18 replies to this topic

[Red94]

New post: [video] The rookies, at last

[bob schmidt]

Based upon my own feelings of frustration at not seeing Jones, Motie, Smith, and White getting a few minutes here and there, I can only imagine how they feel. As to Patterson, I've seen enough to feel like he deserves no lock as our starting PF. I don't dislike him, but I do not see him as our best option... But then again, I am not a coach...........

[Rahat Huq]

Not sure how I feel on it. Our defense is 4th stingiest so far in the league and Patterson is a big part of that.

[feelingsupersonic]

Not sure how I feel on it. Our defense is 4th stingiest so far in the league and Patterson is a big part of that.

Might I add that despite it being a small sample size it has been achieved against a sampling of good, average and one poor offensive team at this early point in the season. Top and bottom the defensive success is not just against the poor offensive teams.

As this team begins building from the ground up I would like to see defense as the foundation.

Also on a side note anyone hear anything about Royce White? I have hunch he might be out if he doesn't get it together or get a plan to make his NBA career a workable situation.

[bob schmidt]

Not sure how I feel on it. Our defense is 4th stingiest so far in the league and Patterson is a big part of that.

Hmmm... Statistically, Patterson may be far less a part of that than most realize. Looking at the actual stats for our first 6 games, http://www.basketbal...s/HOU/2013.html , 2Pat is only 7th on the team in rebounding rate, behind Delfino to my great surprise, and has only 2 blocks in close to 150 minutes of play so far. Aside from pedestrian defensive numbers, he is not doing much offensively either. It also says something when the defensive coach (Sampson) is calling him out for not rebounding very well. I guess that at this point I will have to disagree with you on this point Rahat. The actual numbers do not support your comment.

[Dan G]

Also on a side note anyone hear anything about Royce White? I have hunch he might be out if he doesn't get it together or get a plan to make his NBA career a workable situation.

From what I saw on The Chron, White is suffering from migraines.

http://stats.chron.c...0&type=injuries

[Dan G]

Hmmm... Statistically, Patterson may be far less a part of that than most realize. Looking at the actual stats for our first 6 games, http://www.basketbal...s/HOU/2013.html , 2Pat is only 7th on the team in rebounding rate, behind Delfino to my great surprise, and has only 2 blocks in close to 150 minutes of play so far. Aside from pedestrian defensive numbers, he is not doing much offensively either. It also says something when the defensive coach (Sampson) is calling him out for not rebounding very well. I guess that at this point I will have to disagree with you on this point Rahat. The actual numbers do not support your comment.

The rebounding rate is alarming but defensive numbers aren't solely based on blocks. Asik isn't getting as many blocks as I thought he would either but he is changing alot of shots, making people miss and not allowing people in the paint. I haven't seen Patterson enough to know if he is doing those type of things, but if he is, those are the type of things that don't really show up in the box score but definitely matter.

[Rahat Huq]

Bob - I have to disagree with you. Patterson's value isn't on the boards or in blocking shots. It's that he doesn't miss rotations. It's something valued very highly. For instance, someone like Jordan Hill can be a monster on the boards at times, but he is subject to frequent lapses. Those cause total defensive breakdowns. That isn't there with Patterson.

[Johnny Rocket]

My sense is that the Rockets are giving Patterson a real shot to prove himself, but it is clear he's not getting it done. His effective field goal percentage is horrible, his rebounding is terrible, and his defense is average. Yes, he rarely makes mistakes, but he's not athletic nor long enough to shut down the league's best starting power forwards. Six games is a small sample size, but at this point whatever Patterson adds on defense does not offset his offensive limitations. The real answer to the Rocket's problems at power forward might be Greg Smith. His advanced statistics are through the charts (small sample size warning!), but he has the size to rebound and defend in a way that Patterson cannot. And he's only 22--the same age as D-MO and only a year older than T. Jones.

[rockets best fan]

My sense is that the Rockets are giving Patterson a real shot to prove himself, but it is clear he's not getting it done. His effective field goal percentage is horrible, his rebounding is terrible, and his defense is average. Yes, he rarely makes mistakes, but he's not athletic nor long enough to shut down the league's best starting power forwards. Six games is a small sample size, but at this point whatever Patterson adds on defense does not offset his offensive limitations. The real answer to the Rocket's problems at power forward might be Greg Smith. His advanced statistics are through the charts (small sample size warning!), but he has the size to rebound and defend in a way that Patterson cannot. And he's only 22--the same age as D-MO and only a year older than T. Jones.

greg smith does not have enough range on his shot to be at PF. I agree with you that patt isn't getting it done. patt is a bench player not a starter. watching the rotation on the team i;m beginning to wonder why the rooks have not seen more time. patt does not offer enough of a scoring option to be the starter, and while he may be a good defensive rotation player rebounding is more important to me. nba players rarely shoot above 50% which means there will be a lot of rebounds. patt ain't grabbing his share. we must have double digit rebounds nightly from that spot.

