Take a look at net ratings of our 7 most used lineups this season... Notice that KJ Martin and Tari Eason are at the forward spots when we have the most success (highest net ratings). It's pretty easy to see that both should be in the starting lineup and getting majority of minutes. I wish this goofy coach would stop with the politics and play our best players the most minutes. I'm just saying...
Yup these two should be starting Bari is going to be fine. But give him confidence by letting him go against the 2nd unit Tari is the next Kawhi. I've been saying it for awhile. He's our future no 1 option. KJ also deserves to start. Time for Eric to go-to the bench. Play the kids.
The point isn't to put the best team on the floor. Smith needs to learn. Its going to be bad, but this is what rebuilding is.
I like Tari, maybe more than any other player on the team but no organization is going to bench the 3rd pick 11 games in for the 17th pick. It won't happen anywhere. Not this fast at least.
Why can't Smith learn from coming off the bench? They're asking Tari to learn off the bench right now. They're both first round picks and their development should have the same priority if politics aren't involved.
Politics are involved. Jabari was the third pick, he is going to get the benefit of the doubt, because right or wrong, he is going to be viewed as the more valuable higher ceiling player.
Got to remember that those lineups with KJ Martin and Eason have smaller sample sizes than the others. But I would be interested to see whether starting KJ Martin and Eason in the 3 and 4 spots over Gordon and Smith would result in more wins.
Smith belongs in the G league to get his confidence up and shouldn't be allowed back until he averages 22/10 down there.
I was one of the few who was hesitant to trade Gordon, but given how these two have played, I’m now completely fine with it. Kudos to both.
Just like Green shouldn't have been moved to the bench last year, Jabari should not be benched this year.
Big picture, long-term if Rockets can maximize their shot at getting the top pick and Eason, Martin get their minutes, it really shouldn't matter who starts and who comes off the bench. Is starting/playing Smith detrimental to the team's success this season? Probably, but that's worth the disguised tank. Will be interesting to see where Smith is midseason or towards the end (barring injury). Other questions/concerns will be what happens with players like Tate, Fernando, Christopher and to an extent Sengun and Porter (and Washington, but we haven't seen anything from him yet). There hasn't been much in terms of "gelling" or chemistry, though Sengun always seems to try and make the right play, even with some butter fingers. At some point, possibly as early as the 2024 trade deadline or the 2024 offseason, a package trade may be in order to clear up some of the logjam, depending on things like the 2023 draft. Could be like a Nurkic/Jokic situation, though not specifically at the center position for Houston. As relatively great as Sengun and Green have been, you'd like to see an even bigger jump in production over the next year. Porter, too, though individually he's made noticeable strides in defense and play-making, though doesn't necessarily control the tempo as one would expect from an elite point guard.
