Could not have put it better...... I have seen Stro out of position on D, lose rebounds constantly, not run the court in transition and on and on..... and I'm just a die hard coach potatoe fan, I can only imagine what JVG see as a coach sitting on the sidelines....
Hayes can't score like Stro and on a per minute basis Stro is a better rebounder than Juwan. In the 7 games prior to the Miami game he was averaging 15.7 pts, 7.8 rbs. and shooting 50% from the field in 30 minutes. Then he plays 8 minutes against Miami when the rockets are completely inept on the offensive end. JVG puts him in the 3rd quarter when the starters are down by 19 then he yanks him a couple of minutes later. It's just piss poor coaching.
With Chuck Hayes and Lonnie Baxter, Stromile shouldn't see more than 10 minutes a game unless we are playing a fast break team. The absolute only advantage he has over any of our other PF's is speed and jumping ability. Jumping ability does not mean he can rebound...because every time the ball hits his rubber hands it either bounces off or is easily stripped away. Every time he gets a rebound or has the ball he is a target...a turnover target. Add to all that he doesn't really show extraordinary hustle, he really hasn't been as effective of a shot blocker as I though he would be, and he can't shoot and I don't know why he's on the court at all. Oh, and his IQ is probably lower than his vertical. Stromile doesn't have any natural talent. You can't teach talent. (And you want to start him at SF???)
I could while away the hours Conferrin' with the flowers Consultin' with the rain And my head, I'd be scratchin' While my thoughts were busy hatchin' If I only had a brain. I'd unravel ev'ry riddle For any individ'le In trouble or in pain With the thoughts you'd be thinkin' You could be another Lincoln, If you only had a brain. Oh, I could tell you why The ocean's near the shore, I could think of things I never thunk before And then I'd sit and think some more. I would not be just a nuffin' My head all full of stuffin' My heart all full of pain. I would dance and be merry Life would be a ding-a-derry If I only had a brain--Whoa! ... a When a man's an empty kettle He should be on his mettle And yet I'm torn apart Just because I'm presumin' That I could be kind-a human If I only had a heart. I'd be tender, I'd be gentle And awful sentimental Regarding love and art I'd be friends with the sparrows And the boy who shoots the arrows, If I only had a heart. Picture me ... a balcony ... Above a voice sings low-- Wherefore art thou, Romeo? I hear a beat. How sweet! Just to register emotion. "Jealousy," "devotion" And really feel the part I could stay young and chipper And I'd lock it with a zipper If I only had a heart. ... the Nerve Yeah, it's sad, believe me missy, When you're born to be a sissy, Without the vim and verve. But I could show my prowess, Be a lion not a mowess, If I only had the nerve I'm afraid there's no denyin' I'm just a dandelion A fate I don't deserve. I'd be brave as a blizzard ... TIN MAN: I'd be gentle as a lizard ... SCARECROW: I'd be clever as a gizzard ... DOROTHY: If the Wizard is a wizard who will serve. SCARECROW: Then I'm sure to get a brain ... TIN MAN: ... a heart DOROTHY: a home LION: the nerve!
There are a lot of things with Stro, and most players in general, that are hard to pick up on without being there in person and focusing on an individual rather than the ball-handler/action. Stromile gets a lot of support here because when you see him involved in the action, it's usuallly exciting: an eye-popping dunk or a weak-side swat into the stands. What is rarely apparent are the things that matter most to coaches: setting picks and defensive rotations. Stromile sets some of the most apathetic picks and screens on the team; he rarely even has contact with the defender. When he comes out on a double-team to the perimeter, he typically mosies back to his man (who is usually taking that free pass to establish fantastic weakside position under the basket), if he isn't lost altogether. In the last two games I've attended (Minny, Miami), Chuck Hayes showed ten times the tenacity and hustle. A nose for the ball, scrappy defense, quick movement on D. Baxter wasn't quite as good, but still shoulders above Stro. Juwan set the best picks on O, really making two-man plays click with McGrady. All that said, Swift is light years beyond where he was at the beginning of the year. Light years. He may be worth holding out some hope for. But make no mistake: when he sits on the bench, it's for good reason. He does not in any way deserve to be a starter or be guaranteed starter minutes with his current effort on the court. Evan
Why? Give me one good reason why Stro should start. I ain't seeing it. Hey, I was all for starting him at the beginning of the season and getting rid of Juwon but the truth of the matter is Stro doesn't know how to play this game. He tries to make a spectacular play every play. He wants to jam a dunk down, whether it's a post up from 8 feet away, or he is trying to pull down the offensive rebound from underneath the basket or outside the circle. Instead of just making the basic, common sense play, and getting his mits on the ball solidly and assuring the possession, he tries to turn everything into highlight reel stuff and he winds up making bone headed play after bone headed play. Highlight reel dunks are sooooooooooo overrated. They count for 2 points and occasionally at the right moment in the game, they can stir the team's emotion and change the momentum of the game. Like Lebron's blocked shot and dunk on the other end against Phoenix yesterday, a spectacular play on both ends. Stro tries to make that play every time up and down the court and he winds up out of position, throwing the ball into the scoreboard, missing the dunk shot, and fouling the shooter on the layup because he was trying to block the shot into the upper deck. I am sick and fed up with his play. The physical ability of Larry Nance with less basketball sense than my dead grandma. He can't rebound for .....and his mind is on crack. Ship him, Moochie, and whoever else to Atlanta for Harrington and Delk. Get it over with already.
