Now that's what I'm talking about. Jamal Crawford or a future #1 from the Bulls for NOT trading the pick. Ah, the possibilities. Now, what Doc is saying could mean 1 of 2 things: 1.) Steve wouldn't be 100% against trading Cat. OR 2.) Cat wouldn't throw a tantrum if Steve were to be traded. So then you dreamcast, and after getting Crawford just for not taking Ming, you trade Steve to the Paper Clips for Odom, 8, 12. You now can start: Crawford-Mobley-Odom-Griffin-Ming, with Norris, Morris, Rice, Taylor, Thomas, Cato off the bench, and picks 8, 12, and 15 left. Draft BPA at 8 (Wagner), maybe pick up another big man at 12 (Borchardt), and take Welsch at 15. Welsch/Norris/Crawford Mobley/Wagner Odom/Rice/Morris Griffin/Taylor/Thomas Ming/Cato/Borchardt That's one Kwazy team if you ask me. DEEP front court, the most interchangeable backcourt in the world (Welsch, Crawford, Wagner all combo guards). BTW-Dreamcasting is the Devil. It's all Sam Smith's fault.
"Smith reports that the Clippers reportedly do not intend to re-sign the talented small forward due to the large number of young players coming up for extensions. Odom, once labelled as a Magic Johnson clone, could be just the player the Rockets would be willing to give up the opportunity at Ming for, a package of Odom, the eighth and/or twelfth pick, and the Clippers first pick next year for the first pick and Glen Rice could be enough to get the deal done (according to Smith). " Do it now. The key is the Clippers pick next year, so we have a pick for ourselves next year. Odom #8 #12 Next year's pick for Rice #1 I'm not sold on it, but what if we counter by adding #15 and KT, and requesting Curry in return. That's not a fair addition, but that's the "for not trading the pick" part. Then we'd be Curry Griffin Odom Cat Francis HELL NO we're not trading Francis. If Francis goes, I go with him. We all know what happens when I leave the board. It becomes useless. Seriously though, why is Steve contesting getting Ming? it makes his job easier, and it also puts his skills on TV, where the world can know how good he is, and it may even get him into international events (finally).
No kidding, Jeff. There are so many things flying around that SOME off them (in some sort of combination) must be right. If we don't all go nuts in the interim, this may turn out to be the greatest off-season in ages. What a deep draft!
Re: Francis' Alleged Threat To Leave If We Pick Ming I mean, he's not going to leave the day we pick Ming unless we trade him. He does not hold THAT much power over the organization -- no player does unless its the Pre-Jerry-West Grizzlies youre talking about. The point is, lets assume the worst. Steve Francis said "I'm splittling if Ming comes here." Now, we all love Steve, so we don't want to make him mad. But players do what is best for them and their career -- winning, money, tax laws, accommodating cheerleaders on the pill, and whatever else I don't want to know about. I find it hard to believe that if the Rudy and CD are correct and Ming is the thing, that we wont be able to tell fairly soon if they blew it. There is a difference between a good player's rookie struggling (Horry, Griffin, Cassell) and a crappy player's rookie struggling (Buck Johnson, Derrick Chevious, Steve Harris). Seriously, Griffin did not set the league on fire this season. But we all love him, because we know he will. We ll know Terrence Morris has -- at best -- a shot at being a good role player. I mean, things can change somewhat, but it's clear early on, I think. Francis knows the difference, too. Now, worst-case scenario, and Steve is Ming-hating and he turns out to be right (busted pick), he may want to leave. But that could be true of JWill, Butler, Dunleavy and whoever else. It's because the team would produce bad results, and he would not to Mitchrichmond his career. But it would not be a quid pro quo, Ming = I'm Gone. BUT, if Ming is good or looks good, you can't tell me Steve would not eat crow, praise the management, make some jokes and move on. If he held a grudge against the Rockets for drafting a good player, he would have to be racist, stupid, prideful or a total meglomaniac. Which is not the kind of guy you want -- you cant have those things and win -- and not the kind of guy he appears to be. At all. And he might be pissed right now. But people get over things, and he's not the GM of the team, nor should he be. To quote a poet who's named D.H. Lawrence, I believe: Two Words. Terrence Morris. Remember Pippen saying "I'll never play another game for the Bulls?" He got over it (well, he got over THAT one thing...). Remember Horry, Kenny, Vernon