Friggin Sheed has to be one of the more frustrating players for a team's fans. Undeniable talent, but at the end of the season you see him averaging 11-12 points on 41% FG... I mean, these are Rafer Alston numbers. Yeah, I know he plays very good D, but c'mon... don't tell me the team isn't better off with him getting more aggressive in the post, rather than floating about chucking 3 pointers at a 35% clip. Rasheed Wallaces is a Duncan/Garnett talent who is convinced that he's Matt Bullard.
Well, Sheed does have room to talk. We all know that a PF who plays 33 minutes and puts up 12 and 8 on 42% shooting while being apathetic and floating around the perimeter is waaaaay better than a PF who plays 28 minutes and puts up 12 and 8 on 53% shooting while playing hard every second. God, I wish we had Rasheed. His 1.4 blocks per game would more than make up for Luis' passion, attitude, and hustle. It's all about the blocks.
I was unhappy with the way Luis was playing earlier in the season but I'm very happy that he has regained his confidence. He isn't a star but when he scores it makes one wonder how far can he go. He is compensating for the lack of athleticism with his smarts and hustle to quite an extent. I hope that he will be able to improve his jumper and his defense in the future.
I've been extremely happy with him all year. Best value we have on the team. Every aspect of his game, as well as joining Yao and Shane in the department of professionalism. These are the kind of role players that make championships happen.
I don't know why some people complain about Scola's D and his jumpers. If you watch any of the games this year, you can obviously see that he's doing a pretty good job on both ends. Sure, he's not going to be like KG in terms of D, but in his on unathletic but hustling kinda way, he does get things done. He alters shots, he gets rebounds, and he take charges in the lane. That counts for something, doesn't it? His career FG% is 51.9% and he's shooting at 52.6% this season. He must be doing something right. At this rate he's progressing, I can honestly say that Scola can turn out to be a 15/10 kinda player in the next few years. He still hasn't hit his peak yet, so he's still got a lot of room to improve.
Scola's no stopper, but he plays good position defense, makes his guy work, can come out to the perimeter, switch on P&Rs, and can hold his own at the 5. Again, he's no stopper, but the idea that he's a turnstile is silly. His D (along with his height) is one of the reasons he's the starter and not Landry. Evan
I'm not counting that out at all. I like his hustle on both ends. I hope he will be able to get better at it with time. I think he can improve his jumper over the off season,defensively too with more experience. I like his professionalism.
How much salary do you guys think he deserves? We've got him locked up for one more year and then he's a free agent in the busy FA class of 2010. Re-signing him for more than mid-level would eat up a significant chunk of our cap space.
I think Scola brings some intangibles like Battier. He is a competitor and will fight to the end - Scola is definitely not a soft player. Loved his effort last night, especially when he passed the ball out while he was on the ground in the 3rd or 4th quarter last night. Scola is a great hustler and we're lucky to have him for his cheap contract. He will get paid much more when his renewal comes up.
he's an all star, he's great, he's great...jejejeje. Scola just leaves everything on the floor on every play, so much so that he has made many arch-enemies within a year and a half in the nba. He's so good at causing turnovers and putting pressure on the player dribbling the ball.
Scola is the "Forgotten Rocket." He "brings it" every night, every game. His performance and contributions are steady and predictable. He deserves much more credit and notice on this board than he gets. Observing the body language between Scola and Yao, it appears that Yao really appreciates Scola's efforts.
I agree, his play down low has got me thinking how we can get him more touches in the paint. Do we play Scola more without Yao or do we run some sets with Yao in the high post and let Scola go inside. I think we will see Scola playing more at the 5 when Yao is not in the game. RA could let Yao play about 7-8 minutes of the first quarter and then give him a breather. Slide Scola to the 5 position and let him play into the first 2-4 minutes of the 2nd quarter. Now he can bring in a well rested Yao to finish out the half. On nights where Yao is torching the opponent, RA could sub out Scola first. Coach will have to find the right combinations of players. Certain guys like Battier, Barry & Wafer may benefit more playing with Yao. Tough decisions, but that's why RA gets paid the big bucks.
Early in the season there were games where we never ran plays for Scola. Never even looked his way in the post. I think he's getting in a groove because they are letting him post up.
That's his strength,and the Rockets must not forget that.He is the most likely player to score apart from the big 3 IMO.
Agreed, he may not be as athletic as people want but he hustles and has some great lay post moves. Of course he will get blocked at times but last night proves the man needs his touches. Him and Rafer seem to really be clicking right now. Scola became one of my favorite players last year and he just continues to show why he is a big part of the Rockets success. I would not trade Luis Scola.
I don't know why it's taken so long, but they seem to be running plays for him now, putting him in position to go to his strengths and score. Of course, having Yao, McGrady, and Artest all playing helps a hell of a lot. (If that ever happens! )