I think the Hornets would love to ship Birdman to Houston to get Stromile, but that would be one stupid move. Swift is way more talented, he just needs some playtime to proove it. What does the Rockets have to lose at this point anyway?
Well, we need to lose all the games before all-star to make this season officially over, then we can concentrate on developing Swift and other young players. Seriously, I think that is a good plan. Or, we don't need a plan because that will probably happen anyway. Yup, make every game a practice, at least all the road games.
how will Stro progress if he plays only 8 and 14 minutes.I really don't see much fault in the way he plays.Yes, he do make turnovers,lacks rebound ability but we need an inside scorer.I think it's better to miss inside points than outside shot so at least youcan get fouled.Its really hard to contribute in such limited minutes.he'll flourish in Phoenix,Utah or Nets bec he'll be given the ball more and with more defined plays.If he is traded to another team, we'll be wishing we should not have traded him.Many will disagree wid me but they need to trust him more.We only see the negative in him.I think he is trying very hard.We praise Hayes and Baxter for their effort but they to make mistakes.During the games when Stro played well,he hustled better probably because he feels energized that he is contributing.Some here in this forum says he can't guard the post but how do you rate Hayes,Baxter and Howard defense.Are their defenses better than Stro?If Stro is a knuclehead, he would have been traded weeks ago.I think he is a good guy who doesnt complain much.I hope Stro bears with JVG and vice versa.JVG should be patient and encourage him more even if he make mistakes.Alston is ok.You can see he passes well.If you take away Stro,we will be looking for another athletic power forward or do we need it?Are we going to settle with Hayes,Baxter and Howard or do we want more?We will be able to acquire a guard in the offseason because of our expiring contracts or in the draft dont worry!A big factor is JVG is pressured right now.I think he becomes impatient during losses.I have given up the play of Rockets right now until JVG finds a way To let Stro play more minutes with trust!
Until Stro can consistently rebound the ball, he will never be a starter. He shows glimpses of offense every once in a while, but he seems out of control on a lot of his moves. He's not a particularly good defender, doesn't rebound, doesn't really score within the offense. A couple highlight dunks won't get you a starting position.
What the heck, start Stro. GIve him a shot or 2 just to see what he can do starting and playing big minutes. It might work, might not. I guess the worst thing that could happen with him starting is we lose which we are doing regardless of him starting or sitting anyway.
He got 28 mins against Minnesota, and no less than 20 mins (including 3 games with 34+ mins) in the 8 games he was in prior to that. He lost his minutes to a guy that has shown far more heart, effort, and tenacity than he has all year. Stromile does not deserve to start or get starters minutes when he plays with such apathy compared to the rest of the team. It's not fair to guys that leave everything out on the floor to sit them in favor of someone who continues to half-@ss it on the court. He makes minimal efforts to rebound, he goes through the motions to set picks, he constantly gets lost or walks in defensive rotations, and turns the ball over under the basket as often as he gets a dunk in. You earn your minutes. He hasn't. Evan
So he didn't earn any minutes in the 7 games prior to the 8 minutes he played in Miami where he averaged 15.7 pts, 7.8 boards and shot 50% from the field in 30 minutes. Juwan Howard played 37 minutes last night pulling down 7 boards and nobody says anything about his rebounding. JVG inserts Stro in the second half of the game when the starters were down 15pts. Any mistake Stro makes he gets pulled. I really like Hayes's rebounding and hustle, but now I know why he was in the NBDL after I saw him try to take a corner jumpshot. Even the Memphis commentator thought he double pumped the shot. He has a severe hitch in his jumpshot.
He's also partial to players who can catch a basketball, not have butterfingers after they've caught it, and not get outrebounded by being flat-footed and acting like you have cement shooes.
He can produce, but only when he's interested. He looked terrible anytime he was in the Miami game, including that stupid attempt to dunk on Zo. When I was watching the games, I saw Juwan consistently run great scren and dives with McGrady. With Stromile, I saw only one single pick in which he made contact with a defender. That's the Miami and Minny games combined. Don't get too excited about his 50% shooting when virtually all his shots are dunk attempts. Also, Minnesota: 28 mins and 0 TO. Miami - 2 TO in all of 8 mins, and last night he also managed 2 TO in 14 mins. And for the ENTIRE SEASON he's managed only 3 double-digit rebound games. He got all of FOUR during his 28 min game against the Wolves. I watch him when he doesn't have the ball - he doesn't even try to get position. It's not about whether the man can get some dunks in - we need him playing as a PF. It's not unlike when Kenny Thomas routinely showed up Eddie Griffin. Evan
Yea, lets trade him and let Baxter and Hayes fill our PF role for the future. And that would lead us a hole at backup Center when Dike is gone next year. How about we get him on the court and keep him there...screw ups or not? Lets see what he can do since the season is over. Realize it people that to even have a CHANCE at the playoffs we can lose NO MORE then 10 games the reast of the year....and I believe that still only puts us at 43-39. Let the young guys play. Let STRO play...see what they can do. See what Stro can do if you give him the ball in the post. Let him go one-on-one and see what he can do. There is NOTHING to lose!!!
