Rockets depth chart

[YugoRocketsFan]

PG-Aaron Brooks/Kyle Lowry (if he signs)

SG-Kevin Martin/Chase Budinger/Jermaine Taylor

SF-Trevor Ariza/Shane Battier/

PF-Luis Scola (if he signs)/Patrick Patterson/Chuck Hayes/Jared Jeffries

C-Yao Ming/Jordan Hill/David Andersen

 

It kinda makes sense, I like the Patrick Patterson pick, but I think whats great about the pick is that it can slide Jordan Hill to the center positon, so we can spread the minutes between him and David Andersen. This will give Yao no more than 32 mpg and we need him to not play as much to be healthy for the playoffs.

[Newman]

I love this line-up. A lot of solid role players and a few scorers + Yao makes it a potential 50-win team.

[YugoRocketsFan]

I love this line-up. A lot of solid role players and a few scorers + Yao makes it a potential 50-win team.

 

Potential 50 win? Thats a 50 win IMO, potentially 55+ but If I really had to bet, i'd say 51 or 52, but who knows.

[Newman]

Potential 50 win? Thats a 50 win IMO, potentially 55+ but If I really had to bet, i'd say 51 or 52, but who knows.

 

It will take time for Yao to blend in with Ariza and Martin. I can see them stumbling through the first 20 games with a .500 winning % but afterwards winning 40 of the remaining 62 games. They will be close to 50 wins nonetheless.

[Dash]

I think it really depends on how much better Brooks becomes as a point guard. His point guard skills are currently among some of the worst in the league. Right now the only player I see in that starting lineup that can Yao the ball down low is Ariza, and maybe Martin if he drives in like he is supposed to.

 

People forget that getting the ball to Yao late in games was one of our biggest problems last season. 3 years ago we had Rafer Alston, Tracy McGrady and Shane Battier all in the starting lineup that could easily spoon feed Yao. 2 years ago it was just Battier and there were some games in the playoffs where Yao did struggle to get shots (see games 2 and 3 in Blazers series although Pryzbilla's defense was a factor).

[YugoRocketsFan]

I think it really depends on how much better Brooks becomes as a point guard. His point guard skills are currently among some of the worst in the league. Right now the only player I see in that starting lineup that can Yao the ball down low is Ariza, and maybe Martin if he drives in like he is supposed to.

 

People forget that getting the ball to Yao late in games was one of our biggest problems last season. 3 years ago we had Rafer Alston, Tracy McGrady and Shane Battier all in the starting lineup that could easily spoon feed Yao. 2 years ago it was just Battier and there were some games in the playoffs where Yao did struggle to get shots (see games 2 and 3 in Blazers series although Pryzbilla's defense was a factor).

I wouldnt say the worst but they have seen a huge improvement, Brooks also has been decent at giving passes in the post. The Blazers-Rockets series was not a matter of being able to feed someone, but the Blazers changed their defense after Yao raped them in Game 1 and it resulted in Brooks being open (and obviously making the most of it).

[Dash]

I wouldnt say the worst but they have seen a huge improvement, Brooks also has been decent at giving passes in the post. The Blazers-Rockets series was not a matter of being able to feed someone, but the Blazers changed their defense after Yao raped them in Game 1 and it resulted in Brooks being open (and obviously making the most of it).

 

Brooks can pass but he lacks the point guard mechanics to know when to pass, at least that was the case this past season.

 

As for passing in the post, I don't recall Brooks being particularly good at that area. See this video from game 4 of the Lakers series.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L6VDSeQqbM

 

Notice how it is Battier who is mostly passing Yao the ball down low before he just disappears from the game. Roughly around 3 minutes Mark Jackson comments that the Rockets haven't even looked for Yao.

Edited June 30, 2010 by Dash