Are you hallucinating again? 13-7 on the year and being relieved of your starting duties is hardly monstrous. The guy has clearly lost a step, he's less explosive, his body can no longer hold it together and his production has drastically declined. Hmmm....sound familiar?!?!? That's all in 2009 when he's "only" owed $15M, mind you. Extrapolate his likely continued decline versus his $16-17-18M increases and you have enough to check half of this board into the insane asylum. But hey, at least you would finally have some company.
I would take Iggy, Lambert, Brand, and a protect #1/or 2 #2's if we could unload T-Mac(EC),Cook(EC),Brent Barry(EC),Dorsey,JT. Rockets: We would have the wing we wish Ariza would be in Iggy. Solid Forwards in Lambert and Brand. (We would be big again) And we all know what Morey can do with draft picks. Sixers: Would get rid of their big contracts in ONE trade and pick up about $30 million in Expiring contracts.
With Brand reportedly starting to play reasonably close to his pre-injury form, I would think Philly would want to keep him as part of their foundation for the future but if I'm the Rockets, the one player I would INSIST on is Kapono, along with Iguodala, and possibly Dalembert or a collection of a few bad contracts from Philly. Let's face it, the Rockets don't need Brand or Dalembert with Scola and Landry at the 4 but if it takes Dalembert to make the deal work cap wise I would not trade Landry and NEVER in a million years Scola. Give the Rockets Iggy and Kapono for SURE and Philly could throw in whatever junk they want to make the trade work for T-Mac and Cook.
He expires after next season so not really a big deal if he's a necessary throw-in to make something happen. P.S. Very intriguing proposal in your sig. All our dead-weight for three guys that can help us right now AND a likely top five pick?
1. In the last 18 games(mind you he is coming off surgery) He is averaging 16 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks in 31 minutes a game. He has usually gotten around 38-40 minutes a game for his entire career. "Extrapolate" a few more minutes and you have 20-9 with 2.5 blocks... Well worth the money... 2. I also got to mention that he is in a very unusual and foreign Princeton system that Eddie Jordan runs(A lot of reverse 66's and very few 9's), where he operates mainly at the high post and gets very few isolation touches like he used too. Before you see a decline, you will see him improve as he has been. Knee injuries are tricky, and he has been making miniscule improvements since the season started. 3. Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand would make us title contenders. Well worth the risk IMO... 4. I don't see how you can judge when a player will decline exactly? Elton Brand has great character, and is one of the hardest workers in the league. I believe he can be effective until he is 33-34, in which he will be an expiring contract anyway. 5. Have you watched the games? Elton Brand has been moving great! Have you seen him play much recently?
Not quite, Dunleavy mightn't be healthy until next season or ever and Foster has been chronically injured (in and out of lineup) all season. Rockets would be also be dealing for Murphy (No way Rockets can take on all that salary for 2010) but flipping him for Big Z's EC. The Cavs are rumored to want Murphy but they also want Big Z to be bought out if he's traded so he can re-sign with them. The idea is the Pacers shed $30M of 2010 salary at the cost of their first round pick. Rockets are essentially trading for that pick only.
Jeez... He is shooting about 50% from the field and nearly 80% from the line as well... I'll take Mr. Blue collar/Lunch pail for 4 years!
I'm positive Philly would bite if Houston took on Brand, currently the worst contract in the NBA. That's Iggy + Brand for McGrady. Depending on how they feel about him, Houston could throw in Ariza and his long contract. It puts a lot of abstract talent on this team.
I don't doubt Brand's playing ability but he's under contract til 2013 and going to make $18 million dollars at age 33. Is he worth that? HELL NO! Scola is better than him and he makes 5 times less and instant as injury prone. If Brand is in this deal it's a poison pill. Morey isn't that stupid.
He's never been the same since rupturing his Achilles tendon. Add to that the knee problems and lack of explosiveness -- he's giving off all the classic symptoms that his body won't allow him to be the player that he used to be. It has nothing to do with character. Sure, he'll show spurts (as he seems to be doing now), but $15-18M is not the type of money you commit to somebody who's durability is seriously in question. I mean, this type of thing shouldn't be a new concept to any Rockets fan familiar with the McGrady saga. Similar arguments only one player is expiring while the other has an albatross contract. Even if it's a means to acquire Iguodala, it's still quite the deal breaker in my book. As for point number two, I think you're missing the core issue here. The core issue isn't how they're calling Brand's number as you seem to suggest. The real issue is that he's a halfcourt player trying to function in a running system which, incidentally, would be yet another problem with the idea of picturing him in Houston.
I understand what you are saying REEKO, I really do. I think the difference of opinion is that I think Brand can be a solid contributor to a championship team for the next 4 years. I think Brand has that left inside of him. Because of this, I would not shy away from the deal just because Brand is in it. In my mind, Brand+Iguodala makes us a top 3 team for the next 5 years. At that point, I could not care less about who makes what kind of money. To me, It is irrelevant if we are winning/contending for championships. I guess it all depends on If you think Brand can contribute to a contender for the next 4 years. I think he can, and if that is what it takes to bring us Iggy, where do I sign?
Your first paragraph pretty much sums up our disagreement. I think he is going to be a very good player for the next 4 years, so I would not mind having him packaged with Iggy. From the Sixers games I have watched this year, that is just my personal assessment. I think he has a lot left to give. Again, that is our core disagreement. Fair enough... Contract wise, since I believe he can contribute, I don't really care, If you know what I mean... We can sign Kyle Lowry for 36 million a year for all I care, just as long as he is a contributor and we have our deep championship roster set for the coming years. Again-again, I think this stems back to who, what, when, how effective each of us thinks Brand will be. I think more, you think less...Hooray... Eddie Jordan's offense is not necessarily a running offense. Sure there is a lot of movement, but there are many, many options in a Princeton. Brand has found his niche as of late. Brad Miller/Chris Webber/Vlade Divac/Scott Pollard... The old Trailblazers teams... You are misinterpreting movement in an offense and "a running system" as you suggest... Rick also runs a variant of the Princeton. It is NOT a running offense. It is a movement offense...I think Brand could be just as if not more effective than Luis... Imagine him stroking those Mid-Range jumpers!
Dude seriously, His contract is beyond bloated. He is not near the same player he once was. Why else did he lose his starting job? Because he is playing so well? No. No one in their right mind would take on that contract
Yes, he is. Because they are losing. His production is just as good off the bench either way. His minutes are not there, but his per minute production numbers are nearly identical to his career ones. You would not trade Tracy McGrady for Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand? I would. Who cares about the contract when we are getting rings...
Without debating basketball semantics, you seem to imply it's impossible to both play a motion offense AND increase the overall speed of the game at the same time. Well, that's pretty much how we've played without Yao in the equation. Label it whatever you want. Faster pace, more transition buckets, less dribbling.....I mean, this is all right in front of you and helps explain our success. As for Philly, they do run a lot. In basketball you aren't "married" to a certain offense or system. Philly likes to run a lot -- they have a lot of speed, a lot of athletes. I know that Eddie Jordan is at least trying to implement an organized halfcourt offense but that's never going to happen with Iverson in the picture. Hell, Iverson is basically the antithesis of an organized offense. But I have to admit, i've only caught a couple games since Philly signed AI so maybe what Jordan is trying to do is working. He must be emphasizing a more halfcourt approach otherwise a player like Brand would just fade into an oblivion again like he did last year and earlier this season.
