If Steve Is Not A Part of Our Future, Which Way Do We Go?

You don't trade SF for a package deal period. Just how often has that worked in the past for any team that tried it.

Any deal made should meet six requirements:

1. player must fill a need (ie power forward)
2. player must be in good health (injury free)
3. player must have a solid background (no suspensions)
4. player must be an all star or near all star
5. player must be under the age of 27 or 28 (prime)
6. player must already be locked into long term deal

Raven

 

I'd trade Steve for a grilled-cheese sandwich right about now.

I don't know how many teams want a player who cares more about watching football, than playing basketball though.

 

Adding players through free agency and trades will not help the Rockets with one of their biggest weaknesses, the lack of leadership. Francis' leadership was a joke and as of right now the rockets dont have a leader. It seems that the players are not willing to rally around JVG. I find it very hard to add leadership through free agency or trades, why would the players listen to someone who just came into the organization. Free agents are basically hired guns to play for the highest bidder. The most effective leaders are the players that have been with the team the longest, ala KG and the twolves. I dont see the rockets having a definite leader in the near future unless steve gets his act together or mobley or yao steps up, which i highly doubt.

 

Rockets need more depth on the bench and balance on offense. SF and his gang, MoT, Cato, Mobes (All the long term contracts need to be shipped out).


Steps to rebuild,

1. Trade Stevie+Pike + Cato + trade exception to Portland for Rasheed + Qwoods + Damon +Draft picks, salary match and Houston have the option to resign Rasheed after this season. Woods is insurance for Rasheed walking after this season. Portland does this because they get ride of Damon's contract. Mighty mouse knows how to play with big men ala Sabonis and Yao loved watched those two play. Rasheed + Damon will be much cheaper to resign when their contract expires and both have 4 seasons of playoff experience. Damon's contract is up in two years, he's expiring contract would be tradable next year.

2. Find a taker for MoT in the eastern conference who are battling for a playoff spot. With Rasheed on board, Rockets should be able to get some young talent for MoT. Toronto, bucks, Phily, and the heats will be willing to part some role players or young guards or expiring contracts + draft picks.

3. With woods starting at SG, Mobley should be coming off the bench or be traded if need to be.

4. Weatherspoon's contract is gone, If Rasheed and Damon pan out, Rockets can sign them with yao and still have 4-5 million cap space for veteran leadership.

5. If Rasheed and Damon don't pan out, Rockets would have 18 million cap space to sign two free agents or TMac(freeagent in 2006).

 

Mmmmmmm......grilled cheese sandwich. Must - make - sandwich.

 

1) No contingency plan begins until after July 1, 2004 when Francis no longer has a BYC status and Van Gundy has had a chance to evaluate team needs.

2) Personally don't like rebuilding via draft. The next drafted PG could be Isiah Thomas or he could be Mateen Cleaves. And the pick(s) won't necessarily be that great unless a 2004 Lottery team is specifically targeted. Plus, potential trade partners would almost exclusively be EC Lottery teams narrowing the field down further. A 1st rounder in 2006 is basically valueless.

3) IMO, the most realistic option is a trade for 2 good (near All Star players) with at least 1 being enough of an offensive threat to command a double team more often than not. (This appears to be MacBeth's Option #3).

4) Any PG replacing Francis absolutely has to be a strong 3 point threat. In fact, at least 1 of any incoming players must have shooting range regardless of position played. Given Van Gundy's penchant for controlling the game in the half-court set, bonus points are given to all players capable of running a good fastbreak...that's the most effective way of increasing the Rockets' FGA's/game.

5) I know MacBeth has this thing for ex-Roy Williams players (Hinrich) but I doubt John Paxson and Scott Skiles envision a team w/ Steve Francis.

6) Ainge and Zeke seem the most willing to talk trade. My hunch is the Hawks will join in next summer.

I tried to stick as close to "if" as I could.

I guess what I'm a little personally unclear of is ....if Francis goes, do Mobley, Taylor and/or Cato also go? How deeply does this knife cut? Perhaps that answer will be determined by the playoffs.

 

Am I reading this wrong, or are you seriously suggesting starting Qyntel Woods at the 2 over Mobley? This is the QWoods who scores 4.5 ppg shooting 38%?

 

Yeah, the Woods suggestion seems pretty bad.

 

I think the Rocks have to trade SF, and I think his value is higher then some may think. SF has averaged 20pts 5rebs and 5 asst per game over the course of his career (this season not included). Only 5 players in the history of the game have done that and all are in the Hall of Fame. I am NOT suggesting that SF is H of F material, but I pose these stats to show he does have talent and would be desireable.

