Ariza on Houston: "I've never felt so comfortable in my life"
by Tom Martin on Sep 14, 2009 1:49 PM CDT
in Player Analysis
15 comments
Sam Alipour of ESPN.com is quickly becoming a Dream Shake regular, as he has yet again written something on the Houston Rockets. Small forward Trevor Ariza is is the subject of Alipour's latest piece, and while the majority of the Insider only article follows Ariza on his search for a Houston home, it was nice to see this paragraph on why the former Laker chose to sign with the Rockets:
He does say his decision to sign with the Rockets was partly hoops based. "This was the best opportunity to show my abilities and expand my game." In the end, though, the main reason Ariza is spending an August weekend house hunting in Texas can be explained by a simple human need. "My whole career, all I've wanted is to feel wanted, and I have that now," he says. "It sounds crazy, but the Rockets swept me off my feet. I'm telling you, I've never felt so comfortable in my life.
It remains to be seen how smoothly Ariza will adjust to the Rockets on the court. As for off the court, it looks like he is off to a good start.
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Anyways I think Trevor is overrated and needs to shave.
by HereCuzImBored on Sep 14, 2009 6:42 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
You think a lot of things
very few of them seem to be of merit.
Why don’t you tell us why you think he’s “overrated.”
Your friendly neighborhood Dream Shake mod.
by Only_A_Lad on Sep 14, 2009 8:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
It's obvious
He should have won more than just one championship. Also, he played with Kobe, so he should be a superstar already, and should know how to fly and turn water into diamonds.
How many Biletnikoffs does he have? NOT TWO!
by ak2themax on Sep 14, 2009 8:37 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
why
First of all the upside everyone is talking about. I dont see it. There is little to no reason to think Trevor will improve into a ‘athletic scorer’. If you followed the Lakers during the postseason, you will know that Ariza was extremely inconsistent with his scoring and his claim to fame was the key steals he had against the Nuggets and Magic. Opposing defenders gaurded him loosely, largly due to the amount of attention the help defense needed with Kobe, enabling Ariza to provide what little offense he is capable of. As for Ariza’s defense which some people claim to be better then Artests’, it must have been missing in the playoffs. Ariza’s opponents pummeled him by averaging more then 18ppg.
Ariza is a welcome addition to the team but like i said, he is overrated.
by HereCuzImBored on Sep 14, 2009 8:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
had a longer post written out, deleted it by accident.
Look, you have to define your terms here. Ariza is paid an NBA average salary, and was apparently only pursued by a handful of teams. How is he “overrated” when virtually everyone parrots the same shit you’re saying?
Ariza’s defense which some people claim to be better then Artests’, it must have been missing in the playoffs. Ariza’s opponents pummeled him by averaging more then 18ppg.
Ariza’s +/- stats in the playoffs show him as a better defender than Artest in the playoffs, and the regular season stats show him as better than Kobe (Mr. “I Make 1st Team Defense every year for some fucking reason”) He’s a very good defender, possibly in the top echelon of perimeter defenders in the league. He rebounds better than Artest, and he can guard more positions. Part of why Artest’s numbers look good (same goes for Kobe, really) is that he was very rarely asked to defend the opposing team’s best player. Battier handled that for Artest. And, honestly, Ariza often handled that for Kobe (he guarded Battier in the series against Houston. Seriously).
I don’t know if he is better than Artest against larger SFs, but I damn sure know he’s better against the far more numerous players like quick SGs and normal SFs.
(stuff about Kobe and all that shit)
Look, this has been covered many times, by plenty of people. Ariza’s eFG% is virtually the same from his time in Orlando to his time in LA. His overall production has been basically identical over the past few years. The key for Ariza has been staying on the court. He was just utilized differently in LA than when he was in Orlando. And the way he was used in either team fits in perfectly with Adelman’s system.
There is little to no reason to think Trevor will improve into a ‘athletic scorer’.
He’s athletic. He’s a good scorer. And his shot has improved every year in the league. I think he’ll be a fine scorer when the offense focuses more on him.
Your friendly neighborhood Dream Shake mod.
by Only_A_Lad on Sep 14, 2009 9:36 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
"His overall production has been basically identical over the past few years"
Thank you for making my point
by HereCuzImBored on Sep 15, 2009 3:16 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
your point was that Kobe created his offense for him
and that’s not true.
Now, if you’re talking about “upside,” that’s another matter. But it’s fairly clear that he’s learned to be productive in different ways. So, now, instead of getting points by making cuts to the basket, he can take shots on the perimeter. That hasn’t changed his overall production, much, because he hasn’t been utilized by his teams any more than he was before. Placed in a role where he’s allowed to do more than catch and shoot, I think he’ll be much more productive.
You can’t “see” upside. If a guy is athletic and has the right physical tools, then people say he’s got it. That’s really all there is to it. Ariza is athletic, he has an improving shooting touch, and he does virtually everything else well. And he’s 24. He has plenty of potential, and yet he is worth every penny the Rockets are going to pay him now. He was a spectacular addition to the team. Frankly, I wonder what the hell else you’d want to see from him.
Your friendly neighborhood Dream Shake mod.
by Only_A_Lad on Sep 15, 2009 4:59 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
yeah....
no one has really anything to go on thats concrete until we see him as a starter, a full time starter.
"Waiting for the return of the Mac"
"Let VY loose, give him the chance to play his heart out. for himself, for the titans...and for mcnair"
by kg_2005 on Sep 16, 2009 4:46 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well
I’d like it if he grilled some steaks for everyone on The Dream Shake. I think he owes us that much, don’t you?
Also, he does something very few current (or 08-09 vintage) Rockets do well – he can finish on the freaking break. Let me say that again, he can receive the ball, while running quickly down the court, and score a basket at said speed. Our PGs would look better if there had been someone reliable to feed on the break.
"So do you keep open 3pt FG percentage?"
"Yeah, we'd have everything you'd want, Bill."
"I hate you."
Bill Simmons/Daryl Morey Podcast 5/8/09
by Xiane on Sep 17, 2009 1:00 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well said
He got potential.. he just need a break.. Watch out guys .. he will soar to greater heights..come this season.. Go T-Riz.. Go Houston! make your critics eat their dusts..
by CONAIR on Sep 15, 2009 2:08 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I love his upside
Ariza’s got some great potential. Yes, he was a 2nd rounder back about 5 years ago, but he’s at least got the “solid defender-spot shooter” part down. Apprenticing with Battier will only make him a better defender. Oh, and I think that Ariza can do some things attacking the basket as a scorer.
B^2
In Daryl Morey, Rick Smith and Ed Wade we (usually) trust.
by Nitroberg on Sep 15, 2009 8:32 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Another interesting quote from the article:
That kind of bon boyage can bring a smile to anyone’s face. Ariza, though, has been smiling since July 2, when he listened to this voice mail: “Hey Trevor, this is Luis Scola. I would really like for you to be my teammate.” At the time, he couldn’t believe his ears. “I thought Luis was a jerk,” he says of the Rockets’ feisty big man. “Just because of the way he plays. But he’s a real cool dude.” Within hours, Ariza had heard from seven other cool dudes, some by texy, like this one from an unknown number: “You beat us and won the championship. Now you can help me get one. -Shane.”
Your friendly neighborhood Dream Shake mod.
by Only_A_Lad on Sep 16, 2009 12:03 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
haha.
gotta love battier
13 points in 39 seconds. Enough said.
by Duhoh on Sep 16, 2009 1:13 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Great Hospitality
That’s why i love Houston!
by CONAIR on Sep 16, 2009 8:07 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
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