How about this, then? Top tier defense Clinched second and took the last week off, record would have been better with a full roster. 10-5 against the other top 7 teams in the league, second behind the Thunder at 10-3 who played two less games vs the top other 7 The West loaded up on wins vs the East
Ya, that's why we had a bunch of guys ranked in the top 100. Again, if our clutch luck wasn't so good and we won 3 fewer games and were the 6-7 seed, you wouldn't be complaining about this.
It sucks that Jabari didn't make the cut. He's playing a pivotal role, but the way he does it often goes unnoticed, I think. But them's the breaks. He just needs to be patient because I think his time will come in a few years.
Spoiler https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/62...-brunson-kawhi-leonard-nba-player-tiers-2025/ Tier 2 is the echelon of All-Stars. Sure, some actual All-Stars and All-Star-caliber players were in Tier 3, but none of those players were All-Star selections in both of the last two seasons. If you don’t have a player in Tier 2, it’s probably going to be a challenge to contend consistently. The very best players need a sidekick, and the teams without one of the very best players need to get a player who can at least approximate that level of play on an occasional basis, including throughout a postseason series. _______________ TIER 2A Devin Booker Jalen Brunson Anthony Davis Donovan Mitchell “This group received serious consideration for being in the highest tier. And yet, I was very comfortable leaving them out.” _______________ TIER 2B Karl-Anthony Towns Jaylen Brown Jimmy Butler III Tyrese Haliburton Kawhi Leonard “This is a group of players whom I wouldn’t consider for a higher tier for one reason or another. Three of them weren’t even All-Stars this season, but they are all otherwise highly impactful.” _______________ TIER 2C Cade Cunningham James Harden Jaren Jackson Jr. Damian Lillard “Perhaps the players in this group are a little high, especially if they have to lead teams in the postseason. But in their current situations, I’m bullish enough to keep them here.” _______________ TIER 2D Darius Garland Evan Mobley Ja Morant Pascal Siakam Trae Young “This may be the most polarizing part of Tier 2. How good are these players exactly? The playoffs are going to be a great exhibition for this group.” _______________ TIER 2E Joel Embiid Kyrie Irving “This is a special sub-tier, but it’s clearly not the sub-tier you want to be in.” _______________
Jabari is probably the player that is most hyped by Rockets fans relative to the national media and analytical community. His impact measurements have always been on the low side relative to Rockets fans perception of what he brings.
None of this matters. Team success leads to individual recognition. We have had very little team success over the last few years. Win a series or more and the players will start getting more recognition. We know what we have and it's just a matter of time before everyone else does too.
I hope he changes the narrative this playoff series. He might be my favorite player on the team and the hardest to quantify his impact. Every great music group needs a great rhythm section and I see Jabari this way. He's not a drummer, I imagine that would be our point guard, so he's definitely the bass. Not as freakishly athletic as Amen, so less likely to make the flashy defensive play, but solid shooter and positional defensive player. I don't think we can go far without him.
Spoiler https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6286882/2025/04/18/nba-player-tiers-jokic-lebron-sga-giannis/ TIER 1A Giannis Antetokounmpo Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Nikola Jokic TIER 1B Luka Doncic Jayson Tatum TIER 1C Stephen Curry Kevin Durant LeBron James TIER 1D Anthony Edwards Victor Wembanyama If you were to say that Anthony Edwards and Victor Wembanyama are Tier 2 players, I wouldn’t necessarily debate that. There may be a little bit of putting the cart before the horse here, especially when it comes to playoff performance. Edwards has played in only one conference semifinal in his career, while Wembanyama has yet to play in an NBA game with any stakes. Their status as Tier 1 players is a projection more than a reality. But we also have seen some real indications in NBA settings that they could take this league over in the short-term future.
Wouldn't say that.....the Jabari thread (112 pages) is 17% of the Jalen thread (660).... and only 11% of the Alperen thread (about 1k pages)
I mean in the way Rockets fans talk about Jabari. He's seen as a 3&D guy when his metrics on both defense and 3pt shooting are subpar. Personally, I think there are some caveats to it. But I've also thought he'd take another step this year when he looks more like the same guy he was last year. Which is dampening my assessment of his future. He needs to either take another step on defense or his scoring to be an above average starter.
This is the hope. If that does happen, the franchise is on a definite upward trajectory. Normally, I'd say more likely than not, that won't happen and JG will disappear, disappoint and go back to his inefficient self. But I've been wrong. I did not think JG would take the step that he took this season. I thought he was going to be just one of those players who's super athletic but IQ just isn't there. But this season, I've seen pretty consistently, esp after the slow start, him making good reads, making smart plays, getting to the rim, getting to the free throw line, taking the open jumper with confidence in the Q4, making the hustle/effort winning plays. JG reaching that next level will make all the difference. We know what we're gonna get from Sengun, Amen, Jabari and others.
He may be on track to joining the No Stats All-Star club. I think that's his floor. Then again, there are still people who complain about the Rockets trading away a number 8 draft pick for Battier.
