How does any of that make him a better pairing with Green? The one thing KPJ has been solid at is defense and he has shown to be a better playmaker but yet JC pairs better with Green how? Why do we have to pick? I don't see how the organization is playing him or treating in a way other than a guy who they want to see what they have in him. I don't understand why trying different roles with him at this point, we are not a team that are tweaks away from being good and him trying different roles does nothing for his overall development at this time, and who runs pg the majority then? If we had a young pg who needed some seasoning I would be all for this, but we don't have a better playmaking guard on the roster so why are we so ready to stop playing KPJ there. Maybe we take a flyer on a guy we trade for or pick that has real pg skills, and then we can play at different positions, but we don't have that guy on the roster now.
I would agree to this, but I just think Jalen Green's development is paramount, and I have concern about KPJ's ability to make him better sharing the back court with him. I think he's probably the best at connecting with him on open court alley hoops but I don't know what else he's doing that puts him in a position to succeed. Maybe it's more of a coaching issue though. I don't know. I see KPJ being used similar to how the Sixers used Michael Carter Williams (stats are eerily similar), but the Sixers I don't think had anyone with the stakes as high as we have for Green on their roster. Nerlens Noel I guess was important, and MCW probably hurt his development a bit, but I don't know if it's as important for a young big to have a competent PG as it is for someone like Green to not be used like how the Rockets are using him now which is a guy who when he gets the ball it's on a broken play with 8 or less seconds left on the shot clock with no screen and roll partner and not shooters ready to take a pass. I don't really know, but my head just keeps coming back to what is best for Jalen Green now, and you might be right that this is still the best we can do, but I just wish there was more, or we at least had a "system" coach who was better able to control a structured offense ALA Rick Adelman's and his system, etc. who could break the mold of this more AAU style of play that Silas seems to be embracing.
But that $40m is doing something .... It's keeping the Rockets above the salary cap floor of $112,414,000. Currently they are only ~$9m above that figure with Wall's $44.3m cap hit. Subtract Wall's cap hit and they are ~$35m below the cap floor.
KPJ has not been solid on defense. He's had flashes, but he frequently sulks and gives up on defense especially after a failed offensive possession. JC is a high energy, hustle player who has demonstrated legitimately two way potential. That alone makes him a better pairing.
I like Christopher's energy he brings to the court. He's really a much better player than I thought he'd be. His three point shooting is improving by the day, and he's best as an aggressive player on offense. For that reason, I don't think he makes a natural PG. He's too score first, and his vision/facilitation skills aren't as strong as you'd like in a starting PG. I also think his speed is not as fast as most PGs, and he struggles to keep up when defending them, though he tries hard. Frankly, even in the short stints he's played, Nix has the feel of a natural PG. I'd love to see him get a chance in real game minutes. Having said that, JC and Nix are both better at PG than KPJ. That much is for sure.
I voted Christopher .... But I have one question and that's how much of KPJ's minutes coincide with Twiggy. It's imposable to be productive as a point guard when you can't run the most basic play in basketball because your big man refuses to set a pick. Anyone's going to be handicapped playing with that clown. I think before the ultimate decision is made I want to see KPJ with someone other than Twiggy at the 5. That guy just ruins the game for everyone else on the court trying to impersonate KD.
That's fine but it hurts Green's development and the chances of any other rookie starting. When the guy setting up the offense is not 100%, no one knows if they're messing up or not getting good shots. Put yourself in his teammates shoes. Reminds me of Westbrook who notoriously sucks at getting people the ball where/how they want it, it affects his teammates shooting %, but if you watch the game Westbrook is making the pass the teammate catches it and just misses more often. Can see this happening with KPJ. Just hasn't been a good fit and which thought it would take him this long just to be barely passable as PG? Move him to the bench. Achieves all the things you mentioned, gets to affect bench instead of starters.
I understand how you are thinking, I just don't think we should be catering to Green at all cost and I don't think KPJ is hampering his development in all. If he is the Franchise guy nobody can really hamper him and if he is not, we need to see how he will fit as a compliment to that guy, I think he currently has the green light to do anything he wants, so I don't get what KPJ has to do with anything. I really cannot blame Silas, I really like the fact he has had the team engaged for so much of the season and the winning streak was impressive IMO, I would like to see what he could do with a real pg, but I am glad we are not trying to force being mediocre, and I am willing to let the season play out and see what we actually have in KPJ. I think he is a rotational NBA player on a good team, so I am not invested in him being "THE" pg yet, and I don't think he hurts Green's development in any way. Bottom line I realize this is a 3-year process at best and more like 5 years, so I really don't have any strong opinions either way because IMO the only real keeper so far is Sengun, that guy could be a valuable piece on any team. But that's just me.
No that does not make him a better pairing because he is duplicating Greens skill set and offering almost nothing as a playmaker. It's amazing how some go to any length to **** on JPJ, I like what JC has shown but he has been a better player or shown to be better at pg than KPJ. How are JC and NIx both better than KPJ what are you using to say that statement is for sure, what metric are you using?
KPJ sucks man. I wish that wasn't the case. Maybe he just sucks at PG and needs to be cast in a different role. I really don't know. And that's just obvious. We can keep denying what our eyes are telling us, but it's undeniable now. He's playing against backup PGs and second tier players and struggling to score at any point in the game. He has had only three games all season where he shot 50% or better in a game (one because he only took 5 shots and got hurt so left the game early). He has shot 40% or lower 16 times, with many games under 30%. He has one of the highest turnover rates in the league, and usually astoundingly bad passes and turnovers. He misses open guys constantly. He misses open shots all the time. Maybe you see him as the next coming of Harden. For some irrational reason many Rockets fans continue to believe that KPJ's a budding superstar because he scored 50 points against the Bucks last season. I don't see it anymore. I think he might have a bench role in him, but as a starter he can't be the PG and he is actively hurting this team, stunting Green's growth, regressing the entire offensive flow, and his temperament is the worst when this team needs strong leadership and someone who can hold it together when the team is losing by a lot.
If you say so then it must be true. What the hell does harden have to do with any of this? I said what I thought of him as a player and I never said he was remotely like Harden or even a starting level player, if Green is any kind foundational piece nobody can stunt his growth. How is he stunting his growth? Green has the green light anyway, should he just be passing to him and screening for him all the time? How the hell are you putting all this crap on KPJ, like he is supposed to be the veteran of the team. And what does any of this have to do with JC being better as pg?
It may just be me, but I’d rather Christopher be our 6th man if and whenever we trade Gordon. He’s basically another Gordon anyway in terms of his size and skill set, so it would be nice just to have him take on that role when we do eventually move on from EGo. As far as KPJ goes, I say keep him as the starter, but I honestly feel he’ll eventually get traded or replaced for a real PG. Now obviously the Rockets could just move him to SF or move him to SG and let Green play SF but I just feel KPJ we’ll eventually turn into trade bait, to me he’s better at the 2 and we already have an abundance of 2 guards playing out of position. Eventually someone will have to go and I just feel that he’s the odd man out and that situation with him that happened a few weeks ago doesn’t help either, especially considering he already has a history of having a temper problem
Yes, poor KPJ. Got cut from his last team, given a new chance with a new team, quickly given the keys to the team, but plays poorly with on/off attitude issues and even quits on the team mid game. But saying a rookie with better attitude, defense and hustle could be a better fit is being unfair to KPJ.
