No we don't. Upgrading Juwan is a luxery ...not mandetory. Insert Otis Thorpe onto this team, it wouldn't matter ...if everybody else couldn't hit outside shots. The '94 Rockets were successful because we had plenty of shooters. Leave Thorpe and take out Maxwell and Kenny Smith and we were 1st round fodder. Conversely, take out our PF Thorpe (as we did in '95) and we were still a championship team. It would be nice to add a PF but that is icing on the cake. For the cake itself, we need shooters around Yao. All our current shooters are unproven guys so obviously they are getting a bunch of guys and let them duke it out in training camp. Hopefully a couple will step up.
Casey, Don't pick a number that involves a 6,7,8 or 9. Your number 23 in college/PHX or 32 for NO, would be sufficient. Don G
Nothing to complain about with this move. At worst, he's training camp fodder. At best, he provides a good shooter off the bench. Very low risk move.
I only care about one thing with any of these guys the Rockets are signing: CAN HE MAKE OPEN SHOTS? CAN HE MAKE OPEN SHOTS? Seriously, if this guy can bring some energy and defensive intensity, then Rybo can look forward to a nice long retirement. I only want these guys to be able to do this one tiny little thing: HIT THE OPEN SHOTS THAT YAO AND TMAC WILL PROVIDE! If they can do that, even our end-of-the-bench, 4 mpg guys, as long as they can nail an open jumper when the opportunity presents itself, then they can sign all these guys they want. As long as they can shoot. Did I mention that they really need to be able to hit their shots? By all accounts, CJ is a guy who was a good shooter in school, and maybe his time toiling in the Old World will have helped him get his touch down. Crossing fingers mode: ON.
Yeah but.. Battier looks slightly less like an escaped mental patient than Rybo does.. so we would be losing that valuable strategic asset known as 'Oh crap, they're putting that crazy-ass spaz white guy in! Man I HATE it when he's defending me! ' Without that bullet in the gun, we're all lost.
Azubuike, now Jacobsen!!?? I know I'm very optimistic, giving us 55-60 wins next season and no worst than WCF. But really, what the hell is this!!?? After Kirk Snyder the office has gone loco!! How many guards to we need?? I hope none of these dudes take up the roster spot needed for a PF/backup C. I have came to the conclusion(or am I just delirious with anger) that I am the only Rockets fan in the world with a desire for anyone over 6"10" who can rebound and even spot minutes for Yao. This really, really, really, really, really, really sucks. If they want to throw away money they can give me half-a-mil and let me get myself together for the next 3 yrs. I can't believe ppl actually like this signing. I would rather put more money into someone USEFUL like Bonzi Wells. Alston/Head/Lucas TMac/Snyder/Sura/Jacobsen/Spanoulis/Azubuike Battier/Novak Juwan/Hayes/Bowen Yao/Mutombo Anyone tell me what is really wrong. Some players are interchangeable, but other than Yao and Mutombo we're really outmatched in the post. Big guards do not make up for being undersized and underskilled in the post.
Lets review your rant, shall we? Many consider Snyder a big risk given that he's a potential "knucklehead." The article said he's a forward. Phrase of the day: unguaranteed contract. Only way he takes a roster spot is if he proves he's worthwhile. We need people to hit open shots when Yao is on the court. That's the #1 priority. Finding a backup to Yao would be nice, however. He was signed for 1 year ...not 3. What's not to like? He's dirt cheap, he's a shooter and on an unguaranteed contract. If he doesn't pan out, cut him. What's the risk? We have something like 2-3 million TOPS left with our MLE. That's it. Wait a minute, I thought you said we needed a PF/C? How does Bonzi become your #1 target? Even if he is, do you think he comes here for 1 year/2 million? Only chance the Rockets have to make a significant upgrade to our roster this season is via a trade. What tradable assets do we have? Lets hear your solution. Other than Yao, we'll get outmatched in the post? What the hell is that? Other than Jordan, the bulls will get outmatched on the perimeter. Yao is our biggest asset ...and he's in the post. I wonder if the Suns agree with you. Sorry for picking apart your post like that. It was just such a poorly constructed response I was just enjoying myself finding something wrong with virtually EVERY sentence in your post.
I would rather put more money into someone USEFUL like Bonzi Wells. Some players are interchangeable, but other than Yao and Mutombo we're really outmatched in the post. Bonzi would bring a 3rd scorer, and an above average rebounding guard, but you have to think about Jeff's system. Bonzi works from the post, and he was succesful in large part in Sac because Brad Miller does not work from the post. He works from the elbow, and the perimter. Having a back to the basket guard, who is a streaky shooter at best, would only further clog things up for Yao in the middle in Jeff's system. To me, it appears management is trying to do the opposite. Space for Yao. And space to get the lanes open so Tmac can get back to attacking. Plus, Bonzi has a history of actin' a fool. NO KNUCLKEHEADS!
Another Richie Frahm, Jacobson ought to rent a condo and furniture while he is in Houston because he won't be around next season. where is frahm? i thought he showed some promise last year. he was pretty athletic, could shoot, pass and played decent defense. i thought he was a lock to be back.
