AB will always be a better shooter and better at getting his own offense, but if Lowry keeps it up, and that's a big IF, then for sure he makes Brooks expendable, becoming more capable of being a "starting PG on a championship team" kind of guy than Brooks would be.
The only thing Brooks has over Lowry is his offense, but when Lowry is making that 3 point shot he offers a lot more than Brooks. Lowry gives us passing, pick and roll play, defense, loose balls, and intangibles.
Lowry may be on a hot streak, but I don't want to see Brooks back in the starting lineup unless Lowry screws up. Right now, this team is starting to click; when Aaron comes back, why not let him come off the bench? Right now, the starting position is Lowry's to lose.
This has nothing to do with skill, like when you mentioned it in another thread. There is no doubt that Brooks has the skill to pass running a pick and roll(and other occasions) as proven by the several he has made to Scola and Yao. The point is that he does it far too infrequently to be starting alongside more efficient scorers like Martin, Scola, and Yao. He CAN make the pass, but he chooses to call his own number far too many times. This would be totally fine as a scorer off the bench, or during end of quarters and end of games when the possessions are tight. The defender still goes under the screen against Lowry, yet that does not prevent him from finding a wide open Scola time and again, like last game. Basketball is only half skill, the other half is mental. I have no problem with him going through a simple shooting slump. I very much doubt he will be shooting <40% the rest of the year. The problem is his lack of real progression in any aspect of his game, dating back to HIGH SCHOOL. This is not just being brought up now because he suddenly cannot hit the broadside of a barn. This hasn't changed since last year, and every year before. Which is why it was so crazy to me that you saw(see) such "potential" in him despite his HISTORY(which you are so keenly a student of) yet you dismiss the potential for improvement in others. The fact of the matter is that Aaron Brooks has played against the same weak defensive team before and it hasn't stopped you from putting that footnote under his name. The fact of the matter is you have a sig that says Adelman and Morey supports Brooks, presumable like you do since you are among his other "supporters". Yet almost in every one of Morey's post game tweets he has something positive to say about Lowry, while I am not sure he has EVER mentioned Brooks the past 2 years. While Adelman has just been openly quoted for comparing Lowry's penetrating style to STEVE NASH. But never mind, those don't matter. The fact of the matter is, no matter what anyone does, or says, your mind is already made up.
Here is the bottom line.... Lowry now has a 17 game sample size this season. He's at 33 minutes a game, most of those as a starter. Keep in mind, he was playing injured for the first few games. I'll use Brooks' '09-'10 numbers as comparison to Lowry this year. Who would you rather start and finish? Shooting pct Brooks 43.3 Lowry 41.7 3 pt Shooting Brooks 39.3 Lowry 37 Rebound pg Brooks 2.2 Lowry 4.2 Assists pg Brooks 5.4 Lowry 7.1 Steals pg Brooks .8 Lowry 1.94 Turnovers pg Brooks 2.4 Lowry 2.8 PPG Brooks 16.4 Lowry 10.6 PS As for free throw pct, I'll go with career. Brooks is 84. Lowry is 77. However, anybody who's watched this team knows which guy is more clutch from the line late in games... and.. we know who gets to the line more.
Kyle was 22 years old when I said this, but I knew he was young enough to develop an outside shot. Especially a spot up 3. Aaron is just never going to be as good of a defender as Kyle. If Kyle can keep a slight edge on Aaron in the A/T ratio and rebounding with his shot % maintaining a reasonable clip, then I think it becomes clear that Kyle is our man.
Again, this is your opinion, that he calls his number too many times. Did you ever consider that he is doing what the coaches want him to do, if they go under the pick, shoot it. I believe that is what he is tasked with doing, he is a scoring PG, that is his role. High School and college history are not really any indicator of how they will do in the pros, some guys are better suited to the pro game (CBud for example) and others more to the college game, (JT for example). At least IMO. Morey is quick to say good things about both of them (just look at my sig), and I want either Brooks or Lowry to kill the weaker teams, that is what we should be doing as a team. My opinion is that right now, AB is better than KL, if Kyle continues to shoot the ball well, I reserve the right to change my mind. But, I am not going to overeact on one or two good games against weaker competition, he shot 4-15 against the Bulls...he is still not consistent at it...IMO. DD
I'd be worried about Brooks losing his confidence coming off the bench. When you're a shooter, confidence is everything.
That's why he shouldn't lose shooters confidence. He's being put in the game to SHOOT. Unless it's his ego that can't take the hit from being the wannabe alpha dog starter? I think it is. If Aaron starts coming off the bench he will fuss and want a trade. Forcing Morey's hand might work out though.
AB has no right to fuss about anything. He is on a contract year. It's in his best interest to bust his arse out there no matter what position he's put into.
The thing is that more than likely Lowry will get injured again too, the way he plays he is always at risk. AB probably comes off the bench, but as soon as he is 100% healthy, I expect him to get his job back. I don't expect Kyle or AB to be happy coming off the bench though, will have to keep an eye on that. DD
If he is that mentally weak, then I wouldn't want him on the team to begin with. His mentality should be to do whatever it takes to get that win, not stroke his own ego.
Not commenting on the majority of your post and mental weakness etc. But lots of outside influences effect or affect players, they are human, very few players can completely focus on the task at hand. DD
He's actually played really under control since he has taken the starting role. But I hope you didn't jinx him. Why would you expect AB to get his starting job back?
He is a professional being paid millions to do a job. If he cannot do it then he won't be worth the Rocket's time and effort in resigning him. I am assuming he is not that mentally weak, but either way it is not the TEAM's job to coddle him.
If one of the guards get traded because of Unwillingness to come off the bench, its gonna be Brooks. Smaller contract, Contract Year, etc. Would Make absoulutely no sense to next year to Sign Brooks for say, 9 Mil. Then we'd have 15 Mil tied up on pointguards, who both arnt TOP TEIR point guards (Rondo,CP3,D-Will). I fully expect AB to be packaged with Jeffries & Bud for a SF like Wallace or Iguodala. Both Sixers and Bobcats lack shooters.
Passive aggressive. No such thing as a jinx on a message board. As for the AB question, because Adelman said when Brooks is healthy he starts. And I am not saying Lowry will get hurt, but his history suggests that he usually gets something small due to how hard he goes at it. DD