[feelingsupersonic]

On Patterson I agree with you Dan. Rebounds and blocks would not be a good judge of PPat's defensive effect. Advanced stats like points allowed with him on the court versus him off the court would be more telling. Also I checked some SynergySports comparisons and Patrick Patterson was ranked ahead of Ibaka in field goal percentage allowed (he surrenders 42% FGP) which is not bad considering some of Patterson's defensive assignments this year (Smith, Aldridge).

I knew that about the migraines but I was wondering if anyone (looking at those in the know) heard anything more detailed.

[feelingsupersonic]

Rockets best fan, I agree with you. Patterson is basically a bench player on most very good teams. I do think Patterson has a role to play and it has to do with defense, coming off the bench and setting an example for other players with regards to playing for team but that is all down the road.

[Chichos]

I think PPat is our Brandon Bass with a little more defense and a little less hops. His jump shot is supposed to space the floor for a post man only Asik isn't ready to be our low post threat. If you pair him with a strong post presence I would expect his offensive numbers to improve immediately.

Defensively PPat is a lot like Battier was. He always seems to be in the area he needs to be pestering someone who needs to be pestered. But if Sampson called out his rebounding then he wasn't rebounding. Rockets track balls controlled where a player either rebounds it himself or tips it to another player who controls it. So when Sampson says he isn't rebounding he means PPat isn't fighting to control that defensive rebound.

[Jeby]

I feel pretty bad for Jones in that they told him to go out and grab rebounds, and he didn't get one, despite having two blocks and knocking down a three. I hope that doesn't hamstring his chances to get back out there next game.
It's frustrating to see guys who are gifted and bring a lot to the court get benched because they can't fill a role the coach wants. That said, I think Jones will be able to get rebounds if he continues to get playing time.
On Motiejunas: that post move was scary. If he could get his defense and rebounding together, he could command a double team in the post and GREATLY free things up for Harden. A successful team needs at least two guys who command a double team, and right now we only have one.

[rocketrick]

It's much too early in the season to expect any (much less all) of our rookies to be getting major playing time. They have to prove themselves in practice and when they can beat out the guy ahead of them and not hurt the team (defensive rotations are more important than most realize, for instance), they will begin earning some playing time. Then of course they have to produce to continue earning more playing time as the guy(s) behind them should always continue competing for their spot.

In regards to Royce White, I wouldn't expect the Rockets organization to give him on up so quickly and so easily. Marcus Morris is an excellent example. Even I have stated on these boards I thought Morris was done as a Rocket. He is playing admirably well in his role and I expect he will continue growing in confidence and improving his game as the season goes on. Morris is a lot quicker than I thought he would be and now I see why the Rockets were so keen on trying to convert him to playing the 3.

[feelingsupersonic]

It's much too early in the season to expect any (much less all) of our rookies to be getting major playing time. They have to prove themselves in practice and when they can beat out the guy ahead of them and not hurt the team (defensive rotations are more important than most realize, for instance), they will begin earning some playing time. Then of course they have to produce to continue earning more playing time as the guy(s) behind them should always continue competing for their spot..

I agree 100%.

[Zero Zero]

Can we just put McHale on an indefinite leave of absence and keep Sampson on the bench?

[Bigtkirk]

As noted in another thread, this team will not be successful playing the trio of Asik, Patterson and Parsons together for extended minutes. The Rockets' staff needs to give a substantial portion of Patterson's minutes to Jones and D Mo to see what they can do. But Patterson is proving with each passing game that his decline in efficiency metrics last season was no aberration. He is a backup NBA player, at best.

[Ostrow]

The problem right now with Parson, Patterson, and Asik playing at the same time is that none of them are really scorers. That leaves Lin and Harden as the only "scorers" on the floor. Lin has been struggling scoring right now, and his jumper isn't consistent enough at the moment. That means that Harden is the only guy who can get buckets right now in the starting rotation, and as we saw at the end of the last game, when good teams can key on one guy, that guy will be shut down, except for maybe one or two guys. A perfect example of our problem is at the end of the game when Harden got doubled and there was good ball movement which lead to a wide open three and we shot an airball. That shot has to be made.

Also, why wasn't Asik in the game while Wade was shooting free throws? He was subbed in when Bosh was, but I don't know why he wouldn't have been in there to begin with. We had a TO. He wasn't going to play on the offensive end. why wasn't the guy we brought in to rebound in to rebound?