I think we were always invested in it - not signing a center was a result of the market paying more for their services(Mo Bamba/Hartenstein) than we were willing to invest as a bottom feeder team who will probably be investing in a lot of different lineup experiments this year. No sense paying too much money to a backup center($9+mil) if we decide maybe we want to play small more often. In that scenario, Garuba is a perfectly fine body for our roster. If he does something, GREAT. If he doesn't, he still helps us secure more losses and take a swing at another lotto talent next year and we at least have a better idea of where we do/don't need help in the future once we start pursuing FAs again.
Dude looks gassed, this might have been at the end of a long training session. Will reserve judgement till he is back on court in a Rockets uniform. I suspect he has good feet but not elite athleticism
Generally those are endurance activities you are doing at the end of practices - he probably had been working out there with the team for at least an hour and a half if not longer. That also jives with the shooting exercises everyone else is doing - again, things you typically would end with because it's about preparing your body for how to operate when it's tired and you don't get the same lift on your jump like when you are fresh.
Clint Capela - about as raw a prospect as you can find, so much so everybody thought he was going to stay in Europe during his rookie year - was into the Rockets rotation by the end of that year and played in all 17 playoff games in 2015 including the WCF's. (took Motiejunas spot after he got injured). I'm sure there's late bloomers and early bloomers but i don't buy the whole "big men take longer" argument without more.
Garuba doobie dam!!! I just watched this and that doesn't look like a fat guy to me. That was straight muscle there. I'm talking first center off the bench type muscle.
clint was special defensively as a rookie . Plus had minimal exposure to his advantage. It doesn’t say much about garuba . He could easily replicate clints 20mpg and 35 starts his 2nd year , if not be far behind . now the team won’t be as good ...
He looks... big. Eurobasket gonna help him a lot to lose body fat. He will be in great shape for the preseason.
Garuba has always been a plodding runner. He moves real stiff like Frankenstein. Not sure why he's on the team. If they want to get more out of KJ, give him the minutes you would have given Garuba.