Jonathan Feigen: Rockets turn attention to centers in free agency

I thought this was a rebuild and not a refill. Just draft a center. Kai Sotto will be there at 26.

 

Could just be misdirection.

 

Been proposing Chris Boucher for months now. Listed as PF / Center by
basketball-reference.com

By Position:
20/21: PG........ SG........... SF............ PF 17%... C 83%...
21/22: PG 1%... SG 24%... SF 46%... PF 26%... C 4%.....

3P%:
20/21: 38.3% (3P%).....3.3 (3PA's)
21/22: 29.7% (3P%).....2.9 (3PA's)

21/22: started 9 games and shot 41.5% from 3 during those games.
__________________
Give me Ivey #3....Eason #17......#26 (pick'em)....Chris Boucher.......Mitchell Robinson
and get out of the way. Let's roll!!!

Ivey............................Josh Christopher / Nix
Green........................G Mathews (J Christopher)
Porter.........................Tate / Kenyon
Sengun.......................Tari Eason / Boucher / Pick #26
Mitchell Robinson.....Boucher / Garuba

 

Wood and Mathews are the only decent pick ups from him. The rest were bad.

 

Add Tate to the list.

 

Feels like 3&D wings and a dynamic backcourt are what’s most important when it comes to team building. With that said, Rockets definitely need to add more size and preferably add a rim protector. Center to me is the easiest position to fill. These days with teams playing fast, the big defends, rebounds, and either scores down low or off alley-oops. The Capela role as I think of it. Rim running big who can defend. Simple role. Nothing drastic. Exception of course being Jokic, Embiid and KAT. Mo Bamba, Mitchell Robinson, and Nic Claxton are among the free agent centers. Rockets preferably add someone.

 

Sorry for typing a ton, but referring to Wood, teams probably view him as a numbers guy on a bad team. Regardless if true or not, if any team will get the most out of him, it’ll be a playoff team. No guarantees, but worth a shot. I will say I’m surprised Mavs were the team. They already have Kleber as a floor spacer 4/5. Luka was repeatedly targeted on defense in playoffs. Wood could be a concern on that end of the floor as well. With that trade price, it’s clear the Mavs are viewing Wood as a low risk, high reward added luxury

 

Not without a rule change.

current rules favor perimeter players heavily.

 

I don't think the organization is looking at it the way people are presuming.

They're not looking at the roster and thinking we need depth or quality at C.

What they are doing is looking at the market and seeing which position is most undervalued at the moment or going to be in demand by teams who don't have a full MLE. They've looked at the FA's and decided that it's possible to snag a C at below market value and then trade that guy for a pick in the 20's when the time comes.

I hope they don't mess with Sengun and Garuba's playing time though.

 

No team drafts all their pieces - of course you also add pieces via FA or trade. One thing this team needs is a rim protector - preferably one, that can shoot the 3 so that he doesn‘t destroy spacing for Green or KPJ. The only player in the draft, that would fit this mold is Chet - and he probably isn‘t there when we pick.

I would be totally down with taking Williams or Duren at 17 - but they may not be there and both can‘t shoot the 3. I would also be fine with taking a flyer on Kessler or Sotto at 26. But maybe it would be better, to use both picks to move up in the draft and get a 3&D wing player like Eason (which is another missing, important piece for us).

Now a player like Mo Bamba could be that important rim protector for us - and he is also young and shouldn‘t demand the max. I think a core like this would set us up nicely for the future:

KPJ / Nix
Green / Christopher
Eason / Tate
Banchero/ Garuba
Bamba / Sengun

I am still not sold on Nix - and Sengun should get at least close to 30 minutes, so it kinda hurts to bring him off the bench, but overall this is a team I would feel very good about, I would also like to see this team go big from time to time, with Banchero, Sengun and Bamba on the floor together…

 

Don't think we ever had the choice.

 

this is comedy gold!

 

Defense is hard to learn ..... harder when no one on the floor knows where they should be, harder still with no rim protection.


Getting a FA center who defends the paint / rim and can help direct the young cats will be huge in the overall development of "Team Defense" ..... and that's the kinda defense it takes to win.

It's unreasonable to expect that from a rookie .... there's a need for a veteran.

 

Center to back up Sengun is all this is

 

i wonder if PJ tucker would resign with us for a two year full midlevel, second year team option. if the heat lowball him, i'd love to have him mentor our youngens. retire him a rocket!!

 

…and the Rox are targeting the FAs now. All the topskis.

 

PJ has a PO

 

PJ Tucker is 38 years old

He’s under contract with Miami next year at $7.3M player option and playing for a contender.

He’s not going to waste his last year or 2 here for a few extra million. We can put the MLE to much better use as well.

 

he has a player option that he's going to opt out for more money, years...even at an old age he's still better than bamba or whoever we can get for a stretch 5. he likes houston so how do you know he won't come? then he can be a coach after he reitres with us. heat aint winnin nothing unless they get another piece anyways....

 

If he opts out the only teams that would/should be looking to sign him are contenders with money. Even if we paid him more than anyone else which would be foolish on our end it won’t be by much and we’re far from contending. Tucker was awesome but that ship has sailed.