How Good is the Rockets Starting Line-up?

Assuming the following, how good is the Rockets starting line-up?

PG - Jeremy Lin averages about 17 ppg, 7 apg, 2 spg and 3.5 tpg
SG - Kevin Martin averages over 20 ppg
SF - Chandler Parsons plays elite defense and takes the next step on offense averaging 14 ppg, 5 rpg
PF - Donatas Motiejunas ROY candidate averaging 14 ppg 6+ rpg and solid (not great) defense
C - Omer Asik plays elite level defense averaging 6 ppg, 11 rpg, 2.5 bpg 32 mpg

Daryl Morey said in one of his interviews that the Rockets would win more games then a lot of people think. Why would he think that? Maybe it's because of his starting unit. At four of the positions he has players that have proven they can play at the level he needs them to play in the NBA.

Kevin Martin and Chandler Parsons are the most proven players. We know that Martin will almost certainly score 20 plus points a game providing he stays Healthy. We know Chandler Parsons will play great defense and score on put backs but what we want to see is if he will take the next step on offense. Can Parsons 3 pt shot and half court offense become more consistent? We saw last season that his offense in the half court was good at times but non-existent at others. Even if Chandler does not average 14 ppg its not much of a stretch to assume his offense will be more consistent and that he will average double digit points.

Jeremy Lin proved last year that he can be a stud offensive point guard in the league. Daryl Morey has stated that he does not expect nor do the Rockets need Jeremy Lin to play at that level for the Rockets. It is reasonable to expect Jeremy Lin to improve from last season even if he does not produce the elite stats that he produced during the prime stages of Linsanity. I do think one area Lin will improve in will be his turn overs and as the season progresses I think it will continue to get better. Jeremy Lin was averaging over 20 ppg a game prior to the black hole / ball hog known as Carmelo Anthony re-joining the Knicks. Without Melo, Lin was a beast on offense, with Melo, Lin took a noticeable back seat and deferred to Melo on offense. Melo is the kind of player that wants and needs the ball in his hands to be effective, there is no one on the Rockets like that.

Kevin Martin is the only proven scorer on offense outside of Lin and he is not the kind of person that needs the ball in his hands to be effective. Jeremy Lin will not be asked nor expected to defer to anyone on Houston's offense. Furthermore Jeremy Lin was one of the better pick and role point guards in the league when passing to the man rolling to the basket. If Donatas Motiejunas is in the starting line-up the Rockets are going to have a player that is already very skilled at running the pick and roll and finishing around the basket.

I think Donatas Motiejunas, is the hands down favorite to win the starting Power Forward position. Other candidates for the Power Forward position are Patterson, Jones and White. While many have forecasted Patterson as the a starter, I just don't see it as he has not been a willing rebounder or scorer in the post during his two seasons as a Rocket. White would be the best rebounder and facilitator but with Omer Asik and Chandler Parsons on the floor I think you need someone who can score the Rock. I actually think that Terrence Jones, is more likely to start than either White or Patterson.

I don't think there is any question that Donatas is far and away the most skilled offensive post player on the Rockets roster. Add to the fact that he is 7 feet tall, very skilled at running the pick and roll on offense and defending the pick and roll on defense and it just seems obvious to me that he will be the starter when the season starts. Considering that Donatas has been playing pro-basketball for years and that he is by nature, aggressive on the basketball court, runs the floor on every play and is always around the basket for put-backs, I don't think averaging 14 ppg and 6 rpg is a big stretch at all.

If Omer Asik can stay out of foul trouble and gives the team 30+ minutes a game I think he will be everything Daryl Morey advertises him as. While on the floor Asik will provide elite rebounding and defense. With both Asik and Motiejunas as legitimate 7 footers in the post, opposing players are not going to just be able to shoot over the top of them. Both Asik and Motiejunas are skilled at defending the pick and roll. Asik and Parsons are both elite level defenders and having them on the floor at the same time along with Motiejunas should be one of the better defensive front courts in the NBA. Of course with Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lin on the floor they will probably need to be great front court defensively. Jeremy Lin might turn into an adequate defender but there are years of evidence to suggest that Kevin Martin will never be a good or decent defender.

Obviously with this group on the floor together they will not be a good free throw shooting team. Both Jeremy Lin and Kevin Martin will be outstanding at the free throw line but both Parsons and Motiejunas will probably struggle to stay above 70% while no one wants to see Asik at the charity stripe.

Personally I think this could be an exciting and very good starting unit. I think they will make a lot of game changing plays on both ends of the court. I'm not saying that the starting unit is a play-off worthy but I do think they are going to be a lot of fun to watch and by the second half of the season I think they are going to surprise a lot of people.

 

When did he say that?


Regardless, I think Kevin McHale loves the kid and will start him because I think he is be far the best option.

 

Pat is not "definitely" going to start. In order to start he is going to have to prove to Kevin McHale that he is not going to pull his usual vanishing act like he did last season. There is a reason that Daryl Morey left Patterson off the list of starters during his interviews yesterday.

 

I think Lamb could be the starter by the end of the season if KMart is moved by the trade deadline. No slight to Lamb intended but I was just trying to concentrate on who I think would be the starters this season. Lamb is the eventual starter at the 2 guard and I do think he will be a beast when that happens.