I also like Hinrich, and I think that CHI would trade KH plus to get SF. SF would enerigze the CHI fans and they could pair him with Crawford to act as the big PG we don't have. This would let SF do what he does best SCORE! He could be an absolutely dynamic player in the East, as evident by the fact that we have historically killed the eastern conference in the past.

I think we could easily parlay SF into a new PG and a new PF. I would sell him based on what he has done in the past (see stats above) and the fact he struggled to fit in JVG's system (which I think is BS but it is how I'd sell it) He has at times struggled in his role with our team, but that doesn't make him a bad player. He just isn't a PG, the position doesn't come naturally for him. I think that is his problem right now- a little paralysis be analysis. He is thinking too much and not letting the game just flow. Put him in the East as a 2 and he could just simply play and do what comes naturally - SCORE

 

Not enogh options

Just get rid of JVG and hire Byron Scott

 

Why? So Francis can run Scott out of Houston the way Jason Kidd did in NJ?

 

Your source?

How about the new owners ran him off? Possible?

Show me some of those fit the situation Gater stats on that....

 

It's common knowledge that the old management wanted Scott replaced even after the Finals appearances. The information is readily available in just about any google search. Here are the first two that came up:

"Scott's standing in the locker room was weakened in mid-December when Kidd screamed at him during a heated postgame team meeting following a 47-point loss to the Memphis Grizzlies."

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/breaking_news/7805663.htm

"Kidd planted his poison in the locker room following the team's loss in Memphis last month. His rebuke of Scott's brain power was loud enough for assembled scribes to hear from behind closed doors.
News of Kidd releasing Scott's IQ results hit the tabloid fan in Manhattan, which resulted in the usual clearing of the throats, the shuffling of feet and a vow to embrace the philosophy of St. Rodney King, who always has made an effort to, you know, get along if he is not being arrested.
This was hardly the first time Kidd was left to talk out of both sides of his mouth, and hardly an epiphany to those who have been counting the days to Scott's dismissal. Scott had third-degree burns on his fanny by the time the hot seat was pulled out from under him.
Last June, Kidd wondered if Scott understood the relevance of Tim Duncan, an MVP who often receives the attention of two defenders instead of the one employed by the Nets."

http://www.washtimes.com/sports/20040126-114404-7644r.htm

 

Just stop posting already.

 

When Steve gets traded, the Rockets better get a damn good player in return, because if they think that some scrub "pass first point guard" like Eric Snow or Jamaal Tinsley is going to get the job done with the current team, the Phoenix game shot that down pretty easily...

 

The old management didn't fire him....

 

From last nights game it got me to wonder if JVG really is what the rockets need. I think Van Gundy added some much needed defense and has added some sort of intensity but it really isn't something he couldn't have done being an assistant coach. I like some of the player moves and aquisitions but I really think Rudy brought out alot more in the players. I still think Francis is a big part of our future. I am however beginning to question Yao. When he bulked up and was not performing up to our expectations, the excuses were that he was not fast enough anymore. I don't know whether it is the coach's or Ewing's fault that he is not performing the way he should or if it is flat out his weaknesses. Part of me wants to blame the coach but after watching what he's done to Cato, it gets me to wonder whether or not Van Gundy is the problem or Francis. I am pointing my finger at Yao. If he really doesn't take his game to another level or intensity I'm more for trading yao than francis.

 

I would do a SF for Kobe sign and trade at end of this year, people say that if Kobe don't like work with Shaq, why the hell would he wants to work with Yao? But the truth is, Yao is humble enough that even Kobe likes him as you can tell from last years ASG.

What else would Kobe rather go? All the other team who can afford him are lossing teams. With a developing Yao, Kobe can play a leading role on this team.

While Yao is not yet ready, Kobe can be the leader of this young team, as much as I don't like Kobe as a person, I respect his game, and his work ethic.

And after few huge contract come off the book (Cato, MoT, Spoon), we can sign a some good role player and start the rebuilding.

And ya, we need to fire CD too. I would love to see Rudy to be our new GM.

 

This team will NOT rebuild right now like Phoenix. With the pressure of the Astros and Texans, u can be damn sure Leslie is not gonna trade away an All star for draft picks.

 

gotta agree. if we think this team is gonna continue to flounder, why wait til the offseason to make a move? do something now and let the "new" team gel during the second half of the season. who knows what could happen with a couple of fresh new faces on this squad.

hinrich and chandler would be pretty sweet, IMO.