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2019 - 2020 Houston Rockets Thread of Heroes Taking Shots


Slacks

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This is pretty interesting. Almost 2 years since Wall has been on the floor. He won’t  jack the bad threes Russ did, but he won’t have the explosiveness Russ had. But good on the rockets for getting one of the first rounders they gave away for Russ back.

Edited by ocugolf
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1 hour ago, Scraps said:

I have always liked Wall...if he is healthy

healthy john wall is one of my favorite players in the league.  obviously realize we aren't getting that version of him 100% of the time, but i'd much rather watch him play than westbrook.  and from seeing the protections on the pick, got to think it will convey to the rockets eventually (unlike the detroit pick they are owed).

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40 minutes ago, Llogg said:

Very curious to see how much Wall has left after the injuries. I'll assume he won't be worse than Westbrook at least.

Very risky assumption.  Both are most likely far from their primes but in their primes, Westbrook's worst year was comparable to Wall's best.  That was the difference in their play, at least from an analytical sense.  Now, supporting cast, scheme, age, injury, and personality will color where these guys are and what their contributions may be.  Wall may have nothing left or he could be a suitable player, but just as Westbrook probably doesn't have superstar level play sustainable for a season in him, Wall probably doesn't have star or 2nd tier level play in him either.

 

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Very curious to see how much Wall has left after the injuries. I'll assume he won't be worse than Westbrook at least.
I don't know that John Wall has ever had a season as good as the one Russ just had. At one point this past season Westbrook was one of the best players in the league. He finished the season with 27ppg efficiently.

Wall is a better shooter, but that's it. Westbrook is a better player.
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It appears Harden likes to make his decisions based on pick up games. Supposedly he and Wall have been playing pick ups since the end of the season in Miami.

I think the Rockets have more diverse talent than they had last year (with a giant health caveat), and a clearer role for Gordon.

Likely guess at rotation minutes would be

PG - Wall, Grant

SG - Harden, Gordon, McLemore

SF - House, Green, Brown

PF - Tucker, Caboclo

C - Wood, Cousins

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I don't know that John Wall has ever had a season as good as the one Russ just had. At one point this past season Westbrook was one of the best players in the league. He finished the season with 27ppg efficiently.

Wall is a better shooter, but that's it. Westbrook is a better player.

“One point” is doing a lot of work in that sentence. He was just brutal in the playoffs. That airball that he held in Game 6 will live in infamy.
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5 hours ago, HtownHorn said:

It appears Harden likes to make his decisions based on pick up games. Supposedly he and Wall have been playing pick ups since the end of the season in Miami.

I think the Rockets have more diverse talent than they had last year (with a giant health caveat), and a clearer role for Gordon.

Likely guess at rotation minutes would be

PG - Wall, Grant

SG - Harden, Gordon, McLemore

SF - House, Green, Brown

PF - Tucker, Caboclo

C - Wood, Cousins

I think your starting lineup is correct, though I would not be surprised to see them really try to ease Wall in and start Gordon instead. The top 7 on the roster are clearly Harden, Wall, Gordon, House, Tucker, Cousins, and Wood.

After that it gets interesting. I don't expect any backup point guard (Clemons or Grant) to get time at all unless one of the real guards is hurt. Same with Bruno. Tons of "options" on the wing though with Green, McLemore, Sterling Brown, David Nwaba, and Jay'Sean Tate. Have two or three of those guys pan out and have good luck with health and this could be a really good, deep team. Have none of them pan out and injury trouble and Harden will be out there playing by himself.

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Speculation is that both Harden and Russ wanted to be traded away from each other. Neither saw the basketball fit as anything more than a short playoff ceiling. I bet Harden quiets down on the trade requests now that Russ is gone, and he's opening a new restaurant in downtown Houston.

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On 12/4/2020 at 12:14 PM, HtownHorn said:

Speculation is that both Harden and Russ wanted to be traded away from each other. Neither saw the basketball fit as anything more than a short playoff ceiling. I bet Harden quiets down on the trade requests now that Russ is gone, and he's opening a new restaurant in downtown Houston.

