Many of us assumed this because of the Maryland connection, but had nothing from Francis to back it up. It looks like we do now. Funny how when the player is from Maryland, he doesn't have to be a "proven talent" like the excuse was for not drafting Ming. How impressive was Chris Wilcox in his workout in Phoenix last week? Well, Maryland alum and fellow Peak Management client Steve Francis has been whispering sweet Wilcox-ian nothings into the ears of Rockets' front office honchos. Should the team trade down from the top pick, Wilcox might be the Rockets' man. Or, if Houston gets cold feet on Yao's availability, it could make Wilcox No. 1. Uh, but don't the Rockets have Mo Taylor, Kenny Thomas and Eddie Griffin manning the 4 already? "There are some who think Wilcox can redefine the position," says one scout. "When you have a guy like that, you can clear out everyone else." . . . http://www.sportingnews.com/voices/sean_deveney/20020624a.html
Originally posted by 3oClockRocket Oh for the love of god no!~ Wilcox is talented, but number #1 pick for him?! I don't think for the first pick, but if they trade down...maybe. PS Isn't the 48 hour deadline up?
i wouldnt read too much into this. theres no way rudy and cd are dumb enough to take wilcox with the number 1 pick.
This is freaking ridiculous. Steve Francis is not Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird..and yet why do the Rockets put up with this crap. We are not the Maryland Rockets. SAY NO TO MARYLAND! This just makes me want to puke.
I agree. The only way we are getting Wilcox is if we trade one of our power forwards and the #15 to move up in the draft. And at that point, I think the Rockets would take Butler if he is still available.
Notice he said that "Should the team trade down from the top pick, Wilcox might be the Rockets' man," and not "the Rockets SHOULD trade down and take Wilcox." IMHO, that's just steve's idea for a back up plan if things don't work out with China. Also, it said that he is WHISPERING in the ears of the front office. A huge difference between the ultimatum giving, trade demanding way you guys, as far as I can tell, really want to believe that Francis is. So the reality is that he is giving his opinion. He didn't agree with the Rockets trading for Griffin at first, but that changed quickly. You guys think he's an egomaniac, but after playing with the kid that he was so against taking, he goes on and declares that Griffin will go to far more allstar games than he will. But I guess that isn't enough to prove that he can be humble and can CHANGE his mind about Ming. Where are my rolleyes?
I know that we aren't giving up the #1 pick, so what else could we offer? This makes me think about that Cavs #6, but we would use that on Caron. Man I don't know. Forget It.
How does this "back it up" exactly? I didn't see any direct quotes (or even paraphrases for that matter) from Francis. The writer doesn't even say he's got "well-placed sources" (like maybe Troy Baros or somebody). Seems like speculation to me, which we can get plenty of from this bbs.
this probably deserves its own thread but since it is from the Sporting News as well, I will just put it here: http://www.sportingnews.com/voices/voice_of_the_fan/20020622.html Would selecting Yao Ming with the No. 1 pick be a huge mistake? Or is the upside too great to ignore? NBA fans can't decide. Huge mistake or major coup? NBA fans can't decide June 22, 2002 Print it To send a letter to Voice of the Fan, email us here. Make sure you include your name and hometown -- and be as brief as possible. Some emailed letters will be published in our weekly magazine as well, so be sure to look there to see if yours was selected. You want to get interactive? After you check out Voice of the Fan, head over to the Sports Bahr, which asks you which players most deserve to win their first championship. And then check out Fans' View, your chance to blow off steam! Dear Voice of the Fan, I think unless Yao Ming develops an inside game he will be nowhere as dominant as his size says he should be. Billy Nickerson Gardnerville, Nev. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Voice of the Fan, Funny how all the naysayers are coming of the woodwork! Why anyone would compare Yao Ming to a Mark Eaton, Shawn Bradley or Manute Bol is beyond me. It goes to show that most people who have opinions about this issue obviously have never played basketball. Yao Ming has a very fluid motion, a soft touch on his shots and a very good eye for passing out of double- and triple-teams. The skill level that he has competed against in China and internationally is greater than the college candidates in the draft. So why, with that tremendous upside, would you not select him if given the chance? Is there anyone who is available through trade or in the draft that can come in and fill the void that the Rockets have in the middle? No! Patrick Marron Houston, Texas -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Voice of the Fan, It is amazing how big a stir is being created by China's Yao Ming. I hope it is worth it to the Rockets. What the Rockets are actually getting is a Tom Burleson clone. See you again next year in the lottery, Houston. Jim Pyle Washington, D.C. