[CHRONIC] Four Rockets players on edge awaiting roster cuts

6'9 is not undersized for a post player. That is the normal height for a PF and there are plenty of defensive stopping PFs in this league. Hell, Hakeem was only 6'10, what is 1 inch?

 

I want Pops and Conroy to make the team. I like Conroy, he looks like he will be a pretty good player later.

 

I wrote undersized for a "stopper", not for a post player. Players are usually given an extra inch or two when they are listed. Dream was listed as 7'0, Pops is listed at 6'9 but is closer to 6'8. Pops doesn't have the length of dream and one or two inches may be the difference between swiping air and swiping ball on a block attempt.

Look at Pops' shot blocking style. He's not the stand his ground type, like Dream and Deke perfected and like most solid shot blocking big men are. He's more like Landry in that he always leaves his feet right away and therefore won't be able to recover if he is given a pump fake or they pass off. True defensive stoppers avoid this by waiting until the right moment to pounce, Pops can't really do this. He's gonna get more blocks than Landry though because he doesn't completely jump out of the picture and side ways like Landry does.

 

Sigh...We need Yao back. His timing was greatly improved and he was able to time his blocks much better over the last couple of seasons.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNrcvtLK02g&feature=player_embedded

 

Yao's defensive impact is completely underrated here. Him just standing near the post causes problems and people berate him because it's not what you teach and it's not "flashy".

But you can't teach 7'6 and Yao is likely as flashy at that height as we're likely to see for awhile.

 

You can teach position and timing. Indeed, Yao makes up for his lack of flashiness with intelligence and knowing where to be at the right times. I think the Hakeem schooling paid dividends. There were several 7+ footers that didn't pan out defensively because they lacked defensive skills and mindset. All they had was height (Bol, Bradley, Muresan)

 

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Game of inches.

 

Man, it has been such a long time ago, but I still remember that play. Hakeem was the ultimate closer.

 

So our lineup is:

1. Brooks
2. Lowry
3. McGrady
4. Andersen
5. Scola
6. Ming
7. Landry
8. Mensah-Bonsu
9. Taylor
10. Budinger
11. Cook
12. Battier
13. Ariza
14. Hayes
15. Dorsey

...

That's not half-bad. Just package Cook away, waive Barry (he's going to retire either way anyway).

 

i think we need to keep pops just for the fact that he will be a good complement to yao. He can crash the boards for offensive rebounds and he can jump.

 

What do mean maxing out at over 7M? Jackson's contract last for four years, STARTS at 7m and increases by one mill every year after, maxing out at 10 million. Like I said the best and easiest solution is just to buy out Dorsey's contract.

 

1st. I'd keep Pops. He's bad and mean. We can't let players drive into the lane so easy without thinking twice.

 

I bet this is what we wind up with, at least until the trade deadline:

1 Brooks, Lowry, Conroy
2 Budinger, Taylor, (TMac)
3 Battier, Ariza
4 Scola, Landry, Pops, Cook
5 Chuck, Andersen, (Yao)

 

Plus, people forget (or just don't realize) that teams design their entire offensive game plans around Yao. If that's not having an effect on defense, I don't know what it.

 

Scola and Landry have the PF spot locked up. Back-up C minutes will go to Pops or Andersen. Pops will probably get more time than Andersen, due to foreign players having a steeper learning curve.

At 6'9", Pops is only 1" taller than Budinger, Ariza, and T-Mac and guarding centers.

We tried an undersized frontline against the Lakers in the playoffs and it didn't work.

 

Straight up!!!

 

imo, we kind of need both a body at center AND a backup pg.

The center for obvious reasons, though I don't think Pops is the ideal guy(I don't care what anyone says about him being 6'9, he looks like a freaking small forward out there), he is an interesting option at least.

And even though we have 2 pretty damn solid pgs, if either one of them get hurt or they get into foul trouble, we don't have anyone else on the team that I would want bringing the ball up the court.

 

No ****, Sherlock.

 

Rockets just waived Temple & Beck officially per Fox 26 Sports

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/sports/nba/091021_houston_rockets_waivers

 

Should be on a new thread! Adelman did say he will waive some early this week, and the final at the end of the week.