A few weeks ago, we hadn't even seen Asik on the floor. If Casspi continues to play great into the regular season and the Asik&Howard combo struggles, then sure my opinion can change.
Plenty of data to support the idea that spreading the floor with 4 shooters, especially when your offense is heavily dependent on the P&R, is by far the most effective configuration for an offense against today's NBA defenses.
I base my vote on what I've seen...and seeing Parker probe the lane and then proceed to look confused and baffled at what he should do with the ball brought a smile to my face... Seeing Asik and Dwight win the battle against Marc and Zach handily... I like what I saw, it was only preseason but it's enough to give it a try.
I don't think there is any question in McHale's mind that he is going twin towers at least for the beginning of the season. I think it makes sense to start the proven guys. If it turns out later during the season that Casspi-Howard looks a lot better it can be changed then but right now starting Casspi would be a slap to the face to Asik.
Post-up isolations are generally less productive than pick and rolls, especially when the post up player is DMo and the PnR operators are Harden and Dwight or Lin and Dwight. Remember the effect that the Sonics' illegal defenses had vs. Hakeem? Those defenses are legal now.
Trust me, I liked what I saw as well, how can you not? Clearly we will run the twin towers at some point during most games, whether they start or not. I think it's proven that it has its uses. The question is, is it the best fit to start? Is it our best lineup? Does it put the most players in a position to succeed? IMO, eventually, it's going to be a 'no', 'no', and 'no'.
The point is that you can run both, Hakeem didn't have Dwight Howard and James Harden on his team. If the D is dumb enough to double DMo in the post, it leaves either Dwight unguarded for an easy dunk, or Harden open for 3. Most of the time they'd leave DMo one on one which would lead to easy points which are especially valuable on nights where the 3 point shooting isn't falling. With Howard, Harden, and DMo, there are 3 guys on the team that can create their own shot which is pretty nice to have.
1. Rockets' biggest advantage over EVERY other team is they have two of the best defensive bigs in the league. Use it, make it work, and take advantage of it! 2. Casspi is a below average defending the 4. Big advantage to the opposition team. Casspi will become the point of attack for opposition offense. He can not defend 1-on-1 against ZBo, West, Duncan, Lee, Favors, Pau, Glenn Davis, Anthony Davis. He will become the weak link on D. 3. Casspi, at most, is an average 3P shooter. He is not a consistent shooter and not someone you can rely upon on offense. He is Parson lite with better rebounds. 4. To use quick fouls as example is agenda driven. ANYONE can pick up two quick fouls. Asik and Dwight are not Greg Smith. If anything, opposition will likely be in foul trouble. 5. Using Spurs is a terrible example. If they had made one more free throw, Spurs would've won in 6 games. Eventually, Spurs would become the model on how to beat Heat instead of other way around.
When it comes to the Heat, the Pacers showed how to beat them. The Heat can't handle big men because the closest thing they have to a center is Chris Bosh who is a PF. The big man rotation would absolutely kill the Heat. The Heat made Hibbert look like the best center in the NBA, Howard would do bad things to them.
So the model is to go small? That only supports my point. The Spurs starting PF in the finals was Kawhi Leonard.
"Who should start?" That one word makes it a debate. If it said "Who will start" there would be no debate.
The preseason is the preseason for a reason. Nobody really gives a crap. I don't know why anyone expects anything from Casspi. Asik is proven but doesn't mean he should start. Problem in the end is that the PF is a huge hole in the squad, neither Casspi nor Asik are a solution. I personally don't care who starts there as nobody is going to be able play the role adequately.
If your hopes is to use Casspi as Kawhi Leonard then you are out of your mind, Leonard is better than Casspi in every way one player can be better than another basketball player. In Casspi's wildest dreams he still can't shoot or play defense as well as Leonard.
Dwight would be the PF with Asik starting. How do you figure the Dwight/Asik lineup won't be adequate before even seeing it in the regular season?
Seriously? Any team can go small but not all team can go big. Casspi and Leonard are world apart in talent.
Honestly the movement is swinging in the favor of 4's being able to draw out defenders with outside shooting and being mobile. Asik won't be starting every single game. That would be completely foolish.
I think it will always be a matchup thing for the Rockets. But Asik is the more proven and respected player and thus will start by default. Even if some nights it is one of those things where he's clearly starting just to start and they take him out 4 mins into the game. There is no position on the court that is static. PF can be played this way or that. You don't have to be a PF to play PF. Heck there are a lot of PFs that get away with playing Center and there are PGs that get away with playing SG etc etc. The Heat have won two championships and Spoelstra mantra is something like fluid positions or some mess. Also when Asik is on the floor Dwight becomes the "PF" I believe since that is who he guards.
