#18 - Sam Dekker

[Nebula1]

definitely not a good way to start your career
hear news that Dekker might need back surgery

Sounds pretty speculative to me.

[Harden2Capela]

any updates on sam's back injury

[Nebula1]

any updates on sam's back injury

Everything I've read is he's experienced soreness and is trying to rest it. Rumors of surgery seem to be wrong at this point.

[Nebula1]

Anybody have Insider for the Dekker comments?

http://espn.go.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/13350800/nba-frank-kaminsky-delon-wright-project-effective-rookies

[Nebula1]

Good news

Also, first-round pick Sam Dekker, who missed the NBA summer league with back pain, was cleared recently by team doctors to start training camp on time. Dekker averaged 13.9 points and shot 52.6 percent from the field during his junior season at Wisconsin.

http://espn.go.com/blog/houston-rockets/post/_/id/1086/montiejunas-doubtful-to-start-training-camp-on-time?ex_cid=espnapi_public

[MaxRider]

Good news

Also, first-round pick Sam Dekker, who missed the NBA summer league with back pain, was cleared recently by team doctors to start training camp on time. Dekker averaged 13.9 points and shot 52.6 percent from the field during his junior season at Wisconsin.

http://espn.go.com/blog/houston-rockets/post/_/id/1086/montiejunas-doubtful-to-start-training-camp-on-time?ex_cid=espnapi_public

let see what he can do in preseason
i can see morey shipping him to d-league

[Nebula1]

Good news

Also, first-round pick Sam Dekker, who missed the NBA summer league with back pain, was cleared recently by team doctors to start training camp on time. Dekker averaged 13.9 points and shot 52.6 percent from the field during his junior season at Wisconsin.

http://espn.go.com/blog/houston-rockets/post/_/id/1086/montiejunas-doubtful-to-start-training-camp-on-time?ex_cid=espnapi_public

let see what he can do in preseason
i can see morey shipping him to d-league

I imagine Harrell will be spending time down, but Dekker is really good. I think he sticks with the squad but could play with the Vipers some similar to Capela.

I think Dekker contributes to winning the championship this season.

[MaxRider]

Good news



http://espn.go.com/blog/houston-rockets/post/_/id/1086/montiejunas-doubtful-to-start-training-camp-on-time?ex_cid=espnapi_public

let see what he can do in preseason
i can see morey shipping him to d-league

I imagine Harrell will be spending time down, but Dekker is really good. I think he sticks with the squad but could play with the Vipers some similar to Capela.

I think Dekker contributes to winning the championship this season.

our SF/SG rotation will be Harden, Ariza, Brewer, Beverley, Thornton, maybe even Terry
i don't see how Dekker can get min
i just think it is better for him to play in d-league to get in game rhythm than sitting on the bench
DMo may not be ready so Harrell may not send to d-league in the beginning of the season
if they play Dekker at some PF min then that is different story

[Nebula1]

let see what he can do in preseason
i can see morey shipping him to d-league

I imagine Harrell will be spending time down, but Dekker is really good. I think he sticks with the squad but could play with the Vipers some similar to Capela.

I think Dekker contributes to winning the championship this season.

our SF/SG rotation will be Harden, Ariza, Brewer, Beverley, Thornton, maybe even Terry
i don't see how Dekker can get min
i just think it is better for him to play in d-league to get in game rhythm than sitting on the bench
DMo may not be ready so Harrell may not send to d-league in the beginning of the season
if they play Dekker at some PF min then that is different story

I think it will be a good problem to have. Dekker is really good and will force playing time.

That said, I'm sure he'll see minutes in both places. I just hope he sticks with the varsity crew since I see him as the primary SF2 and some reserve PF. I think Thornton will be the odd man out.

[inquisitive]

some say the better version of Chandler Parsons

[MaxRider]

some say the better version of Chandler Parsons

they are two different player
Parsons is more SF/SG, better playmaker and ball handling
Dekker is more SF/PF, better rebounder and slasher

[Nebula1]

So far we've seen his suffer to the speed of the game and clearly he missed Summer League.

But he's slowing down and getting his legs under him. He's still a little wild, but getting a pace that's allowing his better looks. His passing is good but he's dropping some passes he shouldn't be. The shot has been ok and improving and the defense solid from the first tip, although he needs to fight through screens better.

I like his spark and he's shown some flashes that fans should be excited about.

[Nebula1]

http://espn.go.com/blog/houston-rockets/post/_/id/1174/sam-dekker-learning-improving

Sam Dekker learning, improving


Calvin Watkins, ESPN Staff Writer



In his first NBA preseason game, Sam Dekker looked tentative. He bypassed shots and pump faked for no reason. He was lost.

He didn’t look like the player who veteran Trevor Ariza said played with confidence during training camp with the Houston Rockets.

That was the first game.

Dekker has improved since then, and he is no longer tentative; if anything, it seems as if he’s having fun running in a free-flowing offense that thrives on ball movement, spacing and running. In three preseason games, Dekker is averaging 7.3 points in 23 minutes per game.

He isn't playing like the man who wore a Wisconsin jersey for three college seasons, including two trips to the Final Four and a 13.9 points per game average his junior season. Instead Dekker is participating like a rookie battling for a roster spot, despite being a first-round pick, or a starting role with the Rockets' D-League team.

