Omer Asik and Rockets agree to deal 3 years 25 million

[SHO'NUFF]

I hope to god we don't match this deal on a very good, not elite, highly overrated (on this forum) defender.

[DJhitek]

If you take the thing you're good at (defense) and worsen it...all in the name of offense, except that doing this doesn't guarantee you any added offense...what have you done?

Made your team worse. With no reason to expect anything improving later....other than your hopes

I get it, but isn't that what we are paying Noah for?

I'm ok with paying Asik this kind of money, if he is a starter. By the time this is all over with, we would have invested almost 90 mil in two centers at the same time. I don't know man, I'm not convinced Omer is a starting caliber player and I'm very afraid that this move will cost us Taj. Who undoubtedly has a bigger impact on the game defensively and isn't a liability on offense.

[AAU Teammate]

I think what's underlying a lot of this anti-Omer sentiment (not the anti-match sentiment, but specifically the anti-Omer brand of comments)......... is the poster's dislike for being a defensive team.

Sometimes you have to grin and bear what you are. We are an elite defense. To that end, we're losing Brewer (at present) and not that much else as far as defense.

So I hate to break it to people, but next year we are going to have to be an elite defense again. Pains me to be the bearer of bad news, but you have to try to be elite at something, and I don't see us being an elite offense in the near future.



We're set up to be an elite defense and at best a solid offense. Decent-to-solid. With Rip healthy we operated on the upper end of that, but of course it was fleeting.

[Magilla_Gorilla]

If you take the thing you're good at (defense) and worsen it...all in the name of offense, except that doing this doesn't guarantee you any added offense...what have you done?

Made your team worse. With no reason to expect anything improving later....other than your hopes

I get it, but isn't that what we are paying Noah for?

I'm ok with paying Asik this kind of money, if he is a starter. By the time this is all over with, we would have invested almost 90 mil in two centers at the same time. I don't know man, I'm not convinced Omer is a starting caliber player and I'm very afraid that this move will cost us Taj. Who undoubtedly has a bigger impact on the game defensively and isn't a liability on offense.

I think on some teams the backup C wouldn't have much value - but this team lives and dies protecting the paint, rebounding, and with what Derrick can get us. We have to win the paint and the boards regardless whether our starters are in or not - we have to have a frontcourt that can compete even off of the bench.

[WinCity]

Excuse my ignorance but can we just restructure his deal later and spread that $15M over 2 seasons ad tack on 2-3 more season while we are at it?

[kyrv]

I hope to god we don't match this deal on a very good, not elite, highly overrated (on this forum) defender.

Asik is a highly overrated defender?

Odd thing to post right after:

uhh. according to this:

And before you bark about how good Asik is defensively, hear us out. There's no denying Asik's talents on the defensive end. Of all NBA players with at least 250 defensive possessions against them last season, he ranked No. 1 allowing a mere 0.653 points per play, according to Synergy Sports data.

I know how the numbers and the NBA rank him - how do YOU properly rate him as a defender?

[AAU Teammate]

The opportunity cost of losing elite defensive center play, for fifteen minutes a game ..

..is what we're talking about here. I call 15 minutes a game an important chunk of the game.

What's the plan for winning those 15 minutes from this point on? Besides "Second Scorer, dude!OMFG!"

[Magilla_Gorilla]

I think what's underlying a lot of this anti-Omer sentiment (not the anti-match sentiment, but specifically the anti-Omer brand of comments)......... is the poster's dislike for being a defensive team.

Sometimes you have to grin and bear what you are. We are an elite defense. To that end, we're losing Brewer (at present) and not that much else as far as defense.

So I hate to break it to people, but next year are going to have to be an elite defense again. Pains me to be the bearer of bad news, but you have to try to be elite at something, and I don't see us being an elite offense in the near future.



We're set up to be an elite defense and at best a solid offense. Decent-to-solid. With Rip healthy we operated on the upper end of that, but of course it was fleeting.

Another great post. Personally I don't think there will be any drop-off from Brewer to Butler on defense.

[JohnnyKILLroy]

The opportunity cost of losing elite defensive center play, for fifteen minutes a game ..

..is what we're talking about here. I call 15 minutes a game an important chunk of the game.

Especially at the end of games...

[Magilla_Gorilla]

The opportunity cost of losing elite defensive center play, for fifteen minutes a game ..

..is what we're talking about here. I call 15 minutes a game an important chunk of the game.

What's the plan for winning those 15 minutes from this point on? Besides "Second Scorer, dude!OMFG!"

Damn skippy. It might only be 10-15 minutes a game - but we're not good enough to consistently lose those 10 minutes and be a top team. We have to win the defense rebounding battle against other teams benches - and we do that with Taj and Omer.

Chris Richards isn't going to win us any battles off the bench.

