RealGM

Okay we're almost halfway into the season, it's time to rate our entire rotation from top to bottom. In no particular order...

1. Aaron Brooks - Really struggling with injuries but I'm hoping this past game in Boston showed that he's back to last season's form. Let's not forget this guy averaged 20 PPG on decent efficiency. He doesn't have to put up those scoring numbers this season but we need 16-17 points per night once from here on out.

2. Luis Scola - The Scola Scoop. After a blistering start he has tapered off a bit, but it still looks like he is gonna be a 19/8 type guy. That's really good for someone averaging only 22 MPG. I love his low post presence and it's nice to see a guy who actually has toughness, grit, and finishing ability down low.

3. Kevin Martin - A lot of controversy with this guy. His defense is suspect, but you can't argue with his scoring ability. He's not your prototypical star but he puts the ball in the hoop. As long as we have other guys putting the ball in the hoop as well (ahem Scola and Brooks) then the defense can't focus their entire energy on him. He's going to be critical as another guy to stretch the defense besides Brooks and Budinger.

4. Kyle Lowry - He's been on and off this year, but we're gonna count on him for big minutes. We always have someone injured and he seems to be getting a lot of court time. He is the polar opposite of Aaron Brooks which is great because it provides us with two point guards with contrasting abilities. I'm liking him for about 24 MPG dishing out assists, playing good defense, and putting up the occasional bucket.

5. Shane Battier - His offense has been suspect, no doubt. But his defense has been very good and helps cover up our defensive liabilities that surround him. However, I'd like to see him get less playing time against teams with no scorer at the wing position. Keep him as a defense specialist against Durant, LeBron etc. But I don't think he should get as many minutes against teams like Utah with mediocore SF's.

6. Chase Budinger - He has really picked it up lately. He's finally shooting the ball well, and really keeps the defense off balance with his great finishing ability. You can't just stand around the outside and prevent him from scoring. He'll cut to the basket, receive the pass, and finish with authority at the rim. Very valuable guy off the bench and we'll need a consistent 10 PPG from here on out.

7. Courtney Lee - A great contrast from Martin. Good defense, athleticism, and reasonable shooting ability. He can play more or less depending on who we're facing and whether we need a solid defensive guy at SG.

8. Patrick Patterson - I'm lovin this guy so far. He's the only guy on our team besides Chuck Hayes that gives us a tough low-post defensive presence. This guy can block shots. He bodies up the defender. He's got that mid-range jumper out to 15 feet and he can finish down low if needed. Definitely what we need off the bench and works well with the 2nd unit.

9. Jordan Hill - I don't know what to think about him. Some games he's wheelin and dealin down low, using spin moves, throwin down dunks and other games he looks completely lost. I think he deserves to be in the rotation, but I have no idea how well he's going to develop. He could just be another bench guy, he could be a solid starter in a couple years. Who knows? Alls I know is he will continue to improve given the minutes and given our injury problems we're gonna need him to be effective the rest of the season.

10. Chuck Hayes - The Chuckwagon is a great guy to have. He plays hardnosed, tough defense. His scoring has improved as well as his finishing ability around the rim is very solid. He is even a respectable free throw shooter now. My only concern is that given his lack of height, he is not a great rebounder or shotblocker and that's something we need. He's very mobile and athletic given his huge size, but his lack of height hurts us in certain areas on defense.

11. Brad Miller - This guy is really hot and cold. Sometimes he looks like an old man stumbling around on the court and other times he's lighting it up from anywhere. He's still very slow and we can't count on him for big minutes on our team. However, he is our only 7 footer and he can shoot the ball. He's not wimp either, as you can tell by his demeanor he's a pretty tough guy. I like him in the rotation as well but for spot minutes only as his effectiveness wears off if he plays too much.

12. Terrence Williams - Haven't seen much of him so I can't really comment. He won't be getting many minutes this year but will see some court time occasionally given our fluctuating rotation.

13. Ish Smith - One of the best 3rd string point guards in the NBA. When Brooks or Lowry goes down, I have no problem with him coming in for 10-12 minutes a game. I really hope he does well but he won't be getting any kind of consistent minutes with us.

