Too be honest, I thought he would be Shandon Anderson but he's been worse than Shandon Anderson so far.
The guy has "role/bench" player written all over him. Our starting lineup has three too many offensive liabilities. Tonight, they looked like they do on paper. If our bench doesn't have a fantastic game, it is hard for the Rockets to win.
Ain't that the truth. I mean, if Ariza was one of those guys who could be groomed into something better b/c of raw talent (e.g. Stoudamire), yes, I'd understand. But while he's a good "physical" specimen, he's just not all that talented. I mean, how many more games are needed for the critics to pick up on it? Ironically, I think it's b/c of our record and our generally good team play that has diverted attention by the critics from Ariza's struggles - esp. in fourth quarters. theSAGE
it's sickening that we have tracy mcgrady on our roster and instead play a bum who can't even carry tmac's jock. this has everything to do with the ginormous ego, stubbornness, and refusal to admit he's wrong of Daryl Morey. mark my words: nothing will change with ariza this season. he'll continue to play this much, this poorly, and in this style the rest of the way. it will continue possibly the trade deadline in 2011, and then maybe Morey will come up with a BS excuse as to why he's unloading him - something that removes all culpability from himself. you guys can continue to tout DM's "genius" all you want. he's an adequate GM, and nothing more. he has made some good draft picks, surrounded by awful personnel decisions everywhere else. i said this during the offseason: ariza and martin gortat weren't even BLIPS on ANYBODY'S radar before last year's postseason. both of them emerged during the postseason, and were nothing more than dime a dozen role players beforehand. what does morey do? go after both of them. that makes a genius? we're just lucky that gortat rejected our offer. he's an even bigger joke than ariza. although it would have been great watching them try to post him up and forcefeed him the ball 30 times/game to prove morey right.
Screw Adelmans motion offense I miss our ball stopping offense, ball stopping offense has proven it can win like tonight with stephen jackson :grin:
Generally speaking, I've never been a big fan of paying up for talent b/c often it means overpaying. Yet sometimes, it takes just that to get "real" talent. I forgot how VanGundy used to term it, but Morey has indeed had a great track record in finding "better value, dollar-for-dollar for where other GMs see mediocroty." But in the case of Ariza, sometimes what has historically been advertised as mediocroty is just that - mediocroty. theSAGE
you guys can keep on buying into that and believing it, but it isn't true. shane battier and chuck hayes are trash. sure, they are fun to root for because they are unathletic, uncoordinated, and undersized (in chuck hayes' case) hustlers who are defying all odds to be in the nba, but who cares? they aren't players who can take your team anywhere. "better value, dollar-for-dollar" is another way of saying "mediocre players who we will make sure we squeeze more production out of than the last team was". great, but they aren't guys that are getting you near your goal of winning a championship.
IMO, all great shooters have great handles--(note, this does not work in reverse.) The ability to go from your dribble to your shooting motion is critical in jump shots and off-balance shots. This is why Trevor is decent at wide open set-shots, but not at any off-balance shots. Unfortunately, when it comes to handles, Trevor is ambisinistrous. The next step for Trevor is to really work in getting "T-Mac" like handles. However, that ain't happening anytime soon.
Reggie Miller Dale Ellis Matt Bullard Jeff Hornacek Kiki Vandeweghe Craig Hodges Just to name a few great shooters that had below average handles. Great handles have nothing to do with being a great shooter. The ability to create space is the pre-requisite skill. That can be through jab steps, excellent usage of screens, quick releases or just having ridiculous range (anyone remember Ski Jones? He was the definition of "in the gym range".) Trevor, imo, is a poor shooter because he cannot create space off the dribble, yes, but neither can he do it off a screen. Nor does he have an average (nevermind "quick") release. He also has balance problems when he isn't in a position where he can set his feet, check the wind, then hoist a controlled shot. He tends to drift a bit and doesn't always shoot at his vertical apex. Those are all a recipe for a streaky-at-best shooter.
It's probably just the jet lag, but for some reason I saw the words "No Hope" under your picture instead of hope.... Both make sense though...lol. +1 Rep...
I should clarify a little more, by great handles, I am not referring to Rafer Alston type of ability. Also, I am not referring to great "spot-up" shooters--which applies to some of the players on your list. However, Reggie M. and Jeff H. had very good control of the ball from the dribble to the shot release. I am talking about Trevor's area of weakness, which is shooting "off the dribble". Mastering the ability of going from the dribble to the shot motion in one "smooth" transition is critical to shooting. Hence, the greats were able to "focus" 100% of their concentration on the rim. The great shooter process the "shot" mentally in milliseconds subconsciously and is referred to as "being in the zone". Therefore, any distractions, like the delays from going from the dribble to the shot motion effects getting into the "mental zone". Some of the points you made, such as "slow" release and "off-balance" is only an indication of the fact he cannot get into the "mental zone" that is characteristic of great "off the dribble" shooters. I can create a whole thread on the "getting into the mental zone" and what is required for it to be activated. Suffice to say, "getting into the zone" is not restricted only to sports and the concept has been researched and documented. The "zone" gives one the ability focus on the rim, shoot quickly, and shoot off balance and with only a brief glance at the rim. The great "off the dribble shooters" are great because, they have mastered each each "part" of the shot process through years of practice. Off the dribble shots require a lot more mental processing than spot-up shooting. To be a consistent shooter against NBA defenders on fade-aways and other off-balance shots, one must be able to get into the "zone" mentally. Trevor has a lot of homework to do before he can take it to the next level.
everyone can see he is not shooting well, but the only thing that bothers me about him is his handle; especially in late game situations. otherwise ease up on the guy.... did we not expect glorified roleplayer type of play from him
trevor actually played pretty well in the first half of the bobcats game. then he just stunk it up in the 2nd. i think he has a case of rafer-itis. less minutes -> better for him.
LOL! 51 seconds left in OT vs T-Wolves: Battier bricks uncontested lay-up, Ariza stands watch as rebound is corralled by T-Wolves. Why are they both on the floor? Awful. Batrocious.
