He's played way better than I expected. He just needs to learn how to handle the ball better and finish at the rim. If he does those things, then we finally have a legit center and that's definitely an advantage.
Why do I have a strange feeling that legit or not, he won't be given a chance by the three guys on the floor not wearing Laker or Rocket jerseys....
Asik is currently shooting 46% from the field not 41%. In his last 6 games he is shooting 50% which I think is much more indicative of what we can expect moving forward.
If you aren't lucky enough to have one of the elite Centers in the league, and there aren't many of those anyway, then Asik is a solid player in the middle. I think he's definitely worth 8 mil per year.
Asik just needs to learn how to finish or get fouled when he is right under the rim. I think that is the most important thing he needs to learn on offense right now. No complaints about his defense or rebounding.
Most definitely! Asik is a beast working on his offensive game, which I think can come to be ok, which will make him worth a lot more than 8 mil.
If you taken into consideration Hibbert, McGee, and DJordan's contract Asik at 8 mil per was a bargain.
Looks like he is figuring it out. His last six games he has made some really nice shots including hook shots, drop steps and reverse lay-ups. FG% .500
I agree, asik might have a little bit better handle on the ball and size than dwight. But dwight just has that winners mentality
Wish you could watch the games. There's a "download past games" thread in here somewhere, or google "Rockets vs. Lakers 2012 torrent"etc. b/c there are other forums who also post Rox games. You can't stream them either?
Asik has been outstanding for the most part. Any defensive rebound in his general vicinity is pulled in. Even when he isn't grabbing the offensive rebounds outright - his hustle has caused on several occasions for the other team to fumble the ball out of bounds for another Rockets possession. I absolutely LOVE his defense on driving players blowing by their defenders or coming off a screen. The way he goes straight up instead of bringing his arms down when both players are in the air - is great. My only problem is when he has the ball down low. If he utilises a pump fake - so many of the shots he has blocked would be eliminated - and he'd get a few more baskets because of it. I wasn't fussed about this contract like I was with the Lin one. But it is looking like an absolute steal.
I've watched most of the games so far. And I don't see the shutdown defense I saw with the Bulls. Nor what I saw with Hakeem or Yao, both of whom anchored top-5 defenses year after year. And teams are getting into the paint. This is recognizable even with traditional stats, as Asik's block shots have dropped significantly. Like I said, I think a lot of it has to do with style. I don't see Asik as the Camby type of defender who flourishes in fast paced games. I see him as a better fit on a traditional, defense-first type of team. Which we are not right now.
