This season proved how valuable FVV is to this team. He minimizes turnovers and is like an extra coach on the floor. Reed’s not a finished product and there’s no guarantee he will reach the potential expected of him. It’s crazy to talk about Fred coming off the bench for Reed. If that’s the direction the Rockets want to take then trade him this offseason.
Let's hope so, teams already are afraid of him, any more attention just leads to open shots by KD and the others.
No it didn't FVV wouldn't have been able to stop Durant from turning it over against the double team, or Ime how to beat a double at the top on Durant. It is just a complete fallacy to say FVV would have made a massive difference, he didn't do the ONE thing we need, which is be able to attack the rim off the dribble he STINKS at that. DD
your ignoring the politics & human nature factor. This isn’t 2K. Ime clearly prefers vets Fred was a major reason this team turned around A vet PG is technically the right move given how disjointed this team looked despite numbers Fred’s Contract means they should be getting more value out of him than Reed And the main one y'all keep forgetting which is why he’s not getting traded either; he’s the HEAD OF THE NBA PLAYERS ASSOCIATION Meaning if he feels like Rockets slighted him in anyway, he can make it really difficult for Houston and deter players not to come here or give us a discount Meaning Stone will do his best to please Fred While it does make sense to start Reed and bench Fred, it’s not happening. Despite what Morey has done and how now everyone online only looks at stats & analytics, believe it or not the real world doesn’t just focus on that for their overall decisions.
I’m a huge Reed fan, but I don’t have a problem with him coming off the bench and being the main scorer in the second unit. That being said, they need to use the Fred/Reed lineup just like they have holiday and Reed (and play zone if need be in certain situations as well. Fred will find Reed, unlike other players on our team. Then, after that year Reed is the starting point guard moving forward. I wish we could trade FVV and KD this off season and use it to sound our core 4 with shooters. But if Fred is staying, then I wouldn’t mind him starting for a year and Reed coming off the bench one more year.
Durant was handling the ball because he and Ime don't trust anyone else to make the right play at the end of the game. There's no way in those same situations that Durant is setting up the offense with FVV on the court. Start FVV, Reed is 6th man to start the season. Can always switch things up if needed during the season. Bigger question is what they're doing about Tari this offseason
FVV deferred to Jalen Green and Sengun last year and you think he's the guy that's going to take the ball out of KD's hands? Do yall actually remember last year? Sometimes you, sometimes me, sometimes us? Teams who have a defined floor general don't have slogans like that. Both Sengun AND Jalen had a significantly higher usage in the clutch than FVV last year.
That is just not true, he ran ISO plays, FVV is not a guy that creates for anyone, he would have handed the ball off to Durant that is HIS game.... DD
Exactly.... this is like 6th thread asking this question this season..... We. Don't. Know. So many factors.
This poll is not going to give you anything when it's the exact opposite of what you ask in the title....
NO - Durant is handling the ball at the top because THAT IS HIS GAME - has always been his game - the FT line extended midrange. FVV would have given it to him and moved to the side just like everyone else. He is a Good PnR guy, but KD doesn't set picks or slip the screen. FVV wouldn't have made a hill of beans difference, it is lazy analysis to say otherwise, imho. DD
While it's true that Jalen and Alpi had higher usage rates, more often than not, it was FVV bringing the ball up and getting the team into their offense - getting guys the ball in places they wanted and in favorable matchups. (That's not to say I want FVV starting, just pointing out a fact). Much of the problem with the offense this year has been with KD bringing the ball up or catching it well outside the 3 point line and teams blitzing / immediately doubling him, that doesn't occur with a competent point guard, KD becomes the outlet instead of the guy getting pressured (we often see a similar result with Reed on the floor with KD). KD is a shot taker / maker, not a creator.
Well, at least Fred could bring the ball up court. I don't trust any of our guys to do that securely when pressed. But I agree, KD is an ISO guy. FVV would play a lot more off ball if he was healthy this season.
So if i understand you both correctly, you're saying we're either the same or worse off with FVV starting this year over Reed/Tari? Nothing would change? The same bone headed TO's that the team and KD have had throughout the season would still occur? Last year's slogan had nothing to do with who is running ISO plays - had to do with different players stepping up nightly. Sometimes FVV would go off, sometimes Alpi, sometimes Green, sometimes Brooks, etc. This year, you need KD to consistently give you 25/night to have a chance. At the same time, when gets blitzed with double teams, he's gonna turn the ball over more often than not.
FVV Per 36 last season Points (PPG): ~14.1 Assists (APG): ~5.6 Rebounds (RPG): ~3.7 Steals (SPG): ~1.6 Blocks (BPG): ~0.4 Field Goal %: 37.8% True Shooting %: 51.5% Reed this season Reed's per 36mpg stats: https://www.statmuse.com/nba/player...areer-stats?playerStatsBreakdown=per36Minutes 18.6 ppg 4.7 Assists 4.0 rebounds 2.1 Steals .9 Blocks 43% FG 56.5 True Shooting Reed is better in almost every category. Now, I am sure FVV had a higher usage rate, but that is on Ime, it is nominal difference here, other than Reed is a much better offensive threat. With Reed the Rox protect the ball about as well as with Fred, the problem is when others like Thompson, KD or Sengun bring it up - this is all on ime, he leans into Reed we don't turn it over, which is what has been happening these last few games albeit against poor competition. So, folks saying FVV would make a big difference are just not looking at what is going on overall. FVV would help as he is a talented player but not a lot. DD
We would have less turnovers but probably score less points. We are averaging 118 this year 113 last year. Amen on way less usage is generating the same amount of assists as FVV with just slightly more turnovers. Durant and Sengun are the one’s causing our turnover numbers this year and that is due to Ime’s decisions to have them initiate most of the action in the half-court. FVV doesn’t cure anything he just slows down an offense that is just now, 70 games into the season, actually starting to use motion and off-ball screens. Adding a bottom 5 pg next season is going to just set this team back another year in actually being able to compete for a championship. None of our turnover problems have been caused by who is bringing the ball up to the half-court line, especially not Amen who is best at protecting the ball bringing it up. It’s handing it off the Durant or Sengun at the half-court line that is the problem. Ime seems (probably at Durant’s insistence), finally getting away from that somewhat.
I disagree on both accounts. 1, kd has always been a guy who will bring the ball up or be the person who initiates offense in the half court...even when hes played with Russ, Steph, James, Kyrie or cp3... As you can see in many of these clips KD is the one with the ball in his hands creating. Hes not being set up or put in a spot for most of these clutch plays. Hes simply catching it above the break and creating a shot. Do you remember those moments in GS where kd wanted the ball out top and the Warriors gave it to him despite that not being their style? https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/s/gcGrvFwRst Also, last year.. first the Rockets weren't a good clutch offense last year. So I dont get where this notion that Fred stabilizes things comes from. But on top of that Fred wasnt some guy conducting the offense and getting these great looks. Most of the time Ime just gave the ball to Jalen or Sengun and just had them iso. Thats why their usage is so much higher than Fred's was. Im not going to say there arent aspects that he brought that the team doesnt miss. They absolutely would benefit from having him. I just disagree with how much they miss him and how big of a difference he'd make. Especially when he was often part of the problem last year. And I definitely disagree that he'd take the ball out of Kevins hands at the end of games when thats something he's been doing his whole career despite playing with some of the best guards the nba has seen. Clutch time NBA moments have always mostly been about putting the ball in your best players hands and having them generate offense. FVV isnt changing that when he couldnt even get the ball out of Sengun and Jalend hands.
