BARRING any trades and injury and based on the talent we currently have and our draft choices, what do you think the roster will look like next season? This is how I currently see it: Starters: PG: Franchise SG: Cat SF: Nachbar(Rookie) PF: MoT C: Krispy Kreme(errr, Cato) Bench: *Ming (C - Rookie) Moochie (PG) KT (SF/PF) Fast Eddie (PF/C) Rice (SF/SG) Oscar Torres (SG/SF) Terrence Morris (SF/PF) *How many games(realistically) do you think we can win w/ this line-up? *I don't have Ming starting yet becuz he'll miss the summer leagues and parts of training camp. RT will probably integrate him slowly at first BUT by the 20th-25th game, Ming should be in there permanently.
After half way in the 02/03 season FRANCIS, NORRIS MOBLEY, DIXON, TORRES NACHBAR, ODOM RICE GRIFFIN, TAYLOR MING, CATO CHAMPIONS 2005
I agree with that lineup to a large extent. IF all our players are relatively healthy and IF we make no trades or free agent signings and IF we draft Yao Ming (#1), Bostjan Nachbar (#15), and Casey Jacobson (#38), THEN our roster might look something like this: Starting Five (to start the season): PG Steve Francis SG Cuttino Mobley SF Glen Rice PF Maurice Taylor C Kelvin Cato Bench: PG Moochie Norris SG Oscar Torres (FA), Casey Jacobson SF Bostjan Nachbar, Terence Morris PF Eddie Griffin, Kenny Thomas C Yao Ming, Jason Collier I'm assuming we'll have some combination of 2-3 players stashed on the IR for much of the year. While we'd be starting the same five as last season, I think that this team could definitely make a strong run at a playoff spot. Our young bench looks like it could be the key. If the Rockets can get some good production out of Ming and Griffin, then they should be on track for another 45 win season or better. PREDICTION (being realistic): 46-36
I think with that line-up you may win 42 games. It has great off. but no "D", which is the Rox biggest problem. Also I don't see CD just taking the 15th pick. He is known for pulling something else that know one knew anything about. As stated in my other thread I think he'll trade up and draft a player (like Woods) if he is there. So for my roster here it is.... Pg- Francis SG- Cat Sf- Rice Pf- Taylor C - Ming (you don't pick a player first in the draft and bring him of the bench, besides he is better than CATO already.) Bench: 1. Moochie (Nice back-up pg) 2. Eddie (Maybe starting by the end of the year... imagine him in Ming def. in the paint. SCARY 3. Cato (Maybe Ming will get him motivated... or maybe not.) 4. Woods (Huge upside) 5. Cooke ( Could be the steal of the draft in 3 years) 6. T mo (nice back-up role player that can help you in several pos.) 7. MCE ( maybe with the extra money they have from this they can pick up a banger, someone who can show Ming and Cato how it's done in the NBA down low.)
WOW! I could more than live with that record! That way, our 1st round pick(next year's) that MUST go to the Grizzlies would be a low one since we'd be in the playoffs with that record.
Starters: Yao Ming (C) Mo Taylor (PF) Jiri Welsch (SF/SG/PG) Cuttino Mobley (SG) Steve Francis (PG/SG) Bench: Eddie Griffin (PF/SF) Kelvin Cato (C) Kenny Thomas (PF/SF) Glen Rice (SF) Moochie Norris (PG) Terrence Morris (SF) Oscar Torres (SG)
Without trades I see : Ming Cato Collier (IR) Griffin Taylor Rice KT #15 Wang(MCE) Tmo (IR) Mobely Torres Francis Norris TBrown (IR) I hope we pick up Wang with the MCE, to help Ming adjust, and to fill the Matt Bullard role, if nothing else. I think with the two of them together, they'd both be a lot better. Plus the "Team China" marketing $$$, of course - it's a business-end no brainer. On the other hand : I expect a trade of KT, Collier & 15 to move up, or for another player. Perhaps to the Clipps for # 12, where maybe we get Tsk or Stodemire. Perhaps to the Sonics for that brat napoleon Lewis (I hope NOT!). Getting a young enforcer in Stodemire could be nice. Tsk is a talent. We will need to replace Rice by next year.
