Not that this is keeping him awake at night: "If I had just learned to dribble, I would've won that eighth ring. I just know it."
Robert Horry is also the most clutch NBA player to ever live. Still one of the most ridiculous dunks I have ever seen.
You know I actually talked to him about that, he said his sole regret was not working harder on his game.....he thought he could have been much more than what he was if he worked at his craft, but instead settled on being a great role player. DD
Yeah, he's on the team. He plays a lot like Montrezl played except that he shoots well from downtown. I could see us using him at the 4 this year at times.
Really hope he makes the squad, anxious to see if we keep him. Paul / Taylor / Brown Harden / Gordon Ariza / Tucker / Williams Anderson / Moute / Qi Capela / Nene / Black / Onuaku Easy cuts: Quarterman, Long 2way: Jackson That's a 15 man squad as is, but we still haven't officially signed Brown. Accordingt to Bima Oliver won't be eligible for a 2way either. IMO Onuaku has the least worth, considering depth, Brown's chemistry and Taylor/Oliver/Williams talent and potential. Hopefully we can dump Onuaku for a 2nd or better yet include him in a Melo deal.
There have been successful undrafted players, but the chance of any such players, Camo Liver included, actually getting minutes as a rookie is exceedingly small, especially on a largely veteran squad with enough competent vets to fill out a rotation already. If he gets non-garbage time minutes at all, it'll mean that one of the guys we are counting on either sucked or got injured. So I root for Camo Liver to have a great year in RGV or waiving towels for the big squad.
Why would you hope for that? He's not quite ready, but he's getting closer. Dude already has NBA level passing skills. You can do A LOT with a big man that's a great passer.
I just see major flaws with him, I don't think he has the athleticism to keep up physically in the NBA, he plays like his feet are stuck in the mud, looks terrible defensively and on the boards. He does have an okay feel for the game offensively with okay passing and a decent touch around the rim, but I think he needs to transform his body big time if he wants to get a 2nd contract in the NBA.
Moute is just paper for a trade that may not happen, IMO. Oliver has more upside and would not have been snatched up so quickly on draft night just to cut. He also did okay in summer league and his skill set fits the team going forward. With Paul & Harden Oliver will not have to think to much and can just concentrate on what he does best IF he gets any court time. He has a better over all skill set for our system than Anderson does, IMO. Just hope he can do his thing and play within himself. In college he needed to be the star and he is not, but he is a highly skilled role player that needs to play off of a dominant player to find success. He is on a nothing contract. Which fits our needs.
If Oliver can become a Harrell with better rebounding, and a good outside shooter in a couple of years, the Rockets will be in good shape at the 4 spot. Let's see what he can do in the G league first.
This is were I disagree with most. Oliver is not going to be much better tomorrow than he is today. His low BB IQ and weaker motor is what it is and limits his development. He MAY learn our system but like most of us, he loose athleticism every day, too. He will peak quickly or not at all. He needs to play with the AllStars not be one. Time in G league is a waste for him. The G league is wonderful but not a fit for him, IMO. Oliver is lighting in a bottle or a bust by Christmas.
Um, no. Moute is a solid NBA-level defender and a very good 3-pt guy as well, smart and knows his role. He was brought in to take the place of guys who were or may be traded, not to be traded himself. He's a proven NBA role player, and a pretty valuable one at that (ask the Clippers how he did after Griffin got his annual injury last year). Oliver, on the other hand, wasn't even talented enough to warrant being drafted by a single one of 30 teams. Nobody wanted him enough to take a late 2nd-round flyer on him. Doing "okay in summer league" got Malick Badiane and countless others absolutely nowhere. Oliver may end up being good enough to sit at the end of the bench for a few seasons, and maybe some day be an end-of-the-rotation guy. But nobody will confuse him with an actual NBA player anytime in the near future.
There is a new drafting strategy for second rounders that some GMs/Agents have described in interviews last year. If you are not a Top 40 pick (or so), some teams want to select someone to stash in the 40-60 pick range. They will ask agents, "Is your player willing to be stashed?" If they say no, they often go undrafted out of preference to become a free agent. This benefits both the teams who want to stash young players, and the players who think they are ready to make a team. So, some players in the 40-60 range prefer to be free agents rather than being selected. It doesn't always mean no one wanted the player, especially when that player immediately agrees to a contract on draft day, which indicates there was already discussions and interest.
