I think that everytime you have a chance of getting into the playoffs, you contend. If that was not the goal, one wouldn't even need to play. And I still have hope that IF we make it to the playoffs (and it is far from impossible), we will do a lot of damage!
You used to make some sense. Now you're just ranting and raving. Boki is a scrub. After watching him for 3 yrs and you don't know that than you don't know BB. He has had more chances than most people. There are tons of guys with more talents that never made the NBA. There are many more rotting on other teams' benches with more talents. As for KT, Posey, EG. Do you want me to repeat what 500 other threads has said about their situations? Somehow, I have a feeling you are just a body snatcher of the old DD.
DD I understand where you are coming from but each of those players were traded for a reason: KT - at the time was he was getting the minutes behind Mo and EG, and he wasn't happy about PT at all. Posey - Last year it looked like he was going to earn his money, this year looks like he is reverting back to the old Posey - all D little O. If he matched the Memphis offer than we'd have all the cry babies on the board whining about how we overpay everyone. EG - This dude has some SERIOUS problems, beyond what was let out to the media. I hope he gets his life turned around, but he needed to go. Sometimes players NEED a change of scenery to get away from bad influencese. Boki - I wanted him to do well but he was a foul waiting to happen. We consistently get out rebounded and our opponents consistently get to the line more the we do. This is a bad combo for winning games. Boki would fould consistently on D. We cannot keep putting teams in the penalty with over 5-7 minutes to go in each quarter.
I don't know why some people are saying that it would have gotten rid of Taylor's contract when Brown's is just as bad.
Fire, I am pointing out a disturbing trend of Rocket management to draft a player, give them a little look and then trade them or dump them RIGHT AT THE TIME they are becoming useful. Boki has talent, he has not had a good chance to prove it, he has only been in the league 2 years..this is his 3rd, and he has played sparingly at best. DD
My only thinking on this is that Brown is a decent PF who rebound and hits the occasional shot, whereas Mo Taylor is a waste of the semen that made him. DD
DaDakota - first off I want to say that you made a very complimentary comment on my very first post. Thank you very much. Since then I have been fan of yours every chance I get. But... Here is what I don't get about the Boki situation. Say what you want about JVG being a good coach or a bad one. Same for CD, our scouting staff Rudy T, and the owner who wants a splash (and was personally involved in the deal to get Mario). But Boki has been seen by all of these guys on a regular basis during preseason, practices, workouts and the occasional summer game. My guess is that the Rockets have had professional staff with years of NBA experience watch him for (a wild guess says) 1000 hours of court time. My question to you is what have you seen that an entire NBA staff has missed?
IF they can find a decent deal to strengthen our roster and get rid of one of our power forwards (Mo or Juwan), then I'm all for it. Each is decent, if deficient. Put them together and they're always looking over each other's shoulders; who's gonna be the non-rebounding head-up-his-culo starting PF tonight? Who gets the PT? Still, throwing away a first-rounder on a PF who's almost MY AGE, when we already have about ten 35 year-olds on the team? Nope.
Don't you think that if he played that well in practice and in the games where he has had a chance to prove himself worthy of more PT, that the coaching staff and Rockets management would have played him more? Why should he get 20-30 mpg if he doesn't earn it? It must be a conspiracy.
The Rockets are making the moves , and they are right on the verge of kicking some ass...in the 50 and over league.
My opinion on Taylor- I hope he shoots well that is about all he can do. Brown is a better rebounder, but not worth a lottery pick. If the pick was lottery protected might have been ok. Boki- Based upon what Clutch wrote I have an opinion also- I think JVG uses criticism to try to motivate, he has been critical of players publically so I hope he wants them to respond positively. I'm guessing he was negative with Boki I would think he was hoping it would light some kind of fire under him and result in better play. I don't think this is effective as far as developing a young player. I think Boki needed more time playing without looking over his shoulder to get more confidence. Just 5-10 min a game without feeling the wrath. When he was put in the doghouse officially (IR) he reacted because he probably didn't feel he earned that spot. He had shot OK and hustled every game he played in. The jury is out on Boki. I was for starting him over JJ, that's how much I see in him talent wise. Yes he was foul prone, but I am sure someone could teach him how to improve in that area. I liked his handles and his drives to the hoop- anyone disagree with that? If he could shoot at 40% from behind the arc, and hustle and run in transition, with his length I would have given him minutes. Of course, the jury is out. He may never be a consistent shooter and it may take him forever to learn how to defend without all the contact, I don't know, I think he is one of those players who has to get his confidence up and have job security so he can relax and play without over thinking. I sure saw the talent, don't you all?
Pat, A very well thought out post. First, practice time in the NBA is limited, there is very little time for a coach to develop a player in practice. The coaches are too busy playing people they know and understand what they get out of them, instead of trying to find out what talents the young players possess. In the little court time that Boki has gotten, it has become clear that he can play the game, and put into the right circumstance even excel at the game. The guy is a 6'10" SF that can leap out of the Gym, and has good court savvy. IMHO, he just needs someone to play him and allow him to find his confidence level. My point about the Rockets is that we have given him very little chance to prove himself...he is NOT a player that we should build around, but rather a complimentary piece of the puzzle, that we currently are so desperate to attain. DD
Those of you who are against giving up a first rounder now, would your thinking change if as we near the trade deadline it seems likely the Rockets make the playoffs? Would you then be willing to part with a first rounder? I guess thats the dilemma. If we start winning, we may be more inclined to let it go but... the more we win, the less trade value that pick has. If the Rockets are indeed trying to trade Taylor I like to think they have one of these PF's targeted: Radmanovich. Marshall. Croshere. Brown.
J. O'Neal came out of high school. Boki had at least played semi pro ball. Scottie Pippen said that our best player is not playing refering to O'Neal. I loved Boki but he just could not get it done. He shot three's well for a while but he gets in foul trouble way to fast. As far as PJ brown goes the only way i would do it is if its a lottery protected pick other wise shop for a younger PF.
I'm not a JVG fan but this comment seems ridiculous for a fan that has posted over 2000 times. The players don't matter? JVG took the Knicks to the playoffs 6 times using this style.
DaDakota give Boki a rest. Boki will now have a chance to prove what you think about him. I personally think you are wrong but will happily concede you are right if he cracks the NO starting lineup and shoots 42%+ and grabs 5 RB a game. I still think cream rises to the top and if Boki could play he would have played here, I think at best he will be a journeyman type player that will bounce around, at worst out of the league if he doesn't cut it in NO.
Radmanovich, to be sure. Because he can hit that outside shot. Too bad Seattle won't want to help us out. Marshall and Croshere, to be sure, although the Pacers organization likes to hold onto its white players, so even Croshere might be safe from trade. Marshall, I'd take, in a bigger trade that might net us Alston and Woods, and give up Deke and the first rounder. Then we might be better set. Don't know if the Raptors would bite, though, just to get rid of disgruntled players.
Jeff Van Gundy might be THE worst talent evaluator in the NBA. Let's see what he did in New York, ESPECIALLY in the draft. The only two trades made during one of his coaching stints that could be considered a good deal was the Sprewell deal (when the Warriors pretty much had to take whatever they could get for Spree) and T-Mac (Magic desperate to trade him). As for Drafts: 1996 - He had the 18th and 19th picks in what many consider one of the best drafts in NBA history. He comes up with Waltar McCarty and John Wallace. To put it in perspective, pick 17 was Jermaine O'Neal and pick 20 was Zydrunus Ilgauskus 1997 - John Thomas with the 25th pick, granted it was a very top heavy draft. 1998- DeMarco Jones with the 38th pick - again, a late pick, so he's excused - although the next pick was Rafer Alston and Mobley and Ryan Bowen as well as Greg Buckner were still on the board. 1999 - With Artest, Posey, Kenny Thomas, and others available at pick 15, he picks Frederick Weis, who never plays in the NBA. Even if he and the Knicks wanted to go European for some reason, Kirilinko and Giricik were still on the board. 2000- Donnell Harvey at pick 22. 2003- Trades our first round pick for a trade exception that we still haven't used.
Correct me if I am wrong, but werent those picks Layden's picks? He was more of a controlling GM in NY versus here in Houston were CD is just a facilitator. Not arguing with you about JVG's talent evaluation. I agree, but I dont think JVG made those draft picks. I think those were Laydens picks.
