Achebe-RT45 says that Seattle will be able to dump salary. We can trade the exception for Brent! Contrary to popular belief (by NBAtalk's site), Croshere is NOT a restricted free agent. ------------------ The more lefties on your team, the better. Collier is Seven Foot and Left Handed. How can you go wrong? Trade or bench Kenny Thomas. [This message has been edited by NIKEstrad (edited July 12, 2000).]
Playmaker: I remember Horry taking Croshere to the hoop... once. I remember Croshere abusing Green/Horry quite a bit more. Croshere, I believe, even posted up on Shaq with some success. He can rebound better than horry EVER could, AND is a better shooter. I envision Croshere as being a 15 and 8 kind of player in a starting role... which is good enough for me at the 4. Keep in mind: some people think he'll turn out better than Jalen Rose. Fine by me. A team can't be all superstars... imagine this, even IF Mobley leaves C Cato PF Webber SF Croshere SG Anderson PG Francis Now, that's contingent upon us resigning Webber, but for a bit of balance, I let Mobley leave. I think that's an upper-echelon style line-up... and if Francis matures into a superstar caliber player, that's a title contender. ------------------
Dr -- Yes, I would. Mobley is quite overrated. Good, but overrated. (Croshere has suddenly become overrated, too.) Other reasons: 1) Croshere does more to improve his teammates than Mobley does. Croshere fills in and makes the hustle plays. Mobley too often retreats mentally into his own world. 2) Croshere is only a B talent, but he's an A+ tone-setter. He sends a refuse-to-lose message with every in-your-face layup, every hustle rebound, and every dive for a loose ball. The finals was my first chance to see him interviewed, and I was impressed. He's calm, confident, and cold-blooded. Everything we could never get out of Robert Horry.
Several things here: Firstly, the Pacers have zero, exactly zero interest in Bryce Drew. We have 3 guys who are better than Drew and they all want to start at PG. The Pacers want Drew like you guys would want Mark Pope who was on the Pacers roster a couple of years ago. Secondly, The Pacers facility is the very, very top of the line and not even a year old. Almost to the man, media, players, coaches, and fans have said that retro Conseco fieldhouse is the best facility in the NBA. Thirdly, it was reported in Indy that Austin said that he is exploring his options and still would like to come back to the Pacers, as his first choice. Fourthly, IMHO, Austin is a step above a role player and a step below an allstar. Don't be too fooled by his Laker performance he isn't that good, but he showed flashes of being special all year. He is a difficult match up 3 point shot, tremendous athelete, but he could have difficulty starting at 4 in the west and he is too slow to start at the 3. Still he is an incredible worker and may will himself into an allstar type player, someday. Plus, don't be fooled, he is an enormous leaper. ------------------ http://jonathanbender.8m.com http://alharrington.8m.com
Fifthly, Donnie really likes Shandon Anderson and I would guess that he would have to be part of a sign and trade or Collier, but only if Smits AND Perkins doesn't come back. Walsh is going this weekend to meet with Rik, if Rik retires, then I would say a trade for a center is much much more likely and would increase the chance of Croshere being moved. I have also heard an Al Harrington and Derrick McKey for Matt Geiger rumor if Rik goes. Lastly, I think that if Zeke isn't announced soon and giving Austin love that the Pacers may lose him. The longer it takes to get a coach the better chance Houston has. Rudy is a tremendous coach, imo, and it would be attractive place for Austin to play, but as recently as 2 weeks ago Austin said that he felt that he was "Indiana's to lose". ------------------ http://jonathanbender.8m.com http://alharrington.8m.com
Speed: I don't think the rockets would be looking to trade Drew for Croshere... I'm still suspicious that Collier +picks might be on the cards... I also agree that the Pacers are a top-notch organisation, but I feel they may look to this year as a rebuilding year, hence they'll take a roleplaying center and some picks in an effort to improve themselves for the future and losing Croshere would be ok because it'd free up playing time for the mighty youngsters in Bender and Harrington. Will: I agree! I'm sold on Austins hustle, my point is that we shouldn't be looking to load Cuttino up with a 4.1million dollar contract because that's just craziness! I'd put Croshere on that contract, but not Cat.... I also think Croshere would play at the 4 and would enjoy himself (in some perverse way) matching up against all the western PF's ------------------
Does anyone think that we can really pull off any sort of deal? in other words, will these Croshere rumors be any more than rumors is what i'm askng. ------------------ Casa ole! Fresh today!every DAY!OLE!!!
Hey, Almu! Haven't you noticed - the Rockets are a cult, with Rudy as high priest, and an ever changing class of acolytes, supported by the crazed villagers (that's us, the Clutch City BBS crew). ------------------ "Who Wants To Be A Rocket?" - and probably a millionaire as well. The off-season will be interesting!
