Lowry and Lee would have a field day running pick and rolls with either Nene or Gasol (both mobile big men) on offense. Or running drive and dish plays ( driving hard and dishing off at the last minute) to mobile big men. Then there are also give and go plays in the post where Gasol receives the ball in the post and passes back to the slashing perimeter players. There is a reason San Antonio was so dominant and it all started with a mobile seven foot center/power forward who was a beast on both ends of the floor.
Nope. I wanted Martin. I don't care if a guard plays soft which Martin does not. Your bigs have to play tough, especially in the playoffs when every rebound is taken, not given (recall Rockets vs. Utah game 7, Yao Ming). The difference between Dirk, and Pau? Dirk is a relentless, prolific scorer. Plus, he had Tyson Chandler to muscle for his team.
Tanking assures nothing but a crappy season. The Clippers and Timberwolves have been horrible forever. There is just as big a likelihood that multiple lottery picks leads to Eddy Currys and Michael Olowakandis as it does to Lebrons and Dwight Howards. The Rockets have a roster full of nice players. Cap space means jacksh!t if there are no all-star caliber players to play with. This was a move to get an all star center who is still playing well, relatively young and healthy. You go after those every time.
actually that was an entirely different point i had not made before. i just now read that gasol didn't want houston. and also...not the last 8 pages. i took a break and put my kids to bed.
!! IM WITH YOU ALL THE WAY MAN!!! yeah MARTIN PLAYS LIKE A DAMN SUPERSTAR? WTF???? He's Prob Offended right now and I bet you he's Gonna play even harder hearing his name getting traded. dude MARTIN is LIKE KOBE. or a Superstar. Just not mention as a " superstar ".....tired of this...at least they play like a super star..Scola also.
looks like a deep draft. the whole plan of acquiring assets hoping to magically flip them into something more valuable isn't working. "I do think being terrible is definitely the way to get better in the NBA" - Darryl Morey
Seriously, MadMax? Are you going to pull this BS given how long you've surely watched the NBA? Gasol has 3 years left on his contract. He's getting paid $19 mil per year to do that. He'll have new teammates who will depend on him to perform. Unless he's an a-hole of a human being with no emotion, no pride, and no fiscal responsibility, he will play well on the court.
That whole "Gasol didn't want to be here" crap is garbage. Nobody wants to get traded from the most storied franchise in the NBA to a team that's been on the outside looking in the past two years. What difference does it make? If the Rockets just went after players that wanted to be here, they'd be stuck with... Samuel Dalembert.
Can this trade still go through? I'm still in complete shock over this. REEKO, please help me out! No one else seems to get this was a brilliant move. Scola and Martin for a top 2 Center in his prime! WTF!
The Rockets are two deep at every position except center. Guess what: there is no all star center available in the 2012 draft. Gasol can still play at a high level for another few years. Better than the last all star center we had and certainly better than the crapshoot that is the draft and waiting on the stars to align with capspace.
Playing well on the court and playing with your heart on the line are two different things. Just ask Carlos Boozer or Emeka Okafor. If a player will go so far as to publicly say he doesn't want to play here that usually means he won't go the extra mile when he does get traded. I don't want a guy like that ruining the chemistry of this team.
Saying that acquiring assets and flipping them for something more valuable isn't working after today is like telling a person who had been saving up their money for something, and then gets robbed right before they bought it, that saving up your money doesn't work, and they should just buy lottery tickets instead. I'd love to hear your response to that. I'll wait while you wipe the scratch off shavings from your lap.
There is nothing more to say. This trade is dead. stern wants to make a point and we are the punch line. Time to hang out in the college thread and see who (if God may have it) will be the Rockets franchise player in 2012. This season? What's that Who song?
Wow 136 pages in 10 hours for a trade that didn't happen and was going to be tricky. People are desperate NBA basketball.
