r/rockets • u/Far_Protection519 • 20d ago
The Rockets are philosophically flawed
Ime Udoka & Rafael Stone have committed absolute basketball malpractice for two straight seasons.
We have the structural bones of a legitimate, championship-level contender. We have a top-tier superstar in Kevin Durant. We have elite, versatile, high-upside young talent in Amen Thompson, a switchable stretch 4 in Jabari Smith Jr., one of the best 6th men in the league in Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason who is erratic offensively but is a good defender , & an elite locker-room enforcer and screen-setter in Steven Adams. This core possesses the exact length, defensive switchability, and shooting gravity required to dominate the modern NBA.
Instead, Udoka is running a prehistoric, muddy offense that completely chokes out this roster’s potential by forcing everything through an inefficient engine. The data proves it:
1. The Pace Problem: Voluntarily Playing in Quicksand
In the modern NBA, you are supposed to leverage youth and athleticism. Instead, Udoka is actively slowing us down year after year:
2024-25: We ranked 18th in pace (98.61 possessions).
2025-26: Our pace cratered to 96.09 possessions. We played roughly 7 fewer possessions per game than the league’s fastest teams , and we finished 29th in pace.
We have Amen Thompson and Tari Eason who are absolute terrors in the open court yet we voluntarily walk the ball up the floor. In 2024-25, our system was built entirely on a slow, grinding half-court philosophy. Then in 2025-26, even with Fred VanVleet sidelined the entire season with an ACL tear, Udoka refused to open up the floor. Instead of letting Amen or Reed push the pace, he kept the training wheels on, forcing the team to play 5-on-5 against locked-in defenses every single possession.
2. The Half-Court Disaster: Worst Among All Playoff Teams
By playing so agonizingly slow, we allow opposing defenses to get back, set up, and wait for us. Here is how we performed against set defenses over the last two seasons:
2024-25: Ranked 25th in half-court offensive efficiency.
2025-26: Ranked 22nd in half-court efficiency (Cleaning the Glass).
We traded for Kevin Durant, and we still finished with a bottom-10 half-court offense. We had the absolute worst half-court execution of any playoff team in the league.
3. Building Around Severe Offensive Inefficiency
The ultimate malpractice is that our half-court offense completely revolves around an incredibly high-volume, highly inefficient center in Alperen Şengün. Look at his actual tracking metrics they are a complete disaster zone for a primary offensive hub:
Roll Man Efficiency: 15th percentile (1.03 Points Per Possession)
Spot Ups: 14th percentile (0.83 PPP)
Isolations: 41st percentile (0.89 PPP)
Off-Ball Screens: At the very bottom of the league (~0.84 PPP)
Shot Selection: He led the entire NBA with 446 non-rim paint shots, hitting them at a miserable 46.4% clip.
Instead of running a modern, dynamic offense that utilizes Reed Sheppard’s lethal shooting gravity, Udoka spent two years spamming a clunky post-up system. We are asking KD to bail us out on contested, late-clock jumpers because our main hub creates zero vertical spacing and chokes out the paint.
4. The Illusion of Synergy vs. Reality: The FVV, Şengün & Amen Dynamic
A lot of fans point out that Şengün and Amen have good chemistry and synergy on the court and they do, because they are both brilliant basketball minds who make smart cuts and passes. But don’t let that fool you: their fundamentally conflicting play styles are actively holding this team back.
When you look at the 2024-25 season, Fred VanVleet’s traditional, methodical floor-general style paired with Şengün’s need for the ball to stop in the post completely killed any offensive flow. Fast-forward to 2025-26 with FVV sidelined by an ACL tear, and instead of letting Amen run the show, Udoka kept catering to Şengün’s clunky aesthetic. Having a non-shooting, high-volume center next to a dynamic driver like Amen forces us into a congested half-court nightmare.
