Very interesting Quote by Rudy...Are we going to draft Collier?

with the Detroit pick (if we get it) I'd think about it, but with our #9 pick? Uh....no?

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Well, just remember that RT often talks of certain attributes he desires. He also leaves a whole lot more unsaid than said. he is the quintessential "overstate the obvious and understate the true message" type of media communicator.

But let's face it, if he wants a 4/5 who can space out, open the middle and make the guards more effective, AND who can shoot or effectively threaten the outside shot .... remember we have Cato and Carlos. Neither can do that.

This quote could be just as significant if he was setting us up for a trade of Cato to affect a 4/5 acquisition that would more accurately fit the roles he just described. Do not rule that out.

I had heard in the past two weeks, that RT thinks the Wizard's game improvement was NOT a fluke. NOT a flash in the pan. RT (and CD to a lesser degree) are seriousily reconsidering their take on him.

That realistically means that the trade slot(and believe me we HAVE GOT to trade a starter plus a bench player (or two,or three) to get anywhere in this trade season), may be aiming more and more at Cato.

I know this keeps sounding premature(and it may be) and fantasy driven (and it may NOT be) but:

1. The Spurs will be hard pressed to keep Duncan after the playoffs(which will be short for the Spurs).

2. Duncan becoming a Rocket is not as farfetched as it was a couple of months ago.

I am not as optimistic as some people I talk to and trust implicitly, or as overly-optimistic as some I know and are beginning to trust ...... they all say we closer to acquiring Duncan than any other team,including the Spurs.

Who would you like to have as a 4/5 who could open the middle, effectively handle most D situations and still pop inside or hit the outside shot?

For my real feelings ..... just read my sig ......

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"Let me get this straight .... we pay him $4.5 million dollars a year to play 82 games right? And, the other guy we pay $6 or $7 Million a year to stop the other team from scoring and maybe to score once in a while too!" ......... Popeye's darling sweetpea attempting to figure out WizBang and CaveInTo's role on the Rockets.

[This message has been edited by popeye (edited April 22, 2000).]

 

popeye-How accurate are your sources? Have they been right before?

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Couple comments regarding spacing and shooting:

1. Carlos and TMass can hit the open 15 ft-er.

2. The alley-oop threat that Rudy has installed for Cato (and Carlos, too), is a direct attack against defenses not giving us spacing. We bait the defense to clog the strong side and forget about weak side.

I really have never seen a structured alley-oop threat like we have. It pins-down the defense to respect Cato, even when he is 20' from the basket on the weak-side.

Don't let Rudy's comments imply we don't have spacing. He means that quality is something he wants in any offensive system he installs, and we can always get better.

 

Pop, hope you don't mind if I butt in.

NIKEstrad- popeye has consistently been this board's most prolific provider of inside info. It began when he posted possibilities of the Rockets making a move for Francis, including very accurate details about Othella and MD being the deal breakers- and was ridiculed by all on the board, including Clutch.

We were all eating crow a week later, when the largest trade in history went down.

Since then spinach man has been our main trade-rumor man. I don't want to diss all the others with inside info who also make Clutchity and this BBS the most badass of info sources, but popeye will be a very important figure to all of us in the coming months. I beleive that Clutch is also privy to some very juicy, very reliable inside info but has to be very careful what he 'leaks'.

Keep it comin', sailor man. We all need it to make it through the offseason.

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I wish I was around here then. I didn't see that Francis move coming by any stretch. That's pretty awesome. Really awesome.

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Don't compare Jason Collier with Raef LaFrentz! It's not close except for their skin color. Collier didn't exactly play in anonymity in the ACC. Actually, it's impossible to be anonymous in the ACC. Raef was Mr. All American for 2 year, who finished runner up to Antawn Jamison for Player of the Year. The guy was a rebounding, scoring, and defensive demon. Collier doesn't really qualify in any of those categories. And he doesn't have nearly the same athleticism as Raef.

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The quote above is also the most significant of the enitre interview to me. But the most important statement I see is at the end:

"...but I don't think we could have a bunch of those types of guys [post-up players] with the way we are playing now"

I find this significant in that we don't really need a super-stud big man who can dominate the post, just big men who can hit the midrange or outside jumper (like TMass and 'los as HP stated above). Actually, Hakeem is perfect in this role.

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NIKEstrad- yes, it was to die for. After that, every one of us was begging for more from pop. You're in the right place now, my man. Keep that critical eye, though- you're going to see more far-fetched crap than you will golden nuggets of inside information.

I should let popeye give details, but from what I remember he's in the medical field and knows other trainers/medical staff with other teams.

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[This message has been edited by Nolen (edited April 22, 2000).]

 

I have to agree Raef is in a whole different catagory from Collier. He's a Todd Fuller waiting to happen. Im not too big on Big men who have an outside shot in college. They usually shy away from the NBA game which is banging. LaFrenz is an exception because he is more of a 3 than a 5 and rarely plays the 4-5 position in the NBA. I think I'll pass on Collier

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"We need to fockass".....Dream back in the day

 

Sounds like we need Collier to replace Bullard. I like that. He's taller than Bullard, so he should be able to get his 3 off even more.

I mean: What are we going to do when Bullard retires? We need to get someone in camp *now* to learn under Bull while he's still playing.

