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Russ has been bad - but he also hasn't been given a chance

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by foggy94, Dec 4, 2019.

  1. smp

    smp Member

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    The point is you don’t play the same when Dream is your center as you do when Chucky Brown is your center. You don’t play the same when Harden is your PG as you do when Westbrook is PG.

    You have to modify the system depending on who is on the court.
     
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  2. smp

    smp Member

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    Did you not just read? No examples like I said. Haha.

    Let Westbrook run wild. That’s the only adjustment which I pointed out and then you reiterated it.

    Give your own example. There should be plenty of them since Harden is MVP and Westbrook is a scrub. The system should be vastly different.
     
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  3. durvasa

    durvasa Contributing Member

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    I think he had about 30 chances last night, and whiffed on 23 of them.
     
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  4. Nook

    Nook Member

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    That isn't going to happen. He is over 30 years old and never has played that way.

    The only way it works is to put personnel around him that will allow him to maximize what he does well and minimize what he does poorly.

    Currently he is destroying spacing on the court. He cannot shoot at that will never change. That has a cascading effect because that means clogged lanes and doubles for Harden, which means less good three point looks for the players on the floor. As it is, teams do not need to guard Westbrook or Capela. So the only way to solve that issue is to improve the spacing, which means opening the lane and forcing teams to guard shooters. That means when Westbrook is on the floor with Harden, the Rockets need a center that can stretch the court and improve spacing. The Rockets do not have that.

    What Westbrook does well is push the tempo. So we need wings that are long and can get out in transition. We do not have those.

    Ownership has not and will not give the front office the financial freedom to maximize what can be done with Westbrook and minimize his weaknesses. So basically we have what we see on the court............ an all time great in a tough conference trying to will a bunch of mediocre talent around him to relevance.
     
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  5. YOLO

    YOLO Member

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    if you're not going to actually read the posts, there's no need to have any further discussions. you're just wasting my time. if you change your mind, bring some actual context into the conversation.
     
  6. smp

    smp Member

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    Agreed. The feeling is mutual.
     
  7. Nook

    Nook Member

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    Westbrook has LOTS of space....... the spacing is effecting Harden and as a result the other 3 players on the floor. The idea that Westbrook doesn't have space is absurd. He would shoot 40% if a chair was guarding him.
     
  8. YOLO

    YOLO Member

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    it sucks. If westbrick could make the smarter adjustment, he could impact actual winning at a much better rate. guys like simmons/giannis put there stamp on games despite not having the best jumpshots. they first realize this is their weakness and pick and choose their spots. they then find ways to make themselves impact the game in other ways. but nah, here we have westbrick jacking up broken jumpers left and right, turning it over, and continuing to be inefficient. It's crazy how people believe harden would have less burden on him this year. Dude has to average 40 and be amazing all around for the rockets to win now. His burden is as high as ever. SMH
     
  9. topfive

    topfive CF OG

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    I really hate that you're right. Nothing personal, I just hate the situation.
     
  10. YOLO

    YOLO Member

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    believe me, I hate the rockets team actually has to go through this and being stuck for what the next 4 years. between him and LTS i don't know what's worse :(
     
  11. foggy94

    foggy94 Member

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    Take a look at the spacing on these 4 possessions. These are taken from the end of the 1st quarter, Russ running the 2nd unit with Rivers/Clemons/Clark/Tucker.

    Russ runs a pick n pop with Clark. Clark's defender leaves him and drops into the paint. Russ passes to Clark who misses the open 3
    [​IMG]

    Possession 2: Clemons fakes a screen then curls away. Spurs currently have 4 men in the paint blocking Russ. Rivers, Clark and Tucker are completely unguarded. Clemons is left to spring free, Russ hits him for the open 3 pointer. He misses.

    [​IMG]

    Possession 3: Russ runs a pick n pop with PJ. Spurs again have 4 in the paint. Tucker's man drops, Clemons and Clark are completely ignored.Russ nearly loses the ball here and passes out to Rivers, a slightly broken play leads to a Clemons 3. Missed.
    [​IMG]

    Possession 4: Another pick n pop with Clark. Spurs drop the big again, with another guy in the paint leaving his man (Rivers). Mills is chasing over the Clark screen to contest too. Russ hits Clark for a semi-open 3. Missed.
    [​IMG]

    Look at the amount of players in the paint on all these halfcourt possessions and tell me how spacing hasn't been an issue for Russ with these second units. Clark is a 29% 3 point shooter. Rivers was a 29% 3pt shooter before last nights game. Clemons is a rookie who isn't getting guarded. The first 5 shots from this second unit were all open 3's generated by Russ, but Clemons missed 3 and Clark missed 2.
    [​IMG]
     
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  12. Zboy

    Zboy Contributing Member

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    The way he has been dribbling lately, the chair would have a steal.
     
