Picking up a PG (starter or not) would really help Francis out. Mooch is way too much of a liability when he is on the court, so much of one that Francis can barely sit out for more than 5 minutes without the team totally breaking down. I would love to see Francis at the 2 position, I think getting the ball out of his hands most of the time will help him out, let someone else make plays for him. As we have seen, our offensive game is horrible. We definitely need to pick up a player that can take some scoring pressure off of Steve and Yao, then things will really open up for the big 2. SAR would sure look nice in a Rockets uniform. Packaging Cat/Cato or MoT/7M exception should be able to pick up a nice deal.
JVG has never liked small backcourts. He is fine with smaller three's but he prefers guys in the backcourt with size for defensive reasons. I can't see him moving Francis to the 2. I don't think he has ever liked that idea. He rarely goes to a smaller lineup in the backcourt for long stretches unless the other team forces him to go that way. However, getting a two guard or small forward who can handle the ball more often would make sense. It allows Francis to continue taking the opposing team's PG on defense but frees him up on offense from ball handling duties. BTW, Francis will not get dealt. Period. Mobley, Cato, Taylor, Boki? All possibilities I would think. Plus, we do have a trade exception.
i'm not so sure. i wonder what JVG thinks? aside from yao, steve has the most trade value. his contract will, undoubtably, be a problem in the future. it would be a gamble for sure, but i think it might happen.
Saying Francis wasn't going to be traded wasn't my opinion. The Rockets currently have two untouchables and one is Francis.
btw, Jeff, i wanted to use that exact same quote for my sig. as long as that article was, that quote made it all worthwhile. do you care if i use that, also? i mean, to me, that is what the game of basketball is all about. it's the way i played. it's what i look for in a player.
Yeah, as suck as Moochie plays, he still get paid nearly 3 million a year, no wonder he want to avenge lifetime of injustices. Look how painful he is!!
As much as it pains me to say this, we could really use Pippen to play point forward if that's the case. He provides size, defense, and can handle the ball while Francis, Mobley and Yao get in position. It'd let Francis be used to his strengths. Other then Pippen I can't think of another small forward who could handle the rock, is big and plays at the small forward position. Lamar Odom maybe? I know SF, and Mobley are good buddies with him but it seems kinda pointless signing him considering the size of his contract and the fact that he's injury prone and doesn't exactly have the smartest basketball IQ. In fact I'd say it's comparable to that of Mobley or Francis. Any other ideas though?
Seriously - we'd be better off with Matt Maloney than Mooch - Matt could get the ball into the post and hit an occasional three. Bring back Maloney!!!!
You should show the faces of fans when they watch Moochie play: a combination of wounded anger and determination, as if they have exactly forty-eight minutes to avenge a lifetime of injustices.
Does anyone think a trade is eminent? I mean I know many coaches subscribe to the theory that you can’t really tell what your team will be like until after 20 games in...That being said that point is just about here... I hope we can do something to clean up this team and make things better but I mean lets look at this logically...Jim Jackson isn't an All-Star, he has potential but is an up and down player...he is also a complementary player so we can’t expect All-Star type performance from him….also Cato has been great but can we really win the in West with Cato and Jim Jackson at Forwards? I think a trade is likely but hopefully we can swing a good deal and not a deal that just gives us …
If we could some how get Brent Barry from the Sonics, I would be very happy. He's tall, can hit the three, and can handle the ball. He can play the PG, SG, and SG position, so hopefully it would mean less moochie. Right now, I think the one player we have to trade by the trade deadline is Cato. He has played nicely so far, but with his contract and the fact that he is playing out of position are really hurting the Rockets. Jamison might be a nice addition, and the Mav's need a center badly...
Apparently John Amaechi. I think this backcourt gets a makeover. Since Steve isn't going anywhere, that leaves Mobley, and ideally Moochie as well, moving out.
JVG pretty much said the following: -Most players on the Rockets have done a hell of a lot of losing -The Team needs a lot of work and is in a process of development -Steve and Cuttino are unfairly blamed for the Rockets shortcomings -Cato and Jackson will still start -Players need to work harder and smarter to win -Very Very little coach talk, and NO BULL ****, just flat out answers and nothing else -Kept talking about how the team and the organization need to drive to win He really was very cold and dark kinda, and got mad at Rich when Rich called him dower... This guy can make a sunny day cloudy
