Hahah, if Morey chose Chuck Hayes at 26th before Hayes played in the NBA he'd be burned alive by the size-panic angry armchair scouts.
I don't know if anyone posted this before but Aaron Brooks reminds me of a certain speedy PG with a great 3pt shot who is currently winding up his career in Memphis....... you got it. Mighty mouse. Damon Stoudamire! Hopefully he can develop into a player like him.
Wrong, Law has had a better FG percentage than Brooks every year they have been in college. Brooks had a better 3 point percentage their freshman years and their sophmore and junior years were similar with Acie clearly outshooting him their senior year. Their scoring efficiency isn't close. You keep saying it was his primary job to score and not distribute, but there were 5 guys on that team that averaged double figures so it stands to reason that he wasn't the only scoring threat. Also, despite Tajuan Porter only being 5'6" he was not the point guard. That job belonged to Brooks. So it was his job to distribute. With 4 other guys averaging double figures, he only managed 4.3 assists per game. Again, just because they saw more guys doesn't make them right. There is also a big difference between trying to learn to shoot better and trying to see the court better. Shooting is mechanics and with hard work can be improved. Court vision is one of those skills that you either have or you don't. Also, looking at the 26th pick recently: 2006 Jordan Farmar by playoff time was playing 22 minutes/game and contributing as a rookie to the Lakers. 2005 Jason Maxiell last year played about 15 minutes/game behind Webber, Wallace and McDyess. Cited as the reason the Pistons will probably let Webber go. 2004 Kevin Martin averaged 20.2 pts on 47% shooting with 4.3 rpg as the starting shooting guard at Sacramento. 2003 Nbudi Edi wasn't ready for the NBA. Showed some flashes in a couple of games for Minnesota in 04-05. 2002 John Salmons contributor to Sacramento Kings 8.5 ppg, 3.2 asts, 3.3 rebs with 45.6% shooting in 27 minutes. 2001 Samuel Dalembert starting center for 76ers. 10.7ppg, 8.9 rebs, 1.9 blks with 54.1% shooting. That isn't too shabby. The only real "bust" would be Edi and he is still young and could possibly come back from Europe at some point.
For the posters who compare Aaron Brooks to TJ Ford..... Brooks is a better scorer than TJ Ford but TJ Ford is a better distributor. Everything else is pretty equal. Morey and the Rockets management did exactly what they said they would do. Which was to draft the best talent left. Worst case scenario Brooks will be like Tyronne Lue at his best. Best case scenario is TJ Ford if he can learn to distribute better. Likely scenario is Daniel Gibson in the playoffs which is A-okay! Brooks has been a player since coming out of HS (Mcdonalds all American). He will prove all the doubters wrong. The guy has the "it" factor which we sorely lack on this team currently.
Another player that Brooks reminds me of is Monta Ellis. The more I think about it the more I can't help but think Brooks can be a Monte Lite. Both are small guards that are lightning quick, can take it to the hoop and score in bunches, can be better distributors, erratic and inconsistent at times, but can contribute on a winning ball club.
You're right.Brooks is shorter which is a drawback.If he can get stronger he might turn out to be a Monta Ellis lite.
Is there anyone here who believes that, likable as he is, Chuck Hayes is a first string PF? He is a backup who was pressed into service under a defensive wizard who veiled his deficiencies.
Sorry, I'd rather have Hayes start for me than at least a third of the PFs starting in this league right now.
Actually, although I'd like to see the Rockets get a higher quality starting PF, I think Chuck Hayes would do quite well in Adelman's motion offense. Especially playing on the floor with T-Mac, remember all the quick cuts to the basket for layups that Hayes got? Heck, I think those were the only easy buckets that the Rockets consistently got last year! Now, imagine an offensive scheme where he could be doing that all the time. One thing that has amazed me with Chuck (even in his rookie year) was that he has tremendously good hands to catch the ball on the cut and can finish well in traffic despite his size. Under Adelman, I could definitely see Hayes as a starting PF. However, I'd rather see the Rockets get another "better" PF to start or come off the bench behind Chuck.
