WHO'S IN, WHO'S OUT
How latest roster moves are rapidly answering questions about Houston Texans philosophy
Aug 30, 2023, 2:17 pm
The Texans made some surprising cuts this week. Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images.
It sure sounds like Jadeveon Clowney is a good fit for DeMeco's defense
The Texans went from 90 to 53 and a practice squad yesterday. Roster moves are still being made to shape the opening day 53. While there were pink slips given, “this isn’t goodbye, it’s see you later” may have been uttered, and the dreaded “we wish you well in your future endeavors.”
This is a necessary evil and a part of the business. Every day, normal people lose their jobs because of corporate restructuring. The difference here? Some of these guys were drafted recently by the same general manager that cut them.
One thing I appreciate about some of Nick Caserio's comments is him owning it. He spoke about writing things in pencil. You can erase pencil, but pen is permanent. NEVER marry yourself to a player is my philosophy. If it's working, cool, If not, on to the next. While most will not understand or tolerate this kind of behavior/talk, I happen to get it.
Crying over spilled milk instead of cleaning it up and buying a new gallon makes absolutely no sense! Take Kenyon Green for example. TONS of fans are upset and labeling him as a bust. He's played one season and is on IR for this season. Who's to say he wouldn't have made the improvements had he not been injured? You can't make that kind of judgement after one year. Especially if he's injured. Caserio said him going on IR was more about when, not if. This explains the extra offensive line moves.
When looking at the OL, it's imperative they put together the best unit possible. Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud was named the starter following the final preseason game vs. the Saints. This was to be expected. One surprise was that they kept eight offensive linemen, when I thought for sure they'd keep nine. Keeping four running backs, six wide receivers, three quarterbacks, and five safeties made it a numbers game. Usually teams will keep one less in each of those positions to make room for more guys in other positions. Also, keeping a fullback and three tight tends made things a little tight.
Reminder: This is just the opening day roster. It's still very fluid. Moves are being made daily to constantly reshape the roster. Don't be surprised if there are more offensive linemen added. The defense may see some roster moves as well. DeMeco Ryans and his staff are developers. They see certain traits they can coach up and go after the player. This is also the reason some vets such as Desmond King, Christian Kirksey, Jacob Martin, Chase Winovich, Steven Sims, and Nick Vannett were given their walking papers. A few of those names surprised some folks. Not me.
I see the vision Caserio and DeMeco are casting. Out with the old, and in with the new. Their philosophy is simple: field the best team while building for the future. Looking to the future while establishing the present is a great way to rebuild. You want to improve upon the previous years and set new milestones. Remember, we're in “Phase Two” of the rebuild. I know it's a Tilman Fertitta/Rockets thing, but it applies to the Texans as well. You have your hot shot GM, a young/exciting head coach, a franchise quarterback, a young edge rusher, a lockdown corner, a playmaker at safety, still have some draft capital, and decent cap space. It's time to poop or get off the pot!
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Dec 16, 2024, 1:52 pm
It was midway through the third quarter of the Oklahoma City-Houston NBA Cup semifinal matchup on Saturday night. Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had just made a short jumper in the lane and, to his delight, a time-out was immediately called.
He needed it.
He retreated to midcourt, crouched down, propped himself up by his fingertips and took deep breath after deep breath. It was that sort of night. And given the way the Rockets and Thunder have defended all season long, such a game was predictable.
In the end, it was Oklahoma City 111, Houston 96 in a game where the teams combined to shoot 41%. The immediate reward for the Thunder: two days off to recover. The bigger reward: a matchup with Milwaukee on Tuesday night for the NBA Cup, with more than $300,000 per player the difference between winning and losing.
“That's what defense does for you,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault, whose team has held opponents to 41% shooting or worse a league-best 11 times this season — and is 11-0 in those games. “It keeps you in games.”
The Rockets-Thunder semifinal was basketball, with elements of football, rugby, hockey and probably even some wrestling thrown in. It wasn't unusual. It's how they play: defense-first, tough, gritty, physical.
They are the two top teams in the NBA in terms of field-goal percentage defense — Oklahoma City came in at 42.7%, Houston at 43.4% — and entered the night as two of the top three in scoring defense. Orlando led entering Saturday at 103.7 per game, Oklahoma City was No. 2 at 103.8, Houston No. 3 at 105.9. (The Thunder, by holding Houston to 96, passed the Magic for the top spot on Saturday.)
Houston finished 36.5% from the field, its second-worst showing of the season. When the Rockets shoot 41% or better, they're 17-4. When they don't, they're 0-5.
“Sometimes it comes down to making shots,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “Especially in the first half, we guarded well enough. ... But you put a lot of pressure on your defense when you're not making shots.”
Even though scoring across the NBA is down slightly so far this season, about a point per game behind last season's pace and two points from the pace of the 2022-23 season, it's still a golden age for offense in the league. Consider: Boston scored 51 points in a quarter earlier this season.
Saturday was not like most games. The halftime score: Rockets 42, Thunder 41. Neither team crossed the 50-point mark until Dillon Brooks' 3-pointer for Houston gave the Rockets a 51-45 lead with 8:46 left in the third quarter.
Brooks is generally considered one of the game's tougher defenders. Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the game's best scorers. They're teammates on Canada's national team, and they had some 1-on-1 moments on Saturday.
“It's fun. It makes you better,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “That's what this league is about, competing against the best in the world and defensively, he is that for sure. And I like to think that of myself offensively. He gives me a chance to really see where I'm at, a good test. I'd say I handled it pretty well.”
Indeed he did. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 32 points, the fifth instance this season of someone scoring that many against the Rockets. He's done it twice, and the Thunder scored 70 points in the second half to pull away.
“We knew that if we kept getting stops we would give ourselves a chance,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “And we did so.”