14. Jared Jeffries - This guy is a complete scrub on the offensive end. His shot is ugly, his finishing ability is terrible, and his post moves are non-existent. That being said, I think his defense is really solid and it showed against Boston. He won't be getting much time but I hate to say it but he's one of the best 12th-14th men in the league.

15. Yao Ming - When he was playing, he was still very effective and provided an offensive and defensive anchor. I still remember how well our offense was flowing with him starting in the first game of the year against the Lakers. One can only hope he returns healthy next year on our roster...but that's unlikely so I'm not holding my breath.

With the exception of Brad and JJ, I like everyone on the roster. All of them are good players, but the problem is that the best players on this team are all borderline all-stars. That's not going to be enough.

i like the roster as it is, only thing is we need 5 or 6 (not even if brooks and martin can consitently hit 20 a night) guys scoring in double figures a night...which isnt impossible. At times when other guys are off we need brooks, martin and scola to carry the load - which they usually do. I think we have been in a slump for a while and actually underrate this team, we dont need a star - i think it could be a chemistry issue which i see sorted once all ours guy can stay healthy and rick can figure out a stable/permanent rotation. I would love to see lee play along side williams a bit more, think those 2 could help our second unit if bud and our other bench players are off, not only on d but through slashing to the ring (instead of just settling for jumpers). Lets hope im just not biased and i could be onto something hahaha

good review! the only thing i can add is that, even though it pains me to say it but Battier has lost a step. He's still a good defender but the 30+ age is starting to show. I agree with limiting his minutes against teams with mediocre guards and forwards.

I hope Terrance Williams picks it up and also starts getting more opportunities. its hard because lowry is going to get his minutes, Brooks is coming back from injury, Martin is going to get his minutes, and Lee is the set back up. Even the SF min. is locked up with Battier and Bud. I think there is a lot of potential there in terrance williams. He has A LOT of room to grow but he also has a lot of ceiling in his potential. I just fear that we end up trading him away next season for like a 2nd round pick because he can't break the rotation.

Kal El wrote:I just fear that we end up trading him away next season for like a 2nd round pick because he can't break the rotation.

I'm pretty certain that won't happen. Adelman always takes his time with rookies and new players. As of right now he's just more comfortable with Lee and Budinger and I don't blame him.
Sooner or later a trade or injury will open a spot in the rotation and Terrence will have an opportunity to earn his playing time.

Based on personal expectations

Brooks - B, small sample size

Lowry - B+ Improved 3 point shooting, but also passes up many open looks. Gambling a lot more on defense this year as well. Doesn't have the energy to play starters minutes IMO.

Ish - B+ Creative passer with good vision

Martin - B+ Quite the iron-man this year, kept us in a lot of games but disappears for periods and gets a traveling violation EVERY SINGLE GAME

Lee - B Good defense, streaky shooting and poor decision-making, what more can you ask for a role player?

Battier - C+ For every good shooting game he has, he'll have 3 bad ones, it hurts more with Brooks and Yao out since we need to fill the scoring void. Lost a step on defense too. Hes a player-coach that's playing a lot of minutes. Should just be in for defensive assignments as pr0wler said.

Budinger - B- Disappointed with his progression or should I say lack of progression. Atrocious on D and only recently has he found his stroke. Perhaps its the system but I was hoping we'd see him handle the ball some like he did in the summer league.

Mr. T - B+ Small sample size, but he has shown his playmaking ability. I would like to see him handling the ball with Martin and Brooks playing off of him. Needs to put some serious work on his jumper.

Scola - B- I think all this trade talk is getting to him, and we'll see a 20-10 Scola after the deadline passes, like what happened last year.

Patterson - A Wasn't high on him during the draft, he has neither great size, great athleticism, or great potential. Then news articles came out about what a class act he is, summer league rolls around and he shows us his range, then he gets minutes in the NBA. This guy plays like a vet. I think his floor is Udonis Haslem and his ceiling as current Elton Brand perhaps

Jeffries - B+ The fact that hes seeing minutes has surpassed my expectations. He also seems like a great locker room guy and certainly a great cheerleader and teammate

Hayes - A This guy adds something every offseason, 76% FT shooter. Elite post defense. Great passing from the high post.

Hill - C I suppose its my own fault for having high expectations for Hill after seeing flashes of brilliance last season. The only thing i noticed is that hes added a fadeaway to his arsenal this year, and I don't even know if thats good or bad. He definitely needs to add some bulk.

