I am just very skeptical Landry can produce this year. Other servicable but undersized bigs just tore up the summer leagues--Craig Smith, Maxiel. Aldrige and Big Baby did a lot of damage too. Scrubs like Bass and Powe did a lot better than Landry too. Makes me think I don't buy the argument a big man isn't going to be a presence in the summer league. Now of course I am not saying write him off--but nor was his play hopefull he could help the team this year. However if we sign him and send him to the NDBL--he still takes up a roster spot. As a second round pick, we don't have to sign him. We retain his rights for one year if he entirely sits out basketball or 1 year + as long as he signs a professional basketball contract (overseas or less than NBA league). I assume BB is his living and he would sign somewhere for a professional contract. Now maybe this would be too much a slight to him to basically force him to play in some other league for his living and backfire down the line, but it might be the best thing for the Rockets rather than tying up a roster spot on someone we know won't produce. So I am not saying cut him, I am not saying give up on him, but maybe we don't want to give him a roster spot this year. This is what we will do with the Aussie kid.
Maybe I'm wrong on this but it seems to me that the summer leagues are skewed to point guards. The offense is individualistic and with the ball in the guards hands 90 percent of the time, they can jack up shots at will. There is virtually no defense so big men are relagated to putback garbage shots and rebounding the ball. Landry may well do better within a system and getting touches that he needs.
I understand your point of view, but honestly I think a lot of it has to do with the talent on our summer league team. I mean as far as summer league teams go, we had the second-best team to the Mavs and we almost beat them. As far as Smith and Maxiel, they were the go-to-guys on their summer league teams. I think this explains the reason for Landry's lack of statistical contributions. He had a pretty good first game and rebounding only improved throughout the whole summer league. Also, he does a lot of things that don't get put on the stat sheet. In fact, in the Kings game he had a few more rebounds and a couple more blocked shots that he didn't get credit for. I don't know who was keepin the summer league stats but if you watch the games closely, you'll see that in Landry's case they missed a few things here and there.
Agree, when every player is allowed up to 10 fouls in one game it's going to be some ugly basketball for big men. I as well as you see him doing better in a system than in a 5 game summer league showing.
Landry is shooting 50% from field 76.5% from line and 6.6 reb in 23 minutes. Other than the first game where he put up 12 shots he has not put up more than 4 shots in a game while guys like Novek puts up a ton of shots every game. So you guys are saying if he just put up shots every chance he get and score 15-20 a game that would be good? When he is playing with Tmac and Yao I am sure he is not expected to score a lot. In these games he has shown you can not leave him open and that's all the rockts want from their PF.
Of course, this point is moot if Scola is really all he's hyped to be and if Chuck Hayes resigns..but we'll see. I can see Landry taking Chuck Hayes spot, especially if Landry can do the things Chuck AND make those 10 - 15 feet jumpshots
Man, I feel sorry for Landry..he's gotta be sitting on pins and needles wondering if he's going to get to play next year. I bet when he was drafted in looking at the roster and our lack of PF's that he thought for sure he could come in and play. Now with of Scola, Francis, Butler, Reed, Harris, and Hayes....he's gotta be wondering if he's even on this team. Guy has a good stroke and a lot of potential too. I really do hope he makes the roster.
Landry was trash in the summer league and playing against trashy players, no way will he be able to compete with the BIG Boys in the league
I haven't dug through this thread yet but there's nothing more amusing to me than when people on this board are glowing about the influx of talent to this team and listing the key additions, they always include Landry, as if any name equals actual talent. I'm not saying he won't contribute. He just won't contribute.
He's trash with a jumpshot and can rebound. I wonder if Desagna Diop and Chris Kamen are considered big boys. Most rookies don't get to play anyway.
Does this sound familiar?? http://www.twolvesblog.com/2006/10/29/craig-smith-least-expect/ When the wolves picked Craig Smith, many of us uttered the same words, great just what we need - another undersized power forward. The consensus was that Smith would be sent to the NBDL to work on his game, and eventually could maybe make his way up to Minnesota, as a marginal player that could hopefully grab a few rebounds here and there. During training camp we heard the coaches talk about this young man, and how we could be pleasantly surprised by him. We did not get to witness his play during the summer league, as a hand injury kept him out. And than the first of eight preseason games got under way. And you know what, the kid didn’t look too bad. And as the rest of the preseason games played out, we came to realize something. No matter what the situation was, no matter who was on the floor, Smith was able to hold his own and consistently make something positive happen. The first thing you notice when you see him is his tremendous physique, this guy is chiseled in stone. At close to 270 lbs, this young man has the power to bang with the best of them.
