Given the ridiculous depth in this draft and our gaping hole at the 4-spot, how bad will CD f*ck up this draft up? There are three PFs in Ike Diogu, Wayne Simien, and Chris Taft who are ready to contribute right away. We'll need one of these guys once we face a Dirk, Duncan, or Amare in the playoffs. It's very rare that an impact player at the 4 is available with the #24 pic. Instead of hitting a homerun, as usual, my guess is that the Rockets will draft a 2nd-rate combo guard like Luther Head. Head is another Hollis Price, who as you recall, went undrafted a few years ago, despite a stellar career at OU. At the end of the night we'll all be pissed off, just like we were when Jason Collier's name was called back in 2000. Or maybe we'll take the next Rodrick Rhodes, Mirsad Turkcan, or Bryce Drew. So, don't get your hopes up Houston fans. Rockets management will screw this up. If you think otherwise, you're buying the fools gold.
I am keeping my fingers crossed for someone like Warrick, Doigu or Simien but have a sinking feeling we are going to get someone with a funny name i cant pronounce.
So in your eyes selecting Head is a draft screw up. And not selecting a PF is a screw up. Personally, I dont see us taking a PF with our pick. I think we will get another PF via MLE/Trades. I think we will select a swingman/guard with our pick and Head might be that guy. Ideally I would like a true swingman over a combo guard but if the Rockets feel he is a good fit then I will wait to see how he performs before I judge him. Head clearly is a JVG type player. He is tough, atheltic and can hit the long range shot.
I agreee I think that we get a free agent PF - and I think we will add depth to the backcourt in the draft to the thread starter... dude, how can you screw up the 24th pick - half of the 24th picks are even in the league 5 years later - realx dude
The rockets already screwed up their draft by not tanking this year. They had plenty of excuses to. Drastically new team, TMac not a winner, injuries, Yao not living up to his potential, Moochie mojo, JVG being a New Yorker and carrying Will's baby, etc etc. I'd much rather be drafting someone like Luther Head with the #13 pick than using the #24 on some tool like Luther Head. thumbs down. >
Chris Taft is NBA ready? Really? The same guy who averaged 13 and 7 in just 26 minutes and was labeled an underachiever in college? And Wayne Simien, who couldn't ever make it through a 30-game schedule at Kansas without breaking down, is going to be an impact player over 100 games in the NBA as a rookie?!? I don't doubt that they're good prospects, because they are. Several will have good careers... but the key word is will. Two or three years down the line. You're exactly right, we do need someone for Dirk, Duncan and Amare... and that's why I'm pretty sure we'll address the need for a young PF through free agency and not the draft. We need to contend now, not leave our PF rotation up to Howard and a rookie who probably isn't ready. That's why I think we'll go swingman in the draft and (as Deuce said) leave the more pressing need to free agency. If you're expecting pick 24 in the NBA draft to be your answer to Duncan and Nowitzki, you're in a whole lot of trouble. btw, Head is three inches taller and several steps faster than Hollis Price.
Seeing as though we already have Mike James and David Wesley, I don't see how Luther f*cking Head is supposed to fill any of our needs. This is analogous to when we had Matt Maloney and Brent Price, but still picked up Bryce Drew in the 1st round. Meanwhile, we have a chance to take someone who could be our starting PF by year's end, and you want to piss it away to take a combo guard with NO experience running the point? Insanity.
I think it would be a big mistake not to at least consider a 4 with the draft pick. What are the Rockets needs at power forward? Someone that is young, plays with energy, athletic, a good rebounder, a good defender, and competent on offense. That's a good description of many of the power forwards available in this draft. How many free agents fit that description and are available to the Rockets for the MLE? I can't think of any, other than maybe Swift.
Looks like someone has forgotten the following picks: Bostjan Nachbar Jason Collier Dan Langhi Rodrick Rhodes Mirsad Turkcan Bryce Drew And, hell, I'm even willing to forget the Eddie Griffin disaster. But, take a look at those losers. It's been over 10 years since we drafted Horry and Cassell in 92 and 93. Meanwhile, the only respectable picks, aside from being spoon fed Yao Ming have been Kenny Thomas (99) and Michael Dickerson (98).
I think you should go on the record with who YOU think the Rockets should pick when the time comes at 24 - then look at it 3 years from now (when you can tell its a good pick or not) there is a lot of talent this year, but few franchise players
Griffin was a blunder...but i loved it when we did it. As for the other scrubs....we would never have been bad enough to draft Yao or Francis (who turned into T MAc) had we drafted better in those years. Must have been CD's plan B!
We might not even know how we fared in this draft until later in the summer; the draft pick could wind up as part of a trade (sorry to use this as an example, but there are more than a few indications we want Stromile Swift, and need a PG; but there are 28 other teams anyway, and we could deal with any team wanting to shed salary cap space).
