With Jones/DMo playing well, do you still want a stretch 4 for Asik?

You absolutely still look for an improvement at the 4.

 

2 games and we already talking about this. Even if we don't get a stretch 4, we need a backup C. No way small ball will be effective against all teams. There will be time where our 3 pt shots won't fall and there will be time when Howard will get into foul trouble. Who is a C that you can trust? Jones? Maybe, but he's still undersized, and don't think he will be so consistent. Greg Smith is too short to secure rebounds, and DMo can't defend. If Jones keep this up, we only need a veteran backup C + perhaps a perimeter defender, but I'm not completely sold on him. I still think we need a stretch 4 that can slide to the 5 when Howard rests. Perhaps we can trade Greg Smith or DMo for a perimeter defender.

 

Being a big D-Mo fan (but not one to b**** and moan when Jones is starting and playing inspired basketball) I would like to say that his defense is looking totally acceptable right now, even at the center position. We all believe Asik will be traded sometime in the indeterminate future (but most probably not before 12/15 as discussed by Bima) and the best possible case is that D-Mo can step right in as the backup center. If that happens Morey can trade Asik and not leave a gaping hole that has to be filled. Best possible outcome. Another 3 weeks of watching D-Mo and Jones should give everyone a better idea of what the future holds.

 

I would prefer to keep Asik and have him anchor the defense while Dwight is out. I would even have him in during the hack-a-Dwight minutes (usually 2-5 minutes left in the game) then put Dwight back in for the final 2 minutes. If they are hacking then we are leading and Asik's defense will be more important than scoring.

Asik will still get plenty of minutes on a winning team. No time to sulk. Get out there and play! If he is traded I would hope we wait until the trade deadline when more opportunities will be available. This time of the year is probably the worst time of the year to make a trade.

 

Asik is the key to the 3rd star. That Jones is looking good helps us. We can package Asik and Jones to get a star at power forward, Asik and Parsons for a star at small forward, or Asik and Lin or Asik and Beverley for a star point guard.

Fortunately we have time to find out if Jones can keep up this level of play before the Feb deadline.

 

Jones is the perfect Stretch 4, he has the weak side defense that this team REALLY needs i would trade asik for a lottery pic

 

Yea, but is there anyone the Rockets can get their hands on is a upgrade over TJ...? Parsons, Garcia, and Casppi doesn't look like a championship wing crew to me... As of now that's the weak spot on the team.

 

This is my thinking as well. Obviously I think they would still need to scavenge up a true veteran center as a backup somewhere around the league, but that can come from either a secondary trade for a draft pick, or just simply come from waivers later on in the season (hopefully Okafor), or worst case scenario Camby comes back in February. Heck, we might just be waiting till Dec 15 so the Rockets can get Steimsma from NOLA for that particular reason.

Moving to the center position actually makes things easier for D-Mo because he can just use his size to plug holes in the offense, and alot of times he can shade off his man (usually a - offensively) to be more of a help interior defender rather than having to deal with quick athletic PF's like Jeff Green blowing by him on the perimeter.

Longterm D-Mo's position should really be center. He really benefits from being inside the paint. However he's still a couple years away physically from being able to go against real physical backup centers so its still a good idea to have a backup on the roster somewhere that can play in situationals.

Like you said though.... this next 3 weeks should tell us alot about what we can and can't rely on Jones & D-Mo for the remainder of the year.

 

You and me both, dude.

I know he wouldn't match well with Harden, but sometimes watching Harden play "defense" is as painful as, well, as Harden's feet, I guess.

Here's hoping James becomes more engaged on the defensive end, but oh, if we had someone who could deliver pinpoint passing into the post.

EDIT: AND AS FAR AS TJONES, let's see how he does against Dirk tonight. He did get killed against Melo, as could be expected. The idea being, I'm glad Lunkhead McHale was forced to play Tjones and discover the kid can play, and I like Tjones, but what's his learning curve? How's our patience? Etc.

 

^ Would anticipate that Howard gets the start on Dirk, and Jones has to handle the great Haitian sensation.

However Howard tends to want to play back on the P&R, so McHale might switch the two later in the game if Howard is getting lit up on the Ellis/Dirk high P&R.

Either way should be an interesting matchup for the Rockets tonight. The Ellis/Dirk matchup seems like it could be problematic for this team.


Also- Someone please want to guard Jose Calderon???.... thanks.

 

Lee/Olnyk and a 2014 Pick for Asik and Casspi.

 

With Jones playing the way he is, i wouldn't be opposed to flipping Omer for a bad contract and a 1st round pick. Especially if they could make that bad contract a center.

 

I'm for getting a great perimeter defender but doesn't that mean trading Parson, Harden, or Lin in order for that person to get lots of minutes. Beverly is your PG/SG backup so I guess you can look for a SG/SF. It has been a tandem of Garcia and Casspi. Brewer is actually considered by many as a premier perimeter defender so you already have that.

So if you looking for a SG/SF who are you going to find? Avery Bradley is too short. Deshawn Stevenson is old. Danny Green won't get traded. Tony Allen won't get traded. Shumpert has rotten Greg Oden knees.

Getting good value for Asik is not an easy task. I also think that GMs are starting to hesitate to trade with Morey because they don't want to keep looking stupid. Trading with Morey is like staging your house when you are about to sell. Once you clean it up and getting looking good you suddenly realize you might actually have something special.

 

great points though I don't agree on teams purposely not trading with morley. If it benefits both teams, teams will execute trade. if it's something like garm trades, where we deal garcia for love straight up, then yes gms will probably press the off button on their phones.

 

I would kill for Rando as well, this team will not win a championship with Beverly as their starting point guard. To trade Asik and parts for a stretch 4 IMO would be going backwards unless it was for Aldridge or Love, stay with TJ and D-Mo. I don't see Morey giving Asik away for peanuts and I wouldn't be surprised to see Lin and Asik moved for a star type player at the deadline.

 

Tjones playing well doesn't necessarily mean we won't get a stretch 4 in a trade. Morey doesn't care about fit as much as you guys do, he'll trade Asik for the best player available for the value.

What Tjones playing well gives us, though, is leverage. If we're winning games playing Asik <10 minutes a game and appear to already have a serviceable PF, other front offices will be more willing to pay actual value to get Asik. The reason Asik hasn't been traded yet is half the FOs in the league undervalue him, and the other half are praying Houston implodes so they can steal Asik in a panic trade (you'd think they'd know better about Morey by now).

 

Rockets want a star at the 1, 3, or 4. An upgrade at any of those positions is possible in an Asik trade.

PS. Most be able to shoot 3s if either a 1 or a 3. Most be able to at least hit mid range jumpers for a 4. Defense preferable.

 

This is truth. There is a strategic reason that Omer may not play many minutes before the 15th. Morey needs to see what he's got.

 

Boston is not giving up draft picks! They are tanking... Why tank and then get rid of your pick? It makes no sense!

 

Agreed. Asik should be hoping that DMo looks good in backup center minutes, because it will increase the likelihood of Asik getting traded from 93% to 99%. Unfortunately, I'm not at all convinced DMo is the answer at backup C.