If you're trying to plan ahead, its easier to let Dragic walk than to trade lowry. If Dragic walks, you know what you have in Lowry. However, there's no guarantee that you can and will trade lowry, if Dragic stays. You may get a good deal for Lowry, or not. Morey isnt trading him just to make room. He'll want a good deal, which is understandable. That's why there's no guaranteed starting spot. It's not Chris Paul vs Lowry here. Dragic vs Lowry is a close argument.
So if you trade for DWill or even sign DWill, you will lose both players.. Like Rocket Jones said it's an ego and competitive thing and neither one of those players want to be the backup. They both feel like they should be starting. So the [so what] gets much deeper than some of the scenarios or fantasy line-ups that people want to play. T_Man
Its easy to let people walk. Its not easy to replace them. Essentially we would be drafting just to be as good as we were when we had Dragic on the team. That most likey the team regresses and does not get better next year. If Morey allows this to happen again? Another guy walks he cant trade? Stuck again at 500 or barely in the playoffs. Constantly turning over the roster and not getting much better or much worse.
Its not about Lowrys ego or Dragics. I could care less about their feelings. Its about the Rockets improving. If one of them is gonna cry about not starting? I dont care. Morey should do his job. His job is retaining talent and acquiring talent to upgrade the roster. He has already stepped on toes and made players angry to get here. So he doesnt need to start trying to be the nice guy GM now and losing players for the sake of starting others on his team. His job is building a winning team. Keeping the most valuable players he has on the roster and only getting rid of them through trades.
Stop ranting. Dragic is unrestricted, so he could care less what Morey or you think. He's going to do what HE wants. It's up to him, not morey, not lowry, or the team.
It is up to Morey to be a good GM. Right about now if he loses in the playoffs and loses Dragic. Starts over next year without his plans taking form? You can forget about the success he had getting them barely into playoffs being remembered if they regress and make no moves next year again. Morey can control how good of a sales man he is to free agents, players on other teams, and our own.
Keep Dragic no matter what. It'll be good if we can keep them both, but if it's either or, I rather keep Dragic, due to the contract issues.
Stop cheering for our team to always lose out on players. You are always on the wrong side of the argument. Always with Battier against Budinger. Against getting taller by keeping Chuck Hayes. Always against having players on our roster like Dragic. What are you a Lakers fan?
The problem is convincing him to commit to us if his role is not defined. And to ask him to take less money or even the same money without a clear starting role is even a harder decision. He said it's going to be a big summer and the door is open. That doesn't sound like someone who has made his mind up or even is leaning in any direction. What makes it worse is he knows Houston was ready to toss him any where they could get a better asset. He may prefer to stay in Houston but he has learned after being traded to Houston he can adjust to a new team. Especially now that he has his girlfriend. You can bet Portland will roll at the red carpet for him.
Again, stop ranting. You end up not making sense and not knowing what you're talking about because you rush to conclusions. Budinger was stinking it up back then. I NEVER was against getting taller. I always wanted Chuck to go back to the 4 spot. I WANT to keep dragic. I've been arguing that for the past several weeks. If anyone is on the wrong side of something it's you. Stop assuming things. It's the worse thing you can do, if you don't have time to keep up with threads or discussions.
Cant change history partner. It is what it is now. Those things I have rushed to conclusions with? Are all the reasons the Rockets are doing good now. Including trading Battier, getting rid of Chuck in favor of size, playing Budinger/Patterson/Lee/younger players more minutes have all worked out. I do have a good memory of those who didnt think any of that was good idea or had snide comments about how its not all about height, fundamentals, no stats leadership mumbo jumbo way back when. Even some of you said Scola was washed up and I told you he was not. It is what it is now.
So what exactly do you want Morey to do? "Goran, I don't give a **** if you want to start, sign this contrat, you're staying here! I've got a pair of pliers in my trunk and I'm not afraid to use them!" That would work.
Be a GM. Its not my job. He does not need to the mob to keep telling him to trade Battier, Chuck Hayes, Tmac, and Yao way after their worth is lower. Eventually he has to come up with his own ideas on how to keep or get players here instead of just trying real hard.
Thetatomatis, when you hijack a thread, you actually hurt the argument of those folks who disagree with the "Dragic is nothing special crowd". Let's bring this back to the core of the issue. Folks think that morey can't guarantee Dragic a starting job ... and I say that's obsurd. The starting PG spot is Dragic's. It will be all the more clear if Dragic continues to put up allstar numbers, we continue to win, and make the playoffs. If you don't think that's likely to happen, the point about the Lowry/Dragic PG controversy is valid. But it looks like we are headed to the playoffs with Dragic quarterbacking our rotation. We've missed the playoffs the last two seasons. I highly doubt that there'll be any hesitation about Dragic starting at the point guard with continued success. So this argument about there not being a starting spot for Dragic is pretty irrational in my opinion.
The problem will be how Lowry responds if he doesn't get his starting spot back and feels he is ready to do exactly that. Right now everything is hunky dorry because Lowry knows he is still working his way back in shape, but what happens after 4 or 5 more games and Kyle is still coming off the bench and Dragic is still finishing? Maybe McHale can manage their time to where it will not be an issue, but I am sure Kyle wants those keys to the car back.....and Dragic probably feels the payments he has been making on that ride make it his..... It will be interesting to see what happens. I believe sitting down Dragic would hurt the Rockets chances of signing him this offseason - if they intend to keep him, keep Lowry as the backup for now. DD
I get what you are saying.. But I think the point that some of us are trying to make is that either Dragic or Lowery has to go... Now that both have had a taste of starting I can't see neither one of them settling as a back-up. T_Man
I dub thee Goran Dragic the Starter. For the rest of the season. Lets see how Lowry thinks about that. Thats the easiest way to find out.
