Well, with the absence of Tracy McGrady tonight, Luther Head got the start and I really like what he was doing. He was giving the Rockets speed and 3pt shooting, something they have lacked all year. Because of these 2 things, the floor spacing was terrific for the off ball cutting that they have been doing so far and he give them some easy bucket oppertunities. Because of this performance, I think a lineup change is in order. The starting lneup should be- Rafer Head T-Mac (when he gets healthy) Hayes Yao This gives the team a person to space the floor for T-mac and Yao, gives the team a guy who has worked really well off ball with simple plays like the give and go with Yao, and givs them energy and speed, which they really lack in an uptempo offense. It also allows T-Mac to move to the 3 where he is much more suited to play (because of his style of play, he rarely takes advantage of height mismatches at the 2 like in the playoffs against Fisher, but at the 3 he tends to blow by his defender easily like he does with AK-47). And as I say this Head comes back in, nails a 3, and the team once again has some life. Make it happen, Adelman!
Replace Battier with Head? Any offensive gains that might be had (minimal, if any) would be offset many times over on the defensive end.
Right now going with Battier simply isn't working. He hasn't played lockdown defense and he has been horrible on offense, missing wide open 3's, commiting a TO when trying to go off the dribble and giving the team no energy. Head would be a huge spark for the starting lineup.
Head was doing alright until he tries to go baseline. Every time he goes baseline it is a turnover, and I mean every time. He used to seem like such a bright prospect but now it's seeming like he's one dimensional. I'd rather have a playmaker than a spot shooter.
Battier is a playmaker? That's news to me. And Head does what Battier does offensively, just better and with more energy and speed, which is exactly what the starting lineup has lacked all year.
Head hasn't managed to be huge spark off the bench. Why the hell would he be one in the starting lineup?
Because he has shown tonight he FITS in the starting lineup, and provides SPEED and 3pt SHOOTING that the STARTING LINEUP lacks. Tonight he has been hitting 3's, ran on the fastbreak, was moving off ball, and just simply looked like a natural fit offensively in this kind of offense that Battier does not.
That's what the topic is about, not if he could replace T-Mac and the team actually win on a consistent basis as a result. Who else would you replace? Hayes? Battier showed last year he cannot play the PF consistently and effectively in the Western Conference.
Starting Luther Head??? Are you kidding me? The guy is garbage. Look at him - he can't dribble, can't finish going to the basket, can't play D, can't hit a wide-open shot, couldn't hit his free throws last night, and can't even finish a breakaway layup. At best, he is a 3rd string player. He needs to be included in a package deal for some offensive firepower.
Look at what he has done tonight...he has the highest +/- on the team, actually gave Rafer a partner to run with, was hitting 3's, cutting off ball, and the offense died once he left the game. His defense can be a problem, but right now it isn't exactly like Battier is locking people down and he has been in a slump all year offensively. I think giving Head a chance would be a good idea.
+/- #s are a useless stat in my opinion. I'm watching the game and I've watched Luther Head play all season. My analysis leads me to believe he's a 3rd string player at best and should be traded with a couple of other players for some real offensive talent. As fans we deserve better than these scrubs.
He has recieved inconsistent minutes and has RARELY played with the starters this season. Tonight, with the starter's, he has really fit in, giving the team a boost of speed and very good floor spacing that the starting lineup has lacked with Battier struggling all year and being naturally unathletic to begin with.
The problem is that none of these guys that see a lot of mins around Yao and TMac are good enough to see so much action at the NBA level. Chuck Hayes should not start for any team. Head is what I said he was earlier. Alston has too many liabilities. Brooks is a rookie and has a long way to go. Battier is just a poor bball player in general. Rockets need to trade some of these guys for some real offensive talent.
The Nuggets use a small lineup. Against most teams, starting Luther at SG will make him a huge defensive liability. And he just makes so many bad decisions with the ball. I do think that Adelman likes him, though. Who knows, it might happen.
You have to make the most of what you have. And the NBA isn't just about talent...we won 52 game slast year despite injuries to our best players because the players fit in a system. And I think Head fits better into the starting lineup than Battier. And against most teams Battier is an offensive liability, and that is a problems since we are near dead last in the league on offense. I think Luther would be an upgrade over Battier in the starting lineup after what I've seen tonight...he just fits.
Head is too mistake prone to start, but I do agree that the starting lineup is in dire need of more speed/quickness/energy and the most logical starter to replace is Battier. If we ever hope to be a good fastbreaking team, Battier should not be starting.
