Rockets showing interest in trading for Ricky Rubio?

you're taking his comments way too literally. he wants help at the guard positions yes but he definitely doesn't want one that can't shoot when he sees constant pressure from opposing teams and even more with Rubio.

 

Harden is a brilliant player. I'm sure he can figure out how to play without the ball in his hands. And if a team doubles Harden when he doesn't have the ball, it will hurt their defense, not our offense.

 

Rondo averaged 10 points and 6.6 assists in that playoff run and 9 points and 6.7 assists in the finals....clearly he was invaluable.

Honestly I get why you overrate Rondo, he was really hyped up at the time, so it makes sense. That said, most realize that the success or failure of that team was with the "big 3", Rondo's performance was irrelevant for the most part. That of course doesn't mean that his few good performances weren't nice, they just weren't going to determine the success or failure of the team.

Rubio, much like Rondo, can be that 4th best player if everyone else is a great shooter and you don't have another ball handler in your starting lineup but isn't a fit next to someone like Harden.

I see you didn't re-read my previous comment so I'll be brief because you are probably a lost cause. Harden getting "help" isn't the same as wanting someone to take the ball out of his hands always because they are worthless without being totally ball dominant.

A guard who could help lighten the load on Harden while also not being totally worthless off-ball is what you are looking for.

I know, that's probably over your head.

 

With Rubio everyone will stay home with their man and TV fifth defender will stay back and fly the lanes and dare rubio shoot his 30% from the field. Hard to make passes when no one leaves their man and the pg is one of the historically worst finishers at the rim and is a 30% shooter from distance.

 

Never said Harden needs to figure out how to play without the ball. I don't question that part. he's more than capable of doing that. And no that doesn't hurt the opposing team's defense. any team would rather take their chances on a 30% shooter to beat them. odds are in the defenses favor not offense.

 

You're saying that smith going 5-17 because he's a poor shooter and left open had nothing to do with it? That they smothered Harden freely and let Smith Chuck it up at will? That the only reason games 1 and 2 were so close despite that strategy was because Harden is flat out unreal offensively? I mean they collapsed and congested and generally mucked up everything we had, but left Smith open to do so. If Rubio is our PG, you can expect every team to do that, with the caveat that you don't even need to close out hard on him at the rim. Harden needs someone who maintains spacing and can share ball handling, not a flashy ball handler who destroys spacing and has never proven that he can make his team better

 

Responded

 

You are talking about the BEST of the BEST. Rubio is obviously second tier, but he's also a REALISTIC target. Unlike any of the names you mentioned above. Patrick Beverley's shooting has been on a steady DECLINE while his WIDE OPEN SHOTS are at an all-time high. He's literally 2% away from being a HORRIBLE 3 pt shooter last year.

 

What stats are you looking at? Beverley, for the year, shot 35.6% last year. The year before that 36.1% and his first year he shot 37.5%. Has his numbers fallen? Of course but it's not the end-of-the-world problem you're making it out to be.

If Bev's 35.6% is 2% away from being a "HORRIBLE" 3point shooter then what is Rubio's 25.5% this past year?

 

not sure how you tier your pg's but Rubio is NOT obviously 2nd tier after those guys listed

 

I lack comprehension, but you label Jeremy Lin as an example for a legitimate BALLHANDLER next to Harden!? LOL!!! Jeremy Lin is your example?! WOW. This is where you lose credibility. Jeremy Lin is one of the worst guards in the game when it comes to turnovers. Horrible example.

Comprehend this.

“I think he has to move without the ball,” coach Kevin McHale said of Harden. “I think he has an area of growth that he can’t really work on and we talked about that I think he’ll get better at that. James has improved every year that he’s been here and that’s got to be something we help him with and something he can help himself with. I do think that off the ball for him would help him, which means we got to get more movement, more body movement, more ball movement. He’s got to get off the ball, got to play off the catch a little bit quicker, got to play off our actions a little bit quicker. But those are all things we can do.”

 

I just want clarification because his stance is that Bev's a horrible shooter by his evaluation but it's logical to replace him with a worse shooter? Shooting the ball isn't the end-all-be-all but when your team's game is 3point shooting you want someone that can shoot better than 26%.

 

Is there a single, credible report anywhere that DM the GM has expressed any interest in RR since, say the WCFs?

This is not a trick question nor a rhetorical one; have I just missed any credible report?

Thanks.

 

Kyrie, Teague, Bledsoe, Conley, Walker, Hill, Thomas, Knight ... You are now talking about $10M+ for a third tier player at the point guard position. More than Ariza makes for gods sake.

Morey since acquiring Harden has shown no interest in obtaining an above average point guard. None. It obviously is not a position that Morey is interested in spending money. Not with Harden on the team.

 

It's not the end all be all, but IMO if a PG can't shoot better from 3 than Josh Smith, they shouldn't be in consideration.

 

If you think Harden playing PG and Bev playing SG (which is what he is doing) is better than Rubio playing PG and Harden playing SG, you don't understand basketball and putting your players in a position to succeed. Harden needs to play off the ball more. Bottom line. Not more than he handles the ball. Just more. Period.

“I think he has to move without the ball,” coach Kevin McHale said of Harden. “I think he has an area of growth that he can’t really work on and we talked about that I think he’ll get better at that. James has improved every year that he’s been here and that’s got to be something we help him with and something he can help himself with. I do think that off the ball for him would help him, which means we got to get more movement, more body movement, more ball movement. He’s got to get off the ball, got to play off the catch a little bit quicker, got to play off our actions a little bit quicker. But those are all things we can do.”

 

I agree. But I want to hear him out on why he thinks Bev is a horrible shooter but I can't find data that tells me Rubio is any better.

As for his passing game? I've never dismissed it and I think he's a very very good passer. That being said, in today's NBA, what good is an elite-level passer that can't shoot or finish at the rim? If he got to the line and shot 7, 8, 9 FTs a game sure I can his value but he don't get that many FTAs.

His defense is good and I'll give him that too. But Bev, when healthy, is just as good.

 

Oh, see my memory must be warped. I seem to remember Morey talking to Lowry as free agency struck last year. And you must be super close to Morey to know his interest in players. What you couldve said is Morey has not obtained an above average PG, unless you count Beverly, since Harden came to Houston. See, that would've been a fact where as what you posted is garbage.

 

Who's asking Bev to play shooting guard? Did Derek Fisher play shooting guard when he played with Kobe during their championship days? Did Kenny Smith play shooting guard when he played with Drexler or Maxwell?

The premise that your point guard don't have to shoot might have applied 5 years ago...it might even have applied 2 years ago. But today's NBA? That's not going to fly.