The Rockets Daily – January 20, 2013

By mitchell felker | January 20, 2014 at 12:22 pm

Bev’s Back - It looks like Patrick Beverley will be back in the lineup tonight when Portland comes to town.  Despite missing a month with his broken hand, McHale is anxious to get him back into the starting lineup.  And with good reason.

“(Lin’s) communicating and scoring is really good for that group,” McHale said. “That’s why I want to get back to that. I thought that was some of the best basketball we have played this year. Getting back to that should be really good for us.”

As has been pointed out in this space before, Lin’s skill set is vital to a second unit that has struggled since he was forced into the starting role.  And Beverley provides the defensive toughness that no one else in the Rockets backcourt can really provide (unless Brandon Knight is in town, apparently).  Shifting Beverley back into the starting role with Lin off the bench might also help curb James Harden’s minutes some, as he averaged over 39 mpg for the month of January.

And with Damian Lillard coming to town, Beverley’s return couldn’t have come at a better time.  Last year’s Rookie of the Year has improved his scoring to 21.4 ppg this year, while shooting almost 44% from deep.  Expect Beverley to hound Lillard up and down the court as he strives to prove what the Rockets have been missing in his absence.

Trade Talk - Amin Elhassan of ESPN Insider has another trade idea in their series leading up to the trade deadline this February.  Of course, it involves Omer Asik:

Atlanta trades: Elton Brand, Jared Cunningham, Pero Antic, and either the rights to Lucas Nogueira OR a 2015 first round pick (lottery protected).
Atlanta receives: Omer Asik, Isaiah Canaan.

You really have to wonder if Amin is a Hawks fan with this one.  This trade provides nothing that GM Daryl Morey was looking to get out of Asik’s impending departure.  No impact player for the stretch run, and not only does it not include a lottery pick, but the pick isn’t even in the much-ballyhooed 2014 draft.  And on top of all that, the Rockets throw in Isaiah Canaan as sweetener, because giving up the best asset in the trade just isn’t enough.

The Rockets big get out of all this is the 16th pick from last summers’ (weak) draft, Lucas Nogueira, the rangy 7-footer from Brazil.  And while he may yet prove to be a serviceable NBA big man, the return just doesn’t fit the Rockets’ needs now and in the future.  I think it’s safe to say that Morey would prefer to keep Asik and just have the most overqualified backup in the league, than accept that kind of pittance for one of the premier defensive centers in the league.

Basketball Jones-ing - In case you missed it Saturday night, Terrence Jones had a career night against the Milwaukee Bucks and your friends on Twitter were all over it.

Even with shot blocking specialists Larry Sanders(!) and Jon Henson, the Bucks could not keep Jones away from the rim.  Out of his 14 shots, Jones scored 13 of them from inside the paint, and most of those came from inside the restricted area.  His one shot from any kind of distance was a three pointer from the left corner, the one area of the arc that Jones is shooting a respectable number.

But the good news didn’t stop there.

Those are some pretty impressive numbers right there.  Being the only other person to do something on a list of accomplishments with Hakeem Olajuwon is cause for celebration.

With his previous career night just a few days earlier (25 pts, 8 rebs, 59%FG against the Pelicans), it’s safe to say that Jones is currently shooting fire out of his eyeballs.  I can’t wait to see what he has in store for LaMarcus Aldridge and the Blazers tonight.  And I’m not the only one apparently, because when even the guy Jones indirectly replaced is noticing, you must be doing something right.

View this discussion from the forum.

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Total comments: 14
  • ale11 says 3 months ago

    Maybe the Nuggets, if Morey is willing to play with fire in-conference?

    If you can get Chandler and Mozgov (having to add something other than Asik, not Lin though, Lin and Lawson could make some chaos at home), I'd be all for it. Asking for Gallinari would be too much

  • BenQueens says 3 months ago

    I did not say whether I thought he was worth a lottery pick or not. I simply stated Morey's wishes. Having said that, it's a terrible trade for the Rockets.
    And FYI, the suns got a near-lottery pick for Marcin Gortat. If you don't think Morey can scrounge up something better than that, I don't know what to tell you.

