If the season ended today the Rockets would have the #6 and the #14 pick in the draft. Wouldn't be funny if they draft Mike Dunlevy's son and Ralph Sampson's nephew with these two picks? Going back to the roots... Seriously, though, I think the Rockest should draft Butler with their #6 and Sampson with their #14. Consideretaions: 1. Rockets won't be able to trade up. The teams ahead of them in the lottery need All-stars, not just warm NBA bodies, so they won't be willing to trade down. The only team that will be willing to trade down is Denver, since they are in a total rebuild mode, however Denver will trade with the Clippers. The Clippers have more to offer than the Rockets: Odom, Maggette, the #8 pick (from Atlanta) and their own #13. I think the Clippers will prepare a nice package for Denver's pick with wich they'll take Wagner. 2. The 5 players going before Butler are: JWill, Wagner, Ming, Q.Woods, and Wilcox. 3. Butler is a good guy. He may not be a freakish talent, but he competes and is more developed than others. 4. Sampson is a project, but is worth a #14 pick. Of course, knowing CD and Rudy they'll find a way to screw things again, by using their #6 on a stiff like Chris Marcus or Borchard.
Well, actually, we have an All-star, and what Krauss really needs is a celebrity to draw in the fans. Francis for Ming and Jamal Crawford (or Best) is a no brainer. Chicago will jump on that. Twin Towers, Rose and Steve Francis . . . wet dream for them. It is merely up to us to offer it. Like giving candy to a baby. Normally I don't believe in trading proven commodities for draft picks, but Ming is a dynasty in waiting, and Francis is playing out of position. And we'd still have our #6 pick with this trade. btw: I love longtime lurkers who post. keep it up
If you cant tell me with 100% certainty that Ming will play for the Rockets next season, I might consider it. But with all the ridiculous demands that are being made, I would be really hesitant to draft Ming. I fully agree with what someone else posted earlier. If Ming is going to be all wishy-washy about it, and says he's only going to play for a certain team, then he should be declared ineligible for the draft. If that means no Ming in the NBA, then that's fine with me.
What I meant to say was that we won't be able to trade up using our 2 draft picks and redundant players. The Clips really do not need Odom. They'll have to pay kandi and Brand big this summer and will keep them. Add to that Darius Miles and Wagner and they are all set. They don't have the money and the roster spot for Odom. Maggette is also tradeble. What can we offer besides our 2 picks? We must keep KT as an insurance for MoT. Rice, MoT, and Mooch are untradable with their contracts. Of course we can move up if we are willing to trade our nucleus, but is it worth it?
crispee, So you want the Rocks to completely rebuild? Interesting idea. Ming at C (assuming he has no problem playing in Houston), draft Butler @ #6, surrender #14 (assuming Toronto makes the playoffs) to Memphis for the Francis obligation (assuming this can be done per their agreement and Memphis' consent), and enter the LeBron James sweepstakes next year. C - Cato, Ming, Collier PF - KT, Griffin, Mo SF - Rice, Butler, Morris SG - Cat, Torres PG - Mooch, Crawford Good balance, especially if Griffin develops his post game. Not good enough to make the playoffs, and may have an even worse record than the current team, but a team with upside. Chicago: C - Curry, Bagaric PF - Fizer, Chandler SF - Rose, Robinson SG - Hassell, Hoiberg PG - Francis, Guyton That team could possibly make the playoffs in the East, depends on how their big men play and develop. And Francis may be an ideal fit in an offense that doesn't require traditional PG play. Interesting idea. It's not a good idea, but interesting nonetheless. Sorta smells like the Brand\Chandler trade.
crispee, you've brought up that trade a ton of times... i thought u were joking at first but now i see u're serious... and i for one think it's absolutely brilliant. i've said before, i have friends in chicago who watch/play with jamaal and he's a tall pg that they think has so much potential to be a top pg in the nba. plus we'd get ming? francis to me is a great player but with problems or unknowns in a lot of areas.. the rocks should do this and pick up wang from FA'gency. oh plz plz plz plz plz
While a franchise big man is certainly better than a franchise guard, has anyone here actually seen Ming play on multiple occassions? Against NBA level talent? Wasn't Olowakandi the next Hakeem Olajuwon? Not that I wouldn't do the deal. I like Ming's "apparant" game and obvious physical superiorities almost as much as crispee apparantly does. But I just don't think I am quite sold on a inury prone (thus far) PG and a possible sure thing in Ming for a known sure thing - despite the bad rap he's getting on this board due to the overall teams failures this season - in Francis. Of course, we can still cross our fingers, hope for the number 1 pick, and get Ming anyway. Throw in a trade with our other pick and/or KT, Mooch for a possible Odom type player and it would be one of the greatest offseason's in Rockets history, fielding a lineup of Ming, Taylor, Odom, Mobley and Francis next year.
Pfft. I don't exactly know who's thinking what, but I would think awhile before just giving up an All-Star point guard for an unproven 2nd-year rookie and a Chinese talent who has not played against talent. We'll just see how he looks in the draft camps. What I would like is to see a roster still with Francis, Mobley, and Griffin next season. Ming would be a great plus to add to that. I guess. Like I said...draft camp. If he goes.
