It's easy to say Houston needs a big man and they had Pryzbilla. Why did they trade him? As much as I was trying to put a positive spin on our selection at the time, I really don't think he would have fit this team. Assuming we kept both Pryz and Cato, that would be our C/PF combo in the future. While it would be outstanding defensively, we would be extremely limited offensively. If Cato was solid, scoring power forward or if Pryz was regarded as an offensive threat, it could work but it's really hard to win if you can't count on any scoring coming out of your post players. Also, from what I understand, Etan Thomas has the same story as Pryzbilla. Great defensively, limeted offensively. Kind of sounds like a shorter version of Pryz. Anyway, the way I see it, if we're commited to Cato, then we need a scorer at PF or C, not another defensive specialist.
If Collier was a center then that may be accurate, but everything I have heard is that he will be a PF. He will play some center, but as a PF he will create all sorts of matchup problems. I know that my disappointment on draft night has faded sice I put on my Rocket glasses, but I think we will have to reserve judgement on Rudy until the end of the season. If I remeber correctly, most NBA trades rated our draft last year a C-/D+. Now you hear words like Sleeper and Gem when people talk about KT. How many other teams feel that highly of the 1st round choice. Collier, if he stays, will prove to be twice the player that Moiso is. Even if the talent isn't there. Rudy always finds a way for that player to succeed. ------------------ "Stranger things have happened, but none stranger than this" - Commentator after a parachutist landed in the ring of a Holyfield fight
Couldn't agree more. Rudy knows what he is doing. He knows chemistry, and knows how to succeed. I know you guys don't see it now, but this will be an excellent draft for the Rockets. Watch. ------------------ Member of the pro-Collier/Langhi movement. IN RUDY WE TRUST!!
Just lost some respect for NBAtalk. None of their trade stuff came to pass either. Mike Kahn, of CBS SportsLine <a href="http://cbs.sportsline.com/u/ce/feature/0,1518,2527910_54,00.html">rated the Rockets draft</a> a B. ------------------ the more I know, the more I know I don't know...
Have confidence in his draft picks? Rudy and CD don't have the splendid track record that you've convinced yourself of... Horry, Mobley, Cassell... good picks. Tabak, Turkcan, Drew, Rhodes, Zwikker... very bad picks. Making an occasional good pick doesn't mean that you're a good GM. Analyze a pick on its own merit... don't resort to the "faith" argument, unless the GM's track record is STERLING. Nobody is above a critique. I don't think that this draft was HORRIBLE... but I do think it was mediocre. Collier and Langhi are too similar, for one. Secondly, thecabbage is right... Collier could have been had MUCH later in the draft. I'd rather have Pryzbilla, Moiso, or Alexander. As for "getting something we need"... that's something you do when you need that "one more piece" to make a championship run. The Rockets need more TALENT. Moiso may be a bust... but then again, he may be an all-star. The kid has some *skills*. Collier shoots well for a center, but NOT as well as people are pretending. 36% from the COLLGE 3PT line is NOT stellar. It translates to a VERY mediocre NBA %. Thus, I'm not even convinced he'll be effective for the reasons he was drafted. ------------------
Stop bringing up Turckan as a bad choice. He will end up being a 1st round choice next year. Lewis was a diamond in the rough, but at the time it was a gamble. Keep in mind that Seattle has been paying Lewis for 2 years and he didn't show sh*t till the end of the season, and now they're going to have to pay him the max. Even now he is a major question mark. As far as the other picks, how many other teams still have their second round choices on the roster? Better yet, how many are still in the NBA? 2nd round choices are usually projects and most are cut a number of times before they eventually end up in the NBA, and very few even get that far. Harrington & Mobley were both fabulous selections. Just look how many players that were drafted before them that are still in the league? We've had exactly 2 lottery selections since 93' and yet we've still managed to be a top team up until this year, and I challenge anyone toi blame Rudy for that. We traded Dickerson(#18) Harrington(2nd round), and scrubs for Steve Francis(#2). How? Because we picked talented players who were misjudged by every team but the Rocks'. Not a single one of us knows what will happen with Collier and Langhi, but there is a pretty good chance they will succeed, and when they do we will cuss Rudy and CD if we hear even a whisper of them being traded for anything less than a superstar. How can anyone be disappointed with a second round choice? Especially one that is 6'10" and was player of the year in the same league as Swift and Miller. I know I've succumbed to the spin doctor's, but it gets so old listening to people trash a man (Rudy) that has been so dedicated to this franchise and this city. When will everyone finally cut the guy some slack. ------------------ "Stranger things have happened, but none stranger than this" - Commentator after a parachutist landed in the ring of a Holyfield fight
Haven, outside of the first 6 picks, this whole draft was mediocre, and as a result, so were the Rocket's picks. and ... Moiso will "never" be an all-star, and probably not Collier or Langhi. Fortunately, the Rockets didn't do something stupid, like draft Moiso, just to please draft junkies, but wisely traded for a pick next year, where we have a much better chance of drafting someone who might be a star. If we had taken Moiso, we wouldn't get that potential star next year. This year's drafts are "freebies." This year's draft didn't provide us instant gratification, but did take us on a solid path toward rebuilding. Look what Orlando did after their #5 pick. They were smart, too. ------------------ the more I know, the more I know I don't know...
I know I've succumbed to the spin doctor's, but it gets so old listening to people trash a man (Rudy) that has been so dedicated to this franchise and this city. When will everyone finally cut the guy some slack. Well said... This picks are part of the puzzle , not the puzzle ! they are thinking chemistry here folks ! this guys will not disrupt it , if anything they just add to it! I dont know why but I have a very and I mean a very good feeling that Langhi is gonna be a steel for us and many teams later on are going to be questioning why they did not get him. So he's rail thin ? so ? MacGrady was not exactly Shamu jr. when he came out, for all of you that loved Miles did you guys see that suit that he was wearing when he walked to the podium and shake Sterns harry hands ? he could have done the mambo inside that thing.. rail thin too but I don't hear people talking about it so much .. Don't worry about it , we are going to be just fine ! ------------------ "Why can't we just get along"...quote from a scientist in Half-life 2nd edition.
THIS IS SOMETHING I FOUND IN NBATALK.com HOUSTON ROCKETS GRADE: F ANALYSIS : We're still scratching our heads. Sure Johnson and Miller were gone but Jason Collier? They could have had him where Langhi was drafted. Przybilla would have given them a big man in the middle, Courtney Alexander could have fetched them a trade with the Mavs, Etan Thomas could have been an answer at power forward. The Rockets think Collier can play center, we'll see. Even Langhi is a scorer but is rail thin. We just don't get it. PICKS: 15. F, Jason Collier, Georgia Tech (from Milwaukee) 31. F, Dan Langhi, Vanderbilt (from Dallas) ------------------ "CB4 in my heart till i die"
NBAtalk.com is just your typical basketball site. The only thing they go by is talent and scouting reports. They don't think to realize Collier is athletic and that the scouting reports are wrong. They don't stop to think how much of a great fit he is for the Rockets unlike the other players on the board. They just look at the scouting reports and see he isn't ranked very high. Typical fan for you. About this time next year, when you've seen Collier and Langhi play and we've seen who we get with Milwaukee's pick, I think you'll all be giving the Rockets an A. Mark my words. ------------------ Member of the pro-Collier/Langhi movement. IN RUDY WE TRUST!!
