Pretty much agree. I think Greg Smith gets moved for a 2nd round pick. Agree that Casspi will be a rotational player and get "stretch 4 minutes." Agree that Convington makes the roster.
My deepest impression of Camby: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/SJPSniNjfbM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Hard to flaw any of your logic here. Things could change if a Asik deal that we cant resist arises though.
13-man roster: Howard/Asik/Camby TJones/Dmo/Casspi Parsons/Garcia Harden/Williams Lin/Beverly/Brooks Non-active roster/D-League players: 14. Covington 15. Cannan Greg Smith traded to Philly, Utah, or Dallas for a high 2nd round pick. Morey has spread his seed far and wide around the league
i dreamt we traded for Lamarcus last night i don't want to make a new thread about it so i'll leave that here
Agreed that this is a foolish exercise because a trade or an injury could change everything. But i still don't see us losing Greg Smith at the end of the year for nothing as a free agent, and i still think that D-Mo and Jones need more time on the court so they can develop into the players many of us think they can be. That really leaves Greg Smith as the odd man out; especially since he won't be sliding over to the 5 for minutes like he did last year.
The latest version of Mutombo; he will play a similar role. Now I am even more concerned about Asik. If he is flipped it better be for a major player. Asik was very, very good last season.
Murry is always thinking ahead and collecting assets. Camby is insurance plain and simple. He's can play 15 minutes if Howard or Asik miss time, he can come in and play if Asik gets traded (for Aldridge) at the trade deadline. And, why the hell not? He doesn't cost much, he's got local ties and it means someone else doesn't get a serviceable back-up C. It also means that Asik doesn't have to go against Howard all day every day in camp. That could be depressing for a young talent.
Holy crap, our center position went from being a horrible weakness--remember when 6'6" Chuck Hayes was the only 'center' on our roster--to being not only the strongest in basketball, but the strongest in basketball by FAR. Most teams in the league would kill to have just Dwight and Camby as their two centers. Dwight, Asik, Camby, and Smith?? We're more than twice as good at the 5 as the next closest team! The best center in the NBA (Dwight) The best backup center in the NBA (Asik) The two best third-string centers in the NBA (Smith and Camby)
lol Camby was sitting two rows behind me in coach on a flight to Los Angeles, had a rockets shirt on and everything
Sorry, Aruba77, but I don't think that Reggie Williams, Aaron Brooks, Casspi or any of the minimum wage non-rookies are anywhere near a lock to make the final 15 just because they have some guaranteed money. If any of them doesn't show that they can help the team more than the other guys under contract, or other free agent options, it's no loss cutting them loose and just pay them. This is really just Morey being the "Salmon mother" and taking full advantage of the number of roster slots available to the team. Teams are allowed to carry 20 guys on the roster until the start of the regular season, when you have to cut it to 15. The smart thing to do, if you have the money and it doesn't otherwise impact your salary flexibility, is to sign 20 guys and reduce the roster down to 15 when needed, including by cutting some guys with guaranteed money. I fully expect the Rockets to not only take all 18 into training camp, but also sign two more guys to make the 20 player roster allowed under the rules. And if they do trade away one or more of the current 18, I am pretty sure they will sign even more guys so they will reach 20. These guys may get non-guaranteed, partially guaranteed, fully guranteed minimum or even the room exception. Doesn't really matter from the team's point of view to have a couple million bucks of dead money-- Les Alexander has paid way more for guys to not play for the Rockets (from Luis Scola to Derek Fisher) and the Rockets are neither close to having meaningful cap room nor close to paying the tax.
Also, I still think an Asik trade is just as likely as selling Greg Smith for a draft pick. Camby is too old to be the only backup center on the roster, but Dwight/Smith/Camby is a solid and versatile center rotation which gives McHale plenty of options. So, while I could see trading Smith for a pick, I could also see an Asik trade materializing. Either one is equally possible.
Teams will not trade us a 2nd rounder for Smith IMO. They know that if they stand pat, we will have to cut either him or Covington. They will just wait it out. I think whoever performs better in training camp over Covington and Smith will make it, the other will get cut.
