Assuming the inconsistent, uncohesive offense remains as unpredictable as it has been early on ...and that Yao continues to show that, when made the focal point, we are a better team ...and that we have one too many PFs ...and that we end up with a record around .500, but it doesn't amount to much, a la two years ago What would you be willing to give up for a shot at T.J. Ford? If it becomes obvious by the end of the year that we have mismatched players, what would be the solution? I think the most obvious way would be to move Francis to off-guard, as I have seen others mention many times on this board. But this would leave a void at point for a true distributor, similar to Jason Kidd. Who better than Ford, who would be a perfect compliment to Yao and Francis. One negative though, SIZE. Answer: 1) With Yao and Griff backing them up, Steve and Ford should be able to use quickness to play gambling style in some type of zone 2)If AI and Snow, Baron and Wesley can start together, so can Ford and Francis Now back to the question, what is he worth? Tradeable: #1 (Late lotto, 12-15) - if we still have ours Mobley (no shots left with Scorer Steve and Yao) KT/MT (one has to go, hold onto Griffin) Moochie (to get Ford, he's expendable) Rice (lotto teams love fat, soon-to-expire contracts) Assuming Ford is top 5, here are samples: HOU/VAN - Francis, change / Dickerson, Othella, change NY/DEN - McDyess, Williams / Camby, Hilario, change Best-Case offer -- Mobley, KT, Mooch / Ford, backup veteran PG Worst-Case -- Mobley, MT, #1 / Ford, crap&dead salary Look at our rotation in first case: Yao Cato Griffin Taylor Morris Nochbar Francis #1 (Ricky Paulding/Dahntay Jones?) Ford Backup PG (Anthony Carter/Howard Eisley?) Now before anyone goes off about overreacting, being impatient, or change for the sake of change, Francis himself has said that time is over. We need results or alterations, not excuses about potential. With Yao it is becoming increasingly obvious that this team was ill-constructed to suit his skills when he is the #1 option, as he should be. Why wait another entire season to learn that? Yao needs to be surrounded by cutters/shooters, not players who need the ball in their hands to be effective (KT, Mooch, Mobley). Francis needs to be freed of running an offense and be allowed to dominate when available/needed. But most of all, we need the rare skills of a true PG to maximize the dominance of both. Ford would bring an explosive fast break, natural distributor instincts second to no one not currently in the NBA, intense man and off-the-ball defense, and great floor leadership. Granted, everyone's tired of "let's add this guy, give 'em one more year, and then...". Well, if it doesn't work out this year, why wait for THAT team to work again? I'll take the team with a veteran Yao Ming, 3rd-yr Eddie, dominant Francis, and a confident, teammate-elevating stud who has already proven he has no problems asserting his will in a new environment to get positive results in little time. With a new stadium, new unis, and a bounty of interest from Yao-mania, what better time to change the entire face of the team in a new direction? What do you think, is this all just premature, or are the problems with the offense really signs of a bad chemistry of offensive talents? If there are true flaws, what would be your suggestion as to how the roster should be manipulated to get the best out of Yao and Francis? that
To get the most out of Ming and Steve without adding a PG? Try Triangle offense. Bulls and Lakers run them and got 9 championships without a true PG, enough said. Then you can save the money and bring in a true enforcer-type PF. Ming is 7"5'. You do not want him to overload himself and easily subject to injuries. You also do not want to play Ming a lot of minutes to just get the boards! You want to make Ming's career as long-lasting as possible, not just settle for 2 championships like Dream got. Dream should get more than 2 championships. It is ridiculous that in the second championship year, Rockets was seeded #6. Don't you think Dream's injury had something to do with his workload from previous years? With Ming and Steve constantly demanding double-teaming, average shooters will become excellent shooters, thus you do not even need to bring in excellent shooters, which save you more money, just like the Lakers did with role players. Where do you put your saved money? again, to bring an enforcer to rebound and defend. IMO, it is better for the Rockets that EG does not develop as a shooter. Otherwise, are you going to pay 3 Max players under the current salary cap?
Damm another Phil Jackson fan....man you are living in the past that man can only win after someone else paid to get a team of very top players on the roster then put in a offance they try to call the triangle...in chicago that may be what it was but in LA its just what Rudy T had when he had the best center there was So keep on beliving in Phil and thinking because he had some of the best players on 2 teams to think he is a good coach...