In the last two preseason games, Dekker smiled on the court, running and finishing plays that showcased his athletic abilities.

“I felt like I was finally immersed into everything that we’re doing,” Dekker said last week before the Rockets headed on a road trip. “The comfortability is going to be big.”

In the Rockets' second preseason game, Dekker scored on an alley-oop dunk courtesy of a K.J. McDaniels pass among his highlights in a 12-point outing. Two nights later in South Texas, Dekker ran the floor and took a fastbreak bounce pass from Denzel Livingston for a one-handed dunk during his seven-point game. Yet, Dekker registered a minus-13 on the plus/minus chart.

“For Sam, it’s just going to take a little while, which isn’t unusual,” Houston coach Kevin McHale said. “If you’re coming to a team that wants to win and planning on winning a lot of games, as a rookie, it’s hard to play. The guys that do it are very, very special, and they’re probably a handful a year. I think Sam can have a chance for us to do different things. He just has to get his feet wet and figure the NBA out and he’ll be all right.”

The Rockets are pleased with their core group of veterans -- players like Dekker, who provide McHale with versatility to play multiple positions.

McHale said Dekker has to improve on closing offensive players out on the defensive end and just finding his game within the offense.

With the Rockets quest to take 3-pointers and push the pace, Dekker is someone who must hit his outside shots with consistency. Through three games, Dekker is shooting 40.9 percent from the field but just 25 percent from 3-point range.

He’s also missed four of five foul shots.

Veteran players take advantage of rookie players with subtle moves and their overall experience. Dekker has seen vets such as Vince Carter and Charlie Villanueva in the opening portions of the preseason take advantage at times.

Dekker is athletic and smart enough to make plays on the offensive end but defensively is the challenge when he has to take on bigger players.

“It’s good to go up against [veterans], and these guys know more than you and you can pick up little things in their game,” Dekker said. “It gives me a good test when I’m in the league. As a rookie, you’re going to get your butt kicked sometimes and you’re going to feel like you’re behind a little bit. But we got a great group of guys who’ve really helped me along the way.”

[Nebula1]

The game is slowing down for him and he's starting to hit and get boards.

[No-Man]

some say the better version of Chandler Parsons

they are two different player
Parsons is more SF/SG, better playmaker and ball handling
Dekker is more SF/PF, better rebounder and slasher

best case scenario for Dekker is Jeff Green, Dekker is pretty passive, he can do a bit of eveerything but struggles mighty in half court settings, he needs space and is not a 1on1 player.
He reminds me of Victor Claver as well, he would be much more fluid offensively as a 4.
Like you said, Parsons is on another level as a playmaker and ball handler, Dekker struggles with both.

[Nebula1]

some say the better version of Chandler Parsons

they are two different player
Parsons is more SF/SG, better playmaker and ball handling
Dekker is more SF/PF, better rebounder and slasher

best case scenario for Dekker is Jeff Green, Dekker is pretty passive, he can do a bit of eveerything but struggles mighty in half court settings, he needs space and is not a 1on1 player.
He reminds me of Victor Claver as well, he would be much more fluid offensively as a 4.
Like you said, Parsons is on another level as a playmaker and ball handler, Dekker struggles with both.

Dekker will probably be better than Parsons in the long run. Dekker didn't get a Summer League and hasn't play ball since March.. it's ridiculous to say he's not a playmaker or ball handler.

[inquisitive]

they are two different player
Parsons is more SF/SG, better playmaker and ball handling
Dekker is more SF/PF, better rebounder and slasher

best case scenario for Dekker is Jeff Green, Dekker is pretty passive, he can do a bit of eveerything but struggles mighty in half court settings, he needs space and is not a 1on1 player.
He reminds me of Victor Claver as well, he would be much more fluid offensively as a 4.
Like you said, Parsons is on another level as a playmaker and ball handler, Dekker struggles with both.

Dekker will probably be better than Parsons in the long run. Dekker didn't get a Summer League and hasn't play ball since March.. it's ridiculous to say he's not a playmaker or ball handler.

Dekker is already a better defender and rebounder and you can tell his 3pt shooting is getting there. His playmaking and ball handling does need work, but that will come around.

[Nebula1]

Not a bad preseason but not a good one either. Sam needs to slow down and not be so quick to pass... but that's the Badger in him. They initiated ball movement right away whereas Sam needs to entertain his dribble and shot before the pass.

But he's got a nose for the ball and rebounded well. He also played pretty good defense and had some streaky offense.


He's likely to be a Viper for a bit, which will be good for him.

[Nebula1]

Sam to Vipers

http://www.thedreamshake.com/2015/11/13/9730852/rockets-to-assign-sam-dekker-to-the-d-league

As Rockets head coach Kevin McHale's rotation beings to flesh itself out, the young, 'inexperienced' players are spending more time riding the pine. K.J. McDaniels was surprisingly sent down to the D-League early this week, now Sam Dekker appears set to join him on the Rio Grande Valley Vipers roster.

[Mr. E]

Sources are saying that Sam Dekker will have back surgery this upcoming Friday and he will be out for at least three months.

http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterockets/2015/11/rockets-sam-dekker-reportedly-will-have-surgery-miss-three-months/