 

LaFrentz has never and will never be a 3 he's a 4/5 with a decent outside jumper who can hit a 3 at times. Collier is a stiff that can hit a jumper and sometimes will stick a 3 but is totally ineffeective defensively and can't hit the boards. I agreee with you heypartner if we got Collier we should have Bullard teach him because Colliers talents are very comparable to Bullard except he is 2 inches taller and if possible slower.

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***Elie... we don't need no stinkin Elie Mobley's takin over ROCKETS IN 2000 BABY***

 

I think the reason RT wants a big man that can shoot from outside is to open up the lane for Francis, cut-tino and Shandon. After all the Bulls won their championships without a major inside presence. If its true that Rudy and his staff are begging Francis to shoot more, I think they will put players around him that will increase his scoring opportunities. This is not to say we don't need an inside game, (Duncan?)but there are no more Hakeem's out there.

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I had amnesia once or twice.

 

Just to play the ditto-head again:

What about Olumide? RF34: is he the quintessential euro-tall man that can also shoot from outside? It seems as if I read that somewhere...

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Nike:

Actually most of what I posted was speculation based on several points, not the least of which was RT's own statements in the quoted interview mentioned (and my take on it) and other interviews lately where he got quite uncharacteristically candid. I wanted to show that RT has his own agenda and like all coaches uses the media very well.

Also the sources are exactly as I described them. Usually,if you read any of my posts,I qualify them as "very trustworthy" or "only second hand" or "an acquaintance I'm getting to know", or some such thing. Some in fact are sports people, some are not. Most are old friends and firmly entrenched.

As far as this thread goes, I posted info from particular sources based on their close proximity to both the Spurs and Duncan. (I also intimated that I thought the Spurs would flounder in the playoffs.)

Basically, the fact that the Spurs are going to have a difficult time coming to terms with him is just that. Difficult. It doesn't say they won't or can't. The second part about the chances of Duncan coming to Houston is based on several sources, some who I trust implicitly.

Note: I posted something on this last week when it was a "fresher" story and prefaced it by saying I wasn't as convinced of the assuredness of these friends/sources who were mentioning percentages (that Duncan was headed for Houston)that can only be described as obscene. I am still not convinced that it will be easy. Anyway I will only say that they all agree Houston's chances are better than anyone elses. Based on the stuff they told me I will agree with that.

I still say Duncan is an honorable guy. Money is not everything to him either. He is however, disillusioned with some Spurs moves. And, he has had a personal situation making it more "advantageous" for him to leave SA.

I say again, it will take a whole lot of effort, deals, cooperation between teams and a great deal of luck to land Duncan in any market. Houston, does however seem to have a bit of an upper hand.

Nolan:

Thanks for the kind words and getting my back.

HP:

I know you were at (least half) kidding about Bull as training. But actually his role is clearly defined and so far ... it is necessary. I agree with those that say,if someone else came along that gave the Rox the same dimension plus some added bonus shot or better D his job may be in jep. But til then, his position on the roster is probably more solid than most are aware.

It may even be said, that if he were traded, he would opt to retire, and go into broadcasting fulltime. He is scheduled to do color on the WNBA this season, and has been sought out by one national net for other work. He also could easily move into a front office job with Les. He is welll liked by the suits and the players.

RF34:

One of the reasons that the Euro players do that is that they are paid by sponsors based on their popularity and media worth. Not necessarily on talent or stats. The amount a Euro player gets paid to play is very low by any standards. But even a mediocre player with a history (Ex: ... bad boy royalty, married to a celebrity, refusing to play in America) can make better money than some great talents.

When a player "declares for the draft" through the media, his value goes way, way up in Europe. It is not uncommon for a player (especially a marginal plaayer, although it would be hard to argue O is marginal) to "decide at the last minute" to remain in Europe, thereby quadrupling his income now that he can be promoted as being " a patriot who wanted to remain in Europe".

A very good friend of mine played 14 years in Europe (including Italy with Kobe's dad). It is living a good life, but it is living on subpar wages. My friend was leading scorer throughout the league in both France and Italy on two occasions, yet made what I would describe as "piece-meal" wages.

As he describes it, if he had something outside the game (like a native euro who chooses to stay at home and play, or if he was married to royalty, or dating a model) he would have made considerably more.

Anyway that's one of the reasons he gives for some Euros vacillating on coming out, etc...

Cheers.


[This message has been edited by popeye (edited April 23, 2000).]

 

Now that it's apparent Rudy really likes having PFs who can hit the outside shot, I don't see why he would be considering that deal mentioned in the other thread which would basically trade out Kenny T, who has good outside range, for Fortson, who does not have a good jumper to my knowledge.

Also, if the Rockets are now on the lookout for big guys who shoot threes, I'm going to go ahead and change my player X to Danny Ferry, who I believe will be a free agent. I'm all about high drafted big men flops for my player X's: first Adonal Foyle, now Mr. Ferry.

Lastly, am I mistaken or is Olumide a raw 19 yr. old Nigerian and not a crafty European big man with an outside shot?

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[This message has been edited by oakdogg (edited April 23, 2000).]

 

OakPuppy

Right on all accounts. Well, except I will leave ferry alone.