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I really wish ESPN would stop trying to push Jsmoove on Houston by trade. It's almost as if their agenda is to create mediocre teams for the rest of the league aside from LA... /s
Nice find, Commodore! I thought Thorpe's argument in favor of getting Smith was a pretty strong one. Very interesting indeed. He thinks the Rockets have a shot at getting Smith while keeping Robinson. I'd be all over that. We'll know very soon if a deadline deal for Josh Smith is in the cards.
Thorpe is good, I like his point about the fast pace not allowing Smith to be a chucker. Now I'm interested again.
I think McHale has his share of flaws and I think Thorpe generally is a good basketball-mind, but I think his work relationships with Martin and Morris have negatively effected his opinion of McHale, see: http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showpost.php?p=6968720&postcount=136 Now, feel free to believe Thorpe and not myself, but I know a pindown or single-double setting when I see it.
fast pace don't win playoffs, so Smith will be a chucker again in the playoff when pace is slowed down, and then it will be too late to cry.
Nah, Thunder do fine in the playoffs and the Nuggets do pretty well (sucks they always used to face the Lakers).
He does make a great argument, especially about getting him now. The only knock about Smith is his shot selection which is fixable, while elite athleticism and defense is quite a bit harder to come by. And the latter is exactly what the Rockets need, specifically at the 4 position. It's a gamble no doubt. You get Smith now, you lose some assets (I don't see Morey trading away Lin, Asik, or Parsons) that may take some time to build back. BUT if it doesn't work out you have a bit more cap space, albeit less assets. Then again, with the state of the Rockets I see Morey shuffling fewer pieces around, instead trying to get a core group of players.
David Thrope is a great analyst, and he's also as decent a person as you can get from ESPN. He's shun away from all the spotlight/rumour crap, and just gives his analysis on players. He's the one guy you can listen to and have a good confidence he's right. Thorpe was right on Martin and what he brought to the Rockets in his time here. Also right that Martin had worked hard and improved his 3-pt shot even more in the offseason (just we traded him away). Right that Martin's defense improved, aided by finally having a defensive presence behind him. Thorpe was also right when he said Marcus Morris (who was only in at his academy for a couple of weeks before his rookie season) had a good enough form that he'd eventually be a 38-40% 3pt shooter in the league and of the tweener PFs out there, he was one that could actually transition to playing the SF. Thorpe is a guy you listen to, because he doesn't have the agendas the other ESPN analysts (if you'd call them that) try to push. And I think he makes an interesting case on Josh Smith. Kind of like how we've altered to shot selection of Delfino to purely 3s, and he's been much more effective. Josh Smith is taking the most 3s in his NBA career this season, and hitting at around 35% rate. If Harden/Lin gives him better shots, his TS% goes up, and he's a beast in transition and defense. And if the reason that Smith wasn't traded was because nobody was willing to give up assets for him and want to pay him a max contract ... and we can try to pry him for say $12M/yr, he'd be a pretty good plan B if we can't get Dwight Howard. And as an aside ... Thorpe doesn't think too highly of McHale as a coach. Another aside ... having Lin, Harden & Parsons all being such good passers and smart players for their position is what gives the Rockets an ability to get the most efficient shots as a team in the NBA. Because if you get the ball out of Lin's hands, Harden makes great decision also with the basketball. And vice versa. And if out of both's hands ... Parsons also makes great decisions. And our PFs/C basically don't have to make many decisions, except when put in a position to take shots that are good for them, to put it up. I doubt on many teams Asik would be shooting 58% FGs for 3 months in a row. If there's a team that can make Josh Smith's shot selection work, it's the Rockets. And Smith is a very underrated passer at PF. Not quite at Pau Gasol / Duncan / KG levels, but probably in the next tier below them. The only thing I didn't totally agree with Thorpe on, is that Daryl Morey doesn't need to try players out. Rookies maybe. But not Josh Smith. He has enough film and knows his own players well enough. We didn't need to try Lin/Asik (much less minutes played in career, much more controversial signings) or Harden (6th man in his career) out for their respective roles now. Why do we need to try Josh Smith out. Better try get him below the max as a free agent without giving anything up. Sad to bring up this name ... but Josh Smith at his 35% 3ptFG% this season is probably who the Rockets had hoped when they traded 3 1st round picks for Eddie Griffin. A great weakside defensive shotblocker that can stretch the defense out to the 3pt line, great on the break, and athletic finisher on offense.
Smith is a perfect fit on the Rockets. Just don't let him do any iso offense like he tends to do in Atlanta, and you are fine.
He helps the Rockets fix their defense dramatically. He is an elite defensive player. He can defend the post very well, fantastic perimeter defender, great shot blocker. He is whatever on offense, but the team is already very good on offense.
