67 replies to this topic

[Buckko]

@Buckko
BOSH??????? who is better Love or Bosh? if you said Bosh you haven't been watching basketball recently. while I will agree the gap between them isn't that great.......Love is clearly better. I like Bosh, but let's not get it twisted.............besides Bosh is a action movie hero..........the invisible man

Invisible, ask your favorite player aldrige about invisibility or game 6 Ray Allen RBF. I never said Bosh is better, he would just fit us better along with him being much easier to get.

[Red94]

New post: Is Dwight Howard a great player?
By: rahat huq

As is always the case when the Houston Rockets are on TNT, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal were not at a loss for words when giving their opinions on center Dwight Howard.  Shaq said that while Howard was once a great player, he now is just a good one.  Barkley, giving new meaning to the term revisionism, stated Howard never had been great.  A reader, Losthief, weighs in:

You know whats funny, i think most people and tv 'analysts' don't realize Howard is only playing 34 minutes a game right now. (his least since his rookie year) And I figure this is cause of health, coaches/teams long term goals. So yes, his averages per game are similar to the down year in LAL land, but her per 36 stats are actually much closer to his last 3 Orlando years. In fact, the only thing he is really below more than a marginal statistical variance is his shotblocking. And this includes a slow start to the year for him in November scoring wise.

Per 36 min:

FG%    FT%   ORB  DRB  TRB  Steals  Blocks AST  TOV  PTS  PF

Howard (3 years orlando)     59.3     56.0    3.5     10.0   13.5   1.2      2.4      1.6    3.3    20.1   3.2

Howard (LAL)                          57.8    49.2     3.3     9.2    12.5   1.1       2.5     1.4    3.0    17.1   3.8

Howard (Rockets)                   57.5     53.2    3.7      9.6    13.3    1.0      1.9      1.9    3.3    19.0   3.8

Omer (2012-2013)                  54.1      56.2    4.0     9.9     14.0   0.7      1.3      1.1    2.5    12.2   3.3

Also, Omer also only played 30 min a game last year without a back-up center available, and 35 minutes in the playoffs, Howard plays 34 minutes a game right now and has usually averaged just under 40 min a game in the playoffs. 5 minutes of game time is a significant drop off, especially when comparing two guys whose the one who plays more minutes provides (per 36 min.) 6.8(!) more points, 0.5 a block more, 0.6 steals, 0.8 assists more while shooting a higher percentage. This is while giving up only 0.6 rebounds less and 0.8 TOV less.** Also, you would have to pay omer after next year, which he'll demand more than 8.3 million a year, so not as much a savings moneywise over the course of the next five years as you would think versus dwight's contract.

**(And I could argue that 2.5 TO's is even worse for asik than dwights 3.3 TO's as he didn't lose them on post-ups like dwight but rather in the flow of the game (aka he turns it over more per touch (2.5 TO at a 12% usage rate to 3.8 at a 24% usage rate respectively)).

stats from here:

http://www.basketbal.../howardw01.html

http://www.basketbal...a/asikom01.html

Now, devils advocate, He's numbers are bouyed as much by a great december as they are hurt by the slow start in November and current slump in January. If we get December dwight (or something similar) over the next couple years, comparing asik to him is fruitless. If we get November Dwight, you have a better arguement (especially with potential $ savings) as far as value per dollar, but I'd still take dwight cause you can't keep both lin and asik moneywise going forward (after next year) if you get KLove, and Dwight plus KLove is always better than Omer or Lin plus KLove over the next 5 years in my opinion.

[pretty pleaze parsons]

The biggest upgrade the Rockets can make (and must make) is in coaching. Not in pie-in-sky trades.

Because the coaching is clearly deficient in championship caliber. And because coach salaries do not count towards the salary cap.

[Buckko]

We've discuss the coach to death, we know.

[Mario Peña]

There are those of us who have no problem with the coaching staff as well here in this forum. There are reasons why Morey choose the coaches that the Rockets have right now and by all accounts he is quite happy with the staff.


