The principle here is if you feel the need to give up on a player that shows his promise at his age don't be front running. It's principled to trash on a player for multiple years on a message board and then remove yourself from that place when you trash one of our own and realize you were not just wrong vehemently wrong while trashing one of our own. If I trashed Westbrook for multiple years and we won a ring with him I wouldn't feel as good about winning that ring because I was vehement about not wanting to go through that process that got the ring. I'd just feel icky celebrating it. Stick to your guns. Don't front run. That's being principled.
So.... back to the case to draft Reed Sheppard. He's literally the perfect draft pick for what the Rockets need most.
Okay, well at least I get it now. But this bolded part is really really weird to me. We just view sports in a fundamentally different way. I would never let my personal evaluations of players get in the way of my ability to enjoy my own team's success. I don't have a strong enough attachment to any player, or any of my own takes, to describe them as principles. I'd never consider it front running. I'd never leave the forum because I was wrong about a player.
Still excited about Sheppard, and the other guys that may be there at #3. I have a strong conviction on Sarr, Sheppard and Castle…but I think Risacher and Clingan have high floors.
Starters FVV (last season with the team) Green (last season with the team) Brooks (we're stuck with him unfortunately) Jabari Sengun Bench Sheppard Cam Amen Tari Adams
That would be a very strong bench that would give the starters a run for their money. Arguably, in some time, 1-4 could start.
Assuming there's no big star trade, next year's lineup is undetermined due to two uncertainties. 1. Will Jalen Green elevate his game consistently to the point of a good starter (let alone star player)? 2. Will Amen Thompson show promise to be our future point guard by significantly improve on his outside shooting and his ball handling? If #1 is yes and #2 is no, then Reed will be the backup PG behind FVV and will eventually be the starting PG. If #1 is no and #2 is yes, then Amen will be the backup PG and will continue his dunker's role part-time. Reed and Cam will compete for minutes at the 2 spot. If both #1 and #2 are no, then Reed will be the backup PG and Cam and someone else will need to step up to man the 2 spot. If both #1 and #2 are yes, then Reed will likely spend a lot of time in the G-league and will only get his chance when someone goes down with injuries. There is another x-factor. How will Dillon Brooks play? Will he be supplanted by either Cam or Tari? I envision Tari to be the super-sub at the 3-4 positions. I think that's where Tari will thrive. I hope Cam will be the future starting 3 and they trade Brooks for a good backup PG and some draft capital if he is worth that much.
Honestly, I wouldn't be shocked either way. For Jalen, I am about 40-60 that he will turn into a good player. But he might not be on the Rockets if he doesn't do it soon enough. There's a chance that he will be a good player on another team. For Amen, I am about 50-50 that he will be a good outside shooter. I am not concerned about his handles. Amen will be a good starting caliber player even if he can't shoot. Jalen not so much.
