[Philly Inquirer] 76ers have to knock over Rockets with young talent (UPDATE: 1/13)

Iggy, Ariza, Scola aren't bad spot up shooters... give them open shots = win

 

But you're right though if we are building around Yao that means all depends on Yao's foot. Iggy isn't a natural shooter he's a slasher.

 

That really puts the Rockets into a tougher situation. Our only choice at SG is a slashing allstar shooter?

 

as a point of reference, Rafer Alston is a career 35% 3-point shooter. we saw him play with Yao for four seasons. we can all agree he got a lot of open looks while he played with Yao, but yet he shot BELOW his career 3-point average in three of the four seasons. so clearly, open looks do not mean made shots.

Add to this that your current roster does not have many plus shooters. Brooks is 37% from three-point range. Ariza is 30%, Iggy is 32%, Lowry is 27%, Battier is 39%, Budinger is 34%, neither Scola nor Landry can shoot the 3 . . .

so out of your current perimeter player rotation, you have only two people who shoot better than RAFER. only one of those two is a starter. so you're surrounding Yao with shooters who are worse than Rafer. that's not going to create a lot of space and force the defenses to stay honest.

 

I wonder if there is a way we could do a three team trade that would net the Rockets Chris Bosh and Caron Butler. I like Caron Butler's contract way more than Iggy's, but from what I can tell Caron is having a WAY down year from his all-star year last year or the year before. Do you think all teams involved would agree to this?

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=ylhta5b

Rockets would prolly have to toss draft picks in here somewhere.

 

Obvious not and iggy being a poor 3 pt shooter has nothing to do with it. You need multi tool players, period. The offense should be all inclusive and not dependent on one unreliable waiting on a double to make a decision. I think yao is going to be and should be part of the offense, but not the offense. Being a good 3pt shooter has nothing to do with how successful the offense will be with or without yao. Its about effecient offense,good shots,defense and rebounding. Who are the lakers best 3pt shooters? You don't see them complaining odom is not because he's a good basketball player. Kenny smith wasn't a good 3pt shooter until he worked with dale ellis one summer. Artest wasn't a good 3pt shooter either until recently. You need good basketball players vs good 3pt shooters. If the guy that is a good basketball player just happens to be a good 3 pt shooter, then cool. Ray allen was sucking big time in the playoffs the year they won it because he decided to be a 3pt shooter, but when he decided to be a basketball player, then he played better and almost won finals mvp. Iggy is a 30% 3pt shooter right now, but he can get that up to 36% with more practice. His total floorgame and durability and his defensive prowess and big shot making ability are top notch. Is he a 1,2,or 3rd option? That depends as it is with yao and brooks.

 

Yao is first option as he is just really efficient. Force teams to front Yao. I don't care if Yao can't catch the pass as Iggy and Brooks both should be able to attack the basket when Yao is fronted. If the PF tries to sag to middle to help out, Landry and Scola can both knock down open jumpers.

It frustrates me that the Rockets try so hard to get pass to Yao when fronted. Yao should just seal his man and crash the boards like he does on defense.

 

Not sure if this is the right thread, but when a trade happens, and cash is sent, is that part of the salary cap money or is it Les' money? I know money talks more than anything in a business situation, and nothing screams business more than NBA. I appreciate all the help from ya'll.

 

It's Les' money. Teams can send up to $3 million. But it is out of the owner's pocket/ team budget.

 

My observation of Iggy & Butler is this:
C.Butler is the better pure scorer, but Iggy is the more balanced, healthier player with much better D. If you stop there, Iggy is safer.. but when you factor in their contracts, Butler becomes a lot more appealing. I just wish Iggy had Caron's contract.

If Morey had to choose between these two:
I see him going with Caron IF we are holding onto Ariza & Battier.
Iguodala IF Ariza OR Battier is moved.

 

I don't know how much basketball you have watched or played, but there are more ways to create space other than have 3pt shooters surrounding the arc. You can create space by movement like utah and the lakers. Also, 3pt shooting doesn't equate to not being a good shooter either. I think lowry is a good shooter, just a hesitant one. He's a good mid range guy, but that doesn't mean opposing teams can just sink into the lap vs a guy like rafer who is a poor shooter period.

 

Adding a player that can create plays for himself and others is not going to help Yao? Now thats something you do not hear every day.

Lets get more 3p shooters and let Yao do the dirty work for 48 mins a game.

 

Thats what I'm trying to say. I don't think Yao is the play in and play out 1st option. His stamina and just limitations don't make it possible, but with a slasher like iggy and a scorer like brooks, he doesn't have to be. Some games, teams won't let yao beat them and thats cool. Brooks,iggy,landry,and scola have shown they can make teams pay, ask portland. Some nights, teams will view brooks as the biggest threat. Well now, yao and iggy should have a easier go of it. It all works in circles and its about the overrall team. Garnett is nowhere the player he was 5 yrs ago. He hasn't been a frranchise player for that long. Franchise players don't play on lotto teams for consecutive years. The same can be said for pierce and allen. All 3 were former franchise players, all 3 wre joined together and were very good players playing for a common goal. Brooks,iggy,and really yao aren't franchise players either, but the same can be said for parker and manu, but they are good enough that when or if ariza is your 5th option in the starting 5, thats pretty good. In fact, thats damn good. being damn good is good enough to be in it or the next 5 yrs.

 

ouTou make a good point. Iggy makes Battier or Ariza expendable.

 

Exactly. Who is more difficult to guard? A player that just stands on the perimeter and shoot threes all day or a player that can attack the basket or create off the dribble?

 

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=yhzs2k8

Lineup:

Brooks/Williams
Iggy/Budinger/Taylor
Young/Battier
Scola/Landry/Anderson
Dalembert/Hayes/Anderson(Yao)

 

I here you, but its still all conjecture. I can only base it on what I've seen, and I just haven't seen much room for improvement. It is to the point where I feel he hurts more than helps. I hope you're right though.

 

Nope, it really doesn't. I present the following evidence:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Croshere#Indiana_Pacers

"He was rewarded for his performance in the regular season and particularly the playoffs with a hefty contract, which the Pacers soon learned to regret as lamentably, Austin never fully lived up to the promise he'd shown."

 

I think some people are making too big a deal out of Iggy's strengths/weaknesses. To me, it's simple now.

Look at the games we have played this season. In all but maybe three losses it was anybody's game up until the last couple of minutes. In the games we lost it wasn't a lack of defense that cost us the games it was inability to score because teams figured out that the Rockets only have two or sometimes three guys on the court who can score so they focus in on those guys. Just adding one more player who can get and make his own shot changes that in a big, big way. Does the Minny game or the Milwaukee game have to go to OT if we had another scorer on the court in the final minutes? Do we lose to Charlotte or New Orleans?

This team is so desperate for a wing player who can put the ball in the whole. It doesn't matter how as long as he can do it often and do it efficiently.

 

I look at what Ariza is capable of and what he is not capable of on the basketball court and all I can think when I read what you typed is:

"If you surround Trevor Ariza with the most talent in the league he is ok"

Sorry. Not interested.