    I think it's pretty interesting to think about what the Gortat trade signals about Asik trade possibilities. WAS seems to think they're in "win now" mode: They plan on making the playoffs, and the combination of the pick and the salary dump makes me think they don't expect to get much from the draft in the next two years. Are there any teams in a similar situation (making a playoff push, need a C, get scoring from elsewhere) that will have a draft pick to trade (presumably from another team)? I might have said Cleveland before the Deng trade. Maybe the Nuggets, if Morey is willing to play with fire in-conference?

  • txtdo1411 says 3 months ago

    In the Euro Leauge maybe. Or if he was traded to the Heat. You can't build a team around Asik and win a championship.

    You don't have to build around Asik, but I could see him on a championship team where he was the third or fourth best player. You can't underestimate how important a defensive anchor is. Put him on a team with good shooters and an offensive play maker, and they got a chance to make some noise. Asik not playing and being "injured" is hurting how he is viewed by other teams as well as our own fans. I wouldn't say he is worth a high lottery pick by any means, but late lottery in most drafts for sure... maybe not in this years draft.

  • Mitchell Felker says 3 months ago Also, if you click my name next to my picture on the Daily, it will take you to a page with an "email" icon that will send to my personal box.
  • Mitchell Felker says 3 months ago

    Quote:

    What's the best way to contact you if we've got a tip for something to go in the daily, Mitchell? I saw this article was posted last Friday that I thought probably deserved mention: http://hardwoodparoxysm.com/2014/01/17/houston-we-have-lift-off-a-breakdown-of-the-rockets-pick-and-roll/

    Sir, thanks for the tip. I wish I'd seen that. I sent you a PM how to reach me in the future. Any help finding material is appreciated.
  • Mitchell Felker says 3 months ago

    It's funny you think Asik is worth a lottery pick.

    I did not say whether I thought he was worth a lottery pick or not. I simply stated Morey's wishes. Having said that, it's a terrible trade for the Rockets.
    And FYI, the suns got a near-lottery pick for Marcin Gortat. If you don't think Morey can scrounge up something better than that, I don't know what to tell you.
  • Sir Thursday says 3 months ago

    What's the best way to contact you if we've got a tip for something to go in the daily, Mitchell? I saw this article was posted last Friday that I thought probably deserved mention: http://hardwoodparoxysm.com/2014/01/17/houston-we-have-lift-off-a-breakdown-of-the-rockets-pick-and-roll/

    ST

  • Steven says 3 months ago

    Asik is a center that can anchor a championship team.

    In the Euro Leauge maybe. Or if he was traded to the Heat. You can't build a team around Asik and win a championship.
  • Buckko says 3 months ago Asik is a center that can anchor a championship team.
  • Cooper says 3 months ago Asik is too old and much of a one dimensional player to be worth a lottery pick. The allure of having an outside shot at the top 5 is hard to overcome. And even though the track record for lower lottery picks is not as great gms still believe they can find talent there and having a young starter on a cheap contract is the best way to build a roster from the lottery to a real contender.
  • rockets best fan says 3 months ago

    @TTDN

    I understand if you are pissed at Asik................I am too, but that doesn't subtract from his talent. Asik is pouting because he wants to play. if he is going to a situation where that team intends to start him he will become for them what he was for us last year..........A rim protecting defensive anchor who rebounds at a high clip. that's valuable in the NBA world. we say it all the time........that 7 footers don't grow on trees........you can't teach height. so when one of those type of players becomes available they command a certain amount to acquire them. what you see Morey doing right now is a poker game.......as we get closer to the dead line somebody will blink

  • timetodienow1234567 says 3 months ago Asik has health/maturity issues and he won't put you over the top. A rebuilding team doesn't want to get him and be stuck on mediocrity.
  • rockets best fan says 3 months ago

    @TTDN

    Asik is worth a lottery pick........what's funny about that. yeah he's not worth a top ten, but 11-14 would be more in line if just receiving 1 pick. ask yourself this............can a team find a center of Asik's caliber after the 10th pick in the draft this year? Asik is a proven commodity. it's well known throughout the league what he is capable of. if I was the GM of a team drafting in that range an knew my team lacked a quality starting center depending on where I was in my team building process Asik might be the missing piece that gets me to the next level. think about past players drafted in that range.........M-Morris, J-Lamb, P-Pat. I used Morey's because we generally consider him a good drafter. would you trade any of those players for Asik? me.......I would trade ALL of those players for Asik :lol:

  • timetodienow1234567 says 3 months ago It's funny you think Asik is worth a lottery pick.