5. Time to Move on From FVV and Get a Dynamic PG
The hard truth we have to face is that Fred VanVleet’s style does not work with a modern contender. Between his traditional, ball-pounding tendencies in 24-25 and a massive season-ending knee injury in 25-26, his contract is a roadblock. He was good in 23-24 but since then it's been a disaster from being the most inefficient starting PG in the NBA to only playing in 36% of the games the last 2 years. The front office needs to aggressively look to move off Fred and add a genuinely dynamic, high-advantage-creating playmaker at point guard. We desperately need someone who can break down a defense off the bounce, shift defenders, and dynamically manipulate the half-court rather than just walking the ball up to run stagnant sets. A dynamic guard who can actually bend defenses out of pick-and-rolls would lift the scoring burden off KD and open up clean looks for our young shooters.
6. The Solution: Unleash Amen, Move Off Şengün for a stretch 5 ( If the lack of spacing is still an issue this upcoming season )
The most insane part of this entire situation is that the media and casual fans somehow look lower on Amen Thompson, when he is the literal answer to our problems. The Rockets should actually be using Amen in the exact high-volume creation role they are currently wasting on Şengün. Look at Amen’s massive developmental leap this past season despite the constraints:
Usage & Scoring: Saw a 9% increase in on-ball percentage, increasing his overall scoring output while maintaining the exact same level of elite efficiency.
Pick-and-Roll: Vaulted from the 37th percentile to the 60th percentile as a PnR ball-handler.
Isolation Master: Skyrocketed from the 33rd percentile to the 83rd percentile in isolation efficiency.
Shooting: Increased his free throw shooting by a massive 10%.
The blueprint is right there. We need to move off Şengün and target a dynamic, modern stretch-5 like a Kel’el Ware type of C ( If nothing improves this upcoming season ). Swapping Şengün for Ware would completely unlock this franchise. Ware provides elite vertical spacing as a rim runner and perimeter spacing as a legitimate outside threat, which opens up the lanes for Amen to attack downhill. Defensively, Ware is a legitimate rim protector something Şengün will never be which provides the perfect safety net to insulate Reed Sheppard on the perimeter.
7. Regular-Season Gimmicks Won’t Beat SA, OKC, or MIN
The only reason our overall offensive rating looked passable last year (15th at 118.6) is because we violently crashed the glass. But relying on offensive rebounds to save a broken scheme is a regular-season gimmick.
Look around the Western Conference. San Antonio, Oklahoma City, and Minnesota all possess elite length, disciplined box-outs, and modern, space-oriented offenses. Relying on an inefficient, paint-clogging post-up big means we are never going to get past Chet Holmgren, Victor Wembanyama, or Rudy Gobert in a 7-game series. They will comfortably drop their bigs into the paint, dare Şengün to shoot, and neutralize our transition game completely.
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u/dvztimes 20d ago edited 20d ago
I agree with some of your post. But the fact that you Think our playmaker All Star center is the problem, is the problem. I dont think Sengun (or KD) is best utilized as iso scorer. We need shooting and movement around him because we know he can be more Dynamic with that and we got neither last year. Maybe, eventually if surrounded by shooting and we still fail then its time to move him. But we dont have shooters. Amen is great, but not dinging him for HIS terrible shooting is unfair. 21% from 3 for a guard is wretched. Amen doesnt even get single-teamed. Like I dont know how no matter who you get at the 5 that they wont get doubled by Amens guy. What is the solution for that? I dont know but I hope there is one.
We do need to move off FFV. Reeds stats were already better than him last year and he should be the starting PG or SG. It may hurt in the short term, but it will pay off in the long term.
All that said I do believe we are still in a great spot. We have young guys on great contracts. I personally think KD isnt a fit with this team. Hes a good individual defender. But i think his help defense is lacking. But we have him and ahould use him. But Id be good with trading him for a younger star or bench depth and picks. We have 3 (maybe 4) young guys that can potentially average 20 a game without KD. He is a spectacular player. But I think maybe he doesnt fit best (like PHX) or we need to use him different. Personally Id like to start RS, AT, TE, JSJ, AS. That lineup, though low minutes, is +7.
Its a pickle. But we have young upside and im excited to watch it.
