Small sample size? They've both got nearly 1,000 minutes. Granted, most of Smith's are at center because Patterson isn't good enough defensively to play it. Rebounding is not a problem because of Smith and Asik. Smith does foul a little more than he should. Smith is good enough at the free throw line? His FT% is higher than Patterson's TS%. Yes, he needs to work on it to make himself a better player, but a possession with Smith at line is better than PPat's average possession. Unless you want to say PPat's shooting is unacceptable... I'll give you props that PP is a better passer. Shots at the rim are the best shot in the game. Smith takes a bunch. Patterson is not skilled enough to and settles for the second best shot, the corner three. About 20% of the time this season has been small ball. Smith was used a lot more than Patterson. Not rare and a lot of times more productive than the starters. Maybe it was because Asik and Smith were the only big men rebounding? Might as well play Delfino since you only lose a little rebounding anyway. Patterson the more complete player? He can't play inside. Doesn't rebound. Can't play other position besides stretch four. He rotates well, plays the PnR well, pass a little, and can shoot threes. Smith can play PF/C, rebounds, can play post defense, can play inside, and has better shot selection. I will say I am still unsure of the Smith and Asik playing together as they may cause some congestion. When Asik is off the floor, Smith is easily the better option.
Greg Smith has started 3 games. Sample size is not an excuse for points I can't refute, its a observation that its 3 games of data. Trying to argue that it is representation of what will be the norm would be is silly. Its almost as ridiculous as an earlier posting the box score of the Sacramento game as if it were some kind of argument. Comparing bench minutes and extrapolating a 15 MPG player to 36 and trying to use that data is frankly r****ded. Per 36 is supposed to be used to compare players who are close in MPG, like a 22 mpg guy a 26 mpg, not some broad equalizer for all players at all possible minutes played. Yes, I can see how rudimentary box score scouts would emphasize individual statistics instead of team performance. There are numerous reasons Patterson rebounding numbers were low, but most of them are related to coaching style and his use as the primary PnR defender. Patterson was constantly pulled out to the perimeter as a team defender/rotate guy because he was far and away the PnR defender on the team. He also sprints down the court looking for transition opportunities, which have slowed down tremendously since his absence. This is a coaching philosophy thing. You can substantiate this by noting the significant drop in rebounding numbers under McHale vs. Adelman. Furthermore, he also playing alongside guys who are great rebounders for their position, which leads to a general lack of rebounds to grab. Jordan Hill was a great rebounder, specifically offensively, it doesn't mean he is a good PF. It wasn't a simple "measure". Just by watching the game at any depth at all, its very easy to see that all of our young guys are constantly late or oblivious to their spots on the court, whereas Patterson was not. This leads to fouls. Reaching, blocks, bumps, etc. Less fouls is always better...always. The biggest problem with a guy like Dmo is he is a matador AND he racks up fouls. Smith just camps the paint because he is afraid of the perimeter and can't figure out how to keep his arms straight up and down leading to a ton of failed block shot attempts and open shots on the perimeter. That's great. Its a good point and fair criticism Can't agree with you here at all. A guy who gets his baskets in one way is one dimensional. If he gets scouted and they cut off his lanes to the basket for easy dunks, he can be marginalized. He is still fairly new in his starter role, so it remains to be seen if will happen, but to ignore that is dumb. The more weapons you have the better. Camping the paint also clogs it for Harden/Lin/Parsons which makes it harder to score elsewhere. He shouldn't have, that a bad coaching move. The game is more than dunks and blocks. There is a reason teams like Detroit and Sacramento with tremendous talent (specifically rebounding) in the front court don't win games.
Resulting to ad hominem attacks? "Smith snatching a couple rebounds away from Asik is not going to make up for giving up multiple open looks and layups." 36min stats are much more accurate than hyperbole's.
Patterson is that much better we would've been a LEGIT playoff contender, screw this Harden guy - we already won a few games without him. Patterson is gonna be the difference maker and heck we woulda even kept him the next free years so if he got playoff experience.... woah watch out NBA you have another thing coming!
I said Patterson was better, but that has more to do with the fact that the rest of our PF all suck than how good Patterson is.
Good win. Portland is not a very good team but winning on the road is never easy. Meanwhile, the PF carousel continues. Jones got 13 minutes a game after getting a double-double. Smith is effective but limited yet again by foul trouble. DMo struggled with his shot but rebounded pretty well. In, perhaps, related news: Royce White seems to have had a good game in RGV. I wonder if he'll get a shot.
In before... "Yeah he'll get a shot in the mouth, from my FIST, that entitled b*stard, no talent hack that I have this unnatural obsession and hatred for..." But yeah, i'm sure we'll see Royce next year, itll be interesting to see what position he'll actually play in the NBA, whether its for the Rockets or another team.
Kevin McHale was on the radio with Charlie P, when Charlie mentioned that he's used 6 different starting PF so far this year, McHale said he might want to get Royce back from RGV to make it 7. I think he was joking.
Or do you not think so far ahead.... I been thinking bout for eva....yeah.... I been thinking bout you, you knowowowow...do you think about me still...do you?
Greg Smith is our PF of the future. He's set the tone since he's been starting...catches everything, is an excellent PnR player, can make shots consistently, and has been good defensively. The fouls will decrease when he gets more experience.
It is a mystery how the team can lose, twice, to a "not very good" Portland team with Patterson, yet blow them out on the road with a "PF carousel" instead. It's almost like, the team got better. No one could have ever predicted that though. Nope.
The first game was 7 days after the Harden trade, and the second 3 weeks. To boil down the difference between now and then to Patterson is silly. Use a real argument.
