Seeing how there is a possibility Morey will be a late 1st round pick, what about Hansbrough? I'm guessing he could be available around pick 25? He's roughly the same size as Luis with a very similar skill set and arguably even more athletic. He has an outstanding work ethic (unlike Dorsey) and could be a viable scoring option off the bench in case Landry is packaged in a trade and depending on how late he goes in the draft could be a decent low-cost backup PF. I just think he compares very favorably with Luis Scola and eventually could be a Scola replacement in a couple of years when Luis cashes in after his contract is up. I know PF isn't as high a priority as a center or scoring SF needs for the Rockets, but I don't see any viable centers or scoring small forwards available in the late 1st round that would be more ready to contribute than Hansbrough. Besides, I think Morey will get the center and SF via trade/free agency. Discuss.
A: No, we don't need a power forward B: No, he won't be the best player available C: No, he is really not that good D: Just say NO! Hyperbole aside... Tyler is the last type of player we need to acquire in the draft.
The only reason why Tyler even scores in college is his DWade free throw treatment and him overpowering college midgets. He has a jumper and some most moves, but don't compare him to Luis please.
He doesnt have much a post game and he is nowhere close Scola. I compare Hansbrough to a player like Okur who is about 2-3 inches shorter and 30-40 lbs lighter. Similar games but Okur's stretches beyond the arc
Wow, didn't realize there was this much dislike about Hansbrough. Despite his supposed "shortcomings" I think he may be a sleeper pick especially for someone that slips late in the 1st possibly early in the 2nd round. In the few UNC games I've seen the past few years, I was actually quite impressed with his low post play, his will to win, and his surprising desire to throw it down with authority when finishing at the rim. Yeah, I understand the Rockets don't need another PF, I pretty much stated that in my original post, however, just offering a perspective on a possible late round talent that could be a viable backup in case we lose 1 or 2 of our PFs in a possible trade scenario.
He is a good player, smart and a fighter but I feel we need more length,athleticism in the front court. Scolandry and Hayes have been very good for us,but we still face matchup problems there even with the presence of Yao. Tyler can't help us overcome that.
People dislike Hansbrough because they disagree with you about his prospects? His shortcomings are legit and the Rockets have more pressing needs than drafting a 3rd string PF. He won't have a low-post game in the NBA and his opportunities to "throw it down with authority" will be few and far between.
luis scola can score consistently in the post....if he was the #2 option on the team, he'd drop 16+ pts a game.....hansbrough is far from that......i will say that tyler's mentality and pitbull attitude does fit the profile of scola and most of the other rocket players.
he'd get beat up in the pros. honestly, i see NBDL written all over him, or a mark madsen type of a player.
I bring up Hansbrough only because 1) he might slip down late in the 1st, possibly early 2nd round an area of the draft that DM might buy into 2) I'm not convinced the talent level for our "pressing needs" of center and SG will have anyone NBA-ready in that area of the draft, and 3) in case Carl Landry is traded, Joey Dorsey traded/waived etc, there could be a void to fill with a nice late 1st round/early 2nd round pick. Also, I like the comparisons to David Lee. Like I said, he could be a interesting sleeper pick and I wouldn't be surprised he contributes to a team sooner rather than later.
Why do you think he will turn out to be another David Lee? I admit Tyler can finish around the basket when he throws it down,but Lee has greater length and in my opinion is quicker too.
I love his baseline shoulder heave shots. Those will be really effective in the NBA. This guy looks like the classic case of a college star who has no chance of transitioning his game to the NBA.
To quote one Western Conference GM on Hansbrough: "What do I do with an unathletic power forward that doesn't rebound?". I absolutely HATE these Hansbrough-Scola comparisons too. Scola is an elite rebounder and a crafty post scorer that can put the ball in the basket a variety of ways. Hansbrough has one post move -- a "fling" type shot in the middle of traffic that will get tossed into the 4th row on the next level. His best NBA-level contributions will be his mid-range game, tireless motor and high basketball IQ. Basically, his best case scenario is becoming a Darius Songalia clone.
I get your point, but expecting Hansbrough to make a contribution next season in place of Carl Landry (if he's traded) doesn't make sense. I would compare Hansbrough to Sheldon Williams in terms of how their college game did NOT translate to the NBA. Like Williams, Hansbrough was totally dependent on being physically stronger than opposing players. That won't happen in the NBA. His lack of size/strength/hops/handles/outside game kills his chances. He's peaked out. I promise you no team will take him in the 1st round and guarantee his contract 3 years. It won't be a matter of "slipping" into the 2nd round.
