Yep. When DD proposed that solution, it hit me that that's the only logical conclusion if you really wanted KPJ to be good.
It's weird that Jalen Green fans seem to always try to pit Green against KPJ.... The players compliment one another already and if Jalen Green ever steps his game up and becomes a competent combo guard, the fit will be even better. If you look at the on-off splits, it's pretty clear that Green, Smith, and Christopher have been the biggest drags on the team thus far... but since some can't admit to that, they need someone else to blame.
LOL - you can't read well can you? I said we look at trading everyone - and you try to get the best deal possible. I thought KPJ was HORRIBLE shooting tonight but good on assists, with 6 and 0 turnovers in the 2nd half after a sloppy first half. I am not 100% sold on KPJ, I just don't think we can trade him......either him or Green will be our SG in the future, and maybe both.....I am ok with that, if they both get better at it. DD
People just realize KPJ just isn't good. You'll never admit to being wrong (even though you always are).
Agreed we won't be able to trade him. That's why the contract structure makes sense. Green is definitely our SG of the future. Obviously he has to continue working on his game but all indications are he's a gym rat
I say and still say no, just extinguish the experiment, but it doesn't matter in the end. Nobody else can do much better. We just need him outta here in the next three years so that we can evolve on the floor as the real talent evolves.
KPJ is learning. I think he has to FINISH at a higher rate, and get better on defense - or I would trade him next year to the highest bidder assuming we have someone to play his position right now. DD
I'm not sure what you base your belief in that he's learning. At least in ways that translate on court. His FG% has declined every year he's been in the league. Below average FG% / below average 3% / below average FT%. Assist / turnover ratio has dropped from 2-1 to 1.5-1 this year. But if your goal is still him getting more shots up, he's doing that. More twos and more FT attempts. And hey, more boards from the PG spot. If that's your thing.
Like you said he doesn't finish and has no mid range game. Low efficiency too that's why I think he could be a Crawford type player off the bench. If he's hot then instant offense. If not the ball doesn't die in hands like we see too much.
I believe his FG% has declined because he has more playmaking responsibility, if he, like Green had that removed and just focused on scoring, I believe it would go up. Green, nor KPJ is all that efficient, both need to get better, IMHO. As for this year, small sample size, lotsa new players, chemistry...yadda, yadda, yadda. DD
i feel like him playing out of position is the reason those stats aren’t better. Not trying to make excuses, but wouldn’t it be great to see what he looks like off the ball? His catch and shoot percentages are impressive. I see the potential but I also see him being misused. The downside of his contract (which I’m just now realizing) is that we’ll be paying him like a high level starter even if we need to change his role. There’s no middle ground. The alternative is trading him or losing him for nothing. And certainly I wouldn’t expect to get fair value in a trade. despite the low risk commitment, waiting till this offseason might have made more sense as far as contract extension.
I agree with all that. KPJ is a two guard. He’s got a great handle which was the basis of the position experiment but he just doesn’t read defenses or make creative passes or protect the ball the way you’d like to see from that position. He’s much better looking for his own … but even there he’s a poor finisher so you’d really like to see him being put in position to do the things he does well. I didn’t hate the new contract because it’s basically a one year extension with options after that. My full expectation is that they do in fact lose him for nothing eventually. But the cap flexibility in 2023 doesn’t look like such a big deal. They aren’t contenders for free agents who want to win and the class overall is pretty weak.
See, I agree, with that. I am just tired of the narrative where people are b****ing about him and then when Green does the exact thing, don't say a thing. They are both young players trying to do more than they are capable at their current levels and have a coach that isn't helping them much. DD
And I am tired of the narrative that Green and KPJ are comparable in any way except they are in the same team, coached by the same Silas.
That is literally the only thing he has done well on a consistent basis with low volume. And passing when he is willing to, which is rarely the case. He has good handles but he cannot do anything with it. He can be a back up pg, or a starting sg but he has some way to go there, basically needs to be better and more consistent on defense, and improve his shot selection drastically. Eventually, Rockets either will keep him as a bench player, which I am almost certain KPJ will not be happy about and be problematic or trade him in value similar to Wood or less. He will have value on a more limited role on some other team, but I don't see that happening here on the rockets. And I don't think KPJ will accept that he is not the player he thinks himself to be before he goes to another team to face the reality.
I think if we have some set plays for him to run, he can execute. The first play last night where Jabari hit the corner 3, he knew Jabari would cut through the baseline to the corner and made the pass. He is just not seeing the floor and making the right play spontaneously as a good playmaker can do.
Such a weird comment to make after a night when he had 10 assists and his playmaking was instrumental in the comeback...
Yes, if you stop right there. But then, when you go on about how they have similar upside, or they should be treated similar because they are both 'young', that's where it gets ridiculous.
Agreed, they aren't comparable in any way. If Green isn't scoring well on any given night, he's worthless because he hasn't yet developed the other parts of his game. Last night was a good example of a terrible shooting night by KPJ where he still led the comeback by creating for others and the other ways he impacts the game. The hope is that fairly soon Green will be able to do that too.... but as of now the two aren't comparable at all
