hi dont know where to post it, and my newbie status dont allow me to post a new thread, so ... i hope it hasnt been posted already .... here's a list of the workouts held by the rockets (according to draftexpress) http://www.draftexpress.com/workout.php?sort=0&pid=0&tid=17 is there any report nd/or pic of the maurice ager's workout ?? thanks
i think novak will be a perfect fit for the rockets.. def gon open up room for tmac and yao with his shooting ability... hope he does well in his work out!
a little recap of the workout held in houston on may 19th, feat Rondo,Gibson, Foye and Washington http://www.draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=1304
I predict Tyrus Thomas' stock will fall way down before the draft. Of all the players being mentioned as top 3 possibilities, he is clearly the biggest fraud. I say that with no malice, just couldn't think of a better word.
Here's the problem I have with your analysis. First, you don't mention TMac, just Yao. Whether or not TMac manages to get back to his top-5 status is still up in the air, but we have to operate on the assumption that he will. So that will be two player on the team (especially given Yao's tremendous improvement late last season) who either command regular double-teams, or get killed by playing singlecoverage. This WILL leave more than one spot-up shooter open regularly, or else TMac and Yao are going to average over 30 ppg each. The defensive wisdom all year against us was to deny TMac and Yao, and let our poor outside shooting do us in. It worked, because we JUST. COULDN'T. BUY. A. SHOT. How many close games did we lose last year for that reason alone? Too f'in many. Having a guy who can shoot lights-out, such as JJR, would be a massively net plus for this team. How many wide-open shots did our OTHER non-athletic sub-6'4" players have last year? Plenty. No reason in the world that someone like JJR wouldn't be able to get the same looks. And, if he becomes a relaibel shooter, then they can't cheat off him, and Yao and TMac are able to do even more damage. This ain't "Rocket" science - Why do you think HVG was moaning about how big a mistake it was to let Padgett get away last year? It wasn't because of his defense, or his ability to create his own shot.
I agree that having a great shooter would help out Yao and Tmac, but I also think a slasher that can take the ball to the basket would be just as important. After watching the playoffs(no, I am not one of those people that makes all of his predictions off of a couple of games) slashers like Josh Howard, Manu, Kevin Martin, Bonzi, these guys have limited 3 point range. They can hit the shot but it is not there strong suit. If a slasher like them hits between 33-35% of their 3's that opens up there game tremendously. These types of players that can pump fake and take it to the rack is what we need just as much as an amazing 3 point shooter. Sometimes these players pass up wide open three's when people dish it out to them because they get an opportunity to take it to the rack. This is what we need more than anything. I will not be dissapointed if we don't get a great shooter in this draft, but someone who can penetrate and dish or finish. Guys like Alston need to quit settling for the outside shots and try to get in the lane more and dish around the basket to Yao or a cutter not to a 3 point shooter. Now, I know this is how the Rockets were built when we won championships but go back and look at their 3 point %'s. They weren't very great. They had a fine balance between taking it to the rack or firing up a 3. It definitely helped that everyone 1-4 could hit the three but look at San Antonio. Their point and shooting guards are not great 3-point threats and they get the job done very well. Anyways, a guy like Roy, Carney, or Gay would be a wise choice regardless of how good of shooters they turn out to be if they can take pressure off of Tmac and Yao by their slashing abilities. That is just as important as knocking down 3's. Either route we take, I will be excited because we should be able to find a player that can help Tmac and Yao on both ends of the floor, even if it is JJ.
Good Lord, I apparently have the typo virus in my fingers today. Anyway, I understand what you're saying, and it's not a bad thought, as such.. but it makes me wonder just how much room in the lane there is, considering JVG won't let Yao stray out of the middle, and everybody is demanding that TMac stop settling for jumpers and take it to the rack like he used to.. plus we allegedly have a 4 on the floor sometimes, for rebounding and defense, so there is another body in there... each one of those guys on OUR team offensively is also dragging at least that many into the lane with him, and probably more, in the case of Yao.. so is it really the thing we need most, to jam yet another 'slasher' in there with 6+ people already in there playing Demolition Derby as it is? I am not so sure.. TMac should be capable of the slash-and-dish-or-dunk role.. but if Yao is constantly doubled, then dishing to Yao ALL the time is not going to help us win.. we desperately NEED to be able to dish outside to someone who can actually hit a shot - Padgett, Air Bull, Horry, Elie, even Kenny Smith, especially Eddie Johnson, and Glen Rice.. guys like that who, at least at some points in their careers were deadly from the outside.. Heck, I would go so far as to try to pick up more than one guy like that this offseason.. trade down a couple spots, maybe pick up a future 1 or an extra 2, and pick JJ, then even gansey in Rd 2 .. Novak maybe.. athletic freaks don't excite me as much as ballers do.. heck, how many people looked at Kaman or Z and ever thought those guys could play good ball? Wouldn't hurt me at all to see some more of those Pat Cummings/Bill Lambier/Billy Paultz type guys on this team.. guys like that wouldn't even get a sniff from scouts these days, but they sure as heck were good for their teams.