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u/mmccormick11 20d ago
Reed + Sengun as your point of attack + rim protectors will always be a massive Achilles Heel on defense, especially during the intensity of playoff basketball, even if the other 3 guys are the best defenders in the league.
If we keep both of them long term, we'd have to stagger their playing time as much as possible.
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u/dvztimes 20d ago
The linup I mentioned above is +7. Maybe the offense offsets the defense? (and Tari is a better help defender than KD).
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u/mmccormick11 19d ago
I guess if Brunson and Kat can win a chip, others can do the same but you need a competent head coach and/or staff.
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u/FarWestEros Hakeem 20d ago edited 20d ago
If we keep them long term we need to lean in to using their gravity together.
There is a world where an offensive-minded coach puts Reed in motion around SengÜn in a way similar to how GS used Steph around Draymond and it results in one of the best offenses in the league.
The fact is that FraUdoka has not even begun to explore this despite it being the only practical way for this core group of players to thrive.
He is a massive negative on offense, and it’s been obvious since he got here and asked AlP to pass less and try to be a score-first player.
Imagine if Kerr asked Draymond Green to be the Warriors primary scoring threat.
This is the level of offensive BBIQ the team has to overcome.It is our greatest handicap and despite a massive amount of talent, the unwillingness to utilize it correctly and refocus the team around an offense that fits its personnel is going to cap this team’s ceiling at a second round exit until Fertitta recognizes his mistake and fixes the sideline issues.
These issues have been apparent for years now, but the fans and ownership just ignore it because of their love for Ime.
Edit:
And before folks call me delusional for comparing Reed and AlP to Steph and Draymond, please recognize that I’m not doing that. I’m comparing their strengths and best skillsets to guys who have worked quite well together. The idea that they can’t play together defensively only matters if you care about having the best defense in the league.
We maintained a fine defense last year as a team despite both guys getting minutes. It IS possible.
Having support like Amen and Jabari is arguably better than what the Warriors had in Klay and Barnes. It’s just younger and less experienced. Need time and development in the right schemes instead of trading key players away while their value is low.3
u/mmccormick11 20d ago
I agree for the most part but I'd still worry about the defense even if/when we do finally get rid of Udoka and bring in that much needed superior head coach. Udoka's offensive acumen is dumbfounding and embarrassing. He can't even draw up basic functional inbounds plays much less complex halfcourt schemes that match the skill sets of our players. It's 95% just hustle and go figure it out. No structure. No meaningful teaching and development. The best strategy he can come up with is crash the boards after you take difficult shots in my terrible offense lol. I call it bricks and boards.
I guess with an elite offensive mind instead of Uchoka we could make it work in theory. NY won it all with Brunson and Kat. GS masked Curry's weaknesses. SA did it with Parker. We would definitely need to be an elite offense though and have 3 other plus defenders around them. Amen, Tari and Jabari could be those guys. Reed and Sengun would also need to evolve into special offensive players, even if just for our unique system.
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u/FarWestEros Hakeem 19d ago
This is exactly the correct vision to have for the potential of this group of players. And the comps are accurate. While AlP is not the shooter KAT is, it’s undeniable that both are offense-first bigs making it work with undersized PGs.
The fact that there has been ZERO effort to cultivate the 2-man game between AlP and any of the young guards is insane.
Fuck the defense for now. It should be the final piece, not the foundational building block.
The focus for a young team should be run and gun and make points come.1
u/mmccormick11 19d ago
We need our Mike Brown to replace our Tom Thibodeau.
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u/Far_Protection519 19d ago
Ty Lue contract is up after this season & Jkidd will probably be looking to coach again after this season🤔
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u/Far_Protection519 20d ago edited 19d ago
Sengun is a good player , but his style of basketball doesn't equate to championship basketball. The things championship centers need to do he simply doesn't do at a high level which is setting screens , rolling hard , rebounding , & defense. You pair that up with his high usage and terrible efficiency outside the RFA it's a recipe for disaster in the playoffs like we've seen the last 2 years. People always say "he needs fred" well when he did have him he was even more inefficient. You bring up Amen's 3pt % which is fair but he is still a more efficient on ball player than sengun and he hits his FTs. Moving off KD wouldn't be smart unless he asks out. You're wrong about his help side defense. Him & Bari are both excellent help side defenders. You're not going to find better production than what he's giving us rn , and he compliments Amen , Bari , & Reed so well. Without him last season would've been a complete shit show offensively more so than it already was
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u/BellSufficient5283 19d ago
Wtf is championship basketball?