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  13. Nook

    Nook Member

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    Ultimately it is like putting together a puzzle. If it is well put together the return is better than the sum of the parts.

    Westbrook will never shoot well unless it is in transition for a lay up. It won't happen.

    The problem is if he doesn't shoot then it is largely 5 defenders on 4 offensive players.

    So some of that can be counteracted by having a 5 that can stretch the court. That opens up Westbrook some for penetration, and more importantly opens up the lane for Harden and quality looks to everyone but Westbrook. We don't have that though so now Harden's job is as hard as it has been in years. He doesn't have enough spacers on the floor so teams are sagging into the lane and they can even come out on him 30 feet from the basket because Westbrook cannot shoot so a soft or even hard double works. No one else can create so we end up having Harden shoot 30 times and hitting 8-10 of them because every single shoot is contested, usually by multiple players.

    It sucks. If the Rockets front office had been allowed to add a wing that can defend and shoot 3's and a 5 that can stretch the court........ James' numbers would be even better......and Westbrook would be more effective and we would likely be a top 2 team in the league.

    Instead we half a roster of pieces that do not fit and mediocre talent outside of a few guys.

    When House comes back and Gordon returns they will likely look better...... and everyone will say everything is better...... until the playoffs when they again try to force Westbrook and Capela to beat them.
     
  14. YOLO

    YOLO Member

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    Capela has actually turned into the rockets 2nd best player. Thank goodness he is still around. If one needs to go, you already know what my preference would be easily. get rid of the brick piece that doesn't fit, but that won't happen as they are stuck with him unfortunately
     
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  15. Roc Paint

    Roc Paint Contributing Member

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    You’re right because he is to twitchy
     
  16. LosPollosHermanos

    LosPollosHermanos Houston only fan
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    Wtf is this OKc?

    you notice every year since KD left that it’s the pieces don’t fit around him blah blah.

    he can’t finish at the rim and he can’t shoot for ****...wtf qualities are you hoping for in Russ.

    I love his energy but damn was this a dumb trade
     
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  17. Nook

    Nook Member

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    I am not as worried about spacing for Westbrook when Harden ISN'T on the floor. The reason is that in big games, and in the playoffs Harden is going to play 40 or minutes. If Westbrook is going well, he will play 40 minutes. That means that the overwhelming majority of the time Westbrook is on the court is going to be with Harden. James Harden draws more attention than anyone in modern basketball (even more than MJ because of the rule changes). That means that Westbrook is going to not have spacing issues when it comes to getting open shots. The lane will still have some issues because Capela cannot shoot...... hence why the Rockets need a back up big that can space the floor.

    I don't think anyone is saying that players like House are helping Westbrook (or Harden) on the spacing issue. That is where the Rockets need to do better in transition. When Harden sits, the Rockets need to capitalize on Westbrook's ability to play at a fast speed and score in transition.
     
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  18. Nook

    Nook Member

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    Capela provides rebounding and depending on the match up, good defense. The Rockets still need a 5 that can space the floor. Ideally someone that is capable of playing 20-25 minutes if necessary but can come in and cause mismatches and allow the Rockets to improve the spacing when needed. We don't have that type of player. Capela and Westbrook on the floor together at times is rough.

    As far as trading away Westbrook, we both know that isn't happening. So the best thing is maximize his strengths and minimize his weaknesses. Currently we are doing neither.
     
  19. Swapshop

    Swapshop Member

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    I seen him given plenty of chances to make wide open lay ups 1 foot from the basket. So far its not looking too good.
     
  20. today

    today Contributing Member

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    @Codman: Has D'Antoni sat Russ down and told him to quit taking mid-range jumpers? I'm just trying to figure out why we're seeing so many of them, I thought we'd see a big reduction (if not elimination) by now.
     
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