and whoever else despising the Otis Thorpe/Clyde Drexler trade? Some got over it and won a championship. Some did not and are now driinking Hennessy and smoking pot with college frat boys. Shaq and Kobe? They hated each other, and got over it. The point I am trying to make here is, winning cures just about everything. Ming does not have to be an immediate impact player to improve the Rockets (see Will's very-well-reasoned "Take Ming. Here's Why" post.) The pick is risky, but makes sense for a million reasons. My bet it, Francis was grumpy or has reservations about Ming (like we all do, I might add...) and said something off the cuff that got blown up. Or maybe he said "they take him and I'll leave." Maybe not, but worst-case-scenario is not as bad as everyone thinks. Risk-taking makes waves, and can occasionally be painful. If he said it and meant it -- without seeing Ming play -- thats stupid and we should trade him. But I dont think he did. He seems like a nice and smart young man. IF given the chance to tell folks how he really thinks -- not feels, but thinks -- I am sure it would be closer to "I dont have faith in Ming and I am not going to Mitchrichmond may career if we suck for a decade." Which sounds reasonable. Francis will be fine if we win. He's split if we suck or get worse after the draft. So let's do what makes us a better team. He's a point guard. He's a point guard in need of a good center. CBFC
If I were making the trade with the Clippers...... Rice/#1 pick for Odom/#8/#12/next year's #1 pick ...., I'd then call Washington & inquire about trading #8/#12/Moochie for Kwame Brown. Kwame started playing pretty good toward the end of last year. Would Washington bite on it? Would that be offering too much? I doubt that the Rockets would draft 3 guaranteed first round picks. With the #15 pick, I'd take the best available athlete. With the acquisitions of Odom, Kwame, & the Clippers #1 pick next year, I'd say we improved our team considerably over last year.
I like the trade with the Clips for the #8 and the #12. If we could land Wilcox at #8, that would be pretty sweet.
I do't buy they would trade Francis. How bad would that look. The Rockets (for the first time) send their FRANCHISE PLAYER to the lottery drawing. He pulls a rabit out of his hat, beats the odds and wins the lottery. Now for this good fortune, we are going to trade the man that got us the #1? Thats BS!! Steve is worried, like many of us, that the Rockets will do something stupid again (see multiple draft years), and blow this draft. Its hard getting excited about a player that nobody has really seen (against true competion), and will not participate in summer workouts, leagues, training camp, preseason & probably part of the regular season (see wang). Ming might be the real deal (one day) and could be the biggest bust in NBA history (see china). To me, Steve is not interested in taking a crap shoot. He wants impact players now to take the Rockets to the next level. He has said this before, and so did the Rockets (before winning #1). If Steve leaves say hello to Lottery Bound for the next several years.
If the Rockets are set on Ming, I have no opposition to this pick. Ming has the makings of a MVP. The down side is that Ming will be a solid unspectacular starter. The possitives far outweight the negatives. Again on one hand if it works out, (a perennial MVP) on the other hand the downside, (a solid role player like Rik Smits). Take the friken gamel!!!!! Ming might not be the guy everyone should be talking about trading. Maybe it should be Steve. Could Chicago be offering Chandler or Curry and the #2 pick for Steve? Think about it!! C--Ming PF-Griffin SF-Chandler SG-Mobley PG-Williams As far as I know, I've never even known of Mobley disrespecting Rudy. Francis has openly said he's ignored Rudy. Too much reading into it, perhaps!!! But what Doc is saying can make sense!! Francis isn't the GM of this team. I hope he isn't trying, but with threats should come action. Trading action.
I have mentioned this before, but people keep suggesting that the worst case scenario for Ming is that he is a solid role player. Keep in mind that this player is 7'5. Historically, players of this height have had problems with injuries. I don't necessarily believe Ming will be an injury hazard, but we need to at least acknowledge that with Ming's build, and the fact that his offseason will be shorter than many other player's offseason (playing CBA ball along with NBA ball), Ming has a high potential to be an oft injured player. And if he can't stay healthy, even if he is pretty good when on the floor, he will not be worth the #1 pick.