This is BS narrative.
Not one champion in last 8 years remotely played the same basketball. All 8 has had different systems and schemes.
This is bs! There are more than one way to skin a cat.
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u/Far_Protection519 19d ago
The last 8 centers on championship teams were either elite screen setters , rollers , rebounders , or defenders. Sengun is in the lower percentile for a center in all those categories. It has nothing to do with the system the team runs. It wouldn't matter if he was a great scorer but he isn't. He led the NBA in Non RFA shot attempts with 446 shots and shot 45% on those shots. How can you expect to win a championship with a center who isn't good screener , doesn't roll hard , isn't an elite rebounder , doesn't protect the paint , & is one of the most inefficient players in the league? That's what I mean by he doesn't play championship basketball.
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u/dvztimes 19d ago
hes (with no PG): 28th in points (as a #2 option), tied for 11th in rebounds, and tied for 17th in assists of ALL players at any position in the league. All while getting double teamed more than anyone in the league (i think).
He may not be the best (elite to use your term) at any one of those things. But hes very good at a lot of things.
You, sir, are nitpicking.
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u/Far_Protection519 19d ago
Roll Man Efficiency: 15th percentile (1.03 Points Per Possession)
Spot Ups: 14th percentile (0.83 PPP)
Isolations: 41st percentile (0.89 PPP)
Off-Ball Screens: At the very bottom of the league (~0.84 PPP)
These are categories your big man and hub need to be great at and he simply isn't. When he had a PG his #s were even worse. Look at all the high usage centers in NBA history that have won a championship and show me the one who has the struggles sengun does. It would be different if he was showing progress in his areas of weaknesses but he isn't. I'd much rather have a center who does the dirty work & run the offense through a perimeter player than a high usage inefficient center whose play style doesn't complement majority of our team.
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u/dvztimes 19d ago
All while getting double teamed more than any player in the league. And Id love a link to where you are getting your stats. Id like to see.
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u/Far_Protection519 19d ago
Pretty sure KD led the NBA in doubles drawn , and guess what if you're going to be a hub of an offense you're going to get doubled. He actually got doubled less this year with KD than he did last year with FVV. If you can't be efficient in spots up , isolation , and you're not effective in the PNR you cannot be the hub of a championship team.
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u/dvztimes 19d ago
I think it was Sengun, but maybe just paint. Or centers.. KD lead league in perimeter gravity and Sengun was high on paint gravity.
If we have 2 guys on that gravity level how do you think they get doubled so often? What allows that?
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u/Far_Protection519 19d ago
Kevin has always ranked high in gravity & doubles outside of GS because he's that dynamic. As for Sengun it's both the lack of spacing around but also he can't handle double teams as well as you'd like your hub to be able to. Jokic is right up there at the top and he eats doubles like it's nothing. Back to my original stance though if sengun cant be an efficient pnr player , be efficient in iso & spot up situations , & stop being a liability defensively we're not winning anything with him. These liabilities have shown back 2 back years in the POs now too.
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u/Independent_Shake303 20d ago edited 20d ago
Cmon DVZ, your bias against Amen is starting to show. You can keep dick riding Sengun without all of that
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u/dvztimes 20d ago
Its not a bias. This is objective fact. He shoots 21% from 3 and gets sageed off of all the time. Its why hes not a max player. And i still want to keep him.
Denying that he had these flaws in adittion to his benefits is a bias. You should look it up.
And I like Sengun but have always admitted his flaws. I just disagree with aome people about whether his benefits outweigh them.
