Huh??? Where did you get Ward and Thomas from? If that would be are starting lineup next year then I say keep what we have.
I'm not sure if that lineup would win more games than the last lineup. Kurt Thomas may be a decent power forward in the East, but in the west he is mediocre, I would keep MoT over him anyday. Charlie Ward couldn't even get minutes in San Antonio an is definently no upgrade over SF. JJ is a great player, but he should be considered more of a complementary role player sort of in the Mario Elie mold, not considered a final solution at the Small Forward position.
With any luck, Yao and Mcgrady will in the lineup at the 5 and 2. At the 3, hopefully a sweet shooting small forward (Radmanovic, M.Miller, B. Barry, Giricek, Boki, etc.) acquired either by free agency, trade exception, or trading Cat or Cato. At the 4, I'm expecting Taylor to start. At the 1, probably some a lesser known role player that can play defense and hit a decent % of their open jumpers (Mike James, Damon Jones, Troy Hudson).
I think any lineup with Yao and Mcgrady is going to be better than the team last season. I don’t care who else is playing the other 3 positions. It may not look as pretty on paper, but I would take a lineup with 2 great players and 3 less talented players with defined roles over a team with 5 good players with undefined roles any day.
Hopefully, we'll make these deals: - Sign McDyess - Francis and Cato for McGrady (forced trade ofcourse) - MoT for Croshere - TE for Jerome James and Antonio Daniels This would give us: Yao/James McDyess/Croshere/Spoon JJ/Croshere/Boki McGrady/Pike/JJ Daniels/Wilks/Duhon? Whoever we pick up with #55 Assuming McGrady decides he wants to come to Houston, all those deals are completely realistic. McGrady wouldn't let Houston give up too much to get him because, ultimately, he wants to play on a winner and would basically say: " Well, Francis is better than nothing, and Cato is the best C you'll have had since Shaq." Then they can draft Dwight Howard, and ship Gooden or Howard off somewhere for help at the swingman positions.
Well, I guess we can get the Magic to throw Andrew Declerq into the deal, which would bring the salaries closer. I don't mind taking Howard, but I don't know if he's a positive or negative to them. Something can be worked out, I'm sure. As for Yao's backup, he'll only be playing 15 minutes a night. There won't be any minutes at PF for him, and hopefully Yao will be able to play 33 minutes next year at least. Jerome James' main problem is foul trouble, and I'm sure he's going to play EXTRA hard seeing as this is his contract year.
Here goes nothing... Francis/Wilks Mobley/Boki/Griffin Jackson/Boki/Griffin/Pike Cato/Taylor Yao/Spoon No we ain't got two Bokis but he will probably come in for either two.
Woops. Subconscious slip . Maybe we send Mobley in the Orlando deal in exchange for Garritty and Declerq? Maybe we modify the Orlando deal to Francis and Mobley for T-Mac and Gooden? Maybe we simply trade him to someone looking for a final piece and has a nice draft pick? Maybe to Toronto for thir pick and a contract? Maybe to the Bobcats for something? All I know is, he's not very necessary. He's probably the least important player in our current starting lineup. You saw how HORRIFFIC we were without Cato, and how important he was in the Lakers series. Don't forget Yao's stamina problems and how Cato backs him up for 15 minutes at C as well. That leaves him and JJ. JJ shot better from 3-pt land (and the field I believe), grabbed more rebounds, has more experience, and JVG said JJ is the best perimeter defender on the team. I think that's enough proof that Mobley's the weakest link.
Could be anything. Maybe because Mobley matches up better with Kobe? Maybe because we needed JJ to abuse their SF's to have a chance at winning the series? Maybe Kobe has more guarding Mobley than JJ? It was one series. JVG said with his mouth that JJ is the best perimeter defender on the team. How are you going to sit here and argue with a QUOTE from the HEAD COACH?
