I've listed about 30 players that push skinny players and pin them under the rim. Yes you corral that "Big" but if you do that with small-ish players of 6'4" you are asking for trouble. *Rockets lose the battle of interior position. *Rockets send perimeter defenders to assist O!ynyk/Wood *Rockets get burned at 3-pt land off kick outs, skipped along the perimeter. I took these numbers down after a discussion with a Jackalope here on CF's the other day. Numbers are prior to final game from NBA.com Rockets DFG% in restricted area 65.1% (21st in NBA) Rockets DFG% "In the Paint" (non restricted area): 43.5% (23rd in NBA) Rockets DFG% in "Mid-Range" 40.8% (12th in the NBA) (and how much of these numbers in the interior defense can.be attributed to Harden, Cousins, Tucker......as these are season numbers/stats. So what does this tell me: Rockets are sending perimeter defenders to help Olynyk/Wood. In doing so helps keep DF% near the rim lower. If Wood/Olynyk were left on an island to truly defend one on one those stats would be much higher. The extra help assists with protecting that Mid-Range area. I take this thought because look at our 3-point coverage DF%: Above the Break: 37.4% (DFG%) good for 27th in the NBA Corner 3: 40.9% (DFG%) good for 23rd in the NBA ......................(Right Corner 3): 41.6% (DFG%) good for 25th in the NBA .......................(Left Corner 3): 40.6% (DFG%) good for 19 the in the NBA People understand that the average 3-pt percentage is 36%. Our numbers are God awful. IMO it stems from too much help needed to assist our centers or interior defense. If our Centers could do a better job of hold their own for just 20 minutes in a 48 minute game the results could be turned for the better. With our current players if we don't send perimeter defenders to help out: we get killed in the inside. With our current players if we send help in the form of perimeter defenders: we get killed on the perimeter with high 3-pt percentages against us. If we didn't need to send so much help.......our perimeter defenders could stick to their assignments better and the opposing team 3-pt percentage would be lower. I posted a clip of Mobley on defense vs the University of Utah. Alfonso Plummer at 6'1" is similar to Steph but no, not. Branden Carlson at 7'0" and 219 pounds was the other player found in that clip. In that clip Mobley was trying to defend Plummer on the perimeter. Mobley let's Plummer easily get next and then past him but is off balance. Plummer regains his footing, Steph would have maintained his balance and cut in front of Mobley and did a hesitation and forced Mobley to jump through his body. Foul!! Plummer passes to Carlson on the weak side near the rim. Mobley was in the restricted area but bodies up with the equally weak Carlson. Shot blocker. If that was Draymond or Zion or most NBA players......they recognize Mobley in the restricted area and they drive.....hammer Mobley in the chest with their shoulder, pick up the foul. and get the layup or dunk off. We can run a 2-3 zone,....3-2 zone....1-3-1 zone....full court press, half court press, Box & 1, Diamond & 1, man to man, switch everything.....1-1-3 zone......Flaming Tomahawk defense...... Combustible Engine defense, Hot-n-Ready Little Caesar defense, or whatever exotic defense we can pull out of our backside. For every action there is a reaction. Playing undersized players has a reaction. It's not the fault of Silas that Olynyk can't play defense. Is Brad Stevens to blame? Coached Olynyk prior to Houston. Is Spoestra/Pat Riley to blame? Coached him at Miami, sure Riley talked to him about D. No, it's only Silas fault. Augustin is 5'11".......CP3 was not allowed to hook players going down the lane and received many could calls on switching D. Too small. Augustin is much the same. I saw the Portland game......Everytime Norman Powell or McCollum or Dame had him matched up they destroyed him. Of course that Silas fault. At some time we have to recognize this team is too soft, weak, and undersized. You don't send a Plummer to do brain surgery and you don't send a brain surgeon to do the plumbing
I’ve been watching Vanderbilt play his whole life and he has untapped potential as well. He’s a ball handler/ passer that hasn’t had the chance to showcase that skill because he hasn’t fixed his jump shot. Kentucky pigeon holed him as a five because they don’t take the time to develop players. But if this kid fixes his perimeter shooting he could surprise everyone. Playing with guys like Wood & Tate could be great for him, seeing as how they took the hard road to develop into NBA players.
So basically we need smart players who are athletic with length and at least one key offensive strength. I think we all agree on those are the players the Rockets need. But those players are targets for every team, so our only chance to get them is in the draft or diamonds in the rough before they develop and show their real potential.
We are not trying to get back in the mix. We are trying to be a contender. This will take a few seasons. Truly competing for the playoffs should NOT be the goal until 2023 or 2024. We don't know what KPJ is yet. We hope he can be an elite playmaker, but he is at least 2 full seasons away from that. If Rockets get lucky and he blossoms next year or we get Cade/Green and they light the league on fire, ok that can be sped up. But that should not be the expectation. The whole team right now is full of defensive liabilities, and even the guys good on that end like Tate are not DPOY level to make up for their teammates. Wood and Kelly are okay for now, but honestly are more like short term assets that this team should trade at high value to get picks or younger players with a more potential in the next 2 years. You don't overpay Olynk based on the past 3 months. Wood may be highly overpriced in 3 years after this contract ends as well. Beal doesn't make his teammates better. He definitely scores, but he does not have true elite efficiency. He is not a guy who has lead his team to the playoffs on his own even in the East. He only got to the playoffs and won a few series when he had a healthy Wall and decent role players like Porter and younger Ariza, or now with RW. He is not above average defensively. He is already showing signs of injuries over the past 2 seasons that is a worrying sign, though I can understand some benefit of the doubt based on a compacted season this year. On a contending team, you probably want Beal as your 2nd or if possible your 3rd best player.