Question about Landry. So my understanding is if we gave him a contract and then let him go to the NBDL he'd still count against our roster (so that doesn't really help) - am I right on that? Here's my follow-up question, we haven't given him a contract yet, if we choose NOT to give him a contract and he goes to the NBDL do we still retain his draft rights? Like with Newly, we're not offering him a contract but we still have his rights so we can bring him back later - would it work the same way with Landry? If so, then there's no point in giving him a contract this year - let him go to the NBDL, improve his game, don't give him a contract and reevaluate next year. I mean, assuming we resign Chuck, Landry won't even crack the active player list let alone get any playing time.
This is where I wish we could loan players to other teams like in soccer. We could then loan Landry & Novak to like Memphis. NY or Sac.
I just found this interview from Landry...I'm thinking the coaches are really high on him and he stays. In talking to Rockets head coach Rick Adelman it became clear that he has the utmost confidence in Landry. In a recent interview with Basketball News Adelman said he expects Landry to be one of the few players from the summer league team to have a shot at making the roster come preseason. "That means a lot to me," says Landry, who averaged 18.9 points and 7.3 rebounds as a senior at Purdue. "I respect Coach Adelman so much. I grew up watching him with the Sacramento Kings and he's like a legend to me. He knows how to win the game and he's a great coach, so hearing that from him is a confidence boost. I'm happy to have him as a head coach right now and I hope to continue to have him as a head coach in the future." It will certainly help Landry's case that he has found great chemistry with first round draft pick Aaron Brooks right off the bat. Brooks has commented more than once that he wishes he had Landry back in his Oregon days, as the two have found ways to make life difficult throughout summer league play. Brooks' ability to drive to the hole and make nifty wrap-around passes meant easy baskets for Landry right from the first game of the summer. "He's a good point guard - man, he's a good point," said Landry of Brooks. "He sees the floor so well it's like he has eyes in the back of his head and on a swivel at all times. If I'm open for a slight second, he'll hit me. Then I try to get rebounds and dish it back to Aaron, find him, too. We're teammates and that's what we're supposed to do. I'm glad to have him as a teammate." A couple of other guys Landry is looking forward to having on his squad are the Rockets' dynamic duo of Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. He admits to feeling a little star struck at the idea of playing alongside two budding NBA legends, but he's also excited at the prospect. "Yao Ming is a player that you hear about all the time, he and Tracy McGrady. Having an opportunity to play with those two guys is a dream come true. Those two guys are almost like a Shaq and Kobe of the years to come. Hopefully I can be a key part of the team and me and Aaron can take them out of the first round of the playoffs and hopefully compete for a championship like this team did in the 90's." The main thing Landry's going to be asked to do as he strives to push this Houston team to the next level is hit the glass. Chuck Hayes earned a reputation for that last season and Luis Scola is a double-double guy in European basketball, but the one way Landry can assure himself of playing time is by consistently yanking down rebounds. "They really want me to rebound. I didn't start off well, I think I only had four or five rebounds in our first game, but that's something I've been working hard to improve on. They know I can score, but they've told me how important it is that I rebound the ball well. That's what they look for and want to see out of me." Indeed, he had four rebounds in the Rockets' first game of summer league, but went on to grab seven rebounds in each of the next three games and eight in the finale. That's especially impressive given that he didn't play as many minutes over the last two games while acting head coach Elston Turner took a look at some other guys. At 6'7" Carl Landry may not be the natural choice to play the NBA four, but his heart and his hustle could make him a player the Rockets turn to, nonetheless. Don't be surprised to see a lot of Landry during preseason, as the Rockets give him a chance to prove he belongs out there with the big boys.
I think Landry may be sent to NBDL this year. If Head is not trade, then I won't be surprised that Steve Novak is sent to NBDL as well. While Brooks may see some playing time, it will not be significant, at least not at the start of the season. If he can prove himself either by Feb or the end of the season, then bye bye again for James...
