Some might think we don't need a stretch 4 because, according to insider info. Houston are going to play Howard and Asik together. I would agree with the media reports and insiders that we are not going to trade Asik for J.Smith or any PF on the market unless there's a better offer like a KLove or Bosch (unlikely). The Asik / Howard twin tower combo is not going to play major minutes unless hugely successful. More likely they are going to play about 15min a game together and the rest will be staggered giving both about 30 min. a game each. That leaves one of our young PFs to step up. I think T-Rob is gone to create cap space for signing Howard straight up. And I think Smith is also gone as his skill set is no longer required. That leaves T-Jones and D-Mo to fill in at the 4. Ideally we'd like them to space the floor but can they play stretch 4? D-Mo failed miserably last season, jacking up 3s at 28% isn't going to cut it so he'll have to improve his shot. Same with Jones. Needs to further solidify his 3 point shot for him to play stretch 4. I expect a lot of jump shooting, defense and rebounding practice for those 2 this Summer if Dwight comes. I imagine Houston to give the Asik / Dwight twin tower combo a real chance, at least until the trade deadline or a better deal than J.Smith comes along. Maybe KLove or LMA next year. Most of all I would like to see the Twin Towers work. If we become a top 5 defensive team (likely) and a top 5 offensive team (possibly) with this system, we are contenders for title.
Stretch 4 is a term coined for smaller bigs who can't bang inside and basically play on the perimeter. So in that sense, ANY star PF is by definition not a stretch 4. And they would be better than a stretch 4. So I don't see the point of the thread. Would KG or Aldridge be better than Delfino or Parsons? Of course they are. But you're comparing players with more talent with those of less talent. If you really want to make a comparison, would you rather have Reggie Evans or Jared Jefferies type over our current "stretch 4s"? Because if you want to bring up the Aldridge/KG of the world, then I can counter that by saying I'd rather have Durant play "stretch 4" for this team than any PF you can list(unless you count Lebron as PF).
This season Dwight and Gasol worked after the All-Star break for the Lakers to go 28-12 and beat us out for the 7th spot. Some people say its because Dwight moved out to the perimeter to play PNR with Kobe and Gasol played the low post... not the other way around like they did earlier in the season.
This, Memphis creates a lot of space, so does San Antonio without a pf that moves much past 15 feet, simply because you have to respect them at 15 feet.
Stretch 4's are always good for spacing. Depending upon the match up they could be a great asset. There's a reason why the Matt Bonner types continue to preserve their NBA careers.
A stretch 4 who can rebound, and be an adequate defender plus a healthy and motivated D. Howard can help us enormously. Having a stretch 4 plus Asik won't be adequate, we already went that route with Patterson.
A great stretch 4 is someone like Ryan Anderson, but he's a little overpaid for what he is (an energy guy who can shoot)
In Rockets' history? There's Hakeem and Ralph Sampson. There's also been Tim Duncan and Robinson. Vlade Divac and C Webb during their Kings days. Though they worked as passing big men in the high post. They weren't exactly rebounding or defensive monsters.
Yes, SA won a ring with Duncan and Robinson. Also, in the mid-late 80's, if Ralph Sampson was healthy, (I believe) the Rockets would have taken some rings from the Boston and Detroit teams that won in the late 80's.
I think he was referring to a twin towers pairing that had a stretch 4. The only one that comes to mind would be Dallas a few years ago with Dirk/Chandler.
You could also use Robert Parish and KEVIN MCHALE. Our coach was one of the best post players in the league.
The funniest thing is people here keep saying we need to get Josh Smith, since apparently he's a stretch 4. Realty check: the guy can't shoot. Worse, he still hasn't stopped trying. Though I understand mostly they want to take anyone with big salary so they have an excuse for dumping Lin.
That's so spot on its funny. Dwight Howard is going to be the best 4 Houston's ever had. The thing is you only have to trade Asik + PF to get Josh Smith. Lin is unlikely to get traded if Howard comes.
