[Feigen] Rockets looking to make a trade sooner rather than later

What are the odds someone takes Jones in the wake of this mysterious, no-timetable-for-return injury, especially after we just exercised his option? Maybe I'm overreacting, but the outlook for peroneal nerve contusions does not seem positive -- at all. I googled it and then kinda wished I hadn't.

 

Earl Clark?

 

That's what I'm thinking

A minimal move for a minimal decent player.

If we are trading for depth, we don't have the depth to trade for depth. If we have some big move on the table like Horford or Dragic then I guess every guy not named Harden and Howard are on the table (and Ariza...can't do Ariza like that again...)

Then again, I don't see what we have to offer to get a major player like that unless a team is just going to go full stupid and help us out like that.

 

Nope. Hawks are .500 in the east, so I can't see why they'd blow it up now. Especially when we no longer have an asset that would allow them to shift Horford to his natural position if they sent us Millsap, or someone they could plug at the 5 if they dealt Horford. I'd love to be wrong, but -- meh.

 

Yeah, we are going to need a team to just make a stupid decision to get a real player like Millsap or Dragic or whoever these other big names being thrown about. I mean crazy trades have happened...but I just don't see this team having a radical change with what they have. The only way the Hawks make that trade is if they get a young player back with really good potential. Jones is our best asset right now, at the same time this team kinda needs him and needs him healthy so....Morey really has his work cut out for him if he's looking to make a big move this season I feel.

Just a minor addition, a earl clark type player like you mentioned. Could mean the world of difference if it means Black is glued to the bench though.

 

This team is flawed in that it expects its flawed post player who lacks post scoring ability to be the focal point of the offense on many occasions. Add to that the fact that he shoots FT's at a horrible rate and turns the ball over very often you have a serious problem.
Then you have no playmakers other than Harden .... When he goes to the bench the offense does too , if he isn't lighting it up , the offense is hot garbage.
I feel like they are OK at the PF spot with a healthy Jones & DMo ....they aren't optimal but they are good enough if the rest of the team plays well , even against the best teams.

The two things I would do:

First add a playmaker as PatBev isn't that guy at the point , he's a defender and an opportunist on offense. A Dragic type would be ideal in that he can shoot , get to the bucket & is a decent defender. You could play him with either Harden or PatBev.
Second , I'd quit feeding the ball to Howard in the post and stop the ISO ball with Harden and run a steady diet of pick & rolls with Harden , KPap & <insert playmaker PG here> with Howard setting the picks and either catching lobs or crashing the boards which gets him easy shots where he doesn't have to do anything but catch & put it in the hole. Harden , KPap & Dragic can all score close to the bucket & pass very well making that scenario very difficult to defend.

This leaves two shooters outside (two of PG,SG,SF as the 3rd is the ball handler) & your PF ..... who I would have cutting from the weak side instead of parking outside the 3 point line - none of them are consistent enough shooters to play that role.
In doing this , they get open looks either at the rim or just outside the paint. The ball handler has lots of options from a rolling Howard , a cutting Jones or DMo or the two shooters camped outside.
If the defenders go under the pick , take the 5-8ft shot , its money.

The other result is fewer turnovers by Howard , fewer bricks from the FT line by Howard , easy shots for Howard either from passes or the rebounds which he doesn't have to work hard for , shots at the rim or short range for the ball handler , open looks at close range for the guy on the baseline when his guy rotates and wide open threes for the two outside shooters.

I'd pick & roll teams to death ..... every damn time down the court. If Howard doesn't buy in , I put him on the weakside baseline and have DMo or Jones set those picks ..... every time down the court. Harden still gets his shots & still gets to the line , Howard still gets his touches (pending he buys in) .... just in a more efficient manner for everyone.


Give me a play maker , guard / combo guard who can initiate the offense , shoot and not be a defensive liability. I'll take my chances for now with T.Jones & DMo.

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Things are fluid, as always in trade talks, but latest word is Houston more likely than Cleveland as landing spot via trade for Corey Brewer</p>&mdash; Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNSteinLine/status/535472978927304705">November 20, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

We are being used as leverage.

 

I wonder why we're after Brewer when we need a playmaker and upgrade at the 4?

 

they will lose milsap for nothing in offseason unless they improve....500 ball isn't enough. they're a mediocre team going nowhere.

 

Or the other way around. I think we were going after Dragic.

 

Maybe the rockets are using brewer as a center piece of a three team deal. And we are just trying to get Minnesota to do us a solid by including him. Because the third insists it or it's no bueno.

 

What/who do you think we have that ATL would want in exchange for arguably their best player (who, as far as know, is not disgruntled)?

 

Things are FLUID?

 

Flip said Corey is too valuable for us. They want more than what they are being offered.
Dragic is probably the target that Morey wants, but we have nothing to offer the Suns.

 

Hate to say this, but what about jason smith or dalembert from nyk?

Both make ~3-4 mil, are 7ft and have expiring contracts. I'm sure we could get them for part of the exception and peanuts.

 

With jones' return no where in sight... We really need to pick up another big! Whether it's a trade or a signing, we can't be put in another situation where Joey Dorsey has to play!

I see no reason why Milwaukee wouldn't give Ilyasova up for the NO pick, Garcia (expiring), and maybe Canaan.

 

Maybe we're trying to flip Corey to Cleveland for Brendan Haywood?

 

Maybe our young backup SF is used to upgrade those positions

 

lets go with the opposite theory on mark stein. it's NOT going to happened. why are we upgrading bench wing when we have a less than average serviceable 4 spot right now.