Sorry to be off subject here but we are discussing player upgrades, specifically Kevin Love.

[thejohnnygold]

Speaking of player upgrades...apparently we have upgraded to Terrence Jones 2.0 which even comes with a new moniker--"Basketball Jones".  Part of me likes the nickname...part of me wants something better...Like "Swoop".

 

It fits his game a bit as he swoops around the court grabbing boards, dunking everywhere, and blocking shots....and he has one carved into his head.  It's perfect! 

 

First, someone took the time to edit a 4 minute video of Jones' highlights from the Milwaukee game.  That coast to coast move is at the very end.

 

 

The reason I put this in the Kevin Love thread is to remind us how the grass is always greener.  Go to Minnesota fan boards.  Half of them want Love gone.  Meanwhile, we've got this guy who is growing up right before our eyes and, if I were to make a realistic guess, is operating at about 70% of his full potential.  He is going to get smarter, more comfortable, more consistent, and stronger in the next 2-3 years.  Some of that will show up in the box scores, but I think most of it will appear in the win columns.

 

 

I don't know about you guys, but I like what I see here.  That is a 16-4 record in Jones' highest scoring games.  Right around the 10 point mark it starts to drop off.  Even then, when he scores in double figures we are 17-7 overall.  We are 9-6 when he scores under 10.  He has an evolving all-around game that I think would be foolish to trade away--even for Kevin Love.  Now, if it was a straight up trade...maybe--that's not a big deal.  However, we all know it won't be anywhere near that for multiple reasons.  Let's look at more stats.

 

In games where Jones shoots 50% or better we are 15-6.

 

In games with double digit rebounds we are 11-3.

 

In games with at least 1 3pt made we are 9-3.

 

In games with 2+ blocks we are 15-2.

 

In games with 1+ steal we are 14-3.

 

In games with 30+ minutes played we are 16-5.

 

(all data from basketball-reference.com)

 

Basically, when Jones plays well we win.  His energy and success are contagious and elevate the play of the entire team.  He is such a good fit for us as he thrives playing off the ball and is excellent in traffic on both ends of the court.

 

I say forget Kevin "What's Not To" Love and his bloated stats.  Terrence "Swoop" Jones fills it up in the stat sheet and the win column--which is what really matters.

[rockets best fan]

@JG

I agree T-Jones is the answer at PF. the only thing he requires is time to grow up and that's happening right before our eyes. I said it before and I still believe it................we don't need a PF...........we need a 3 and D guy and a backup center. I still like the move to acquire K-Love if it's possible without giving up Harden, D-12, Parsons and T-Jones, but if one of those players must be moved to acquire him NO DEAL. I was of the mind we needed a better backup PF behind T-Jones but have come to agree with your view that D-Mo should get some spot duty there to see if it can propel his growth. his last couple of times out on the court were encouraging. I saw something in him that was absent before..........hustle. I know all young players make mistakes, but lack of effort is inexcusable to me. maybe that extended period on the bench and watching T-Jones move ahead finally lit a fire under his ass that motivated him to step up his effort. on the comparison of T-Jones and K-Love.......T-Jones still has a ways to go, but when I look at what each players salary is IMO we are getting a lot more bang for the buck in T-Jones. K-Love is better, but he also cost about eight time what T-Jones cost.............does he put up 8 times T-Jones stats?............NO. therefore there is no need to gut the team trying to acquire him. Yes he is still worth pursuing, but only if the price is right.  at this point I would much rather see the Rockets pursue A-Affalo and J-Henson and I think both can be had without dismantling the core of the team.

[redfaithful]

...we need a 3 and D guy and a backup center.

Totally agree. If we had Asik and Garcia playing at the level they did in the playoffs last year we would have a 1-5 punch off the bench that no other team can match (and some can't put up to start games...). Hope they get back to play like that, and if that doesn't work let Morey do his magic and find suitable replacements.