[CHRON]Rockets search for go-to closer, Adelman says Brooks has tools to get job done

You're right. I am too caught up in our current Cinderella story! Trading Brooks for a quality wing player would definitely be nice and I much rather see Lowry at point in all honesty.

 

Jason William I guess.

 

STOP AND POP baby! I'm tired of seeing AB drive all the way to the goal in these situations, only to get fouled and the refs not call it (aside from the aberration in the Hawks game).

In the closing seconds of a game, you should only take it to the rim if you're strong and have the ability to finish despite being fouled. For AB, it's a very low percentage play.

I hope Adelman stays on Brooks to either pull up for a jumper or draw the defense and kick it out to an open teammate, both of which are excellent options in my book.

 

Amen...

 

Stop and pop or learn the floater....either works just fine.

DD

 

Brooks is so quick that he should be able to get open for the stop and pop, or drive and dish if that's a better option. With experience, he should get better at deciding what to do at the end of games. He gets in trouble when he can't decide what to do in traffic. Sometimes, he can "quick" his way out of trouble, but too often he misses the obvious play, or causes a turnover. He's learning, though.

 

Didn't Rafer teach him the floater/teardrop before he left?

If so, maybe that's why he doesn't use it.

Seriously though, I think what makes Parker so effective with the floater is that he uses change of pace to keep bigs off balance and he doesn't give up his dribble or leave his feet until he sees an opening through the trees. He also releases the ball almost immediately after he jumps.

Parker is a couple of inches taller but I think the primary reasons for his success in the paint are the things I mentioned above.

 

Brooks could do everything Parker does, he just needs time to learn it.

Parker would be a great model for his game.

DD

 

With his quickness...I'd definitely prefer stop and pop, but you're right, the floater would be just fine, too...

 

He should use both, for some variety....

DD

 

I agree, I just have flashbacks of the Rafer floater...

I'm dealing with my issues through therapy :grin:

 

I see floaters like Rafer's every morning after reading the sports page.



DD

 

This thread is now over after DD's last post. :grin:

Leave immediately, people. Don't look. Just leave.

 

I'm thinking about taking on the title "The Threat Stopper" because every time I get in involved in a thread...people stop posting.

Case in point...I post something, DD responds...you know the rest... :grin:

 

actually i hope yao starts/has started working on his 3 point shooting. if he can drop 3s at around 40% then defenses will be so confused as to where our offense is going to go and we dont have anyone clogging the paint. and with the post-up improvements made by landry, scola, and hayes; we can go to a double post with any of those guys and yao. as long as yao is healthy the possibilities are endless.

 

T-Mac was a closer.

Then the other teams realized that the other four on the court were OFTEN (not always) home-builders with their brick laying so they'd just swarm T-Mac.

Just sayin.

 

Sounds like what Brooks is facing these days....

DD

 

Yeah, although Parker is who Brooks has mostly been compared to favorably. Although there is also the Allen Iverson comparison, although I think Brooks can do better then Iverson in being an actual team player and being able to play defense.

 

McGrady has not been a closer we want since season 05-06.

Remember Doc Rivers showing his frustration in McGrady for refusing to drive the lane in crunch time but jacking up 3s even when his shots were not falling?

To top it off that was the prime McGrady we are talking about, the one who had the explosiveness to blow by his defender anytime he wanted. What do you think he will perform when those physicals tools are not there for him anymore? He is still the mentally weak crying baby minus the athleticism.

Brooks may not be perfect at closing game but this is only his 2nd season as a starter and from what I see in games, he is already a superior player to McGrady.

McGrady had lost respect from his opponents when all he could do was pulling up a contested jumper beyond the arc in the Houston vs Utah series in 2007 defended by a slow-footed Harpring who had been fighting knee injuries for quite some time ironically.

 

Aaron Brooks has the tools to let Landry be the closer 90% of the time.