This paragraph tells you a lot about both statistics and how the team won games last year: More than getting a "better second unit" or "playing Lin as the 6th man", the lack of a defensive anchor with Asik off the floor is what cost the team games. All of the PF options, along with Harden, are sieves 1-on-1 and even worse at playing team defense (e.g., fighting through screens, rotating to the correct man, not ball-watching, etc.). Without defensive help from the PF position and more consistent defensive effort from Harden, the best hope that this team has to build and hold onto leads is to have one or both of Asik and Howard out on the floor at all times. Otherwise, opposing teams will have free reign to attack the paint at will.
Quite right. I think there's a reason Morey said that having Asik as a back up was statistically better for the team than getting a minor upgrade at the power forward. If there's a chance of getting someone really amazing then I think we have to go for it but otherwise, lets try to convince him that not being traded is the better option. You could argue that his trade value will never be as high as it is now, since his exposure/production will be down as a back up, but unless there's a really good move out there don't do anything just for the sake of it.
You could as easily counter by saying that Asik was better in Houston because he anchored the defense for the fastest paced team for a longer sustained amount of time. I don't think it's a question of where he was better, his situation changed and he adapted brilliantly. In fact, his reputation as an elite defender came into fruition in Houston. His leaving the Bulls came with lots of questions about being effective with starter minutes and wow, did he deliver. How many teams were even willing to pay him what the Rox did? Now, several teams think he's a bargain for his showing. He was good enough that we looked like amateur hour defensively without him on the floor. It was quite glaring. On your second point, I agree. I don't see why Asik couldn't average around 20 mins a game alongside Howard. With those 2 anchoring our defense, we'd be a menace at all times. I just hope that Howard shows the same kind of motor that Asik does with the pace that we play at.
I think the most interesting part that Henry Abbott noted was the Asik discussion. And this is a big part of why we don't yet know what the Rockets have created. The creation is far from over. Important decisions like what to do with Asik (along with other pieces like Lin, DMo, Jones, etc) still remain. Even if the team doesn't make another trade, the $2.65M Room Exception may well land the team a quality player-- Morey has preserved it so far for a reason.
Abbott does a fine job keeping truehoop running, but he writes a lot of articles that can be summed up as, "Lotsa things could happen. Isn't that cool?" Generally not that informative, but he posts a lot and keeps conversations going. I wouldn't call him an analytics guy. He likes to talk about them but never applies them properly, and he never says anything that hasn't been said on this board 1000 times. The other truehoop columnists like Arnovitz are much more insightful, though perhaps a little dry.
I just liked the summary of all the questions that still surround what the Rockets can or will do as opposed to just trying to rank them in the west or predict where we'll go in the playoffs with no real data to be accurate. It's definitely a discussion/conversation piece, not a ground breaking analysis of the team.
Unless we can get Lamarcus or Love, I'd prefer the Rockets keep Asik. I just hope they can convince him to take on that role and that he can stay motivated as he did last season. I wouldn't blame him if he doesn't though, he definitely proved himself as a starter.
I largely agree with Asik being more important than an upgrade at the 4 unless it's a huge upgrade. I still like Jones and D-Mo so i really wouldn't mind going into the season with this exact unit. Our defense was a catastrophe when Asik didn't play, but to a degree that can speak as much to how bad Smith was as anything. If we had a Marcus Camby type would our D have fallen of that much. I think sulking is against Asik's character so I think he'll give effort regardless, but if we can get a really good package and then sign Camby would we really miss Omer that much.
Thoughts provoking article. Hopefully: -Asik stays and develops a good J, -McHale improves as a coach and is able to "devise the best team scheme, and massage all the egos enough to keep everyone focused on the bigger goal" -Harden would accept it if "Lin and Howard develop into a potent pick-and-roll combination" and be more mature than last season -T-Jones becomes very good at man D.