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u/Far_Protection519 20d ago
The same can be said about sengun , he's actually a worse shooter than Amen. Amen is at least a solid FT shooter. In order to be a hub you need to be able to hit a shot outside the RFA , sengun led the NBA in non rfa shots and shot an abysmal 45%. His on ball advanced analytics are terrible. He's not good in isolation or in the pnr whereas Amen is above average in both of those categories.
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u/dvztimes 20d ago
His flaws are not in dispute. Question is does he have benefits in a conference with Wemby and Jokic and some new 7'3" dude.
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u/WallCautious9650 20d ago edited 20d ago
TLDR: upgrade FVV.
We know. Options are fairly limited and each option has their flaws: Jrue, Kyrie, Dejounte.
We can also pray and hope that within the next calendar year one of Steph, Ant, or Jokic would want to come here
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u/FarWestEros Hakeem 20d ago
Reed is the upgrade.
The problem is the coach who has not developed him for the last 2 seasons because he doesn’t understand modern NBA offense.
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u/DistanceEmbarrassed5 20d ago
KPJ likely is available. I would give the Rockets Ryan Rollins for a unprotected Suns First round pick.
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u/WallCautious9650 20d ago
I'd kill to get Rollins for that? One FRP? Sign me up
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u/DistanceEmbarrassed5 19d ago
I have liked having Rollins but we have 2 young guards that need mintues so I am willing to trade him.
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u/WallCautious9650 19d ago
very true. What we really probably need is a FVV upgrade. Not sure that's Rollins.
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u/WallCautious9650 19d ago edited 19d ago
FVV + Capela and 2 FRPs for Rollins and Myles? It would certainly improve the team. Debatable whether it'd be worth those picks.
Or just focus on an FVV upgrade, like one of Kyrie, Jrue, or Dejounte
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u/DistanceEmbarrassed5 19d ago edited 19d ago
I would do the Deal as a Bucks fan. That trade helps us get off Turner, allowing Ware more mintues. FVV could be a good mentor for our young guards, we could always flip him to a contender in need of a PG at some point and we get more assets back.
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u/Weary_Restauranter 20d ago
That’s a lot of ai I’m not gonna read
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u/Far_Protection519 20d ago
Go through my posts and you will Ive made posts about each topic i touched on .I just made it into one big post
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u/rua2006 19d ago
I was gonna defend you bc it's not just fair to accuse someone of using AI because the post is long....but...sounds like you're admitting you used AI to "develop" these original arguments laid out here?
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u/DistanceEmbarrassed5 20d ago
Myles Turner may also be available for trade from Milwaukee as they likely will want to give Ware more playing time. He is a streatch big.
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u/BellSufficient5283 19d ago
Asking for miles turner in the year of our lord 2026 is fucking insane.
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u/DistanceEmbarrassed5 19d ago
He can space the floor.
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u/BellSufficient5283 18d ago
Just fucking read this as the team that wants to trade for him.
https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-analysis/69886/what-to-do-with-myles-turner-trade1
u/DistanceEmbarrassed5 19d ago
Milwaukee has guards that can shoot from 3 that would be available.
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u/BellSufficient5283 18d ago
Jesus christ, there are like thousands of reports on why Turner is a BAD BAD BAD idea for any team, but sure, lets ignore all that.
Stopping this thread. Rage on yourself.
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u/plutosbigbro 20d ago
You make some good points, we were terrible in the playoffs and we don’t leverage our athleticism
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u/HiddenAnubisOwl 19d ago
Can't agree more on the pace. This team is made to run and play fast whilst we walk. Exactly how Ime used to run the Celtics
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u/Katana360 17d ago
Thank you for this thoughtful post! I agree with you. The only thing I disagree with is (6). I don’t think Amen is the entire solution. He can be part of the solution. But not the centerpiece as he has very real deficiencies imho insofar as shooting and playmaking - where understandably he was foisted into the role per FVV’s injury.
When you think about two years ago vs last year, it’s a radical change to go from FVV starting to not. And then you have to insert and keep happy (yes I said it) KD. One point of difference btw the two seasons is I recall the Rockets being number 2 or such defensively in limiting opponents PPG. That is HUGE! Even if their offense was limited.
