Yea his ft has increased a lot, I did not think was possible. He is turning into one of my favorite players based on defence
DH12 is useless if he cant move the opposing big out of the way... Asik needs to play tough hard D on him.. even get 1 or 2 early fouls... and DH12 will fold... I dont think Asik will develop into a back to the basket type player... that I see the Rox trying to make him into,... if you are going to spend the time to develop that side of his game you should have signed him long term... but I think he is a very good aggressive pick and role face to the basket player...
Asik! What is there to say? As i wrote in an earlier thread, center is cemented for the near future. He made a baseline spin move for a slam last night that I had no idea he was capable of. He is learning to flush it HARD!
You are over simplifying Omers offensive growth, it's not just based on more shots. With the Bulls his offense was limited to dunks and his FT shooting was Shaq like. This season we have witnessed Omers offensive growth "in season". His FG% is only .462 but that is largely due to his first few games of the season. His FG% over the last 6 games is .500 and on top of that he is becoming someone we can actually pass the ball to in the post for offense. Gone are the days when his offense was limited to dunks, he has shown the ability to pump fake and put the ball on the floor, up and under reverse lay-ups, drop steps, hook shots etc.... Ad to the fact that he has actually turned into a good free throw shooter and his offense is far advanced from last season. I'm anxious to see how good he is in February.
After the Rockets signed Asik and the Bulls re-upped with Gibson, I remember reading a stat geek blog with a peculiar statement. He said that the FA market is biased against defenders. And that great defenders never get the money they earned on that side of the court. Reading this thread is like seeing his statement in reality. This season, Asik's 'visible' accomplishments has improved a great deal. More shots, more foul shots, more rebounds. But his defensive presence has not been where it was in Chicago. Rockets are currently 16th on defense, compared to 17th last season with Dalembert/Hill/Camby at center. This despite him being thought of as a much better defender than anyone we've had since Yao/Deke years. I think having to adjust to a new team, more minutes, and faster pace likely all contribute. But as of right now, he's certainly not the shutdown defender fans are assuming he is.
Your smoking crack. Asiks defense has been elite. The Rockets have been extremely stingy on defense in the paint and much better than last season. That's thanks to Asik, period. Maybe you didn't see the game last night but when Asik was on LMA, Aldrich could not score but as soon as Asik went out of the game, LMA hit the game winner in the post over 2Pat. I advise that you watch the game before making over simplified analysis based off of box scores and stats. By the way, it was perimeter shooting beyond the arc that got Portland back in the game not low post scoring.
all you need to know is that asik and harden are definitely deserving of their contracts. Now I wish i could say the same thing about Lin. I still believe Lin can become a consistent threat like those two
Asik is a guaranteed double digit rebounding machine and not to mention he's averaging a double-double. This is a waaay bigger improvement than what we got from Dalembert or Camby. He alters shots, defends the rim really well. Besides mishandling passes and losing the ball from time time, he really is a steal for what decent centers go for nowadays.
Agreed, Asik's defense has been amazing. In meh's comparison of our defense between this and last year's, he has forgotten to take into account our drastic change in team experience and perimeter defensive ability. Lowry and Dragic were very accomplished defensive players. But, young teams are typically poor defenders and our current backcourt players have yet to match that. So, there are many times when Asik is either the only plus defensive player on the court or 1 of 2.
I'm a U-verse victim: listened to the game on the radio last night. I hate hearing "He missed the layup!" That drop-step dunk sounded sweet, though. Maybe some rosin for his hands would help? Maybe he should put his hands on those sticky sheets they step on when they walk on the court? Anyway, his improved FT shooting his very encouraging. Overall, very pleased with Asik. If Lin can get his game going, we'll win both those OT losses to Portland. Come on, Jeremy, you can do it!
I don't think he is a surprise. What did we all expect? Defense, rebounding and point blank points. However his free throws have been a pleasant surprise. And my impression is that guards are much less willing to head for the paint. At least compared to 09-10 and 10-11.
A lot of people thought he'd put up at least 7/10/1......so he's been better, but i think it's mostly due to him hitting freebies, he's up to 70%, and being able to play extended minutes. His talent is where it should have been expected. I think you mean he's been what Morey hoped. Morey's the one who wanted him, who said he'd keep up the production as a starter, etc...Morey always knew how good he was defensively and could improve offensively.
Asik HAS been an elite and near shutdown defender, the reason why the Rockets defense hasn't improved much is that the rest of the starters have actually gotten worst. Lin while having his moments and a much improved defensive player, is not Lowry on defense (maybe one day but that isn't today). Harden while good, isn't as good as Courtney Lee on defense. Parsons defense much like his shot isn't what it was at toward the end of last season and Patterson's defense is inconsistent like his jumper. So while we finally have a better center, the rest of the team has taken a step or two back defensively and are still working on better team defense.
If Asik can keep up with his surprisingly good FT shooting and learn to finish better around the basetk, he is already a top five center in the NBA can be a top three soon. Remember this is the first time this guy has got consistent playing time in the NBA. He will only get better.
I wasn't a HUGE fan of the signing, but I was cautiously optimistic that Asik could earn his big contract. So far it is definitely looking like a good deal for us. He looks to be improving every game, he's surprisingly money from the free throw line, and he has a good chance of leading the league in rebounds. Tack that on to a slowly improving offensive game, and he has the looks of a long term answer for us at the center position. Very happy so far.
