Time to Lay Off Wesley

He is always working hard. So I changed my signature last month to show my appreciation to him.
This bbs have too many negative things! As a fan, what you need to do mostly is supporting your team, not bashing them all the time!

 

I appreciate DW, I really do, and I think most fans do, BUT...

DW is NOT a starter-caliber player, he would be very effective as a bench player getting around 20 minutes a night, which would keep him fresh and that way he could be used as a 'specialist' when you need a shooter or a defensive stopper. At this stage of his career, he's being utilized the wrong way, due mainly to the fact that we don't have really another choice at this point until after the season is over.

DW, JB, Sura, and DA would all be pretty valuable off the bench, much like how San Antonio utilizes their older players (all bench players pretty much to give them a 'boost' when they need it, and that veteran presence/experience in the playoffs).

I think we can keep those guys on-board for cheap, but then I say start Luther at the PG position and he can become out Jason Terry (and learn the point while he's at it, which he's capable of I think since McGrady will ALWAYS be the primary ball-handler and initiator of the offense as long as he's on this team, so it's pointless to bring in a 'true' PG since you'ld be only taking the ball out of McGrady's hands, and we know we don't want to do that).

Next year, I want to see a starting lineup of: Yao, T-Mac, Swift, Head, and a starting-caliber SG who can fill it up on offense (a Jalen Rose type), who doesn't have to be very young but should not be old either; a 29-31 healthy year old would be ideal. If we play our cards right, we can make a good pickup in the offseason with our MLE.

IMO, that's the only thing this team is missing: a reliable shooter/scorer and starter at the SG position, we get that and we're set for a championship run.

The point? Relieve Yao and McGrady from all that grueling 82 game schedule during the season to have them as fresh as is possible in the playoffs; that's what the Spurs do for Duncan, that's what the Heat do for Shaq, and that's what the Pistons don't have to worry about (wear and tear) because they have soooo many options and they take turns carrying the load for the team.

All that burden during the season on the shoulders of Yao and McGrady will ALWAYS wear them down come playoff time, they won't be able to ever sustain their level of energy that we need beyond the first round.

 

Go Wesley! We are behind you. Thanks for your good play as of late...

 

DW game is predicated on Tmac being in the lineup...without him, DW's game sucks.

DD

 

Sorry, I don't hate him. But I did think that he had lost it earlier this season. After last night's game, I'm not for sure what to think. Obviously, he played his tail off. Our D really looked good with him defending Kobe on the right block with the helpers coming over to help him. And I have been very impressed with his guts playing the PG position, bringing the ball up, and initiating the offense. He is tough as nails and is a coach's player. He's a winner.

All that being said, I have to feel that part of the reason for the win against the Lakers was the fact that the Lakers were off. I have to think that if Kobe wanted to force the offense, he could have taken Wesley more times than not. Kobe kept backing down and then giving up the ball at the first sign of the double and then he didn't get the ball back too often. And witness Odom with what, 3 points??? I know Wesley played well, I'm just not sure it was against a team that was playing at anywhere near playoff level.

All that being said, Wesley got lit up last year on the post ups by Stackhouse. He was just too small in those situations. We have to have a bigger DWes (Artest?? or somebody) to be able to defend like Dwes in those situations. The Lakers did not have another perimeter player to isolate on our defense like the Clippers do. When you get in the playoffs, against the Spurs, or the Mavs, they have multiple perimeter threats that have to be defended. The Clippers schooled us Saturday because we were too small and inexperienced. They just took it to poor Luther. Don't get me wrong, I like Luther. But he is just too inexperienced to handle the horses like Cat, Sam, Parker, Manu, Finley, Terry, Stackhouse, etc. And Wesley is too small..........period. I don't want to depend on Wesley and Head defending the perimeter come playoff time.

I think we should consider keeping Wesley and still find a 6'5" to 6'7" SG who defends well (Artest??, Daniels???, Spree??, whoever???) and then we have the ability to match up better with the Spurs and Mavs.

It's looking more and more like McGrady is essentially our PG on offense, especially with Rafer being gone for so long and not being a factor. In crunch time, McGrady is either bringing the ball up or he is receiving the ball at the time line and initiating most of the offense in the last half of the 3rd and all of the 4th quarter. Our best lineup was him at the top and Head and Wesley on the wings last night. That lineup will work fine on the offensive end, combined with Yao and whoever. But on the defensive end, the better teams will take it to us.

 

I defended Wesley during the preseason but must admit my patience was wearing pretty thin during the first few games.

I agree with tigermission1. A starting caliber SG that can fill it up from the outside is our greatest need. This should have been our #1 offseason priority.

