Why can't Gaines be are starter? I have to admit, I have been like alot of people here and waiting for the team to make a move to see who would be our pg. I actually am very anxious about it considering the possibilities that have been mentioned. With guys like Tinsley, Daniels, McInnis, James, Jones and even Bibby being dicussed on this board, it is easy to get excited about the prospects of who could join this team. But what about Gaines? I know it is not the norm to give the starting pg spot to a player that has hardly played, but couldn't he turn out to be exactly what we had been looking for? There is a reason he was drafted #15 overall two seasons ago and it's because he has obvious talent. Here is the description of him on the HoopsHype website: Can play all backcourt spots... Scores and passes the ball well... Good defender... Does a little bit of everything... Has no big flaws... Not an outstanding player in any aspect of the game. Wouldn't he fit just fine? He has the height, athletic ability, can shoot decent and defends. Plus, he is young enough to get better with experience. I mean, how hard would it be to pass it to Yao or Tmac every time down the floor? Couldn't he be another Ron Harper who ran the point for the Laker's three peat with Shaq & Kobe? Anyway, just a thought.
I think Gaines has tons of potential. He just didn't get enough playing time. I believe he has much more upside than Lue.
He's not ready for a big role just yet. He's a bit of a project player. If he was a viewed as a capable starter, do you really think Orlando would have been so willing to part with him?
There is no way I'd want (or even JVG) an un-established player to be our starting point guard in the upcoming season. Don't know much about him but I'm sure he has "potential", but we're trying to make this the best team possible and we won't be doing that by letting this guy start. Sure, he can work his way up sorta like how Marquis Daniels did last year or how Troy Hudson did in Orlando. If he's really that damn good, he'll be starter by the end of the year or even next season.
If he couldn't get time on the worst team in the nba why should he start for a team that went to the playoffs.
YEAR TEAM G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% OFF DEF RPG APG SPG BPG TO PF PPG 03-04 ORL 38 1 9.6 .291 .300 .640 .20 .80 1.00 1.1 .29 .05 .47 .60 1.8 When you put up those types of numbers you dont deserve to start.
Why can't Gaines be our starter? I don't know...is he good? I haven't seen him play. Is he a good ballhandler? I like veterans.
Thank you. Lue on the same team had respectable numbers, Gaines was just atrocious. I mean we can hope he progresses by leaps and bounds and finds a place/role for him in the NBA, but he is a major project who probably won't ever deserve major minutes in the league. Not a bad guy to fill out your roster because you never know, he could turn out in a few years, but absolutely not a player to count on now or expect to make your playoff roster.
If Gaines is good enough to start, I don't see that it matters who we bring in. That would just mean a little bit of depth at point guard. But I seriously doubt that anyone in the Rockets organization wants to go into the season with Gaines penciled in as the starting point guard. If he earns the position somewhere along the way, great. I know I'd be excited, especially considering his age. But there's no way he gets the job by default.
I don't mind him being the second PG, if our first PG is betetr than Tyronne Lue. But since we don't want to give Lue too much time at PG, we need a better backup. I wouldn't give Lue 18-20 minutes just yet. If our starting PG was McInnis, Damon Jones, or Antonio Daniels, then I'd think abotu making him the primary backup. But Lue has lots of flaws as it is.
I really believe that the guy is ready to start for this team, or at least play significant minutes. I'm not ready to give up on the guy because he's blessed with too much athletic ability, size, and yes, potential. Watching the guy play in college, it's way too hard to write him off. He never got the chance he wanted in Orlando--he was almost out of luck before he got started. I believe in the kid.
Personally, I just don't see him as a PG in the pros given what I saw of him in Orlando. That said, maybe, just MAYBE, the proverbial change of scenery will awaken something in Gaines and he'll play much much better here. That would be a real pleasant surprise akin to catching lightning in a bottle so to speak. It could happen...
Who has seen enough of Gaines, the pro, to know what is in store? Orlando traded him, Bobcats passed on him -- he may be a stud in waiting, or he may be a dud in truth. Fact: we collectively have no clue. Hope? yes. Clue? No way.
From what I saw of him in High School and College he could become a fine starting point guard on a championship caliber team. I think he could play a role similar to Ron Harper: solid defensive player, quick enough to guard PGs, strong and big enough to guard most 3s; good ball handler/distributor; nice range on his shot. With that said he hasn't shown the ability to do that yet at the NBA level. This argument would be more logical to bring back up after the frist four weeks of the season assuming he is given an opportunity to prove himself. But for now the Rockets need to address the PG position.
There may be something here... Starters: A newly signed MLE C Spoon Boki Griffin Gaines That would solve our depleated bench problem since we'd have the best bench in the NBA!
Orlando fell behind early last year, and it'd be hard for a rookie to get minutes when the team is constantly forced to come from behind. The subsequent coaching change solidified his role on the bench as the team's aim would be to first gain a respectable record and then move on to developing talent - and in this way his stats suffered. Pair that with a new GM who didn't even recruit the guy and naturally he becomes expendable (when both his original coach and gm are gone, he has no basis on the team). If you want go bring up his stats again, go ahead, it's baseless and JVG already offered Gaines a fresh start. And wasn't there a thread linked to an article which said houston asked for Reece Gaines? Maybe it's not so much that Orlando didn't see starting potential, but that Houston did. Can he be a starter now? hell no, but given the right environment he may turn out to be a solid player. I'm suprised a couple of you have already written him off as a bust.
I think you made my exact point for me. The FACT he was drafted so high means he has talent, plus the Rockets WANTED Orlando to add him to the deal. Just seems to me that he just needs the chance. TMac was drafted about the same spot in the draft, got the opportunity in Toronto and quickly became one of the league's best players. Look, I am not advocating him being our starter (I mentioned in my original post that I'm looking forward to see who they get) and I'm certainly not saying he will become one of the league's best, but he brings alot of positives in terms of size, defense, athletic ability and decent shooting (attributes many of us have posted we want in our point) to warrant consideration. I think he could surprise alot of us.
Those offense stats don't give me much hope for him starting next season. But if Van Gundy can work with him on his defense, maybe he can come off the bench and be a defensive stopper at both guard spots.