Well we had them when we had Luc Mbaha Moute, Ariza, Capela. But someone had the bright idea to go uber-small. We were ahead of the Lakers in that aspect. Since the 2015-16 season I've been pushing the Rockets to go multiple SF's with a versatile 4 to play as "Small-Ball" Center (this and other forums). But with that I've been promoting a solid Big to absorb the grind and punishment of opposing teams Bigs during a !omg marathon season. This is my model (basically based on the Warriors 14/15 and on structure)G / SF / SF /SF/ PF C Wood can be that projected Center, but he has to survive the season. That why I mentioned a JaVale MeGee type. I've said the Rockets need to draft Charles Bassey. I guess you missed that. Give me that Big at 6'11" with some sand in his pants at 235 pounds, that we can play eventually 20 minutes while on a cap friendly rookie salary. This is the model that is winning today. While the Rockets backed away from that model the Lakers some how passed the Rockets and followed that model. LeBron, Kuzma, Markieff.....guys that pass as SF/PF combo forwards. Plus add AD. Lakers could also go small with Caruso (6'5") and Danny Green (6'6"). Yes, we have to go by way of the draft because Harden, Westbrook, Mason Jones, McLemore have all made negative comments about the Rockets team culture. Poisoning the water hole to an extent. But Rookies are not a quick rebuild as Tilman at one time promised. Since then he has backed off that. I was here calling him out. If you are going to use all these picks, there will be more lean years ahead as I feel it takes most rookies 3 years to mature and develop. So, what's your point? I'm trying to find balance. Ying-Yang. Not too much Ying (offensive players) or not too much Yang (defensive players). We have the offensive Power Forwards slash Small-Ball Centers in Wood and if we re-sign Olynyk. But no defensive bigs. Yes Wood can come over and be a good help defender, but breaks down physically if asked to guard big Bigs night in and night out. We need a Aron Baynes, Theis, Bassey type to help Wood get to the finish line called the end of the regular season. Nerlens Noel did best imo next to Steven Adams and now Julius Randel. Ralph Sampson needed a force like Olajuwon next to him. Wood needs someone stronger and with better technique than Olynyk to assist against Drummond, KAT, Embiid, Jokic, Nurkic, AD, Valanciunas, Gobert, Ayton, Brook Lopez, Rachaun Holmes, Capela, Vucevic, Bam Adebayo, Zubac, Dwight Howard, Wendell Carter (270 pounds), Robert Williams (240 pounds), Zion (285 pounds), Bagley (235 pounds may develop)......college is kicking out Bigs that can score inside and out. It's not just the threat of a post up game. Want to make that clear. It's going to get rebounds. We make a poor defender/rebounder like Enes Kanter look like Olajuwon on the boards. Put-backs or tip-in's can kill our playoff hopes fast. We could get out rebounded drastically last season because we had Harden. This year we just win 17 games because no one can do the dirty work of fighting for rebounds near the rim. Rockets are built for long rebounds mostly. Not in the trenches. I may not be getting your comment or question......can you ask it again? Phrase it differently. I would like to discuss it better to focus my points. I guess it was just asked in to broad a brush. What is your comment in reference too? The nuts and bolts of the crutch. Are you asking what my plan would be?
None of that group is a top 5 player. Without that type player you don’t win in the NBA. Keep getting FRPs until you hit on them.
Definitely would be interested in Collins and Ball! But I think Otto Porter would be a solid pick up. The SF position is still a issue for me and he can defend multiple positions while shooting the 3 at 40% If we got Ball and Cade, I would love KPJ as a sixth man PorterJr Cade??/Tate Porter ???/MartinJr Wood
I want a true big man again for the defensive end. These are not ranked: 1) I've always like Robin Lopez the human being and I think he'd fit well in the city of Houston with his sense of humor. 2) Serge Ibaka, but only if he's interested in helping rebuild an organization or trying to help out coach Silas 3) Nerlens Noel, all day. I love his defense. Mobile, dunks well, only 26, high efficiency when he does "shoot". 4) Enes Kanter... don't love him because of defense on guards, but he'd be good to have against the Goberts of the world and good rebounder 5) I don't think we can afford him but I'm loving what Richaun Holmes is doing in Sactown 6) Frank Kaminsky for depth plus he shoots the three fairly well and often 7) Willie Cauley Stein moves well enough to be added for some big man depth 8) Zach Collins if that ankle heals up nicely.. he had surgery on it 9) Boban Marjanovic just because I love him and he hits FTs 10) Bismack Biyombo has always protected the rim 11) Jarrett Allen if the price is right... probably won't be 12) Willy Hernangomez seems to be a pretty modern style center 13) Alex Len as a backup center 14) Harry Giles bc fu Portland 15) Mitchell Robinson for lots of reasons but amongst them that he was born after I graduated high school 16) Maybe Gorgui Dieng if we strike out on everyone big 17) Andre Drummond if he's interested in being here and not ring chasing 18) Moritz Wagner bc he's seemed to have found his deep range game 19) Jordan Bell, just kidding 20) Tacko Fall because yes Basically I am desperate to get height on this team, but I don't want to trade for it or lose an asset unless it's for an Embiid. I think it's cocky to believe you can defend when you don't have a disruptor in front of the rim. Only reason Warriors did well going small is Draymond Green and I'm watching him thinking he's over the hill so to speak. Still good, but not the dominant defender that he was. Time for teams to go big again. Including us. Silas needs a center so he can coach real NBA basketball.