I have not said nor do I believe that we just need to get one shooter for this team to be great. I simply said and I do believe that there is a place in the NBA and especially on this team for a dude that can burn the nets up with his shooting. He's not the end all be all. He's simply a component to a championship team. Our team is sorely lacking in several areas. But the greatest need we have is for a 3rd scorer. Yes, we need long, athletic defenders who can run the floor. Hey, Darius Miles is available. And could be had for probably nothing. There's some NBA proven length and athleticism. Now, we also need a couple SHOOTERS. We need both SHOOTERS and SLASHERS that are quick and can defend.
The thing is we still need a solid third scorer not just a shooter. Look at a lot of the third scorers in the league and they are all good finishers around the rim. I know what you mean about clogging up the lane and I have no idea how they solve it, but teams like the Spurs who probably clog the lane just as much as us somehow find a way to knife through the D and finish.(obviously not in the playoffs w/ the subtraction of Nazr). I would love to have a guy like Novak in the second round but they can not be expected to play more than 15 minutes a game and will not be a difference maker to make or break this team next year. I think our #8 pick could be the difference between us being good or bad. I think we can still be effective without deadeye shooters. I think the reason so many people are addressing these problems including the coaches, is because it was so glaring last year with all the missed 3's. Guys like Rafer should not shoot 6 three's a game. The only reason he is is because he is WIDE OPEN. No one on the team cut to the basket for an easy bucket from Yao. They just stood there waiting to brick a three. I am not picking on Rafer because he is a POINT Guard not a SHOOTING Guard and he is very capable of cutting to the basket for an easy layup. Unfortunately the system he was in did not utilize him to the basket which made his shooting weaknesses glaring. If we change our offensive sets just a little bit to have everyone in motion I think we would be very deadly. That is why a guy like JJ would be very effective because he probably will have the best endurance in the league running around screens, cutting to the basket, hitting shots. Not just camped behind the 3-point line like everyone thinks he will. I do not think we need an athletic freak necessarily, although it would be nice on the other side of the ball, rather a smart player whose motor never stops. If you haven't guessed my first pick would be Roy. He will be a little more dynamic than JJ and he might not be able to hit the 3 but what is wrong with nailing a 15 footer, especially if you don't have 3 point range.
hi here's an article about a workout featuring Steve Novak and Rudy Gay http://www.draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=1308
Morrison and Novac are my selections for the Rox and we will be very lucky to get them with our picks. By the way a few very good players are going to fall through the cracks, possibly Pittsnogle. I do hope the Rockets invite him to their Summer Camp.
they wouldn't try that if they considered draftexpress or any other draft sites as proper reporters/media.
I don't think the other draft sites have proper media credentials. DraftExpress is the only that really reports from the Chicago NBA draft camp, etc. At this point in time most NBA writers are covering the playoffs so the agents know that the people who are more likely to get the word out on their clients is a site like DraftExpress (especially now that Chad Ford is doing most of his reporting via phone these days).
i think we should at lead have at least ONE person that can scare somebody when the are taking a jump shot. remember last year on a ABC televised game against the Fakers. Kobe wasnt scared on who was guading him. he would just pretend it was practice, unfazed by who was infront of him. my pick for #8 would be in this order - gay (most athletic), carney (very atletic with a nice jumper) roy (pretty nice passer). Im sure one will be up there when we pick. the #32 pick would be Sun Yue (yes, another chinese person) check out his profile he is very athletic (can windmill easily) has a nice jumper. the only real problem is that he will be a weak player in the nba. that my 3 cents
Frankly, I agree shooting is nessary, but at #8 you should be getting somethign more than just a shooter. I believe that Carney, Gay, and Roy can give you thats shooting with defense, rebounding, and slasher ability. Shelden Williams could be a bona-fide starting PF for a good while too. If you want shooting and all...From teh looks of it..Rashad Anderson (that Assassin guy from U-Conn who took every other big 3 for them this year. Late in games you knew when he came in, it was to hit 3's and he did it. He also did that in very limited action. I do realize that team was loaded and he could have have been overlooked by Defenses, but still. You get to pick him up when he is undrafted.) On a similar note, Bobby Jones may not be drafted....I see him as a younger, quicker, bigger Keith Bogans already. He not the very good shooter, but some say he could become a poor man's Bruce Bowen. Just my two cents...
For undrafted players, if we want to bring in a shooter, than we should bring in Morris Almond. Interesting, all we are hearing from TMac and the scouting reports is how Carney can shoot the dickens out of the ball. Yet, I'm not impressed with his college shooting percentages.
