It is going to be fun because they think Capela is physical, he is a good rebounder but not that physical, ask the Atlanta Hawks..... Having 6'5 guys run rampant by or at KD is going to be fun. And the Centers with their fly swatters. It could work but KD doesn't have the stamina to switch all day long, they probably just play Zone the whole time......
I don't think they would have KD guarding 6'5" guys if Amen and FVV are in the line up. There is a potential that Ime will opt to run even more zone coverage this season since he has the length and defenders to close up shop in the paint and also recover on three point shooters. I definitely don't see Durant guarding small guys at all unless the opposing team is running PNRs the whole game hunting him down but Durant is not a matador on defense either, so I don't think this would happen as often. I hate that it's just the start of July, it's going to be dreadful waiting until October for the season to start.
You know the 2 on offense doesn't have to guard a 2 on defense, right? The 6'5" guy is going to be running at Amen, not KD.
Hey man, the "idiotic" comment is for your source (not to you) and I would happily tell that to their face if they stand by this argument and that doesn't mean they're not credible at something in the organization. I don't doubt you're relaying what you've heard from someone in the building. Within any organization there are people who are not fit to do someone else's job but they still have opinions on other people's jobs. Further, within any organization people are sometimes split in mindset on the same issue. I do believe it's possible for example that Eli's assistant has tactical opinions that Udoka would dismiss and that Udoka may have transaction-related opinions that would be funny to Stone. No one's evil here, but this is how such communications can take place. If you're telling me the HC sees Kevin Durant as though he's the SG even though he's not guarded by SG's, not guarding SG's and not putting pressure on the rim like a SG then I would just be worried. It has no basis in reality. Basketball is becoming somewhat position-less, but it's not becoming role-less. Someone still has to protect the rim, another person still has to bring the ball up, someone has to guard wings, etc. Rim pressure like rim protection is not going anywhere. Since the beginning of time and throughout the 3PT era, the drive and 2 is the most important shot in basketball and I've heard that stated by the stat heads themselves at Sloan conferences. To say that we're going to go without rim pressure when the only team in NBA history to achieve that was arguably the best 3PT shooting team in NBA history (Klay and Steph) is alarming. We have 2 non-shooters in the starting lineup, and we don't have 2 elite shooters. We're not the team who should be building that way. Would happily have a beer with you if I were living there just to clear the air. Nothing personal with these comments. I take you as seriously as any honest journalist who's doing their best - the media game can be tricky and I think even you'll concede that sometimes things get fed that don't tell the whole story or may have a bias attached. I know you care about the Rockets, have sensible positions and know some people in the organization. I've been on the board for more than a couple of decades so I'm aware of your work even from back when you were starting up. Wish you the best.
Positonless Basketball was never a thing. It’s one of the most misunderstood and misused terms in sports. As you said roles are still defined and the traditional roles of those positions still exist. What has changed is their skillset and abilities. This was what Spoelstra was talking about when he coined the phrase. Forwards able to play point or bigs shooting 3s but teams still need a center to defend the paint and wings to shoot and dribble drive. Roles haven’t changed. That’s why it was always stupid to think Cam is a 2. And this is why that Toronto team 3-4 years ago didn’t work with 4 wing type players. Durant doesn’t get into the paint as much as dominant guards in the league or even jalen. He doesn’t play pick and roll. He doesn’t come off DHO’s. He is an iso guy that can drive time to time shoot midrange and threes.
Nobody is questioning the merit of the Durant for Jalen trade. The conversation here is why the Rockets don't pursue backcourt help and spend resources on an already crowded frontcourt.
I believe the Rockets will play more zone this year or maybe a zone hybrid with Amen one on one on the best player. If they are playing man, Durant will almost for sure be playing against the Pf. Of course, specific matchups could be different. Durant’s length cuts off driving lanes, especially next to guys like Amen, Jabari, Tari, and DFS.
