See thats what i've said in another thread. I'm telling anyone who is listening, hammond said on fullcourt press today that the bucks are not in the image they want. He came from Motown and Skiles is a hard nosed gritty coach. The bucks have a bunch of offensive minded players and non aggressive big guys. He clearly stated they wouldnt shy away from a guard eventhough thats their strength. Westbrook and Bayless will be sitting there when they draft. If they draft either, i would pick up the phone and offer Battier,Jackson, and Head for Williams and Mason. Battier is most useful on a team like that with offensive minded players like Redd and bell along with perimeter big guys like yi and charlie v. If the Rox or any other contender had that potent 3rd guy, battier would be good as a fill the box guy, but as the rox are constructed, he's not as effective as they need him to be.
I agree with both you and rwienert. I would also do this deal in a heartbeat. Mason is a high energy/athletic body and in Mo Williams we got a top tier pg who can be your 3rd scorer as well. Leebigez I like your sense of urgency. I think many people don't realize that the Rockets' window of opportunity is about two years. They also keep saying if the Rockets were healthy they would be dangerous, but as the roster stands right now, I don't see this team competing for a title. There are too many weaknesses. I would be calling Portland and inquiring about Outlaw and Webster and contacting Milwaukee re: Williams asap. It kills me, because the type of player we needed (young, athletic, multi-dimensional wing) fell into our laps in the draft a couple of years ago, but we gave him away for glue.
Kwame- Thats because i've seen teams that were suppose to have these windows close so fast. I remember the 86 team that was going to have multiple rings, but drug use and injuries did them in. I also remember the Magic team that lost to the Rox was suppose to win multiple times, but again injuries and Shaq leaving did them in. The Kings window closed in 5 yrs and the Suns window is closed after 4 yrs also. The Rox are on yr 5 now and health isnt the only issue this team have. The record looks good because the team plays to the maximum potential during the regular season, but tracy and yao are the only players that have the talent to go up a level when the playoffs start. So naturally, the rox get bounced. Willaims solves a huge need and want for the next 4 or 5 yrs. In his present form, he would be the best pg the rox have ever had. If they can win with kenny smith, they can surely win with Mo Williams.
You overvalue a guy like Battier and his "intangibles". He is a only a hustle player. There are plenty of cheap hustle players available in the league. That's why teams went after James Posey and Udoka and left the Rockets with Battier.
It just bugs me that people think that picking 8 is some kind of guarantee of success.....because it usually is not. DD
Not being a donkey about, but u know that there have as many bust at #1 than at 8 so no spot is guaranteed. Ur a knowledgeable hoops guy{ when u want to be} and we can look back over the last 12 yrs or so and plug all star after all star at that spot. What happens is teams normally do is take bpa which is what they should do. I mean from our very own T-mac, to Amare,Marion,Pierce,Dirk,Caron Butler, are just to name a few. i'm not even talking about the Gay- Battier trade. I'm just saying in general that in unknown drafts, the guy at 8/9 has more of a chance of being really good than any other spot. Most times thats the most atheletic high upside guy.
Whenever you think of trading someone, always ask yourself this: "Would I ever wish we would have kept this player?" I know I've said yes to that question when I asked myself about James Posey. The most memorable thing I remember about Posey was when he scored about 15 straight points in the first quarter. He couldn't miss a shot. I knew right then he'd become a valuable player. His toughness also made him a fan favorite. I'd probably also say yes to Nachbar. When I think of Battier, I think of what I'd miss most about him if he were traded. I'd miss him defending opposing swingman and grabbing loose balls, but outside of that, I can't recall a single offensive sequence that wow'd me about Battier. I know he's not an offensive juggernaut, but I wouldn't miss him at all on the offensive end. That said, I wouldn't mind trading Battier since I wouldn't miss him that much.
Uh in the words of the breakfast club......"Not even close.....BUD !" Link to article....very informative. Not true see above graph....number 8 picks have not panned out and there is a significant drop off after the first 3 or 4 picks....it really is a lottery at that point...and there were SERIOUS questions about Rudy Gay and his work ethic, I completly understand the trade....now knowing now what we didn't know then....of course you don't make that trade now...but at the time, it was a good way to mitigate risk on a team that many (I being one) believe is right there.... Thanks, you too !! DD
If you weighed getting a consumate professoinal like Battier to take pressure off of Tmac on defense and hit the deep ball off of Yao's passing it made perfect sense. It still does, the problem is that Yao and Tmac have not been healthy and Battier is a player who needs others to create for him. I understood the move, and still am ok with it. Now that being said, I am ready to move Battier if it helps the team. Any my point about people expecting too much out of a number 8 pick still stands......it is NOT a sure thing drafting number 8... DD
Call me when the Kings are 1 good player away from contending and that will impress me. Ron Artest (with his head on right, and that's a big if) is preferable to Rudy Gay. Problem Artest is got loose screws. But hey, so did the MadMax if I remember right. And that turned out fine during our first championship run. Rudy Gay is all numbers in a bad team. Right now, I would love him on this team with Battier, but I would rather still have Shane if we can get anything close to a 3rd scorer that can get shots on his own like Mike Miller or Ron Artest. Ron Artest = Battier's defensive prowess with offensive ability. He also equals nutcase and unpredictable with hogball tendencies, but I bet most of our players would like to have him in our team basketball wise. Maybe not attitude wise though.
I think another part of the trade is that we were trying to get rid of Stromile Swift's contract. I agree with the idea that we were "right there." We had two superstars; it was just a matter of putting the right pieces around them. Hey, if we had known we weren't going to get past the first round by now, we probably would have preferred to keep Gay, or pick somebody else.
