I have seen only some clips of him so I can't tell much about him but if he isn't a multidimensional player with with good footwork and finishing ability in the lowpost, a strong rebounder or a player with decent post defensive footwork and only relies on his athletic gifts and shotblocking he isn't going to be of much use to us. A Zach Randolph-like guy could be tolerable because Zach for all his faults is a hungry guy even if all he does is look for his own points and rebounding stats.
Yeah, he's rumored to be shorter than his listed height, ie closer to chuck hayes height. the measurements taken at the pre-draft workouts will see where he goes in the 2nd round.
MY BAD!!!! I just checked the player profile. They have him listed as a sophomore. The UCLA site said he was coming back to school rather than entering the draft. When ya miss da boat like that, you're bound to be all wet!! Hope I'm not in the same situation with Crittenton's abilities.
As I stated, "if all the good choices are gone by the time we pick," then we should take the flyer. I'm not sure whether Williams, Fazekas or Herbert Hill would be the best fit for the Rockets if McRoberts, Smith, et al are gone, but Williams looks like the one who could give us athleticism and mobility at PF. However, I agree that a future second and some cash would be more worthwhile if Rookie Moneyball could get it done.
herbert hill could be on our radar as well. he's got good size at 6'10 240lbs, he can score from around 12-14 feet, he can finish around the basket, he's a solid rebounder (better than williams), and he's been a good shotblocker throughout his career (1.5, 1.9, 2.9 BPG respectively). i'm not so sure morey wants to make his first move as the rockets new GM drafting a pothead who got kicked off his college team.
yeah collison is coming back to ucla which is good for the program, but i dont think he is good fit for this team right now. watching him he doesnt know how to properly run the pick and roll, hopefully this year with love there playing the C he learns it better a lot of times he came off the screen and stopped and let the defense adjust. also he isnt aggressive enough at times, he seemingly can get into the lane at will and finish well or dish but he doesnt do it enough. collison if available next year(dont think he would be though) is a solid addition but he needs some more experience. oh and arron afflalo i dont think would be a good pickup, he isnt that atheltic and gets rattled REAL EASY. if his shot isnt falling he doesnt compensate by contributing in other ways (assists,boards,defense) he wont be allow to be as physical in the nba with the rule changes so i cant believe i am saying this but i see nick young from usc to be a better nba player than afflalo
its strange that you say afflalo doesnt play defense, where all the draftsites applaud his defensive abilities. he isnt my first choice, but i dont think he'd be a terrible pick if all the other guys we want are gone.
Best players to contribute now are like the earlier poster said, Almond & Byars. If Rush is there a little before us, trading Head/Lucas to move up a few picks would be ideal. We won't find a NBA ready PF in a draft unless they are top 5. We will need to find a gem in FA. I think trading up would do really well for us, but not sure who teams would really want from us to do so.
As a recent ucla alum i've seen afflalo play pretty much every single game at ucla. his defense is good but overrated imo. he relies a lot on his ability to be physical with the offensive player which will not be allowed in the nba with the rules. and yes his defense disappears when his offensive game is off. whats ironic is that he too gets rattled easily with a tough athletic defender and then doesnt try as hard on the other end. if i had to pick a person who he is like its probably david wesley, small strong, not very athletic, but wesley is a better shooter while arron is a bit taller, but maybe not as strong. also i believe wesley posseses a higher bball iq. arron will be a decent role player for someone in the nba, but with snyder here the rockets have a much better prospect coming off the bench to back up the 2. unfortunately with the way the league is developing its rules athleticism and ability to create is at a premium, thats why i think nick young would be a good pickup instead, but he will need to get a bit stronger though.
With the way we've been scouting and developing, I'd be happy with such a great acquisition, speedy progress, and an 8th man that could play.
Please no. Moves like that have put us in this situation in the first place. I know we want to win now and everything, but we have NO depth, NO bench, and NO athleticism. We have had very, very few drafts the past few years, and have squandered many players picked or picked really, really rough prospects over-seas that may never even get here. All the elite teams drafted many of their key players or found them after they were in the league only a few years (no, I'm not saying all their players, but many) There HAVE been good pick ups in drafts before, and this is deep draft. If we made draft day trade, I would actually want us to get another pick (like very early 2nd round) or trade up (to like 20-22 for a shot at McRoberts, Splitter and Acie if he falls). There are a many good to decent SG's in the draft, many who could at least be productive off the bench. Seeing as how that is a hole in our line-up, esp when T-mac sits, go for a one of the best available. Reaching for a PF with a bad reputation or trading down to get a later PG who is not athletic or doesn't shot well does not help us. (Next year is an amazing PG draft btw.) If we can get a back-up/split starter with Alston, we'll be okay there.
Actually, we are not far apart. This is a better draft than most years so why not use a future second rounder (always a roll of the dice) for someone we think can be a steal? If the Rockets brain trust didn't think so, they wouldn't pull the trigger. A future second rounder could well be in the fifties -- and therefore a very low percentage chance for making the NBA. In acquiring a second rounder for this year, I certainly am not advising that we give up our current first rounder or move backward. If we can move up, I'll be delighted.
