was extremely impressive last night. I was at the game, and I can certainly attest that his statistics didn't even come close to reflecting his impact on the game. When he entered in the 2nd quarter, he looked like a much different player then he did at memphis. We saw his defensive toughness (knocking his man off the ball, fighting around and through screens, and amazing transition and team defense), and he ran the offense flawlessly. His physical play definitely takes a tone on the defense. I really like what I saw out of him. Watching him in Memphis, I saw the attacking the basket and the defensive skills, but I certainly didn't see the calm, collected play-making skills he showed last night. Definitely a sign of a player adjusting positively to a different culture. I posted this for two reasons. One, I was dissapointed in the trade initially. Not because i felt we had a chance to win a ring with Rafer, but I was worried about throwing Aaron out there to the wolves. He's a second year pg who feeds off confidence. He was really put in a difficult situation by management, but he has excelled thus far. I thought Lowry was kind of an average role player. I'm certainly aware one game is simply that, but I really like what I see. I think this ended up being a great trade for both teams.
I agree with you on Lowry. But is it just me or is he not as quick as advertised? Maybe it was because he didn't slash much last night, but I thought he was as quick as Brooks (as advertised?)
Everyone won in this trade. Rafer is a better fit in Orlando than he was here. Lowry is a better fit here than he was in Memphis. Memphis gets a pick to build for the future. Glad to see that people are finally coming around, and I'm no longer the only one singing the praises of this trade.
He's quick, but there probably are only a couple other players in the league who are as quick as Brooks.
Lowry is very quick, but very few people in this league are as quick as Brooks. Brooks is a lightning bolt. He doesn't run, he teleports. Then add in that Lowry tends to be a bit more controlled than Brooks... Trust me though... Lowry can get by anyone if he really wants to. That's what really matters.
And that's what I thought. I mean he looked really quick whenever the Rockets played against him in Memphis. Just last night I didn't really see him display it. Is he more of an explosive, fake you out, first step quick or is he quick like speedy claxton?
I wonder whether he can extend his shooting range, esp the 3-pointers. He should be the starter at PG position rather than Brooks if he make it IMO.
He's definitely quick. The difference is that he's clearly adjusting his game to fit the offense. In Memphis, he pretty much just attacked the rim , and nothing else. He'd pick up a few assists on dishes to Warrick, Mayo and Gay, but play-making was not something he showed the ability to do. Last night, it was evident that he was making a conscious effort to fit in and run the offense. You can certainly see the explosiveness, but it's much more controlled. I think as he continues to blend in, we will see more of his athletic prowess
He will never be a good three point shooter. He never was. That being said, I think he can improve upon it with practice. That being said, he'll really need the off-season to work on that (as well as other things the team asks) for us to notice a signifigant difference. My guess is he ends up somewhere in the 31-34% range. If he only takes one a game though, it doesn't hurt us. 3 point shooting isn't his game. I disagree about Brooks. he should always be the starter. i can see Lowry getting more pt depending on who's playing better and different matchups, but I like AB where he's at
He needs to improve his shot but Parker couldn't shoot when he came into the league either. In some ways, his handle, D and playmaking are better than ABs. He won't start this season because Adelman doesn't want to integrate a new starter with only ~20 games left in the season but he'll get his chance next year. Trade that helped all parties involved.
Hopefully, Lowry will become the starter. Last night, I noticed that when Brooks is in the game, the ball movement gets really gross. It takes forever for the ball to swing but when Lowry is on the floor, passes get around quicker and more efficiently. In the 4th, when we had that stretch of 1 point in 6 minute, that started exactly when Brooks came on for Lowry. My suspicions when I looked at the +/-. Brook was -3, Lowry was +9. A 12 point swing in 1 position is pretty big, I'd say.
It's not really just the first step, nor is it just the speed. Most commonly, I've seen the guy make one quick fake, then make a pretty good first step the other way, but he doesn't always make it all the way by... that's when the overall quickness and the strength comes in to muscle the rest of the way by his man.
That's nice to know. I look forward to seeing him develop with the Rockets. Do you think he can be a formidable backup contributing immediately in this year's playoffs?
Cleveland will be tough. I certainly think we can win, but it certainly won't erase the positives I'm seeing if we come up short. Mo Williams is a guy who is close to as quick as AB, so that's an issue. AB's offense has been off-setting his defense, which is fine. This is the type of game where Lowry can be a key. Roughing up Williams a little. LBJ will be LBJ. We just have to stop Williams and the other players from killing us from the outside. If we do that, we have a very good chance. There's a lot to be said for confidence and momentum
So why type of potential do you see with Lowry as a Rocket realistically? And how effective do you think he'll be immediately contributing this year in the playoffs?
Lowry can't become the starter right now or even this season. He knows none of the plays and is just out there with basic knowledge. As he again made the same mistake of trying to throw Yao the ball on a fast break or something similar to that. I dont remember the exact play. He's been good so far but not quite ready for starter duties.
Yes. He's a tough kid. His physical structure and defensive awareness alone will help the team a great deal. If he continues to develop as a play-maker, his impact will be even greater.