Miller - B I was expecting nothing more from him than being a player-coach, because Adelman said Brad was one of the smartest basketball players in the league. I just don't like it when he lets his emotions get the best of him, which results in a technical and a string of bad plays.

joeyyowee wrote:With the exception of Brad and JJ, I like everyone on the roster. All of them are good players, but the problem is that the best players on this team are all borderline all-stars. That's not going to be enough.

Why don't you like Brad Miller? Is it because he hunts animal during the offseason?

#0, Brooks, incomplete - can't judge him because he's not 100% healthy
#1, Williams, incomplete - didn't play enough
#4, Scola, A - borderline all-star, Portland respect him so much they have to double team him everytime he touched the ball in the post
#5, Lee, B - i just can't stand him, a career 80% FT shooter keep missing FT in the 4th
#7, Lowry, B+ - worth his contract, need to be consistent with his jump shots
#10, Budinger, C+ - defense is horrible, especially on pick and roll, lucky his shots are falling recently or else a D for him
#11, Yao, incomplete
#12, Martin, B - mister 36 minutes, averaging more than 23 points a game and most of them are in the first 3 quarters
#13, Smith, C - doesn't really know how to run offense in half court set, can't shoot
#20, Jeffries, C - playing good defense, but offense sucks big time, always fumble the rebound
#27, Hill, C - BB IQ is very low, i'm just afraid the ball is in his hand for him to make any decision beside dunking the ball
#31, Battier, B - a step too slow on defense, missing open shots and FT, he's getting old
#44, Hayes, B+ - defense is great, improved offensive game and FT, only down side is can't score 5 ft away from basket
#52, Miller, B- - our best passer, too bad his defense sucks
#54, Patterson, B - looking good in the limited playing time

Who do we keep and who do we pursue via trade?

I like all of our wings.

Is the organization really banking on Yao to come back? We should get in the Carmelo mix and use Yao's contract to facilitate a deal.

Think what you would want from the Bulls for Courtney Lee. Restricted Charlotte first rounder? Bulls first rounder? Is there a player you'd want?

drivewayball wrote:Think what you would want from the Bulls for Courtney Lee. Restricted Charlotte first rounder? Bulls first rounder? Is there a player you'd want?

Other than the obvious ones (Noah & Rose), no. I also woudn't trade Lee for the Charlotte first rounder, though I'm sure some people would.

Guy986 wrote:

joeyyowee wrote:With the exception of Brad and JJ, I like everyone on the roster. All of them are good players, but the problem is that the best players on this team are all borderline all-stars. That's not going to be enough.

Why don't you like Brad Miller? Is it because he hunts animal during the offseason?

No I just don't like his game at all. He's good at 2 things (shooting and passing) and horrible at everything else. When his shot is off he's basically good for nothing. I also can't stand his constant whining to the refs. The sad part is that he doesn't know his limitations and he actually tries driving to the rim against athletic bigs. He either misses or gets his shot blocked when that happens.

It's pretty rare that joeyyowee and I agree, but this is one of those very few occasions. Brad Miller sucks. I hope he gets traded before the start of next season.

I like Brad Miller.

Guy986 wrote:I like Brad Miller.

He's not terrible and I prefer him over Jeffries, but he's not a big black guy and doesn't play any defense, which is why I'd rather see the Rockets go into a different direction at the 5 next year.

Ten more posts!!!

joeyyowee wrote:

Guy986 wrote:

joeyyowee wrote:With the exception of Brad and JJ, I like everyone on the roster. All of them are good players, but the problem is that the best players on this team are all borderline all-stars. That's not going to be enough.

Why don't you like Brad Miller? Is it because he hunts animal during the offseason?

No I just don't like his game at all. He's good at 2 things (shooting and passing) and horrible at everything else. When his shot is off he's basically good for nothing. I also can't stand his constant whining to the refs. The sad part is that he doesn't know his limitations and he actually tries driving to the rim against athletic bigs. He either misses or gets his shot blocked when that happens.

Martin is good at every aspect of scoring. Even when his shot is off he's great at getting to the rim and getting to the line. He has one of the quickest if not the quickest first step in the NBA and everyone knows that he's good at faking the defender out. Brad Miller has one of the slowest if not the slowest first step in the NBA.