[Magilla_Gorilla]

The opportunity cost of losing elite defensive center play, for fifteen minutes a game ..

..is what we're talking about here. I call 15 minutes a game an important chunk of the game.

Especially at the end of games...

What a tremendous piece Asik is at the end of games when Noah has shat the bed for 36 minutes.

[AAU Teammate]

The opportunity cost of losing elite defensive center play, for fifteen minutes a game ..

..is what we're talking about here. I call 15 minutes a game an important chunk of the game.

Especially at the end of games...

If Omer has to sit the end of games because of his free throw shooting, then so be it. That's why he'll make 8M a year as opposed to 12M. If you want it all, you will have to spend more than a second round pick. Instead, you will have to settle for an unreal value from a 2nd round pick.

[PistolP]

The opportunity cost of losing elite defensive center play, for fifteen minutes a game ..

..is what we're talking about here. I call 15 minutes a game an important chunk of the game.

Especially at the end of games...

Why do we automatically assume those 15mpg are going to some scrub? We have three good bigs. Why can't Noah, Taj & Boozer all play 30mpg? I'm fine with a vet min guy playing the extra 6mpg at the PF/C spot if it means we use the extra salary flexibility elsewhere.

Noah & Taj can finish games.

[DJhitek]

I think what's underlying a lot of this anti-Omer sentiment (not the anti-match sentiment, but specifically the anti-Omer brand of comments)......... is the poster's dislike for being a defensive team.

Sometimes you have to grin and bear what you are. We are an elite defense. To that end, we're losing Brewer (at present) and not that much else as far as defense.

So I hate to break it to people, but next year are going to have to be an elite defense again. Pains me to be the bearer of bad news, but you have to try to be elite at something, and I don't see us being an elite offense in the near future.



We're set up to be an elite defense and at best a solid offense. Decent-to-solid. With Rip healthy we operated on the upper end of that, but of course it was fleeting.

I think we are beyond what happens in the regular season at this point, but we don't know what we saw last season. Rip and Derrick were not on the floor together enough to make any intelligent observation about the upside of this makeup.

I don't lose sight of what defense brings and I agree, but eventually, we need one person not named Derrick Rose to score. Investing so much money in "15 minutes" as you pointed out is good business if you have the structure in place to make up offensively what we lack. That structure, is not in place.

I value defense as much as you do, but I KNOW in the end, without a SuperHero Rose or a flashback Rip, we won't be able to score enough to win a championship. And make no mistake, matching this offer, is a testament to the win now mode.

[Magilla_Gorilla]

The opportunity cost of losing elite defensive center play, for fifteen minutes a game ..

..is what we're talking about here. I call 15 minutes a game an important chunk of the game.

Especially at the end of games...

Why do we automatically assume those 15mpg are going to some scrub? We have three good bigs. Why can't Noah, Taj & Boozer all play 30mpg? I'm fine with a vet min guy playing the extra 6mpg at the PF/C spot if it means we use the extra salary flexibility elsewhere.

Noah & Taj can finish games.

We've already seen plenty of instances where Noah couldn't finish games.

[Jimako10]

People keep trying to diminish Asik by saying he's just a backup center, but he'd be starting for 10-15 teams in the league. Lots of teams lack a center with Omer's defensive/rebounding capabilities, just because we don't, doesn't mean we just give him away for nothing. It's not like we have room to replace him with an equally effective player (or even a little less effective) regardless of position.

[jl342323]

its highly possible for noah taj and boozer to play at least 28 minutes per game. the 4th big would play about 8 minute per game if this is the case.

kinda remind me of milsap, okur, and boozer utah. they all played 28 + per game and were all highly productive.

[BIGGIEsmalls 23]

every argument for matching the offer seems to say "ah, f--- it, we'll figure it out in two years"

This right here.

This horrible deal for a backup role-playing center will force us to lose Taj Gibson & possibly trade Joakim Noah.

[Mech Engineer]

The opportunity cost of losing elite defensive center play, for fifteen minutes a game ..

..is what we're talking about here. I call 15 minutes a game an important chunk of the game.

Especially at the end of games...

Why do we automatically assume those 15mpg are going to some scrub? We have three good bigs. Why can't Noah, Taj & Boozer all play 30mpg? I'm fine with a vet min guy playing the extra 6mpg at the PF/C spot if it means we use the extra salary flexibility elsewhere.

Noah & Taj can finish games.

Have you watched the games to know what Thibs thinks of Boozer at the end of games? The point is replacing Asik with a player like Chris Richard means the Bulls will keep winning against the Bobcats and the Wizards but never win close games against elite teams. Elite teams require elite player and specialists even if they play for a few minutes to make an impact.

[WinCity]

Excuse my ignorance but can we just restructure his deal later and spread that $15M over 2 seasons ad tack on 2-3 more season while we are at it?

Sorry to be a pest can someone answer this,,,