Has KPJ Turned the Corner in Your Eyes as a Person and Player?

He still has a long way to go, but with his play the last few weeks he's shown that we should at least give him a chance. That said, he is not a natural PG and I'm hoping next season that he can return to the role of a secondary creator and scorer instead of being the guy to run our entire offense through.

We shall see.

 

Here’s how I see it. At the end of last season, I felt like he can have nights where he is elite with impact on the floor but needs to get more consistent so that he is impactful on average rather than occasion.

i feel like that hasn’t changed. A marginal improvement to his 3pt% and defense but the way he plays he would get annihilated by playoff defenses.

Now given his age I still think it worth developing him without long term commitment, but our rookies are radically outpacing his development and he will find himself in the dust soon if he doesn’t decide to stop playing to soothe his ego.

I don’t like the way he plays. His style is his style but his style sucks for winning. Right now he’s a Stephon Marbury. Sucks the energy out of the ball, clock and teammates to get his so his stats can look good when he screwed everyone else to get it. I need to know if he wants to be a Chauncey Billups instead.

If he doesn’t make an internal decision to prioritize wins, Nix and Christopher will snatch his future next season. He’s the most talented but the psychology is not consistent yet.

 

Hoping 4 the best.

 

Yeah because you can't win a championship with this kind of player. The kind of players that have these emotional issues just end up losing. Just look at the history of this kind of player

- Player gets into a fight with fans that throws a cup of water at him - wins championship
- Player that refuses to come in after a time out if the play isn't run for him - wins championship
- Player head butts a ref, kicks a cameraman, refuses to go on roadtrips, and disappears in Las Vegas during the season - wins championship
- Player gets suspended for threatening a referee - wins championship
- Player tries to stab the greatest player in Rockets history with a broken bottle - wins championship AND tortures Jazz fans for eternity.


Hey, can't have a player like that on your team.

 

I was completely out on him and have moved to let’s wait another season. People say he isn’t a natural pg, and that’s perfectly fine. His issue is that his internal clock on seeing the court and controlling a game is way off. James Harden wasn’t a traditional point but was excellent at controlling a game.

 

I like KPJ the talent but I don't think he is a leader. He'd kill it as a 6th man though

So just because some of these players had outbursts that justifies KPJ's? Like how does one of the best rebounders of all time equate to KPJ? This kind of comparison doesnt make sense to me. You have to look at the players and their situations

 

And what you do is cherry picking but hey, that is what we do around here......

But to answer you the question, the number of players with mental illnesses has risen.

Meaning that "crazy" players are winning ships now and other crazy players are also not winning anything.

Yes, we want "crazy" players that are perfect fits and can be coached most of the time!

If it is Kevin Porter, that is great! If it is not, we are wasting our time.

 

Just saying that just because a player has emotional issues doesn't mean you have to throw them out.

Not sure how you get all that from what I posted. KPJ has emotional issues. Doesn't mean he is "crazy." It also doesn't mean he is toxic. He's very talented and seems to be doing well with the mentorship and coaching John Lucas has provided him. He's trying and he's doing well so far.

There's no reason to use his emotional issues against him at this standpoint - given he is 21 years old.

 

He needs structure above anything......our structure is not championship caliber, I might be wrong here but we are not the Dream Rockets, not even the Adelman Rockets.......and not the Mike D Rockets.

I think his first goal is to play within control and become a legit All Star.

 

I still don’t want him here

I don’t think he can handle “not being the man”
he’s still immature, talented? Yes he is.
But I’ve seen him too many times not run back on D after not getting a foul called, or misses a easy layup etc etc.

6th man or bye Felicia

 

Pretty simple. The only thing I did not do is putting myself in your shoes and question why you go to the extreme and said that.

Of course you can win with this kind of player... what kind of player is that exactly?

I could only assume what kind you meant.

The problem isn't winning, the problem is that the unnecessary things they toss your way on the rocky road to winning.

Good luck with Silas disciplining them and fairweather GM Stone giving jolly interviews while KPJ leaving the arena.

That is why I can't trust normal fans' comments on discipline when they are at their phones typing those things while professionals have to deal with it in person and first hand.

Just because your understanding of toxicity is different than mine or others does not mean you are right.

No offense to you but that is just reality check.

 

I think he's fine as-is on his current arc. He's played within the confines of the offense especially when you have vets on the team taking up minutes and shots. First full season at the 1 has gone well IMO. He's been unleashed once those players were shut down. If you want to UNLOCK Scooter then you will bring in a playmaker in the frontcourt alongside Sengun who can distribute and take the pressure off of KPJ and everyone else. If you want to see the best scoring backcourt in the NBA albeit with some flaws then bring in a 3&D guy.

 

the whole teams looks better without wood, I want to see KPJ and Green starting next year with the draft pick we get and AP starting Center.

 

I trust him more physically then mentally. His reaction to t critical and adversity will dictate everything. Silas might not always be there to be a pacifier. What happens if we get a stricter coach.

like me and pops was talking about him and how he would fare with former Houston coachs. He probably would be aight with Rudy but noway he would’ve survive Adelman or JVG in Houston. He couldn’t even survive with Bickerstaff and we all think less of Bickerstaff. You can’t hang you head over the presence of KPj in who and how you choose to run your basketball operation because of his feelings. He’s not a franchise player. He doesn’t get that privilege, yet.

 

if chet is gone before we pick i hope we get ivey. and then dump porter

 

He looked very good to end the season. Actually the moment Wood was benched - I think the moment that happened he thought that this was his moment to shine and he did rise to the occasion imo.

Actually that applies to both KPJ and JG. They thrived without Wood.

 

I've come around on him because he finally did what he does best in the last month ... Score with a dash of playmaking

 

A lot of you guys will disagree with me and probably think this is a dumb comparison but I see the same career pathway for Porter that Lowry took.

-Lowry had his own immaturity issues in Memphis once he lost a bulk of his playing time to Conley. Of course the way he took the news wasn't on the extreme levels of how KPJ behaved but it was enough that Memphis didn't want him around their team any more and sold low via trade.
-Lowry came to Houston, matured, and that helped increased his role and playing time on the team.

I think the key right now is to determine how to best use Porter with Green and, possibly, Sengun and 1st Round pick TBD in the starting lineup.

 

I think KPJ trade value has to be quite good, it’s probably the best it’s been since the minute he got drafted. Because in Cleveland he tanked his trade value, so which is why the Rockets got him for cheap.

While, I think that KPJ has all the talent to eventually become an all star, I’m more concerned if his style of play inhibits the continued development of Green? If the coaches see that it’s hurting Green, then trade KPJ. Because Green has MVP potential, and Rockets can’t afford to mess that up. It would be a wasted horrible 2020-2021 season which was used to get a guy like Green.

But if KPJ and Green can grow with each other and incorporate hopefully one of the top 2 picks in this up coming draft, that looks like a dynamic team. With AS, the Rockets would have quite a young talented core. That would be four potential all star type talents.

KPJ is an exciting player with all world potential, but needs a good system, that can helps him with his mental issues; because he’s a guy that can thrive in the right environment and personnel around him.

 

I mean if he follows the Lowry path completely he'll have a breakout season next year in Houston, stay for another season where he's in and out of the lineup due to injury while his backup also has a breakout year, and then become a legend in another city

I do love me some Lowry though