Although former Rockets head coach Silas said that Tate can defend from 1 to 5, his shortcomings in height are still obvious. If Tate had grown 10 centimeters taller, he wouldn't have lost the election. Lacking height and not projecting, Rockets general manager Stone successfully lowered the price, and in the end Tate only got a three-year contract extension of $20.63 million, with an annual salary of only half of Porter Jr.
Still familiar, Tate's three-point shooting percentage has dropped to 32.6 percent this season, averaging just 1.7 shots per game. Some American media expect the Rockets to send Tate away with Oladipo and Landale before the trade deadline.
Will Whitmore be on top after Tate is gone? It will depend on whether the latter's defense can meet Udoka's requirements.
Udoka takes defence very seriously, he emphasises the need for his players to play aggressively, and he likes Ethan very much. The latest draft experts in the bleachers predict that the Rockets will draft Ryan Dunn with the No. 12 pick next year, and he's dubbed a young version of Marion.
Sean Marion, who is 2.01 meters tall, can defend from 1 to 5, he is a four-time All-Star, and he has also won a championship. His jersey was retired by the Suns and he was also awarded a Ring of Honor ring.
NBADRAFTROOM's draft template for Dunn is Marion, who can also defend from 1 to 5.
Born in 2003, Dunn is 2.03 meters tall and has an arm span of 2.16 meters, plays as a small forward or power forward, and is currently the defensive gate of the University of Virginia.
Dunn can defend not only the opponent's guard, but also the opponent's interior, both individually and assisted, he uses bounce to complete blocks, and can also use his long arms to steal opponents. Dunn has seven steals in a single game and five blocks in a single game this season, and his aggressiveness on the defensive end is directly full. Dunn is averaging 9.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2.3 steals and 2.5 blocks in 26 minutes per game this season while shooting 50.7% from the field.
Dunn's physical confrontation and defensive awareness reached an NBA level, but he couldn't make it into the top 10 in the draft because the offense was holding back.
Dunn is athletic, he can easily pull through the air and score without the ball. But Dunn's three-point shooting was neither quantity nor quality, averaging 0.4 shots per game and shooting just 19 percent from the field.
Dunn's situation reminds the pundit of Herbert Jones, who has studied the defensive stalwart's game footage.
Jones is 25 years old and 2.01 meters tall, and that year he fell to the second round and was picked up by the Pelicans because of his age and lack of shooting.
Jones quickly rose to the top with the Pelicans, starting 75 games in his rookie season and averaging 37.7 minutes per game in the playoffs on defense. Celebrity Bill Simmons once said that Jalen Green is a stat savvy and that he doesn't deserve the rookie first team, and that this spot should be given to Jones.
Jones' defense is really good, but when he can't shoot, it affects the team's space. In the last game against the Pelicans against the Rockets, Jones made 2 of 8 shots, played an inside line and didn't score a single one, and he was pressed to the bench by the head coach in the fourth quarter, and he enjoyed the same treatment as Jalen Green.
The Pelicans head coach reused Earle, who was cut by the Rockets. Earl is 2.03 meters tall and average defensively, but he has a shooting rate and is shooting 43.8% from three-point range this season. In the end, the Pelicans lost, and Earl scored 2 points, 1 board, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block in the final quarter.
Dunn's shooting stance is fine, it may be a mental problem, and he needs professional help. The Rockets have a shooting expert, Ben Sullivan, who is good at helping players improve their shooting problems.