The Rockets have changed quite a bit since the 2005-2006 season: 05-06 roster Code: Player Pos Ht Rafer Alston G 6-2 Derek Anderson G 6-5 Jon Barry G 6-4 Lonny Baxter F 6-8 Keith Bogans G-F 6-5 Ryan Bowen F 6-7 Rick Brunson G 6-4 Josh Davis F 6-8 Richie Frahm G 6-5 Stephen Graham G 6-6 Chuck Hayes F 6-6 Luther Head G 6-3 Juwan Howard F 6-9 Maciej Lampe F 6-11 John Lucas G 5-11 Tracy McGrady F 6-8 Yao Ming C 7-6 Dikembe Mutombo C 7-2 Moochie Norris G 6-1 Stromile Swift F 6-9 David Wesley G 6-0 There have been many transactions, with varying levels of popularity, since that season. What do you consider to be the best one? Here's a list of the most important moves made by the Rockets in this span (in my opinion): Battier trade (gave up rights to Rudy gay, Swift) Hired Adelman Scola trade (gave up Spanoulis) Drafted Aaron Brooks Artest trade (gave up Donte Green, 2009 pick, Jackson) Lowry+Cook trade (gave up Alston) Martin+Hill+2012 pick trade (gave up Landry, McGrady, Dorsey) Lee trade (gave up Ariza) Other than the Artest trade -- which I think deserved special mention -- all the above roster moves resulted in adding a key component of the current team. For me, its between the Scola trade, the Lowry trade, and the Martin/Hill trade. I'll go with the Scola trade, because we really didn't give up anything for him (I can't recall the ramifications of taking on Jackie Butler's contract at the time). Scola is just a shade under all-star caliber, and he embodies what our team is all about -- true grit. What do you think?
I think if you give RA a decent crew, he'll find a way eventually to win 50 + games every season. It's a shame that he never had a healthy Yao + McGrady for the playoffs together in the same year. It was just McGrady one year, and we lost to the Jazz in 6. With just Yao, we beat a very good Portland team and took the Lakers (w/o Yao and TMAC) to 7.... While I love the moves Morey has made, Lowry, Scola, Hill etc, I think the most consistent piece to the Rockets puzzle lately, and the main reason for us over performing with millions of dollars sitting on the bench has been RA. His teams play hard, are always among the top teams offensively, and once some chemistry develops, play sound defense.
durvasa, nice thread, except that you should re-title it, "Second Best Rockets Transaction since 2006 (Besides Scola Trade)?" The Scola trade is going to win by a landslide. Unless you were just curious to see how many people DON'T think that, the poll is a waste of time unless the Scola trade is eliminated as a possibility. CORRECTION: I do have to say that the Martin trade was more of a "master stroke" by Daryl Morey, in its various beneficial aspects on so many levels. However, the Scola trade ranks as the move that "worked out best" for the Rockets.
Really like the thread durv, but Bima is right. I chose the Scola deal because we gave up nothing really. I would have went with the Martin, Hill and pick otherwise.
Good point. I thought it would be a little more evenly split between the Scola trade and Martin trade. It depends on how we look at "best move". Getting Scola was largely good fortune. The Martin trade, as you say, looks to have been just masterfully executed by the Rockets.
The Rafer trade simply because I never have to see that loser again. But yeah, most of Morey's trades have been very good.
Nah, the obvious answer is Scola, so I went for the obscure Battier for Gay...as I thought I would be the only one..... DD
I went w/ the Kevin Martin trade over the Scola trade based on the "various beneficial aspects." However, the Scola trade was our Pau Gasol trade.
i wonder who voted for brooks also make a thread about worst transaction by DM. i wanna see how it turns out
Going all in on Yao for this season has been the riskiest decisions (yearly) he's made. I wonder how the man will land a legit superstar. How it'll go down won't be boring...
The Artest trade hands down. It made us have a team with T-mac at the 2 and Artest at the 3 with Yao playing center. Our own big three. It has also gotten us the farthest(2nd round...) Yeah it didnt work out, but the trade was magnificent in its own way. If Tmac and Yao would have stayed healthy...OMG
durvasa, you didn't list one move (or series of moves, really) that I actually thought was one of Morey's best, even though it did not result in a great outcome for the Rockets: The Rockets' 2008 NBA Draft wheeling and dealing. Morey turned the #25 pick into the #28 pick, the #33 pick and a high 2009 second rounder. Sure, the players selected would make one think that the transaction wasn't all that great. Nicolas Batum ended up going #25 to Portland, the Rockets got Donte Greene at #28 (traded to Sacramento before ever playing a regular season game for Houston) and Joey Dorsey at #33 (moderate disappointment and traded to Sacramento in the Martin trade), and that 2009 Memphis second rounder was used to entice Memphis to take Steve Francis's expiring contract in order to get the Rockets under the luxury tax threshold. But the "transaction(s)" itself was fairly impressive. Just saying.
THIS! Repped. RA is so underrated/under-appreciated on this board it never seizes to amaze me. From day ONE I believed Rick was the best coach for this team and I have faith in him to guide us to the promised land. For all the Scola trade lovers... I think you also gotta give a lot of credit to RA for not only playing Scola heavy minutes but having the patience to let him develop/adjust to the league when he was often dubbed the artist formerly known as "SCRUBOLA" by many on this board some four years ago during his rookie season. Rick is not only a players coach but his knowledge for the game is incredible and he also has an eye for developing talent and getting more done with less.
Outside it enabling the Artest deal, nothing positive came out of it. Maybe we can lump that manuevering with the Artest trade. The Rockets essentially turned #25 + Bobby Jackson + 2009 first-rounder into Artest + Dorsey + 2009 second rounder.
I suppose so. But, again, the pure transactional aspect was pretty freaking good. In that regard, I'd rank it behind only the Martin trade from a "getting the most assets AT THE TIME while giving up so little" perspective. Just sucks that Dorsey didn't do anything. I suppose if Donte Greene was never traded and ended up flourishing under Adelman as the Rockets' SF of the future, we'd be singing a different tune. I guess you can call those transactions the "anti-Scola trade".
