Forward.
Bucks beat this team 4-2 easy. Remember playoffs isn't the regular season. Playoffs is about exploitation. Giannis would crush this Rockets team if his primary defender is 6'5.
Thats why we have to try our hardest to move Westbrook this offseason. Westbrick's limitation necessitates a certain style on offense to make him go. We sacrificed arguably our biggest non Harden asset in Capela to maximize his game but he still sh*t the bed in the playoffs. Its time to move in a different direction.
Your opinion does not equal fact. Rockets figured out how to stop Bucks in the bubble and every team used the formula thereafter.
I never claimed otherwise. My opinions are just that... opinions. But i have been lucky enough to have guessed correctly a few times. I'm not happy about it but i did call Lakers in 5/6 before the series started. https://bbs.clutchfans.net/index.ph...-the-rockets-to-beat-the-lakers.306983/page-3 https://bbs.clutchfans.net/index.php?threads/rockets-vs-lakers-predictions.306932/page-6
If Westbrook is next to AD, is it that the rockets are using Westbrook incorrectly? I mean Rockets have 2 of the top 10 players in the league. Either its 2-3 things. Coaching is all wrong(Small Ball), Westbrook is not being used correctly, or Rockets lack real depth or role players, like a few big men who can fit it ie (Baynes and Ibaka) imo may could stop alot of the getting beat inside with AD. But it could mean that small ball just doesnt work and rockets could not adjust or change anything. They got beat by there own game, and its pointless to go back to this style now that its exposed. Lebron thou is just that good, look at his past record.
The correct answer is C) Westbrook is no where near Anthony Davis as a player. He's a fringe top 25 player at best.
Small Ball ,or more accurately 5 out offense, definitely works. We just dont have the right personnel to execute it. If we have Anthony Davis instead of Westbrook, we run away with the title this year. If we have Serge Ibaka as a 5 man, we're a top 3 team up there with the Lakers. I love PJ tucker but you aint winning a championship with him manning the 5. That doesn't mean small ball doesn't work. Just PJ Tucker starting at center isn't good enough.
It eroded away. Tilman's competitive advantage is cutting costs. Too bad that doesn't help win basketball games.
Westbrook just doesn't fit with us. He needs to be on a team where he can be the center of attention and lose every first round playoff series. That's where he fits. I would not put westbrook up there next to davis.
AD is on the upswing while WB is starting to decline or will soon. While I still do not think AD is a Top 3 player yet he is clearly better than WB right now even when Russ is fully healthy. AD's shooting is way better and he isn't a bad athlete himself just injury prone. This pyramid is flattering to Westbrook full throttle IMO.