He’s got another all new and different type of cast to blame when they flame out in the West semifinals again!

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On 12/3/2020 at 4:55 PM, Snacks said:

Wall is a better shooter, but that's it. Westbrook is a better player.

Let me preface by saying who knows what Wall will be as a player going forward, but that said, I disagree with your statement above.

John Wall is a better defender than Westbrook and actually made an all-defensive team earlier in his career.  And don't let the assist numbers fool you, Wall is a better passer than Westbrook. He is also more careful with the ball, averaging 3.8 vs. 4.5 TOs per game. Wall's usage has dropped over the years corresponding with Beal's rise, down to 28% recently.  have no doubt he will be able to co-exist well with Harden.  

Wall is also 2 years younger than Westbrook and his game isn't QUITE as reliant on his explosiveness.  I wouldn't be surprised at all if Wall has a better next 3 years than Westbrook. But I also wouldn't be surprised if he is never more than a fringe starter again in his career.

Both players have 3 years left on their contracts.  Both players are owed ~$133M, so no big advantage there either way.

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He obviously isn’t ready to come back. I’d be willing to say he don’t want to be on Houston anymore.

He realize preseason games start like this weekend right? And he got quartet one for 3 days before he can participate in anything right?

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According to Wall, Harden is bought into playing with him in Houston. Harden wouldn't be recruiting Wall and Cousins to Houston, if he was planning to bolt somewhere else. While Cousins has the reputation of being surly, Wall is pretty well thought off around the league, so Harden wouldn't lie to him about his thinking.

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18 minutes ago, UDontKnow said:

BraBra tweets insider info

 

Going to be difficult to pull off because there is a $11M difference between James and Simmons, and Philly has a roster full of guys that are making $4M and less. Outside of Simmons the Rockets aren't getting Harris, Embiid, Green, or Curry. I guess I would take Green if that meant giving them Gordon back.

 

Though a Harden, Gordon, and Tucker trade would match Simmons and Harris. We will take Harris's shitty contract for Gordon's shitty contract.

Edited by HtownHorn
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9 minutes ago, HtownHorn said:

Going to be difficult to pull off because there is a $11M difference between James and Simmons, and Philly has a roster full of guys that are making $4M and less. Outside of Simmons the Rockets aren't getting Harris, Embiid, Green, or Curry. I guess I would take Green if that meant giving them Gordon back.

 

Though a Harden, Gordon, and Tucker trade would match Simmons and Harris. We will take Harris's shitty contract for Gordon's shitty contract.

Could always add draft picks to try to make up the $11M difference. In fact, I think that's what Stone prefers.

I would be ecstatic over a Harden, Gordon, Tucker for Simmons and Harris trade. Harris is overpaid, but a decent 3 point shooter and rebounder. I would start him on the Rockets.

Simmons, Wall, Harris, Wood, Cousins would be my starting 5 with that roster.

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8 minutes ago, HtownHorn said:

I'd probably look for a 3rd team to ship Harris to, because Simmons and Harris play the same position. Could Simmons defend PG's on the perimeter? Harris is a wing defender. That lineup would get drilled on the perimeter.

I think so.

https://sixerswire.usatoday.com/2020/06/20/the-ringer-ranks-ben-simmons-as-3rd-best-on-ball-defender-in-the-nba/

https://www.si.com/nba/76ers/news/nba-coaches-vote-ben-simmons-all-defensive

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31 minutes ago, HtownHorn said:

I'd probably look for a 3rd team to ship Harris to, because Simmons and Harris play the same position. Could Simmons defend PG's on the perimeter? Harris is a wing defender. That lineup would get drilled on the perimeter.

I would take my chances with a 1st Team Defensive All-NBA 6'10" PG...  You need 3 or 4 long wing defenders, anyway...

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4 hours ago, UDontKnow said:

This is an interesting theory, but I don't think it's wholly accurate.

 

Clutch is obsessed with that storyline but I'm sorry. It's ownership and the direction of the team. Lots of guys demand trades for better teammates. Harden didn't put a gun to anyone's head. That trade was all Tillman. Sorry. I'll let that issue go but it's just so bizarre to see this pop up.

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