Kirk Snyder isn't a knucklehead. He doesn't accept ppl disrespecting him. I would love me a hard-nosed player who doesn't back down. All he had was the one incident with the Rockets. That Stackhouse fight isn't such a big deal. What Rockets fan wouldn't want Kirk Snyder to get in his face again. SG or SF = swingman = same $4!t in Casey's case. I know he only gets a 1yr deal. Still a waste. Partially guaranteed. Still a waste. No tradeable assests outside Tmac/Yao unless we were to sign Bonzi. I'm not big on signing Bonzi either, but I'd rather him than Casey. Low risk - High risk doesn't measure talent or what he has proven. Kirk Snyder has proven he has a place in the league. #1 priority - surround Yao and T-Mac with shooters - sure thing no problem. #1a priority - improve at PF/backup C spot - 1/3 complete since Battier might see some minutes and matchup with some perimeter PF. #1b priority - instant offense off the bench - failed when we couldn't get Mike James.
If he flakes out on us, it isn't like it came out of left field. He has history. SG's arn't swingmen. SF are swingmen. Matt Bullard was a swingmen but he definately wasn't a SG. What was wasted? What is all this Bonzi talk? What has led you to beleive we have a shot at him? Obviously. I'd rather have Garnett and Dwayne Wade too. But please join me on planet earth where every single offseason acquisition isn't a big name. He has proven he can hit open shots. He has also proven to be cost effective. Strangely those two things are a perfect match. Bonzi will not be cost effective since he is basically IMPOSSIBLE regarding salary cap rules. No he hasn't. He's been traded 3 times. Jaconsen - check. JVG said he wants a PF that can hit open shots. He never mentioned he wants a banger. Mike James is the ONLY possibility of instant offense? James acted like a jerk and bolted. $h1t happens and then we get over it. Or in your case, you don't get over it.
I posted this in the earlier thread about Casey: casey wore 23 in high school as well as a tribute to MJ his favorite player. I think JR smith had 23 in NO so he wore 32 instead there. Looks like he will be wearing 32 again here since both 23 and 45 have been retired by the rockets. Overall its a good addition for the rockets I believe and being a one year deal it does not burden the team if it doesnt work out the way they would have hoped.
If you know how to read, I said put money into someone useful like Bonzi Wells. It's a metaphor and I chose to run with it because Bonzi is useful. I for one am not the one with big ambitions of signing him because we have other needs. I guess my definition of a swingman is different. I always figured swingmen=wingmen=anyone playing on the wings=SG/SF. Time and money. Look elsewhere. Twice for the record. And it's not because he caused trouble. Please lay out his history for me as to why he is a knucklehead. Last time I checked he earned a starting job on an improving NO team. Casey has been out of the league for a couple years. He can knock down open shots. So can Battier, Head, Novak, TMac, Alston. Don't be an ass. You're adding words to these posts. He was our 1st priority of the offseason, didn't work, and we moved on. Find somewhere in my post that says I'm $h!tting bricks over not getting him. If Casey is your idea of instant offense then u need to join Isiah Thomas and Kevin McHale on the retarted GM list. You're the one who said he acted like a jerk, so which one of us isn't over it. Now you're being plain stupid. Try getting one of them for 2-3mil. While we're at it lets place Bonzi on their level. Big names we don't need. Casey and Azubuike for damn sure we don't need either. That doesn't mean take the first guy without a known name who can hit an open shot. Understandable that he would want one to space out Yao. But we also want to do things such as rebound and contest shots.
Learn how to read? Then you say getting Bonzi Wells is a metaphor. Wow. Sorry for taking what you said at face value was the wrong thing. Every team in the league is signing "scrubs" this time of year to 1. fill out the practice roster. 2. hopefully find a diamond in the rough. So is every team in the leauge wasting time and money? IMO, JVG would define knucklehead as a guy not willing to put in the work necessary and/or otherwise be a distraction to the team. 1. Given that Byron release Snyder because he isn't demonstrating enough improvement and given that Utah (who also had a dictorial coach) also gave up on him doesn't bode well for Snyder. I hope he succeeds but at this point he's got a lot to prove. 2. He has more than once been a team distraction. Getting into fights and yelling matches with the opposing coach doesn't help your team win games. But I guess you disagree here so we can agree to disagree. But I can easily see a "I told you so" scenario pop up this season. All that said, I'm hopeful about Snyder and really want him to succeed because he has all the physical attributes we want. He did show improvement last season so hopefully he can finally put it all together. If he doesn't, I won't be surprised. Glass half empty? Another way to look at it is here is a guy with NBA experience, is still young and has something to prove. He might have a breakthrough season. If he doesn't, he was good for practice and we can cut him. No biggy. You said "we failed" in our quest to get instant offense off the bench. If we already "failed," then that suggests we have no chance of rectifying the situation since we already failed. Lets just throw our hands up and start selecting lottery picks. We didn't "fail." The sky isn't falling. Our season rests on Yao and TMac's success. If those guys have near MVP caliber seasons, we'll be contenders. If they don't have anything near MVP caliber seasons, then Mike James or Bonzi Wells or (insert PF here) won't change our fate ...it would be a wasted season anyway. My idea of instant offense is the success of Yao and TMac. If those guys play like they are capable, then guys like Casey simply need to hit open shots. We'll be fine. We do need guys like Casey and Azub. We gotta have enough people to fill out a practice squad. That is actually a very important thing that you seem to trivialize. That is one area that Deke has been great for in helping Yao develop. The socreboard doesn't really care who lobbed up the shot. Going in is the final determining factor. The 1995 Rockets didn't have anybody to rebound or contest shots, outside of Dream. They managed to get a decent result ...because they had good shooters. Yao will do fine.