We are forced to give the Grizzlies our next first round draft pick regardless of where it falls. And since you can't trade away two 1st round draft picks in consecutive years, that removes the next 1st rounder from the equasion as well.
"Damm another Phil Jackson fan....man you are living in the past that man can only win after someone else paid to get a team of very top players on the roster then put in a offance they try to call the triangle...in chicago that may be what it was but in LA its just what Rudy T had when he had the best center there was So keep on beliving in Phil and thinking because he had some of the best players on 2 teams to think he is a good coach..." Well, it is about Championships, Longevity plus economics. Phil Jackson at least does not screw it up given the talent. Once his players learn the system, he does not even need to coach! His model is to pay top dollars to two superstars, decent dollar to the third player, the rest of them earn below-average salary, and moreover, somebody will play for him on the cheap to just get a ring! This is the most efficient way to work under the salary cap now! Sacremento or Dallas might win one day, but can they keep it up for 3 years? How much $$$ are they going to pay? Why do Shaq and Mike like him? because Phil protects his player and make them have a longer productive career. With Dream's talent, he should get at least 3 championships!
I love Steve Francis but his turn overs to assists bothers me. I wouldn't mind bringing in a TJ Ford at all. I personally think Steve would be far more effective at the 2, just like Iverson proved to be. (though i think stevie a far more well rounded ballplayer) i think it's definitely obvious that steve francis and yao ming are what this team has to be built around. as far as i'm concerned, everybody else can be moved.
if we ever got rid of francis for an unproven player like TJ i would pesonallly boycott the rockets.... btw my team hightower(freshman year) almost beat willowridge in 00...whit tj runnin the point. and man was he tyte. i shouldve gotten an autograph, but was too busy jumping sum1
It's not the time to bring in a PG. SF is developing, and you got to give him the benefit of the doubt. We do need to trade away at least 1 PF, I don't know who, but we need to do it soon.
The Rockets dont have a #1, and how many of our veteran players do we want to give up to get a rookie point guard ???NONE..We are already one of the youngest teams in the league and adding more inexperience would be non productive. Breaking up one of the best guard duos in the league, because the are too good, is nuts. Steve and Cat are one of the few combos that make their own shots, from drives and perimeter scoring. Adding Yao should make them even better when he draws double teams in an inside -outside scheme. Trading to make this team better is a whole lot more speculative than simply getting the best out of what we already have. This is a playoff caliber team as long as Yao is surrounded by our veterans; no more young players, we may have too many already. Do we want to copy the Lakers or the Hornets? Nope.. the Rockets are fine as they are, and they are heading in the right direction.......
The Rockets dont have a #1, and how many of our veteran players do we want to give up to get a rookie point guard ???NONE..We are already one of the youngest teams in the league and adding more inexperience would be non productive. Breaking up one of the best guard duos in the league, because the are too good, is nuts. Steve and Cat are one of the few combos that make their own shots, from drives and perimeter scoring. Adding Yao should make them even better when he draws double teams in an inside -outside scheme. Trading to make this team better is a whole lot more speculative than simply getting the best out of what we already have. This is a playoff caliber team as long as Yao is surrounded by our veterans; no more young players, we may have too many already. Do we want to copy the Lakers or the Hornets? Nope.. the Rockets are fine as they are, and they are heading in the right direction.......
A pf has got to go, depending on if MoT ever shakes off the rust and gets back into form, it will either be him of KT. But bring in a rookie point guard? Granted Ford is good, but I think having a great guard combo and Yao would give us the greatest offensive threat in the league. Teams would be forced to heavily guard Francis, Mobley, and Yao. Not to mention MoT with his sweet jumper, or Griffin, or TMo and Nachbar... jeez, it never ceases to amaze me how great this team is going to be. Anyways, no, we don't need to bring in TJ Ford. I think this team is just fine, just take away a pf (preferrably NOT Griffin). Taking away Mobley is NOT a good thing. Moving Francis to the 2 guard is crazy after the Grizzlies incident, and bringing in a rookie point guard, as well as a rookie shooting guard (if I'm reading your post right?) Ppl just won't leave well enough alone, we can't keep getting younger. I say we run with this team for another 2 to 3 seasons without making too many changes, then we'll talk.
How many PGs come in wonderfully? They, like centers, need seasons to season. And we have one of the very best PGs anywhere. Ford? He may be Marbury with a good head. Or he might be Bryce Drew. Forget Ford. He's the wrong Brand (though Elton is the right one...get me him. Please. Pretty please).
