Because you are one of the posters who make intelligent posts, and I like you as a poster. But for some reason, it seems to me that you never really liked Yao Ming (I don't know exactly why). You seemed to resent the influx of "Yao only fans", and some of your posts sound like you still hold a grudge against the guy. I know you will say that is not the case, but it almost seems like some subconscious thing. And I am sure you notice that your stance back then "let's go the safer route, so we at least make the playoffs" is the opposite of what you are saying now.
Not sure how that is relevent the team is in a much different place today than it was then, each one may require a completely different path. DD
Not sure I can agree with you here. At his peak Duncan was way more skilled than Yao which is why he earned the nickname "The Big Fundamental". Now while Howard is far and away more physically gifted than Yao, Yao possessed more in terms of true basketball skills than Howard. Had he remained healthy it would have been interesting to see how everything would have shaked out although I am of the opinion that Yao would have needed to win a championship before being mentioned with the great ones.
1. By the time draft day came around, I was all for them drafting Yao Ming. All for it. I remember initially being conflicted...but being convinced as time went on. I can remember exactly who I was with and where I was on that draft night. One of them was Refman, who doesn't post here much anymore. 2. I absolutely liked Yao Ming. I talked about how he was the easiest guy in the world to root for. I didn't like Leslie's attachment to him, and I remember hearing even before draft night that he would never have a long career. I think they waited too late to do something about what was absolutely inevitable. My criticism for that was directed at Alexander...not at Yao. Yao couldn't help it. 3. Again, the franchise was at a totally different place. I wasn't saying, "Let's go safer for the playoffs"....I was saying that I thought a unit of Francis, Odom, Mobley and whoever we spent that draft pick on (presumbably, Stoudemire) would give us a better shot at being a real contender over the next few years. We had players on the roster at the time that I thought were capable of being built around...I don't feel that way at all about this current crop. Again, I ended up coming around to support the decision to draft Yao before he was drafted. But I do remember being conflicted on it. Hell, it was effing 10 years ago! 4. I think it's hilarious you follow me around in these forums to post about my opinions...as if anyone else here even cares.
If you don't want people to notice your opinions, why post them? If you put them out there, I am sure you can live with people posting about them.
I wonder if he came here and demanded McHale fired, if another player would have black eye caused by the floor.
To be honest, I don't really care anymore. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see Howard and DWill here. But with the acquisition of Camby, if we can get another decent 3-4 years out of him, then we have plenty of window to add another big-time big to this team and continue to upgrade at the other positions. Camby is a championship calibar big men and although he should rightfully be the backup center on a championship team, a team can go a long way with him playing 25-30 minutes a game starting. He's that good. If we don't get Howard and Dwill, I am confident that Morey is going to keep circulating the roster to get better and better. It's the course Les is requiring him to take so we should be supportive to him in that endeavor. I am very confident that Morey knows how to evaluate talent and properly value it and keep this team in a liquid enough state that he can make the ultimate trade down the road if need be. In the meantime, we get to watch overachieving ballers work their tails off. Just because something hasn't been done before doesn't mean it can't or won't be done. We should all recognize how difficult it is to acquire franchise players good enough to drive a team to championships, whether it be through the draft, free agent signings, or trades. We started off this season probably a slightly worse team than last season with Hayes gone and Dalembert here. Now, Morey's flipped the switch and we should wind up slightly better if not considerably better with the trade for Camby and with the somewhat "lucky" emergence of Dragic. We have had an extended streak of bad luck with the multiple injuries to Yao and McGrady and the subsequent ends of their championship level effectiveness and retirement of Yao. We are due for some "good luck" and Goran is the first part of that "good luck". I expect we'll have some more good luck. Remember, luck always balances out over time because it's just that...luck. There's nothing left to do at this point but enjoy the balance of this season and see what the offseason brings.
I like responding to posts and having discussions...arguing opinions. All that's good. I'm fine with you posting my opinions...but hunting down my posts from 10 years ago is just funny. I don't care enough about your opinions to do the same. Sorry if that comes across rude, but it's just true. I'm not real interested in the opinions of any one person on this board from 10 years ago or the differences between their opinions today 10 years later.
Naw, this is nothing more than meaningless BBS conjecture. If Howard truly wants to win a ring, he will go to a team that offers the best chance of doing so and that ain't the Rockets. Consequently, he has zero incentive in coming here and the only folks who don't understand that are the ones who populate this forum.
Dwight and Dwill are the only players in the world right now where the Rockets have more than no chance at landing, that can sky rocket us into contention. I don't care if Dwight is acting like a b**** in Orlando or we have to give up some fan favorites in Houston. Any superstar caliber player that is going to be available is going to have baggage which is the whole reason they are available to begin with. Kevin Durant / Dwayne Wade are not going to fall in your lap. You go get those baggage guys and hope they get past it or grow up. If you can land Dwight either in the offseason (which I think is entirely possible Orlando moves him being fed up with his antics) or at the next deadline, you do it. It might lead to a rental, but atleast we will be contenders for that rental. In that situation you put Dwight on a winning team, in a big market, with a good supporting cast, with good management and force him to walk away from 30 million to go to Dallas where he would be a #2. If he walks he walks, atleast we can be contenders for one year, and finally we can rebuild through the draft.
So anyway, I hope Orlando stinks in the playoffs and they don't fire SVG and trade Howard to us as soon as teams can make trades.
after the fiasco in Orlando, I am not sure if I want him... I also do not want to give a lot for him...IMO he is not THAT good without a great PG
I would actually take a healthy Yao over Howard..... He is a far better offensive player, can score inside and outside, not afraid to go to the line and not afraid to be involved in the offense the last 5 minutes of the game. Howard is obviously a better defender, but Yao was very underrated on the defensive side, further Yao had no issues with his teammates, was not a cancer in the locker room and did not have a 24/7 soap opera.
I am a little torn about this. On one hand, as a purely emotional matter, I would rather not root for a baby. On the other hand, whatever flaws Howard has in terms of skills or personality, he is one of 5 best players in the league and you wouldn't have any chance of acquiring him if he didn't have flaws and wasn't a baby. It's sort of like the TMac situation-- remember how he got to Houston? He tanked a full season and whined his way out of Orlando. There are guys who don't like him at the time and certainly by the time he left Houston, but the guy was a top talent who produced a great deal for the team before his body broke down. I guess this is one argument in favor of "tanking": acquring a star by trade means you are likely getting someone who is flawed in some major way-- most likely one who only got to Houston after a very messy public fiasco. Emotionally, it's easier to cheer for the virgin superstar whom you drafted and developed since day 1 in the NBA, and not the MILF on the 2nd or third marriage (I think this is because we are sexists and have a partriachical view of sports).
This is because he is just a mouthpiece for the team, like pretty much every Houston sports writer, with a couple exceptions.
Personally, I don't think he ever will be. He has been in the years for 8 years now and his post game is still garbage.
