Yeah I think you're right, Garuba has the potential to be hated by Clutchfans. Everyone keeps telling us Garuba is this defensive savant, if he doesn't lock down the earth, people going to ask what the big deal is. Rockets have had a bunch of fortune considering where they were just a couple months ago. To have 4 promising rookies we should be happy.. but we aren't, lol. Some franchises go decades without hitting on one good rookie prospect.
Rookies that age have growing pains. The admittedly reactionary frustration with JC was some very long stretches of off the charts ball hogging and poor decision making. But he’s young and definitely has some talent.
Most fans are also really poor at recognizing good defense. And as good as any rookie is, it takes quite a while to become a great NBA defender, especially for non-centers -- Draymond wasn't Draymond for many years. So, yes, I expect a lot of dissatisfaction early on Garuba, followed by love for him 3 years from now when he is cleaning up the mess left behind by our offense-first guards.
people were disappointed when Garuba had a poor game because he was jet-lagged and had no sleep, lol.
Are there Clutchfans ranks actually trying to be sardonic about Houston Cougar Armoni Brooks?! Like, why?
Ehhhh most franchises do hit them. It's just their front office management sucks and they stay sht. Like the pelicans drafted Davis, just that they suck at building a team.
Lol Garuba is such an incredible instinctual defender, that's not European defense. Ultra raw on offense but if your defense is all NBA then a simple corner 3 will make your on-court impact metrics skyrocket. Hope he's not one of those guys who can't learn to shoot, but those guys tend to be more unnecessarily aggressive and also tend to have over-trained shoulders (think Dwight).
I wasn't about to catch the game so thanks for the highlights. It's crazy he just turned 19. He looks spectacular on defense. I think the shot will come with time.
Wow he’s arm is really long.. and he seems to know where his teammate, so even when he can’t score (read: dunk attempt, i think that’s all he got right now lol), he can pass it to the three pointer.. as for defense, he’s good.. and i like how he block from the side.. if you block from the front, he will collide with the opponent and it’s harder to keep balance after the block attempt (not to mention the risk of foul).. so excited for the next season!
Taped and watched the game late after reading through this thread (which got me interested for sure). Impressions... Brooks: Dude is an elite 3pt shooter who believes he can make every shot. Will be a key element to help our spacing in the coming years--need to sign him now. Also can play defense and plays within himself. JC: My my--young fella has come a long way in 5 games! We need to harness his midrange game, which has a little CP3 and Donovan to it, while letting him grow his range (3pt shooting). His defense is solid, though he has a lapse now and then, but pressure he put on the ball in the full-court press helped create turnovers. His playmaking and court vision are what has made the greatest strides in the SL. That was his best game. Garuba: That block was absolutely amazing! It was not only timely, but the timing it took to make it was elite NBA level. Dude is flashing some incredible defensive instincts, which should only expand and get better with minutes/experience. He's a deflection making machine and was super impressed with how quickly he moved the ball and found the open man (6 assists!). He can develop his offensive game and would love for Dream to work with him and Sengun. Great way to finish the SL and super to see the contributions from those 3.
