Greg Smith's contract expires at the end of the season. 0% chance that Daryl Morey wants to pay him $3+ mil/year to be the third string C. Note that Morey consistently finds quality backups for next to nothing. Close to a 100% chance that at least a couple of teams will be willing to pay him $3+ mil/year next summer. The obvious thing to do with Smith is to auction him off to the highest bidder in the very near future for the best draft pick that you can get, hopefully a second rounder projected in the 31-40 range. I will be surprised if this does not happen. Look for Morey to do the same with Donatas Motiejunas, although hopefully we can get a first rounder in the 15-30 range for him. Great haul for two non-rotation guys. A trade for a third Max level contract player is highly unlikely. Why don't people get this?
Greg Smith fits in RGV in a perfect world. The Rockets are in trouble if they ever need him to get on the floor if only he was taller he might be a really good center prospect. Unfortunately he's a tweener who plays decent defense for the few minutes he's able to be on the court before fouling out. He has pretty much nothing by way of offense.
I really doubt we see Greg Smith get traded unless it's necessary to match salaries. He's our insurance guy for Asik. Smith's game is on the inside, as he finishes around the basket with th best of them. The issue is his defense, which has to be at least passable for the Rockets to consider him a long term backup 5. The Rockets want a shooter at the 4 to fit their ideal offense, meaning as long as Jones or DMo are passable, they'll get first crack at that starting PF spot.
You don't pass on a high second round pick for a third string C who will walk at the end of the season, sorry. Particularly if/when you sign Marcus Camby. Terrence Jones very likely starts at the 4, and the Rockets will very likely play Parsons at the 4 in smallball lineups and Omer Asik at the 4 in twin towers lineups. I don't see Motiejunas playing if/when everybody's healthy. Or Greg Smith. The extremely obvious solution is to trade them for draft picks, particularly with the crowded roster situation. I think a lot of you guys are counting on Omer Asik getting trades this season at some point. I don't. Maybe he gets traded next summer, but before then? I highly doubt it. Nine man rotation for 2013-14: Dwight Howard James Harden Chandler Parsons Jeremy Lin Terrence Jones Omer Asik Francisco Garcia Patrick Beverly Either Reggie Williams, Omri Casspi, or, if we sign him, Mike Miller Why let a guy rot at the end of your bench if you can flip them for draft picks? Makes no sense!
If Asik is still on the roster at the start of the season, he should take all of Smith's minutes. No need to play anyone that cannot shoot a jumper at the 4 not named Asik. Also, no backup minutes will be available to Smith at the 5.
No Marcus Camby? And Rockets run so much that 10 man rotation may suit team better. Houston looked dead legged toward end of last season.
Camby would be the third string C, and a third string C is only going to play if either your first or second string C is hurt or maybe in severe foul trouble. Houston ran more than anybody last year and I am pretty certain they had a nine man rotation. Theoretically, the Rockets keep Motiejunas, and all of the minted at the 4 and 5 spots go to Howard, Asik, Jones, and Motiejunas; in this scenario, Parsons gets all of his minutes at the 3, Garcia takes all of the leftover minutes at the 2 and 3 spots, and Williams/Casspi/Miller gets relegated to the end of the bench. However, the fact that Morey keeps signing veteran shooters--first Garcia and Casspi, and possibly Miller next--suggests to me lots of smallball lineups where Parsons slides over to the 4 spot, thus making whoever loses the completion for the starting PF spot between Jones and Motiejunas expendable, and highly likely to get flipped for a draft pick.
What makes you think a team will give us a high 2nd round pick for him when he's a 3rd string center? And Morey never trades assets from bottom up, only the other way around. Rafer->Brooks->Lowry->Dragic. Always trade the starter and promote the backup.
I think Morey realizes that Motiejunas has a higher ceiling than Jones, so even if Jones won the starting job out of camp, DMo wouldn't be traded because I don't think Jones could hold on to the starting role for an entire season.
You could right. Jones begins the season as the starter, Motiejunas is eventually deemed the superior player, Jones gets flipped for the draft pick, and Motiejunas replaces him in the starting lineup. Either way, I say there's room for only one of them in the rotation and the other one gets flipped for a draft pick. Don't count out Robert Covington becoming a factor, sooner or later. Dude was terrific last season. Middle Tennessee State was really good for a reason!
Because teams are desperate for Cs, and because he is young and presumed to have "upside," and because the Rockets are (correctly) perceived to be stacked at C. Greg Smith likely starts at C for several teams. Not saying he deserves to, but look at every team's C situation. Some teams are in rough shape! And many teams undervalue second round picks, unlike Houston.
i agree. "Come on down to the Houston Rockets' Used Power Forward Lot! Located in Sacramento, CA with ample parking and friendly financing!" Have a look at our past inventory! - Kenny Thomas - Patrick Patterson - Carl Landry - Joey Dorsey - Donte Greene Also going through our doors: - Jon Brockman - Thomas Robinson - Hilton Armstrong - Ron Artest Act now and we'll throw in: - Jermaine Taylor - Sam Cassell
Hakeem will work with all the Rockets big men, not just Dwight and Omer. If we hire Charles Jones, he will be Dreams Assistant. He will take over the responsibilities when Dream is not there.
