Haha... good point. I find it funny how people argue with BH thinking somehow they will change his opinion.
https://instagram.com/p/3sEOSlB32j/?taken-by=twftonywilliams Harden was the coach I believe at Kanye's birthday today.
Taj Gibson? I think he should be a target at the 4 spot. He's going to be 30 and he isn't a stretch 4. But I've always thought he'd be a great fit next to Dwight and I think his skillset would add a lot to our team on the defensive end. He gives the team someone who can atleast put pressure on Blake Griffin. Terrence Jones + Papa for Gibson? Might need a 3rd team involved with that because a PF for PF deal might not be something Chicago wants I know TJ has more potential on the offensive end than Gibson, but TJ's lack of a shooting touch kind of limits that potential. Although TJ shoots 3s and Gibson doesn't, Taj is the far better mid-range 15-20 ft jumpshooter. I know Morey is all about ignoring the mid-range game, but I think it would be foolish to completely abandon it when that's the spot on the floor that playoff defenses force you to beat them from. I love the Rockets' emphasis on 3s and "At Rim" shots, but I think it's clear that improving from the mid-range is an important thing this team needs to add to their overall repertoire. Gibson is a great defender too, I think he would really take our defense to another level. A full season of Ariza/Gibson/Dwight would give this team Top 3 D in the league potential. I REALLY REALLY want a PG too. I'd prefer to trade for a Ty Lawson than Taj Gibson. But signing Llull + trading for Taj would be a really sweet off-season imo. Bev/Llull/Prigs Harden/Brewer/Terry Ariza/KJ/ Gibson/DMo/Smith (if he wants to come back) Howard/Capela I love the special moments Josh provided us with in the playoffs, but Taj would just be a better all-around fit outside of the lack of 3pt range. And with DMo, Capela, KJ, two Top 32 picks.... we'll have young assets to throw around for a PG trade later in the off-season/mid-season. I think upgrading from Josh/TJ to DMo/Gibson would've really helped us out in the playoffs. We would've been a more consistent 2-way team. Plus, those two can play on the floor together if/when Dwight is out. I know trading for Taj isn't the best idea from a roster construction standpoint since we're overloaded at the PF position, but I just think he's a perfect fit next to Dwight and I think this is our chance to scoop him up at a very fair price since Chicago's frontcourt is moving in a new direction.
Keep clowning baby, that would do nothing to our address our need for another playmaker and is not a major upgrade at the 4 spot.
This is such a misconception. Morey has even stated, in at least one of his interviews, that he DOES NOT mind the midrange game. Is it a slightly more inefficient shot than say a layup/dunk or a 3? Yes, but that does not mean that Morey wants to ignore it altogether. He even said that, if he had guys like LMA on the team, the Rockets would definitely go for the midrange game more. To make the midrange game (15-18 ft - sorry if this is inaccurate, I'm used to the metric system and not good with ft/inches, etc.) a staple of the offense however, you need great shooters from that distance. With the shooters we have, who might have liked to take long 2s, like a Josh Smith, it is wiser to take a step out and make it a 3 rather than a long 2 (21 ft I believe). The probability of hitting a long 2 over a 3 is not much different and that is exactly why Morey prefers the 3 to a 21 ft jump shot. I'm sure Morey was more than fine with Harden taking several midrange jump shots during the games in the playoffs. And I'm sure he is going to look to add players like LMA/Gasol, etc. during the offseason. These players are known to go to the midrange game. For Morey it is about finding the BEST shot available - more often than not this will be a shot in the paint or an open 3 pointer but if it comes in the form of a midrange shot, when it is a capable shooter from that distance, then that is fine too.
We absolutely need another creator. I 1000% realize that is our biggest need as a team. Hopefully Morey can address it somehow. But Taj Gibson would be a clear upgrade at the PF position from Jones or Smith, even DMo. He's a faaar better defender than any of those guys and is a better Pick-n-Pop partner for Harden. He'd be a great fit next to Howard and could even play next to DMo. My first priority would be to acquire another creator like Lawson, I stated that in my post. But this team could really use a player with Taj Gibson's 2-way package at the PF position. I'm not even one of those posters who is really down on Jones, I think he has some real skills. But Gibson/Howard is a significantly more complete frontcourt than Jones/Howard. We're talking the best defensive frontcourt in basketball (name me one better). I really hope we inquire about Gibson, I've wanted him on the Rockets for a while because of how well he'd fit next to Harden and Howard. Now's our best chance to get him because of the overhaul about to happen in Chicago.
You're right, I shouldn't have said "Morey is all about ignoring the mid-range game". But our offense has such a ridiculously high variance because of our style of play. I bet that our game-by-game offensive performance variance was the highest of any of the playoff teams out West and maybe even in the East too. When we hit our outside shots we look unstoppable, when we miss... brutal. Donuts --- .602 FT% --- .222 FG% (16ft+ 2pt shot) --- .368 3P% Smoove -- .521 FT% --- .310 FG% (16ft+ 2pt shot) --- .316 3P% TJones --- .606 FT% --- .200 FG% (16ft+ 2pt shot) --- .351 3P% That's our PF rotation. I think it's awesome how all 3 of those guys are willing and able to hit the 3. That speaks to the Rockets' developmental skills as an organization, that they've been able to help these guys acquire NBA-3 range. But these guys are not good shooters. It just makes our offense so one-dimensional that these guys who drill NBA range 3s are awful at the FT line and absolutely invisible in the mid-range. And when you combine that PF rotation with Dwight who has no mid-range game whatsoever, you just have a very predictable style of play that relies on the 3pt shooting of mediocre shooters too much. A design that is inherently erratic. We need to diversify our offensive style. The "3s + Attack the Rim" identity doesn't need to change, that can still be a big part of what this team is all about. But we really need to add players who are willing and able to make shots in the mid-range so that we can have another way to attack opposing defenses. One at the PF position would help a ton, especially with James in the Pick-n-Roll/Pop game.
Definitely not disagreeing with you here!! It would be great to have some good shooters from midrange on the team who can and will take the open 15-18 ft jump shot (cause again, sometimes that may be the best shot available). To my earlier point, which u illustrated well - the bigs we have are just not capable to hit those shots consistently and therefore you rather have them take a 3, which actually they shoot at a better clip.
You can't have the perfect team, it doesn't exist. The team needs a playmaker at the PG position in the worst way like you say. And they need rebounding at the PF position in the worst way, both Smith and Jones are fairly decent rebounders but not special, DMO definitely needs major work in the rebounding department as every possession counts in the playoffs and its extremely physical.
Gibson is a good player, but the Bulls owe him 8.5 M in 2015-16. The Rockets need a starting PG, and they are having problems because of cap room.
Taj was fine this year. But the reason he may be traded is becayse they have too many players in the frontcourt and need a wing. They will have no interest in jones at all.
Not to mention the least talented and he's always been undersized. I like taj but he's not starting quality PF imo. Especially in the west were you see the best of the best every other game it seems.
Taj is great. The problem is that he makes a little over $8M, and if we move for him, our options to upgrade the PG spot are greatly diminished. The only way we get a PG then would probably be with a guy on a rookie contract (or vet min) or through the draft, which really limits our options. I'd be alright with that if Taj was a star player or a huge upgrade, but I don't see him as a significant enough upgrade over Dmo/Smith to warrant giving up those assets and hurting our flexibility to make other improvements to the team.
Brew is on First Take talking about the Finals right now, maybe he'll give some free agency insight as well
Yeah hes not an upgrade over dmo or smith. Tho hes an upgrade over jones. Anyway i dont think a trade is viable between these two teams and the rockets have other needs to address.
