[Chron] Asik intends to return to lineup vs. Celtics

we dont need asik, i like having dmo and tjones develop.... asik needs to be traded for a future unprotected lottery pick

 

The team will try its best to trade Asik for an impact player who will also take away minutes from Jones and Motiejunas. We are not wasting Dwight's career on "developing" some mid first round picks. They either step up and earn the minutes or sit. No charity minutes.

 

I agree with you, but it's hard to step up when you're sitting on the bench.

 

They are not earning charity minutes right now.

 

People seem to think that Jones and Motiejunas should play now because they have improved compared to when they first started with the team. If they did, then does it not show that these guys can "step up" and improve when they are not in the active rotation?

 

Please have Asik come off the bench and let Jones start

 

Asik was thinking the Rockets gonna lose without me, then they'll know to appreciate me.

The Rockets are winning without him.

Asik is thinking shiet

 

We did look pretty bad when Dwight sat and DMo filled in as backup center. No rim protection at all. We were just lucky Denver was gassed and our guards got to the rim at will themselves.

 

But, but, but D-Mo is so good! Free D-Mo woohoo! Lmfao :grin:

 

I think there is some confusion around this point. Howard is a rim protector. Asik is a paint protector. In the NBA you have to have some serious god given hops to be a rim protector. The only real problem with D-Mo is his defensive rotations. But he currently has fewer than 600 NBA minutes, half of them against scrubs. There is no reason he cannot become a good paint protector in the NBA. But he is not there yet. And he has a much higher vertical leap than Asik.

 

I think the two players deserve minutes, especially Tjones. I think their lack of playing time stems more from the fact they don't fit into McHale's (and/or Morey's?) original vision of the team:

1) Point guards who shoot 3's
2) Shooting guards who shoot 3's
3) Small forwards who shoot 3's
4) Power forwards who shoot 3's
5) Centers playing defense

 

DMo is good, maybe you just don't see it.

The more diverse your offense is the better. Howard does draw double teams and can score in the post but not the way DMo can. I believe if DMo can get some consistent playing time, and is used in the post during that time, then he would be able to prove himself and stay in the rotation. What he did in the post last game wasn't like it was a one time thing, he has shown that he is a great post player.

 

He is a decent post player right now because literally noone knows him outside of Houston and maybe Toronto, thanks to his fellow lithianian center there.

As soon as he would be inserted in the starting 5, coaches and players would study his moves and negate them. On defense he would just be destroyed since currently his defensive iq is only better than maybe Bargnani.

If Asik is traded we need a servicable backup 5 and a defensive borderline star wing.

 

I doubt that very much, that may happen if he only had a few moves. Have you seen how many different moves he has? I think his post game is amazing, and really have a hard time thinking of many players that have a post game that good.

 

D-Mo's position as a NBA defender has to at the 4 spot. He can (and probably will) abuse both 4s and 5s offensively but as a defender I just think we have to accept the fact that he will only be effective as a 4 (after developing some more).

Why?

Once again, D-Mo's reach is pretty much inadequate for a quality defensive center. He's a "true" 7-footer in height only. There's nothing he or the team can do about that. If he had elite level athleticism, that would of course compensate for that but he doesn't.

His bulk and strength and balance are also lacking. Those things you can train but I don't think D-Mo is ever going to be a player like Nene or Nikola Pekovic who play pretty good (but not great) D by taking space and being immovable by opposing players.

And maybe most importantly, D-Mo just doesn't seem to have those defensive instincts (for a center). I refuse to use the word skills since I really think most if this you just can't teach. Some players just seem to have a knack for being at the right place at the right time. Staying with your own man and defending the pick and roll are one thing but defenders at the center position are usually expected to leave their own man when the situation arises and challenge the opponent's player posting up or driving/rolling to the basket. D-Mo just doesn't do that very well, if at all.

And Asik can definitely be "a rim protector" if you tell him to go after it aggressively. His block numbers in Chicago reflect that. As we have seen from his play in Houston, he probably has made a conscious effort to challenge the shots but not leaving the floor in order to collect the defensive rebounds. This is pretty much contrary to what Howard and Jones do as both of them like to aggressively pursue blocked shots.

And I don't think Terrence Jones is an answer at the 5, either. He challenges and blocks more shots obviously but mostly suffers from the same things as D-Mo when defending 5s. His future is at the 4 with sometimes defending the 3 as well. His D on Rudy Gay gave us a nice glimpse that he totally can be used as a defensive stopper on certain swingman matchups.

 

Dmo doesn't have the kind of explosive athleticism like Dwight, but he's up there for the most mobile 7 footer in the league. Of course, that comes with a lack of talent basis for post protection.

 

Good Mobility + Inadequate Length/Reach + Bad Positioning/"Instincts"
= Donatas Motiejunas = BAD D at the 5.

...

Good Mobility + Great Length/Reach + Great Positioning/"Instincts"
= Omer Asik = ELITE D at the 5.

and

Great Mobility + Great Length/Reach + "Only Good" Positioning/"Instincts" + Vertical Explosiveness
= Dwight Howard = ELITE OF THE ELITE at the 5.

(Edit. adding this before Tinman gets here. )

and

Great Mobility + Good/Great Length/Reach + Great Positioning/"Instincts" + Vertical Explosiveness
= Hakeem = GREATEST D OF ALL TIME at the 5.

 

DMo has plenty of reach to play center, and plenty of athleticism. I'm guessing his wingspan is around 7'1" or so. There are plenty of guys who play center with similar length to that.

The reason he's better at the 4 is that he lacks strength. That's really the only problem with him playing center. He does have the quickness to guard power forwards though, so it's fine.

 

when you have a great center that his presence alone can have you as one of the top 5 defenses in the nba, like yao was, you can get away with having a scola at the four.
Howard and Demo would work so well if Parsons made defense his first passion again. On some defensive possessions we saw demo never leave his feet and kept his hands straight up and he didn't fall down. so that's a start.

 

Then you are guessing wrong. It's 6´11" wingspan with a standing reach (never published) of about 8'11" - 9'1". Thats about same as Terrence Jones.

edit. added link: http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Nike-Hoop-Summit-Day-One-International-Practices--3169/