Man, I always loved his game but his improved offensive game has been a revelation. Man, if he keeps playing like this we are going to have to pay him big and the Rockets are gonna play even bigger!
Chuck definitely looks sharp on offense. Those post moves are a sweet addition to his game. Equipped with great D as always he can be a valuable asset this season.
I was thinking this season marked the end of Chuck Hayes. Nope. Chuck looks good. All our bigs are playing well in deserve PT. How's that gonna happen? Yao, Miller, Hayes, JJ and Hill all look nice. The one guy that clearly is out is Patrick Patterson. He's heading to Rio Grande in 10..9...8...
Yeah, I can't believe he improved this much on offense over one offseason, yet over the previous 3 he hasn't been able to significantly improve anything else.
I was just looking at today's box score and couldn't believe it. Hayes was 6-8 from the free throw line! How is the form looking on them now?
Chuck Hayes is a true professional. Most guys who have been in the league as long as he has have already reached whatever level they are capable of, but Chuck puts in the work necessary to improve year after year. I can't wait to see if he can continue to produce on offense in the regular season. His lack of offense was always a problem, but his abilities on defense were enough to earn him playing time despite being a 0 on offense. With his newfound ability to put the ball in the hole it looks like Chuck may be one of our most solid players. (I'm not saying he is one of our best players, just one of the most well-rounded players. And that is only IF he continues to be a threat on offense.)
The offseason spent training in a guards camp instead of a big man's camp has really helped out his game.
I don't think he's made a huge step up offensively. He played like this as a starter under JVG. That one fadeaway jumper was nice, but that's just a bonus we can't expect on a regular basis. He's going to be fantastic as a backup for Scola.
One of the biggest surprises i have seen is chuck's improvement as a ball handler. He is using what was once his biggest weakness as a strength. Because he is only 6'4'' and his opponents in the range of 6'9'' to 7', his dribble is significantly closer to the ground. This allows to make moves with less chance of a turnover compared to his defenders. In addition, he is using his lower body strength and low center of gravity to pivot off defenders and spin towards the basket. I love watching this new development, but I hope that it continues as a surprise. If it is a consistent part of the offense then I am a little worried.
Dude, I've been thinking of starting a Chuckwagon offense appreciation thread for days now. I was gonna gather up some video clips, though, so somebody else beat me to it. Someone already used the right word for it: "revelation" This guy was horrible in every sense of the word on the offensive end for his entire career. There are infamous YouTube videos mocking his free throw shooting for crissakes. Do you remember his ugly, ill fated attempts at layups just last season??? This is an amazing improvement. I couldn't believe all the talk in the offseason and during training camp from the other players. I always figured it was half in jest. He's practically the proverbial horrible offensive player. Then this preseason starts and he's like... BAM- layup.... BAM- spinning in the post and scooping it in.... BAM fadeaway... BAM jumper.... BAM yeah I got fouled and I made my freethrows..... Who is this guy? And who taught him all this s**T?
Is this his first contract year? If this is really the motivation for Chucky, the Rockets need to only sign him to one year contracts. In three or four years, this guy'll be a superstar. :grin:
You can tell he's working on it, but he still needs to get comfortable and he may have trouble in pressure situations, still. He'll shoot like a few that look smooth, and then he'll shoot some with a hitch (not as bad as before). If he misses or something, then the hitch will come back a bit. Hopefully, he keeps working on it and he can beat this thing completely.
I love this leaner, quicker, more offensive-minded Hayes. If that's what the D gives you, he can make them pay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No kidding! Chuck always plays hard, but when you got a contract on the line things change. Also, you can't forget how Chuck's competition for minutes in this contract year has increased significantly with the Miller signing, drafting Patterson, and Hill developing (hopefully ). Basketball has been great to him. He's made a little over 6 million pre-tax from ball, but his offense has really been a killer the past couple of years. It has really put him on jeopardy of being a NBA level player if it kept declining. It seems like he has fixed his offense. If he can get back to his 2005-08 FG% of 55% and shoot 60+% from the FT line then he should be able to get a nice multiyear deal.
its nice to see chuck doing good in offense for once. Seriously though, its one game, so don't count on it being normal. :grin:
