I cannot believe the scouting tactics that this team employs. How does San Antonio manage to consistently draft better players or at least role players which the rockets dont have? Who is in charge of talent evaluation? It seems like somebody's job should be on the line. If I was the owner, I'd start stepping on some necks by now.
When u have Duncan, its easy to see regular very avg. NBA players all of a sudden become excellent 'role players'. SA's role players arent really better than ours. U r telling me Stephen Jackson is better than Posey? U r telling me Ginobili is better than Cat? U r telling me Danny Ferry is better than Eddie Griffin? U r telling me Mo is not as good in scoring as Malik Rose is in rebounding?????? Come on now jfes, before putting somebody's job on the line, at least look at it logically
Where are they? They are on other teams. We got a bunch of role players. We don't know how to use them properly. And they all think they are stars. So ugh. Coaching! Ha.
I think our roleplayers are a consistent effort away from being good ones. They've all had their moments, but overall the only one I see on the team consistently diving for loose balls, jumping out of bounds trying to save it, and putting forth the kind of effort required to win is Steve Francis. Hawkins usually works hard, but doesn't play that much. Others only show up from time to time.
I disagree that it's an issue of consistent effort. I agree with KeepJuaquin that it's more likely an issue of having a designated role to fill on a consistent basis. Looking at the Spurs, their role players are not signifigantly better in any way than the players on the Rockets. The advantage teams like the Spurs have is clearly defined roles, developed over the course of the season. The players are comfortable with their roles and are able to thrive because of it. There were no consistent roles for our players, and that's what keeps a team from performing at its potential.
Yes Tim Duncan made them better. But they are good players themselves as well. I would take Bruce Bowen over James Posey. Bowen's all-defense team even before coming to Spurs, probably the best Kobe defender in the NBA. I would take Ginobili over Griffin or Mobley. Ginobili's an intelligent baller Griffin or Mobley never are. I would take Malik Rose over Taylor too. More energy, younger and cheaper contract too.
As deep as the Rockets claim they were, it shouldn't have been a player playing more than 37mins per night. Period Everey player had a capable backup. Francis 37mins Norris 11mins Mobley 37 mins Posey 11mins Posey 26 mins Morris/Rice 22mins Griffin 25mins Taylor 23mins Yao 29mins Cato 19mins If this team was deep, how come Francis and Mobley played well over 41mins per night?
Rose's contract is 7 years at 42m. Taylor's is 6 years at 49m. You do the maths. Cato's is 7 years at 50m too BTW. And this season, Rose averaged 10.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg in 24.5 mpg. Taylor averaged 8.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg in 20.6 mpg. Cato averaged 4.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg in 17.1 mpg. Sorry I am pissed. That's nothing I hate more than to see overpaid players not living up to their contracts. I can deal with losing -- at least for a little while -- but watching those untalented players getting loads of money for doing virtually nothing piss me off no end.
I never said Rose isn't overpaid. Rose is overpaid too but not on the "overpaid level" of Taylor and Cato. In fact in this day of salary cap-luxury tax, you should NEVER pay big money AND long term contract to ANY role players. BTW, this "X made Y look better" saying is getting old. You at least need to be something good for your superstar to be made you look better. Superstars can make things a bit easier for role players but still can't shoot or rebound or play D for them. For example Clifford Robinson and Chauncey Billups don't have a Tim Duncan alongside them, do they? But they still live up to their contracts.
. . Malik contract is worth 41 mil/7 yrs, with 4.3 mil as a starting salary. That's even lower than his market value which is around MLE money ( i know LA would love to get him to start at PF spot ) How about MoTay ones ?
Newgirl, Bowen averaged 7 points and 2.8 rebounds this year, and averaged 5 points and 2.3 rebounds in the first round of playoffs. Would u still pick him over Posey?? dont let these 2 games against a very beat up Lakers team fool u.
The problem isn't "Where are the role players?" , it's "Where are the starters?"!! We have 2, maybe 3 starters YAO, SF, and maybe Mobley. All of these other chumps would look good if we had them backing up Rashard Lewis, Sam Cassel, or some other player that Houston should have starting right now.
Sorry to chime in but I sure would!!!! I find it interesting that you correlate a ROLE PLAYERS value completely based upon stats while most bbs posters have openly cried for role players that play defense, move well without the ball, set screens, pass and offer the intangibles like Bowen would. Bowen may not score alot but LED THE LEAGUE in 3 pt accuracy. This leads me to believe that IF NEEDED, he can make defenses pay for doubling their bigmen (case in point, last night when he torched the Lakers). It is probably your type of thinking that makes management so content with our team. Afterall, guys like Cat are putting up great #'s...
Well Posey also only averaged 9 ppg and 4.8 rpg this year as a Rocket. Do I mention Bowen's league leading 3-pt FG%, All-NBA defense and his 3m a year contract (which is about as much as Moochie earns BTW)? Posey has the potential to be better, but not right now. Don't mix potential with performance, please. And yeah I hope we don't overpay for Posey's service this summer (MLE at most). There are loads of swingmen with similar talent in this league who can be acquired with MLE or lower.