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Voice of the Fan, Going along with the hot topic, I feel it is necessary to respond to all the poor assumptions about Yao Ming. First, he is not a Shawn Bradley clone. That same logic could be used to assess "Pig" Miller as the next Shaq, but what do I know? I only read the reports released by the Rockets -- you know, that team with the No. 1 pick which has also been scouting Yao for four years. Rudy T. only coached against him in international play, and a delegation is in China as I write working on the details. By the way, does Shawn Bradley's range extend three feet beyond the 3-point line? Didn't think so. Second, Houston has the fourth largest Asian population in the United States. It is a very large and extremely diverse city, and we are not a city of white cowboy hicks, although some would prefer to believe it. Third, if drafting Yao presents too many problems, the value of the pick deteriorates. Only teams wanting to trade up for Jay Williams will care to negotiate. Also, the trade would need to address future needs as well as current concerns. The team is too young to attempt to win it all now. John G. Houston, Texas -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Voice of the Fan, I hate it when people say Yao Ming is a Shawn Bradley "clone." Shaquille O'Neal and Dirk Nowitzki both happen to be 7-footers. Does that mean Shaq can shoot 3-pointers? No! Phil HK -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Voice of the Fan, With the NBA Draft coming up this Wednesday night, every GM in the NBA is probably happy as can be to not have the No. 1 overall pick. That distinction goes to the Houston Rockets. If I am the Rockets, I do the one thing that needs to be done, "Don't draft Yao Ming." You can call that a monumentally crazy thing to do. I mean, here we have a guy who is 7-5 and weighs 280-plus pounds. He has great shooting and rebounding ability. My question is, do you want all the baggage that comes with him? Who is to say that the Chinese Basketball Association isn't going to call him back midseason to participate in international competition and events involving the Shanghai team? As it stands right now, they want millions and millions of dollars to release him from his contract. He is also practicing for an event coming up in October with the Shanghai team, one month before the NBA season begins. Is it worth picking a guy No. 1 overall when you have no idea how long it is going to be before he actually steps on the court for your team? People say, "Oh, he is the next Shaq." This may be true, but when Shaq was drafted, he didn't have the baggage that Yao Ming does. You knew with Shaq what you were getting. The same can't be said for Yao. If I am the Rockets, I do the right thing and let Yao fall in the draft. Instead, I take the one truly versatile player in this draft: Duke's Mike Dunleavy. You know what you are getting with this individual: A solid small forward with great scoring and passing ability, as well as the ability to do things outside and inside. Yao Ming may be a great player, but until all the baggage goes away, he isn't worth the risk. David Ridenour Myrtle Beach, S.C. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Voice of the Fan, I think Yao Ming will turn out to be another Shawn Bradley: a tall finesse player with no inside game and a lack of fundamentals. Pass. Rod Jerred Stoney Creek, Ont. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Voice of the Fan, I think Yao Ming's shooting is good, but his body is so skinny and he could easily get knocked around by Shaq and other big men. He needs to build bigger upper body muscles. He should be good if he does that and learns all the NBA rules. Jordan Copper Center, Alaska
Sean Deveney, the writer of that article and the lead NBA writer for TSN, is usually one of the more reliable basketball sources on the net. He may not be 100%, but I'd say he's a credible source, unlike a lot of others (Bskball, TRG, etc.). He's not right every time, but it's a lot more than speculation.
wilcox number 1 thats the funniest thing ive heard all day... by any chance did you guys check out the previous lotteries on nba tv this weekend boy did 1989 draft lotto suck.
Wilcox... sigh... how is he going to redefine the position? In what direction? He doesn't have great ball skills, and lacks range on his jump shot... which would mean, what... he backs in and shoots? Sounds like a pretty normal PF to me. If we got the #6, and Butler is there, and we took Wilcox, I'll be one miserable guy... (PS Butler is a SF who can shoot from anywhere on the court and rebound... and penetrate... sounds more revolutinary than Wilcox)
With the new uniforms coming next year, I wonder what Steve is going to demand those to look like! : ) milo ___________________________________________
The Knicks would take Wilcox #7, so we'd have to move top 6. I've heard some say that Wilcox wants to be eventually be a 3 in the Shawn Marion mold, but we'd be trading down from 1 for an SF because...? Oh right, Cato did a good job at center. (Insert rolleyes here). I'd be really dissapointed if Steve doesn't want Ming, because he prefers to prop a fellow Terp, which is what it looks like now.
For those keeping score at home, the purported list of players Francis has wanted is up to 4 now: 1. Odom 2. Williams 3. Dunleavy 4. Wilcox You'll have to excuse me if I don't take Sean Deveney's word as the gospel, lol.