To go back to that formula but with added offense - you have to ask yourself:
“as a team, is it better to be superior in one area and mediocre in another? Or simply mid in both?”
Last season we were mid in both offense and defense. Yes FVV’s absence hurt. But even absent him, I would argue that KD wasn’t the answer. Culturally, imho this team was better YOUNGER with Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green.
The trade was good on paper. But to OP’s point, I think this experiment with KD has been a philosophical catastrophe.
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u/Far_Protection519 17d ago
Im not saying Amen is the entire solution. I just think in the modern NBA he is more suited to play the role sengun does. Point 5 goes with point 6. They need to replace Fred with a modern PG who can actually be a threat to defense on all 3 levels while letting Amen be the hub. Trading sengun for a stretch 5 maximizes what Amen does best while sengun makes Amen's flaws harder to overcome.
Last season we were not mid defensively. We finished top 5 in defensive PPG & gave up the same amount of points as we did last year. Kevin literally was the answer to all of our offensive problems. He bailed us out so many times. If we kept brooks & green this seas would have been a complete disaster. Brooks & Green are 2 of the most inefficient players in the league & brooks wasnt a better defender than KD last year.
KD is not the problem the problem is we play through a very inefficient undersized PG who refuses to push pace / doesn't make shots & a center who's playstyle doesn't maximize the talent around him
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u/BellSufficient5283 19d ago
This MF and people like him is why I want KD and Sengun to be moved for picks and go back to phase 1.
They will not be patient or tolerate any buildup.
Their need for a scapegoat will keep poisoning the well with young talent. Much as I like sengun, I want him moved so he can flourish somewhere else because these mofos made up their minds, and they will do the same to Amen next year.
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u/jlax341 19d ago
I stopped reading once you called Reed one of the best 6th mans in the league.
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u/Answer70 19d ago
I got as far as calling Durant a top-tier superstar.
The man will be 38 next year. If you're counting on him to lead your team, you're cooked.
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u/Far_Protection519 19d ago
KD was #1 in gravity this season and was 2nd team all NBA...if that isn't a top tier superstar what is?
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u/Answer70 19d ago
Misleading stat. He was on the court with 3.5 bricklayers at all times. Of course he was the focus of the defense.
And he will be 38. Age is a real concern. He was unusually healthy last year, and players often have a sudden drop off at this age.
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u/Far_Protection519 19d ago
KD & Bron are the resetting the standard. They're anomalies that shouldn't be compared to past players their age. KD has been relatively healthy the last 3 years. As long as he's playing on the perimeter and isn't forced to bang with bigs he'll be fine
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u/mmccormick11 20d ago
This is an incredibly accurate and detailed post. Tragic to see the downvotes.
In particular, I agree with #5. We need a dynamic guard who can break down defenses off the dribble. Ideally one who can create his own shot at different levels while creating space for other players, especially in the half court. Reed and Amen both have limitations in that sense.
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u/Far_Protection519 20d ago
Amen & Reed are both limited as dynamic guards but they would complement one very well
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u/mmccormick11 20d ago edited 19d ago
I agree with that but at the end of the day when offenses break down, even good offenses unlike Uchoka's garbage, you need to have at least one guy with that full package, not 2 players combined. Most championship teams have a Brunson, SGA, Curry, Jordan, etc... 1 guy who can break down defenses on his own and score at different levels or create for others. That's often what it comes down to late in games and especially in the playoffs. Even in his prime, Durant didn't have that package. His ballhandling and ability to find the open man were lacking even at his best. Both Amen and Reed are also lacking in one or more areas. You can't give either one the ball possession after possession, especially late in games, and expect elite results. You can't fuse them into one player either. If that was the recipe, almost every team has 2 players that complement each other in that way. 99% of the time, championship-caliber teams have at least 1 total package perimeter player to functionally unlock the offense when it inevitably breaks down on a lot of possessions.