Croshere fever is spreading like the plague. Eeeeeewwwwww.....stay away from me.... Anyways, I was completely unaware we had an exception to offer Austin. I could be ok with that. My main gripe has more to do with trading away the exception and players that could be used for other, better IMHO deals. Like I said before, Croshere is pure hustle, pure heart but he's not superstar talent and he's not what the doctor ordered at the 4 (meaning a rough and tumble banger and rebound machine). I wouldn't deal away the exception for him, much less Cato or Drew. For whomever questioned me about Fizer over Croshere, hell, I'd do that any day of the week if not only because I beleive Fizer will be an impact player in this league a few years from now. Fizer is heart and hustle plus talent and IMHO, brings more to the table than Croshere. Its not a question of defense, I don't think Fizer would fare any better than Croshere against the KG's and Wallaces of the west but thats the point -- I see more in Fizer on the whole than I do in Croshere. Of course, Fizer has yet to play an NBA game -- its a bit unfair of me to hold him against Croshere but, and I hate to use this word, I see more "potential" in Fizer. ------------------ "Kick to the gut....The Stunner, The Stunner!!!!....Lights out for Austin Croshere!!!"
Oh yeah, Jeff, that was my bad. Thanks for editing it for me ------------------ "Kick to the gut....The Stunner, The Stunner!!!!....Lights out for Austin Croshere!!!" [This message has been edited by Stone Cold Hakeem (edited July 13, 2000).]
Swami, it's cool. ------------------ please venture to atheistalliance and rocketsonline I AM SPARTACUS
I was watching the Fox Sports Regional news report on Fox sports net and they reported that Austin Croshere said of the Rockets "it seems like a perfect fit" or else it was "it seems like the perfect fit." I wish I could remember which one but whichever he said it is equally big in its own right. Being the only other person on the board besides speed who knows who Mark Pope is I can honestly say i would want him. He works hard and could play the Serge Zwikker role on the team, not to mention he helped my favorite school, University of Kentucky, win a national championship. I have to agree with Almu, Pippen is an alien. Really Pippens body is a robot and the alien lives in Pippen's nose. ------------------
I think it's sad when we've resorted to getting excited about acquiring players like Austin Croshere. ------------------
Okay, here's my take. We talk Croshere into signing for the mid level exemption like Shandon did with the understanding that we'll take care of him down the road. That way we get a very good FA without giving up any players or picks. Like Nike said, he's not a restricted FA so all we have to do is spread a little of our cult magic on him. Next we trade Drew,KT,Walt, + A #1 pick (or some kind of package), without giving up Cato or this years picks to the clippers for Maggette or Miles. Yes, I'm dreaming,but think about it. After Dream retires, we'll have this lineup. C: Next years #1 pick/Collier or Washington PF: Croshere/Los/Mass SF: Maggette/Langhi/Bull SG: Anderson/Mobley PG: Francis/Norris Croshere might not be a superstar caliber player, but with this crew, he won't have to be. He reminds me of Mike Newlin, with his hustle & willingness to do the dirty work only better. Even if we don't get Maggette or Miles, this team will be pretty good by the end of next year with some seasoning together. ------------------
Croshere is not gonna get Shandon in a sign and trade. Drew and KT are about it, in terms of what you can get, with a pick sprinkled in. ------------------ The more lefties on your team, the better. Collier is Seven Foot and Left Handed. How can you go wrong? Trade or bench Kenny Thomas.
This is an interesting debate about who's worth how much. I'll pose 2 questions: 1. If hypothetically we were 10 million under the cap, how much of that would you be willing to pay Mobley? 2. If hypothetically we were 10 million under the cap, how much of that would you be willing to pay Croshere? I say 5 mill, and 3.75 mill. Acquiring Croshere would be a step in the right direction. Surrounding Steve with roleplayers (Anderson, Cato, Collier, Croshere are all very good roleplayers). All we need is that 2nd star, or main low post scoring threat. Cuttino makes a great 3rd option, but I'd prefer if he wasn't #2. ------------------ The more lefties on your team, the better. Collier is Seven Foot and Left Handed. How can you go wrong? Trade or bench Kenny Thomas.
Haven: I would not want Croshere playing the four. He'd be a much better three in my opinion, though he is over sized a bit for that position, it would suit his game much more. (I still think Horry and Croshere played even through the Finals, I guess I'm gonna have to watch the re-runs of those games.) We still need a power forward or center guys, I'm not gonna be too excited until we get a star at that position. Croshere in my opinion is not a star, he's good, but not a star. Not that that's exactly what we need, more role players the better. He'd be a great pickup. Anyway, I'd pay Mobley and Croshere about the same Nikestrad. Totally agree with that. Here's looking to Webber "visiting" next season. ------------------ Great players aren't always great, they're only great when they have to be
It probably would be sad to be excited about getting Otis Thorpe, Kenny Smith, Vernon Maxwell, and Robert Horry in their prime, too. But in retrospect, it's not, is it? Why? They brought us a championship. It's not the individual pieces that made the Rockets a great team and organization. It's the sum of the individual pieces. I fell in love with Croshere's game during the finals. The Rockets need front-line help desperately and he's the guy to add toughness, scoring when-needed, and non-stop tenacity. He's a prototype Rudy T championship player. He's just one piece to the solution... and definitely good enough to get excited about. ------------------ Just shut up and post
Damn D0D, Thats excatly what I was gonna say. It seems a lot of people on this board don't know what it takes to win. Someone has to play D besides Shandon. ------------------ "Is this thing on? I'm in charge now"-Alexander Haig
bingo! how bout a sprinkle of d? just a tad bit? and to add a player who can score, too? that enough to get me excited. then again, so is alyssa milano...or sade...or oh god, cold shower... ------------------ miles ahead of the rest
