Rotation Thread: Who will pick for SF/CM, and Isn't Walt still a Rocket?

You forgot garbage time. You will see TMo and Torres during garbage time to keep Rice's foot from getting worse.

You forgot Langhi. Do you think he is going on IR???

 

I agree with most of what you said, except you need to place an asterisk in there for when we have uneven matchups. When we play the Spurs, for instance, I wouldn't be surprised to see both Cato & Willis on the court at the same time.

But I definitely agree that barring injuries, we won't see too much T-Mo or Oscar Torres (again in certain instances, we might see them play a tiny bit because of an uneven matchup).

 

Crispee in your projections where does Langhi Fit in (or fit out)?

I would be amazed if TMo & Oscar hit the IR list. You have to ride momentum, and if Walt goes back to his inconsistency, then no way he gets the minutes over our rising stars. Tmo & Oscar have already been showing they have more game than Walt (at this point in his career). Walt has a small advantage on the 3 point line, but Bullard wasted him every year.

 

I think you're analysis is exactly right, but mostly for the end of the season and the post-season.

Symbolic knock-on-wood, I believe we'll have significant injury time in the form of sores and strains in the beginning of the season, forcing us to play a run and run offense just to win games approaching the all-star break.
(Really Phx/LAC - like).

I envision three distinct 9-man rotations before we get into the playoffs, with everyone on our team becoming integral at one phase or another. Everyone's going to earn their money this year. (Even Cato )

 

With injuries Torres and TMo will get theirs through spans during the season.

Who says the Rockets are through trading? Maybe Walt and Langhi are headed somewhere? For picks?

 

Walt & Langhi, do seem to be the odd men out. Especially in the Rockets future.

Crispee, I would make you a bet that Oscar will be Cutino's backup. He is the only other 2 we have (unless you count Francis during certain lineups). I think Moochie will have his minutes diminished, unless he can show some consistency in his offensive shooting.

 

Rudy loves what Walt brings, and he really came up big in a lot of key games last year. He has a lot of experience and I gotta believe he'll be in the regular rotation unless he totally disappears. Toward the end of last year he began driving more and I think his rebounding numbers were up. I know he is a defensive liability but his offensive skills can be pretty good, and he comes up with a few steals.

I don't think he'll be odd man out vs. TMo, certainly not early in the season. If that ever happens we will be even better than I anticipate

 

Hopefully, Morris can win some minutes from Walt. He is the SF of the future.

I don't think he'll be a regular, but for some reason I think when he comes in, Rudy will give him some minutes. Morris could also be used to pick if griffin isn't ready to play big minutes as the PF.

dammit, I want to see who plays. i want to see other teams try to scramble together a defense to cover everyone.

 

You know there is some assistant NBA coach out there with Crispee's scouting reports of the rockets going "Damn, we can't even stop the decoy pick".

Damn it sucks being in Austin! I caught more Rocky Mountain Revue action than I have preseason action.

 

I think Rice already fills up for walt at that spot. i honestly don't think we need walt anymore since we got rice. i think we should trade him langhi d.jones or torres. heck giv'em collier while we're at it. if we can trade all those for picks i'd be pleased or maybe another five cause it looks like we're full already

 

I like this thread because it has alot of meat.

Crisp, I have to think that Collier is not going to be in the rotation just because of that. I really do believe that Langhi can play that role just as well without the baggage.

I believe that OT and Tmo are going to see time right now. First we are hussling more both on offense and defense. One of our competitive advantage is speed. As a result the rotation is going to be longer so we reduce the risk of injuries. Griffin, Tmo and OT are too good, defensively and overall, for them not to be big contributor right now. It is unusual to have so much talent on a team which will allow a lenghty rotation. Rudy T has to demand more intensity per minutes from everyone, with nobody taking a play or two off.

My proposed rotation breakdown is as follows:

C - Cato 28, Willis 17, Griffin 3
PF - Thomas 28, Griffin 17, Morris 3
SF - Rice 29, Morris 14, Langhi 5
PG - Francis 32, Moochie 16
OG - Mobley 31, Torres 8, Williams 9

This is simply a guide to be affected by matchups, injuries, foul trouble, etc. The thinking on Torres and Williams is to play Torres in the first half and Williams in the second half. Some may have a problem with Francis and Mobes playing those minutes, but I am expecting to have some blowouts and a disciplined approach by Rudy T to keep these guys injury-free. That discipline is also needed for the rookies to be given the time, who by season-end can be relied upon to contribute.

 

I basically agree with Crispee's view of the rotation. It may be unsettled at first due to the injury situation, but I generally see an 8 man rotation (Willis, Walt, and Mooch off the bench), with EG getting spot minutes and perhaps more, depending upon how well EG progresses, how well K9 plays, and how well Cato and Willis play together (I see Cato at the 5 and Willis at the 4). Collier, TMo, and Torres will have to scrap for time, but should get some opportunities due to injuries, blowouts, or when Rudy wants to shake things up if the team comes out flat or to take advantage of a mismatch. Langhi is at the far end of the bench.

I like our youngsters, but getting playing time is not necessarily going to be easy (unless there are alot of injuries), especially since the team did not have the luxury of playing together much if at all during the preseason. Rudy will go with experience early in the season.

 

Originally posted by crispee

Teams usually go with 7-9 players for one of two reasons:

<ul><li>They're really good and know exactly what they'll get from those 7-9 guys (like the Jordan-Pippen Bulls)
<li>They aren't deep enough to play more (which applies to 80% of all basketball teams)</ul>

I don't see the Rockets fitting either category, Over the first four months of the season I think we'll see as many as eleven guys get minutes (not every game, mind, but overall). As the playoffs near, and when, not if, we make it in, our rotation will drop to 8, maybe 9 if we play like the '93-96 Sonics. We will go through stretches where Walt just isn't getting it done and langhi plays a lot, or where Mobley is hurt and Torres plays a lot. We'll also be experimenting with different defenses, as most teams will, and how to attack them. That means a lot of different lineups, most of which will eventually be abandoned.

Exzcellent point, and a major reason we wanted Jackson, as you said. I think we're a better team with Willis that Nwakando; however, he would have made a good picker. He knocked Rice out of a practice with a hard pick! Maybe that's why he got cut...

I suspect you're right. I was a little surprised to see we waived Jones, but I suppose it was partly to be nice and let him latch on with someone where he can get some PT. He's got as good a resume as Moochie, but we just -- BAM! -- cut him. Obviously Rudy felt as you do that he had no realistic shot at any PT. Unless we keep Brown, which is highly unlikely, this is a sign that we'll have five forwards on the team: Thomas, Griffin, Rice, probably Williams, and either TMo or langhi, but not both. The only way both can play is if Collier starts off the season on IR.

I do expect TMo and Torres to play and get a chance to prove themselves against real opponents. We are so deep right now (potentially) and have so many new faces that Rudy will have to do a lot of experimenting.

Interesting ... I had thought we'd see Willis and Cato on the court at the same time a bit this year, but I see your reasoning. Neither is a strong high post threat and neither can drive like Kenny. I like the TMo/Griffin combo long term but having two rooks on the court as your forwards could be dangerous. That alone will probably limit TMo's PT, unless Walt's shooting goes south. Then you may see TMo and langhi scrapping for the backup 3 minutes. As for Rice at the 4, I hope we don't see much of that as I don't think he's likely to be 100% physicall until later in the season. And that's if we limit his minutes. I hope we see him at around 24 a game until April; we need him to have a shot a beating the Lakers or Spurs (our likely first round opponents).

Or am I getting a little ahead of myself on this playoff thing?