Look, who in the world expected this guy to be awesome??? From my standpoint, Swift is giving us what we should have expected. Did anyone think this guy was going to come out and all of a sudden put up 15 points a game and grab 8 rebounds? He's never put up those kinds of numbers on a consistent basis. But he may get 10/5 and be a key bench player.
He's been in the league long enough, but it might take him some time to learn JVG's system. Sometimes it takes a while to get use to your new team and the new style of play, TMac struggled a little bit last season.
Before the Rockets started to winning as a unit some said it was bad trade because they traded for someone who historically is a ball hog who doesn't play defence and is lazy. I do not think he will be an all star but I do think he will get better.
A lot of people thought he would put up those numbers. So many would point to his production-per-minute numbers and say that he could get more in starter minutes; they pointed to 14/8 with 2.5 blks. They all penciled him in for starter before even seeing him play. Not me. I was one of the most adamant anti-Stro, anti-Walker fans on the board. I bashed them both in my sig. But now I see the potential in Stro and how he can be a valuable part of our team. You can see the lack of athleticism on the rockets and that's why we desperately needed someone like him. I don't necessarily think he'll be great, or even a starter, but I'll give him more than two games to prove that he can.
Having watched the last two games in which Stro played for Rockets, I now realize Memphis didn't recruit Jerry West as their GM/President for nothing. There were at least a couple of times in last night's game I wondered aloud if Sto graduated from high school. I can only hope JVG is a genius coach who will prove me wrong.
I was also vehemently anti-Stro. I also ridiculed a poster who used his per minute stats on the Grizzlies to extrapolate what Stro would produce on the Rockets if he was installed as the starter. Like you, I've come around and now like him on the team. Based on the preseason, I'm convinced he will develop into a valuable member of the bench brigade, with the possibility of starting later in the year if he earns it.
Stromile is an average average basketball player who has great athletic ability and the ability to make the highlight reel. But from a basketball standpoint, average. This is why we only paid what we did for him. Hes a role player.
I have to agree with you on this one. I was wondering while Memphis sort kicked him to the curb so to speak (that laughter you hear is coming from MemphisX). So far, he's not looking very good and he's sort of reminding me how bad Eric Dampier looked last year (and continuing this year so far) for the Mavericks. Truth be told, however, he's been in the league long enough to at least KNOW how to play his position...
I thought he'd put up 14/8/2. I wouldn't say that's awesome though. Considering he put up 10/5/1.5 in Memphis in the minutes he got there, why would it be far-fetched to think he could get those slightly inflated numbers here? Assuming he got the minutes (which would be assumed, considering he was our #1 off-season priority/signing) those numbers are reasonable, regardless of whether or not he got any better by coming here and playing next to Yao and Tracy. I think he just needs time. Maybe a lot of it, but that's what he needs IMO.
He has looked God-awful so far, no doubt. I'm not concerned though. We saw what he can do in the preseason. It's no secret that he's not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. It will just take him a while to learn JVG's offensive and defensive sets. We're not exactly isolating one player on the left block while the other 4 stand around anymore. He'll come around. He's just an extremely slow learner.
People seem to forget that in Juwan Howard's first two months here, he looked pretty much the same as Swift has looked in these first two games. And Juwan Howard is a seasoned veteran that has played on many different teams with many different systems. Apparently, it just takes a while for a power forward to get used to this system.
Well I am not laughing. I hope Swift gets it turned around quickly because the last thing you want is to get is the dejected Stro, the one that comes after the media and fans turn negative toward him. I still think Swift will help but I never thought he would put Houston over the hump (only Yao can do that). I always thought that the problem was that Swift expected to start and I did not think he could beat out Howard (but I didn't expect Howard back) because Howard is what coaches love...consistent, and Swift is what coaches hate...inconsistent. Also, Howard is just a better basketball player than Swift and always has been. IMO, long term, I think Houston would be better off just giving Swift the big minutes and perhaps the start because if he doesn't get it soon, the moody Swift likes to sit down injured.
maybe swift would be more effective if he started but not with starter minutes, like how the bulls used duhon at the end of last season.
i say give him some more time. We can't even compare Mcgrady coming to the Rox to Swift coming. Mcgrady is a superstar and would shine on any team.
You're not even close. First, MemphisX has posted about Swift on numerous occassions. None of which have been humorous or venomous. To paraphrase X, Swift is what is he is...a high-end role player with some possible upside under a coach like JVG. Secondly, Eric Dampier signed a 7 year contract which will pay him 13+m in 2010. Swift signed a 3 year deal with a Player Option for a 4th. Swift's 4th and final year will be $3.5m less will than Dampier who will still have 2 years and 23+m remaining. When Swift talks, he's polite about still learning the Rockets' system. When Dampier talks, he's the 2nd best C in the league. Lastly, playing "in the league" and playing for VG are two vastly different experiences. Don't think so? How about we ask Steve or Cuttino? Many (I'd say the majority) of current Rockets have stated publicly that playing for VG is like playing for no other coach that they have ever played for. The length of the offensive sets and the complexity of the defensive rotations is beyond anything Sidney Lowe or Mike Fratello could imagine. Let alone teach. I dare say that at this stage, VG is more demanding than Hubie was at MEM. If this were mid-February, you might have a point. But after two games? Pointless.
Thats the point. It even took a great player like T-Mac a while to get acclimated and comfortable with the system.
