Granted Casspi hasn't shown much in the league yet, but this thread was created completely based on 9 minutes of scrimmage video. OP do you realize how ridiculous that is?
Casspi has shown he can hit the corner three in the NBA. He plays above average defense. He has limited handles. The role I think the Rockets see him is shooting the corner three, playing defense, and having limited ball handling responsibility. Last year, 17% of Casspi's spot up opportunities came from the corner 3. 37% of Delfino's spot up opportunities came from the corner 3. Outside the three above the top of the key, Casspi's shot chart generally looks better than Delfino's from 2011-2012. There is a decent chance Casspi will be better than Delfino was last season when factoring in defense.
Ask me again on October 29th when the decision actually has to be made. We have yet to see a preseason game yet. Chill with the predictions. Nobody has a crystal ball and can tell me how one player will play over the other guys. As of right now.... yes... all 18 of the players currently on the roster SHOULD BE on the roster RIGHT NOW. However in 3 weeks, the games that are played will tell us who is- A. Winning minutes and in the rotation B. Has the best chemistry with the other players C. Is serving a functional role D. Is healthy E. Is showing enough potential to eventually do A, B, & C better than the other guys. So as of right now, Casspi, Brooks, Williams, Covington, Camby, and even Henriquez are potentially going to do these things.... we just have to wait and see who does it better than the other guy.
Trying to understand the team can be fun for some people. Making a hypothesis and then seeing if you were correct can test your understanding. I can see your point on why some predictions can be pointless, especially when it is done in a misleading thread title. This thread title was clearly labelled and easily avoided. It may be a little knee jerk as quotes from Morey and McHale seem to indicate he is in mix for not only making roster, but in the mix for solid PT in the Delfino role. I do think it provides an excellent opportunity to discuss Casspi even if it is a little outside original intent of thread.
This^^^ Let us watch a game pleeease. I hate that saying "knee jerk", most people say it with an emphasis on jerk. But it is a bit premature especially considering Casspi brings some options at the 3 and 4 when we go small. Plus Morey didn't sign him to guaranteed money for nothing. If Covington proves ready for prime time then Casspi is really not needed but that hasn't been proven yet. Plus the player least needed on this team position wise is Greg Smith. Whether you like him or not there is no room in the house.
He doesn't make a lot of money, and the guys he's competing with for a spot don't make a lot of money. And, their contracts don't really affect cap flexibility one way or the other at this point. And, they are not long enough to hurt flexibility in the future. Money shouldn't be a factor in deciding, even if Les has to eat it. The optionality of being able to have a lot of guys compete and pick the best guys is worth the rather modest amount of extra money they'll have to spend.
Fine. I'll play along. Yes, I do think he serves a purpose for this team, and I could see him being a solid fit even as a potential starter. You have a system where Parsons and Casspi are essentially interchangeable at the SF/PF spot much like Orlando had with Lewis/Turkaglo and the 90's Rockets teams had at times with Elie/Horry or Horry/Bullard. If the Rockets are going to go full blown Dwight/Orlando style playing inside/out here than yes, I think him and Covington need to be kept and groomed to play the 3/4 ala Rashard/Turkaglo. If they are going to keep the offense very guard attacking heavy I think he still serves a purpose, but you probably don't need as many of these guys as you would before. You would probably want to move one of Covington/Casspi because of duplication, and the need to keep another attacking guard coming off the bench in Brooks to relieve Harden/Lin. Showing the small sample sized clip from the scrimmage the other day, it seems as though the offense is still going to be very fast paced, guard attacking heavy. In that case I think Brooks needs to be kept as an offensive threat off the bench or insurance if Lin/Harden get injured. IMO, he's the 4th best attacking player off the P&R behind Harden, Lin, and Parsons. If you want to also keep Casspi and Covington you probably need to look at trying to trade a big like Greg Smith and cut Henriquez/Williams. I'd personally like to see a hybrid of the Orlando Inside/Out play late in games and more of the pick and roll uptempo style early in the games. I'm not sure though if its possible to play two different styles and be successful at both. But yes, Ideally I'd like to explore this scenario and keep all of Casspi, Covington, Brooks and try and move Greg Smith, or if the deal is out there Asik.
I say let's wait until we see him in the preseason. If his main role is as a shooter, I think we owe him at least the preseason to prove that he can/cannot shoot before we can come to a reasonable judgement of whether or not he should make the team.
I agree that it appears from scrimmage (and from what McHale and Morey have said) that the Rockets will run fast. Dwight will need more rest to stay fresh. I think this will give Asik 14-16 mpg without needing to overlap them. I think the Rockets will be uptempo PnR and In/Out throughout the game leading to increased variability in play. Henriquez is training camp fodder and future Viper. He would need a miracle to make team. Casspi, Parsons, and Covington play the corner 3pt specialist in the PnR. Williams and Brewer seem to be the guys fighting for the last wing spot on the team. Brewer was a late addition and I think he diversifies the Rockets roster more than Williams. For the Rockets to keep Brooks, one of Smith or Camby will need to go. Smith shows good promise as a PnR finisher, but needs to improve d and picks. Camby is as old as time, but still offers some rim protection. Because the Rockets want to play fast, I think they may lean towards keeping 4 points over 4 5s.
He should probably stay. I imagine Canaan and Covington will probably go the Dleague, so that leaves one spot for probably Caspi, Reggie Williams, or AB. I really dont have a preference as to who stays between them, but McHale likes big 3's/Stretch 4's. So Caspi is probably gonna be on our roster.
It's obviously too early to tell, but I've leaned towards no since we picked him up. Case against: He doesn't have a standout skill. He doesn't have ball-skills or any off-the-dribble ability. He shoots a lot of threes, but he's incredibly streaky from there. He's a solid rebounder, but below average elsewhere (defensively etc). Brewer brings playoff experience, defense and athleticism, and we need a guy who can defend wings off the bench. Reggie Williams is one-dimensional, but he's at least proven that his shooting is a standout skill. Covington may have been undrafted, and he brings similar tools to the three spot as Casspi (size, decent shooter, some defensive upside), but he has more growth potential. Case for: I think the FO imagined Casspi as a small-ball 4 next to Dwight when we signed him (like how we used Delfino in uptempo units), and you saw that in the scrimmage as he was intentionally put on Dwight's team. He can run the floor and bring some energy with his solid 6'9" frame. The only other guy (not counting Parsons) that can potentially slide over from the 3 to the 4 on the roster is arguably Covington - but he's unproven. I think the FO values a player like that, as Dwight/Asik are true 5s in every sense of the word. So even if Casspi's inadequate, his unique positional fit may be too valuable to cut.
There isn't a single chance that Casspi gets cut. In fact, there is a great chance that he finishes games, unless we go super small with a Lin/Beverley backcourt. It's pointless to debate about this right now since no one is changing their minds before they see them play. I'll take wagers, though. Your $10 bucks to my $100 that Casspi makes the roster.
That's a nice proposition. I would be more than happy to give $10 and say you are correct. If not, tipjar for clutchfans . If Casspi is on the roster on the first regular season game, you win?
That's right. Done deal. Actually, that is win win for you, if you lose you become a contributing member. You're welcome.
I believe the roster is at 18 with 3 cuts left to get the final roster complete. So, Casspi may be on the cut list not unless IF Omer is to be traded Casspi will be shipped out along with another player to get the roster set a 15.