No, they are very close. 3% each year ALaw AB .22 .37 .38 .37 .33 .34 .46 .40 verdict--not a lot different PPS each year (point per shot is a much better measure of efficiency than FG%) ALaw AB 1.04 1.18 1.31 1.35 1.24 1.22 1.42 1.34 verdict--not a lot different Now Law is ahead in A/TO and A primarily in his 1st two years. How about the last 2 years: Law 4.6APG 1.77 A/TO AB 4.4APG 1.73 A/TO verdict--not a lot different once Law developed into a scorer (last 2 years). There are some other minor differences. FT%, Brooks has been better every year. Steals, Law better 3 of 4 years, but Brooks better his senior year Rebounds, Brooks usually better. OVERALL You would be find PGs taken in the draft who looked any more statistically similar. Now clearly Brooks isn't the pro prospect of Law, who was a lottery pick, but you wouldn't know much difference from performance. My whole point is PGs who were their best shooters like Law, Green and Brooks are not going to have the A and A/TOs of guys with teammates who shoot much better than themselves (a guy like Conley)--and yes it shows with Law, the #2 guard prospect in the whole draft. I suggest you get tapes of Oregon. That offense was absolutely not built on Brooks passing 1st, scoring second. They had lots of ball handlers and most everyone, particularly Brooks, had a big green light for taking good looks. And they were a pretty good team because of it. Well given there is a spits worth of difference between the APG and A/TO between Law and AB their last 2 years I guess you would conclude Law has regressed in this department too. You need to have a bigger perspective, look at say 24-28 picks going back say 10 years. The hit rate of players that are contributors in the NBA (even off the bench) is well, well, below 50%.
I will start trusting this front office when they show me with their actions that they know WTF they are doing. This draft was simply baffling. Before the draft, Morey stated that they wouldn't draft for position but would instead go for the best player available. Well at 26, that wasn't Brooks - so that was really a pick from Adelman's wish list which is the sort of thing that supposedly got JVG into so much trouble. From Desert Scar's analysis, Brooks is not a PG but is really another undersized SG. OK, fine. Exactly how does that help them close the gap against the West? That's all I'm saying here about Brooks. They wanted him because of his speed and ability to get his shot off. OK, they just got an improved version of JL3 in my opinion - but he is still undersized and that's a big weakness that is not going to go away when you play in the Western Conference. As for the PF issue, I just find it odd that all it took to get for Portland to get the pick from Phoenix and draft the PF (Fernandez) we supposedly wanted was cash. No problems with the MLE, no salary cap issues just ante up and Fernandez is in the fold. Now that's the type of move that we all needed to see from Morey & Les but didn't so we end up with yet another undersized player this time at the PF spot. Amazing. When they (Rox) got bounced out of the first round, I could have sworn that the reason was not because they needed to find better versions of JL3 & Chuck Hayes but apparently I was wrong. Like you, I wish them good luck because they are most definitely going to need all the luck they can get next season.
6'9, 250 lbs. Landry is an undersized power forward, yet you think the 6'6, 175lbs. Fernandez can play power forward?
Fernandez is a 6'6" 172 lb shooting guard. You are so upset, you can't think straight. It's ok. I just wanted to help you there, before they jump on you.
He was the D-League mvp and he ended up signing with Seattle in April for the remainder of last season. At least he's still hanging around.
Quite true but what makes you believe that going into the draft they needed to add yet another backup guard? For the record, I don't see them in a downward spiral - it's more of a time warp where they continue to make the same mistakes over and over and over until in the end, you look up and years (12) have passed. Teams that were formerly behind you (Dallas, Utah, Phoenix) have now passed you. I call it the NBA Middle and that's where the Rockets are stuck right now. And if they continue to make moves such as this draft, I don't see them getting out of the middle for some years to come.
Whoops, my bad. Working on a 14 hour jet lag from the UK. I should change my signature to "Friends Don't Let Friends Fly American Airlines".