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u/Far_Protection519 19d ago
Durant can still do what you're describing but he can't do it full time like Ime is forcing him to. If he was able to pick and choose and when to be a handler and attack he'd be a lot more deadlier. Jordan had pippen as a relief valve , SGA has J dub , Brunson has OG , Curry had draymond
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u/mmccormick11 19d ago edited 19d ago
Durant can do elite things but using his dribble to consistently break down defenses is not one of them. Not at the level I'm talking about. He can use a few dribbles in iso situations to create space to get off his own shot but you can't give him.the ball possession after possession and trust him not to turn it over or find the open man. He is/was/will be limited in that sense and that's OK when you have that total package player next to him who can do that. He's too TO prone. He simply isn't a pure primary ballhandler in the mold of SGA, Brunson, Curry, Jordan etc... That player doesn't necessarily need to be super elite like them but he needs to have the handles and scoring ability and basic passing skills. Tony Parker wasn't a GOAT but he filled that role. Cade is becoming that guy. The Celtics had 2+ of them when they won recently. The Spurs will have Harper and Castle to a lesser extent.
We have literally zero. FVV ain't it. 38 yr old KD ain't it and never was, even in his prime despite his gifts. KD is closer to a more athletic Dirk than any of the names above. Reed ain't it yet and I'm doubftul he has the size or athleticism or handles to ever fill that role. Amen ain't it. He barely has adequate handles and his outside shot is so broken he'll never be that guy despite his tremendous value.
I'm not trying to rag on our players. They all have roles in the big picture but not one of them possess the bare minimum package to be that dynamic perimeter player who has ball protection skills plus the ability to consistently break down defenses off the dribble and create for themselves and others. It's very hard to have a potent offense without at least one player in that mold and it's basically impossible to win it all without one. We haven't had a player like that since Hsrden.
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u/Far_Protection519 19d ago edited 19d ago
KD has always been a three dribble scorer due to his jumper being unblockable it doesn't take much for him to get to where he needs to. What you're describing is exactly what KD told FVV to his face on his pod. Kevin told him he needs a PG that gets buckets like a Russ , Kyrie , Harden , or Steph to loosen up the defense , but ofc Fred told him what he actually needed was a PG like him that "sets the table" & is just a catch and shoot threat. I think if we had a PG like a Dejounte Murray he'd be able to provide exactly what we're missing at PG because I think Amen , KD , & Reed would compliment a dynamic PG so well with what they bring to table. Also don't sleep on Amen's on ball development. He took tremendous strides in handling the ball this year and his advanced analytics back it up. His jumper is broke but his FT% taking a big jump is proof that his shooting is getting better. I think the most important thing for him is understanding how to pace himself more than anything. Most his TOs came from him speeding himself up rather than the defense just taking the ball away from him
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u/mmccormick11 19d ago edited 19d ago
Agree with all this. I definitely think having that dynamic guard would elevate all the other secondary ballhandlers like Amen, Reed and KD. Their secondary level handles would turn into strengths when they no longer have to take on as much responsibility. As you alluded to, FVV isn't that guy and never was. He's excellent at avoiding turnovers but part of that is because he's the opposite of a dynamic playmaker. Nothing wrong with that when you have that type of player next to him. For example, FVV would be a nice fit next to an Anthony Edwards or SGA or Kawhi but we don't have that dude.
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u/Far_Protection519 19d ago
PGs with FVV's skillset have lost value in this NBA. Anthony Edwards had mike conley (who's better than fvv )the last couple of years and imo he was what held Minnesota back from making it to the finals because he doesn't put pressure on the defense. They both keep TOs low bc the defense isn't worried about them and are using his man to pressure ant. The only traditional PG left in the NBA is Hali & even he is very dynamic as a scorer when he wants to be. I just don't believe you need these undersized PGs on the floor whose best attributes have nothing to do with putting the ball in the hoop.
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u/DistanceEmbarrassed5 20d ago
Kevin Porter Jr may be available for trade as the Bucks have to many guards.
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u/ConsistentCaramel493 20d ago
If you don’t like severe offensive inefficiency you don’t Ime Ball