I think the term is misunderstood. Of course there are positions. There are 5 guys on the court. All 5 will be in different locations, and they will be in those locations for a reason. That’s called a position. Where things have changed is mostly on defense where someone who is maximizing their skillset, size, and abilities to space the floor on the wing on offense, might be best suited guarding someone on the low post on defense. Best example I can think of is Harden. His skillset what extremely unique and polar opposites on both ends. KD is about as unique as the game has ever seen with being nearly 7 foot, long as hell, but having the skills of a point guard, the shot of a sharpshooting wing, and the footwork of an low block scoring big. IMO someone calling KD and shooting guard is actually kinda controversial not because he can’t play the 2 guard/perimeter position on offense but because he is so unique that it boxes him into a skillset and ability that he can do way more than just that. Eric Gordon is a shooting guard. KD is just KD. Again though the person from the rockets saying this to Cat IMO is probably making that statement in regards more to Amen than KD. I think the org sees Amen as the guy they are banking on as the franchise star, and the trade meant moving him into Jalen’s role on the stat sheet, but in reality I’m sure they know Amen isn’t likely to be ready yet to carry the perimeter creation role just yet and they’ll want him to work from the dunker spot on offense a lot because he’s so damn good at that you’d hate to just mess with his game overnight. Eventually yes I think he’d be a focus on the perimeter but this season… I think they know they cannot expect him to go from being Shaun Marion to being Kobe Bryant overnight. It’s better to focus on turning Shaun Marion into Kawhi or Pippen first.
In the end it is about roles. You usually have someone bringing the ball up and setting up the offense. Then you have someone, that you can give the ball at the 3pt line and he will generate offense for you. Traditionally thats a SG or a SF (with the SF more likely to break the defender down and driving to the basket and the SG more likely to use a screen or step back for a jump shot. And then you have players that you feed the ball in the post or somewhere inside the 3pt line to generate offense from there - that was usually the C and PF. The others are usually either setting screens or waiting at the 3pt line to space the floor. Now several of these roles still exist, but it is a lot more fluid, with centers hitting 3s or acting like an offensive hub etc. Overall the big guys have more and more guard skills and the Gs get even quicker and craftier and have more range. On offense it is not really complicated. You need someone to create offense and you need spacers. We now have KD and Sengun as the guys that will create offense (hopefully Amen can join them), and FVV, Jabari, DFS, Reed, Holiday and maybe Cam as spacers. Tari may also be a spacer, but he also is a hustle offensive rebound guy, joing Adams. We should be fine on offense, we have a pretty complimentary skill set. On defense you need to be able to defend ultra quick players and also ultra strong or big and long players. Amen might be the best defender for ultra quick guys in the league, and we are filled with defenders around him. Really only Sengun could be viewed as a weak point, but I actually feel like his defense is underrated. And I also believe guys like Tari, Tate and maybe DFS would be fine with defending SGs. So I also dont see a problem here. We will be the one generating matchup nightmares, not the other way around. Just imagine a Amen, Tari (or DFS), KD, Jabari and Sengun line up. All 6-7 or taller, everyone but Sengun can switch everything...
He could probably play it occasionally, but KD ain't exactly a rookie now. I can see him getting minutes situationally at the 2, but playing him consistently as your SG at 37 years old seems like wishful thinking to me. I just can't wrap my brain around it.
Because as of right now, they don't feel like they need any backcourt help. They have FVV and KD to fill those roles on offense and FVV and Amen to fill those roles on defense for the bulk of minutes and they'll likely go with Reed Sheppard and a bunch of wings off the bench. They have a lot of positional flexibility... and as of now, they still have Cam
Fair points, appreciate the clarifications and kind words. After seeing that Cam thread last week where a few people were accusing Shams/Kelly of speculating or outright making up things, I admittedly was assuming the worst. Will just add a couple things: 1.) Trust me, I wouldn't share if it was someone analogous to Eli's cap assistant, agree that it's fairly inconsequential in that hypothetical. 2.) I don't think you're ever going to be devoid of rim pressure if you have Amen Thompson, whose usage rate I would expect to rise. I would compare it somewhat to Milwaukee of the last few years, in that their "guards" have never been particularly strong attackers, but they generate a ton of rim pressure because of Giannis. Not saying Amen is going to be at that tier next season, but he's going to do more. 3.) The KD/shooting guard thing was meant solely in regards to offense.