 

i still think he sux. and all of you will too when he plays like ****e the next few games. i'm all for hustle and everything but he still sux.

 

That's some really thoughtful analysis.

I knew his shot would come around. He's been a good shooter his whole career and he was coming off some offseason surgery. It was just a matter of time.

Good thing we didn't cut him in December like many people here thought we should have.

 

i just like to be succinct. why waste space with thoughtful and inciteful analysis?

 

well i always thought he was a decent shooter but than i went to look up his stats.. it seems like he's a horrible career shooter.. people are alway ssaying iverson shoots too much and too low of a FG% but iverson is shooting like 45% this sesaon and averaging 35pts.. anyways back on topic.. Wesley like shoots 38%-41% in his career. thats pretty low..... but i guess he does make some big shots..

 

I don't hate him.

I DO think he's a little gun shy, though. Went through a TERRIBLE shooting slump, and instead of shooting himself out of it, he became predictable. Pump fake at the 3 point line. Dribble once inside. If they actually buy the fake, shoot it. Most likely, pass it to the post and make a cut.

It's good to see him burying some outside jumpers, though. Keep it up, Wesley! Hopefully he regained some confidence when he found his shot vs. the Lakers.

 

Would you rather him shoot himself out of his slump the way mobley did? Man I wish we still had mobes

 

Good or bad, like him or not, he still will be traded around deadline time IMO. He, and his expiring contract, are our most valuable tradable commodity. What better way to pick up that prime SG that everyone seems to think is the next piece to the puzzle. Of course we still have a Moochie togo, also. But, we will soon be needing a back-up C or F/C and a taller swingman (say 'bout 6'9" - named DerMarr), right?

 

Nope, the #1 priority to me is a dribble penetrating PG, maybe Rafer is that guy maybe he is not. Look at some teams like NO and the Bucks, biggest factor in their turnarounds are dribble penetrating PGs like Ford and Paul. If Atlanta had drafted Paul instead of Williams they wouldn't have the crappy record they have now. Look what Tyrone Liu is doing turning around the Hawks, can you imagine what Chris Paul would do with that athletic lineup they have in Atlanta.

 

I'll admit, Wesley hasn't been half bad lately.

Appears to be a bad boy, with a lotta hoes.

On a random note, when's DA back?

 

Wesley is a huge part of this team with TMac back. Give the guy a break for being the second option when TMac was out because he's not a second option type player. He was forced to create and that's not his cup of tea.

 

Disagree, those teams you cited have COMPLETELY different system and are not anywhere similar to the makeup of the Rockets.

When you have T-Mac on your team, he IS the initiator of everything on offense. All we need is a guard who will bring the ball up across the mid-court, dish the ball immediately to McGrady, and then spot up for an open jumper and MAKE it for a change. This team was built with the idea of Yao/TMac taking so much pressure off their teammates and leaving them for wide-open shots, provided that they make them. McGrady is not a Reggie Miller who is most effective in moving without the ball, he's at his best and -- not coincidentally -- the Rockets are at their best when he penetrates and dishes to the open man (usually a guard) who then knocks down the jumper; remember when we had our best stretch last season? Everyone was making their shots. That's what this team is built around.

With that being said, Head can bring the ball up across the midcourt and is more than capable of passing it to T-Mac immediately to initiate the offense. When McGrady gets it and either penetrates and dishes, PnRolls with Yao, or take the shot himself, then that's when the Rockets are most lethal. That's what I want to see and that's how this team is built.

All this team requires of a PG is a good shooter and a quick enough/solid defender. I firmly believe Luther Head fits that billing and can rise to that challenge, and he would be cheap.

IMO, what this team should look like beyond Yao and McGrady is the following:

1) A PF who will give you rebounds and solid interior defense; we're not there yet but Stro could be the answer there, and may be not. But we don't need a scoring PF, we need a guy alas Kelvin Cato in that position.

2) A SG who's sole job is to make open jumpers to force teams to play either Yao or McGrady one on one, which in either case would spell death and destruction for the opponent . Of course, being a non-liability on defense would help also, but not really a necessity, since we can match up against the bigger, more capable SGs in the league with McGrady, and inserting Bowen or some other defensive specialist at the SF position.

3) A PG who will hurt teams with his shooting and scoring ability when left open (think Jason Terry here), but who can do a good defensive job in denying penetration by the Tony Parker's in the league; Head would do pretty well if given that role and left to mature into it.

And that, my friend, is the blueprint to winning a championship

 

I completely agree...I never hated Wesley but he has been used wrong this season...instead of 32-36 minutes per game, it would be more accurate for him to be a 10-15 minute contributor as a shooter and someone who can guard bigger guards...