[SB Nation] Dwight & Omer are starting and it's working

I really don't think it's working that well. Rocket's have played their best with Omri or Parsons at the 4 with one of Dwight/Asik at center

 

I don't expect the twin towers to work all that well at first. It's what it may possibly become that is interesting. I think it is worthwhile to give it a chance for a couple of months to see how it develops.

 

my goodness, if dwight/asik isn't 1st in rebounding, who's the team currently 1st?

 

They've had their moments, but overall they don't seem to work well together. And it looks like Harden gets frustrated at times because the lane is clogged.

 

Asik/Howard lineups are somewhere around -20 points per 100 possessions. It is definitely not working.

 

Exactly, we could very easily be 1-2 instead of 3-0. This lineup in working better than I thought, but we really need to flip Asik for a legit 4. Casspi can't stay hot forever

 

hahaha - I was thinking the same thing!

 

I suppose it's working...in the same sense that the Oklahoma City Thunder start Kendrick Perkins and it's working.

 

Is this true? The other way to look at it is that it softens the other team up when the Rockets go small/regular. To me, it has been a big success. The problems (Dwight not stepping out often enough on the pick and roll, the guards not going over the screen every time to funnel players to the basket, etc.) seem correctable, as I have seen improvement already.

 

Not comparing Asik and Dwight to Perk btw. Just saying it is not an optimal or even positive lineup.

 

I'm sure you can provide a link for your stat?

From quick look at the play by plays, they are net +2 when they have been on court together.

Offense has been bad or real bad with them. Defense has been very good and at times elite level good. I'm more willing to bet that the offense will improve rather than the defense getting worse.

 

That's why Harden is getting Asik to shoot that jumper, lmfaaaao that pass from Harden to Asik with 5 seconds left still cracks me up :grin:

 

I really don't want the Rockets to trade Asik, unless is for a Star caliber player like Chris Bosh, k. Love. With Howard and Asik, rockets have a good rebounding, defensive guy in the middle for 48 minutes. In my opinion, that is more important than a stretch 4 like a Ryan Anderson.

 

I think the defense will actually get even better as the two learn when to step out on pick and rolls, and when to block out and let the other guy get the rebound (we saw problems with both issues in the first half against Utah).

 

Our ratings with Howard and Asik lineup is a plus 2, which is average. It really pales in comparison with our other lineups. I think with Garcia in we have a plus 38 offensive rating compared to our defensive.

 

Oddly, the Raptors are, and by a pretty big margin thanks to strong rebounding wings. The gap between 1st and 2nd is about as large as the gap between 2nd and 6th.

By one metric, Asik-Howard is the worst 2-man pairing on the team that has received significant minutes and doesn't include Aaron Brooks as one of the two men. They've had a NetRtg of only +1.6 when the team as a whole has had a NetRtg of +13.8.

 

I think it will work better defensively against the Clippers who don't have a serious 3 point threat in Jordan and Griffin.

 

It's not really working that well. The Rockets win because they don't do it too much during the game as a whole.

The team plays better when a stretch 4 is on the floor.

 

Poor Brooks. If he could play any defense at all, he would be so much more valuable.