By the same token, opponents aren't going to be using SGs to be guarding KD either. So if you aren't guarding SGs and opposing SGs aren't guarding you, then you are not a SG by any traditional notion of the term.
Sounds like folks are reading way too much into this. Just sounds like the Rockets dont believe they need to have a traditional SG archetype in the starting lineup (Like Jalen was). Doesnt matter what you call these guys. They feel like they have a combination of players that can utilize all areas of the court offensively and a group of guys who fit together well enough. Fine. You dont want to call KD a shooting guard. Now what? What does that do? Someone wants to call him the SG on this offense. So what. What does that do? Nothing.
No Take Harden, for instance … clearly playing PG with the Dorts and Klays defending him, while Byzdelic designed a whole defense to “hide” him in the low block. Same with Luka. Your position is determined by the role your coach puts you in, and it can be different for offense and defense…that’s what basketball coaches mean when they say “cross-matching”. As for me jumping into this “no rim pressure” discussion … while not following fan chatter since the playoffs, I was baffled by this worry. I look forward to @The Cat (and others) exploring this more with interview questions, bc I think Coach will also be baffled that this is an issue. ————————— Here’s two examples from last year Rim pressure from Sengun Sengun creates major rim pressure any time he has the ball in 5-out, bc his handle is that good against centers. He is a clear threat to blow-by and dunk. And not just 5-out, but anytime he’s with the ball 15’+ away. So, in our Horns, as well. In Zoom sets. Our Princeton Point series. Inverted PnR. We ran those a lot. Perimeter rim pressure due to Adams Now for guards/wings, it’s true FVV is not a finisher or drive-and-kick guy. Reed with a floater and middie, maybe one day we hope he can be a probing penetrator relieving the need of classic attacking SGs. But for now, what was a second way Coach created rim-pressure last year aside from Sengun and Green? … anyone? It clearly happened (and I have tons of video) when Adams was on the court. He occupied the opposing center so much, it created a 4x4 game. Even if you drove all the way to the rim, that center wasn’t hedging off Adams at all … he was literally entangled. In a 4x4 game, when the opposing center is effectively removed from defending anything other than offensive rebounds, driving is much easier. That is, you don’t need high-level attacking skills, above what Amen and Durant currently have. We saw that with Amen’s ability to apply rim pressure in double big. Durant will exploit this, too. Example: (maybe I’ll post a vid over the holiday break of this play), and it’s just one example of a reproduceable play that I recall. Adams is at the rim, as usual Amen has the ball in short PnR with Sengun … in the mid-slot area Amen takes Sengun’s screen to drive across the lane … and there is no 2nd defender to beat bc Adams has the center entangled Amen got layups and dunk off that So, the rim pressure there is does Sengun’s man take Amen, allowing simple pass to Sengun Durant will be all over this two Bottomline: And that’s just one example of rim-pressure from 4x4 due to Adams. Amen and Durant will have an easier time applying rim-pressure when Adams is occupying the opposing center, rendering classic attacking SGs potentially not necessary
Cat, thanks for sharing! I mentioned this might be an approach we take in the Random Trade Thread on Tues... https://bbs.clutchfans.net/threads/random-trade-thread-2025-26.326836/#post-15796531 "I realize that isn't an ideal guard rotation, but we'll likely have 3 wings (Durant, Bari, Tari, F-S) with 1 post and one guard for part of each game." We may have some very creative rotations depending on our opponent and situation--3 wings, 2 bigs, defense focus (which had more options suddenly), etc. Are you hearing anything about a new offensive system or approach as we ramp up for a championship run?
Nothing concrete yet, but beyond the obvious "going big" stuff, I do think they realize that they've got to make Reed feel more empowered. There's a lot of things that go into that in terms of Xs and Os, who he's playing with, minutes, but the way Reed played when he had real runway (i.e. OKC) was night-and-day different from when he was the "backup PG." I think that's a huge point of emphasis, and obviously it could allow them to load manage Fred, as well
Because there’s no one out there worth pursuing that is more valuable than what we’d give up to get them. Ime clearly values defense over offense by a wide margin. I could have seen the value in going after Beasley but he’s probably going to sit untouched until his legal issues are resolved. So we loaded up on continuity and doubled down on the 2 big lineup.