I don't know anything about Welsch. Is he big enough to play the SF spot? I've read he can play PG and SG but I haven't seen anything about SF. I've read that he's a pretty good defensive player though.
Pg-Francis, Moochie sg-Mobley, torres, 2nd round draft pick sf-Butler, E griff, Tmo Pf-Mcdeysee-KT-Egriff C-Cato, Amare Stoudimir
He's listed as about 6'6, maybe 6'7, so I don't think he would be too undersized for the the small forward position. From what I've read about him, he's a great defender and ballhandler, two things the team needs very much from the small forward position. Plus, he can slide over to PG sometimes to allow Francis to play the 2, without making the backcourt too small. He just sounds like the perfect fit to me.
1: Francis, Norris 2: Mobley, Torres 3: Rice, Morris 4: Taylor, Griffin, Stoudemire (#15) 5: Yoa (#1), Cato, Collier IR Williams KT will get traded to a team that can given him starter minutes. I would rather keep KT and trade MoTay, but that move would hurt future FA signings. The 15th pick will signed a guaranteed contract, so the Rockets will really have to like that player. Trading this pick is a very likely possibility (if Memphis still refuses to take it), since the Rockets do not want to carry that many rookie and first year players (Griffin, Morris, Torres + Yoa, #15, #38). If the Rocks keep the the #15 pick, my preference to draft the highest potential 4/5 that needs time to develop, i.e. Amare Stoudemire. Torres will have to be resigned. If not, the Rockets use either the MCE or the second round pick or the KT trade to replace him. My preference is to resign Torres (since he does not need to be encouraged to play D and is likely a better player than what is available at the #38 pick). The Rocks could use the #15 pick to replace Torres, but that is a high price to pay for a backup 2 guard.
So how do we address the SF spot? We stick w/ Rice/KT/TMo "triple threat"? Welsch is intriguing though!
Why do we trade KT? Taylor and Griffin should get all of the 4 minutes next year. Rice, Mobley, and Morris should get all of the 3 minutes. Rice and Taylor both are recovering from severer injuries, so their PT may not be guaranteed. But when they do get healthy, KT sees no minutes. Rudy and CD as a personal favor to KT will try to find him another team. For who? Just asking cuz I don't see you he's been traded for. Hopefully, some playoff bound team in the Eastern Conference will have their starting 4 go down with an injury for a good portion of the season. KT will be ideal for that team since he has one year left on his contract.
Either one of these 3 could happen: 1. Rockets pick Ming #1, Nachbar #15, Dixon #37 C- Ming/Cato Pf-MoT/KT Sf-Griffin/Rice/Nachbar/Tmo Sg-Mobley/Dixon Pg-Francis/Mooch IR- Collier come in whenever anyone gets injured 2. Rockets pick Ming, Trade KT, MoT, Mooch, and/or future #1 (Chicago obligations maybe) for Lewis and maybe a capfiller if necessary. Use the midlevel to resign our own FA and maybe even a PF. #15 is Nachbar and #37 is Lee Benson or Ryan Humpfrey C-Ming/Cato PF-Griffin/Benson or Humpfrey/Collier SF-Lewis/Nachbar/Tmo Sg- Mobley/Torres Pg- Francis/Tierre 3. Rockets pick Ming #1, trade KT and #15 for #10 and pick the best SF (tski, woods, maybe even butler if he's there), pick dixon #37. C-Ming/Cato/Collier PF-MoT/Griffin (he'll still get alot of minutes though) SF-Rice/#10/TMo Sg-Mobley/Dixon Pg-Francis/Mooch Gotta love the off season