Yaaaayyyy!!! Good to have you aboard. NOw I can stop making fun of Vancouver, which I hear is a breath taking city. Here's my take (whatever it's worth) : Rockets want Ming. They wouldn't have made the video and the mayor wouldn't have contacted Shanghai officials. I think the chance that Ming ends up a Rocket is 80%. However, it is still very early. If the stove is hot now, wait a few weeks. It'll be burning. My gut feeling says that Ming will not be an impact player. I hope I'm wrong though.
So, the hurdles to Ming's becoming a Rocket have been cleared and that was conveyed to Doc Rocket. Hmn. If Steve has been acting like a b****, then trade him. I don't want to wind up in the lottery again, either, but he has not been showing the signs of a true leader anyway. We can only come to his defense so often. The Bulls want to trade their pick anyway and bring in some experience. Steve Francis would fit the bill. IF the Bulls want him. IF Steve would re-sign there (he'd be a perfect fit, but who knows?) If Steve is being petulant, then he is more expendable than Cat. Cat is more firmly entrenched in Houston (his whole family's here), he doesn't give Rudy grief, his contract is agreeable, and he said we should draft Ming. What's more, maybe there is a separate 3-way brewing with Chicago and the Clips. Lamar Odom/#8? Cat and Lamar together. Nice. Add Jiri Welsch, who plays 1/2...and defends! (gasp) Of course, if Steve's behavior is exaggerated or an outright invention, then forget it, nothing, nada, never mind. It sounds like the real scoop, but, again, who knows?
let´s see....we won the lottery, everyone was happy. now everybody is fighting each other, whether it´s worth picking ming or not. hell, now we even discuss the stevie-cuttino situation - are they still our heart, our go-to-guys?.....first how-to-ship-steve-scenarios have arrived.... damn, somehow i wish, the rockets still had #5
Its like all the media claiming that Chicago has the best posistion in this years draft (#2). Because, no way Krause can screw this year up by picking Ming. Does this mean the Rockets are going to regret picking Ming? or do the media all think we should pick Ming because MING/WILLIAMS are the consensus #1 & #2 pick. If we had won #2, then everybody on cc.net would be cheering (TOGETHER) about how that pick will turn the franchise around. We would be taking a zillion offers for Jay Williams by now (like Chicago). Its interesting if you read some of the nbadraft.net articles on Ming. When Jerry West was asked if Yao was a definate top 3 pick, he replied "maybe a top 7 pick". Because he showed poor defensive and post skills. This whole mess is just confusing.
The Rockets don't want to trade Francis.I can understand why he would consider leaving Houston if he thought that Ming could not be the frontcourt player that he needs to play with to get to a championship level. I don't think that this will happen but if the Rockets really want Ming at any costs (which is still doubtful) in my opinion,and if Francis won't have anything to do with it,then they could possibly trade Francis for Chicago's #2 pick and take J-Will. The reason why I think Francis won't be traded for Andre Miller is because I don't think that Cleveland will want to pay Francis the Max.
I agree with saleem. If Francis tries to hold the team hostage, he could not pick a worse year to do it. Unless he wants to go to Chicago(which is not out of the question. The Rockets could draft Ming, and send Francis to Chicago for the #2(Williams). This might set us back a little, but it's not like we took a big step forward this year anyway. Another thing that I thought was interesting was the suggestion that if everything falls into place "#38 makes the team." That must mean that a deal is in the works with the #15 pick that will also include several current Rockets. If 38 makes the team, it must mean they are in need of bodies. The way I interpreted it was the Rockets lose several players, and only take on one. Perhaps a re-signed Lewis?
whats the deal with all this trading Francis talk? hes our franchise player and a type of player you build a team around. i think Rudy and CD would be crazy to trade him and would loose major fan support. why would we want to trade the him anywhere for Jay Will. Stevie is a proven all star and one of the top pgs in the league Jay Will isnt anything yet. i really hope this is all a smoke screen cus i really dont want Ming. i much rather get Odom and pickup a C with the #8 or #12 from the clips.
