We have two stars but there injuried thats the issue...all our money is tied up in these guys so how are we to get another? Ariza is a younger version of a Hybrid between Ron/Shane so it makes sense to secure that guy now and it opens up the trade possibilities with Shane. Lets not forget TMAC's contract is still in play and I think thats were atleast one superstar will come becuse I highly doubt we will get any of the big boys next summer.
Having two injured stars that are of Yao and Tracy's caliber salary-wise will make it extremely difficut to bring in "stars" via FA. Someone's going to have to go via trade, unless Diabolical Darryl can acquire a star for cheap (ala the Artest trade last year). With Tracy coming off the books anyway in 2010, I'm thinking Tracy gets dealt this year or the Rockets bid him adieu and go after a big name via FA in 2010. Yao is an entirely different story because the degree and duration of his injury haven't been determined.
lol Trevor Ariza is far superior to Shannon Anderson... Trevor Ariza just turned 24 years old and has a lot more to improve in his game. His overall game and hustle/work ethic is essential to this young Rockets team for the future. He will accelerate and thrive in the Rick Aldeman offense.
Rockets Plan: Give up next seasaon ala Spurs (96') Let Yao rest a whole year (no point to rush back) Next Summer get Top 5 draft pick in 2010 Go after the 2010 free agents in 10' (DWade, Bosh,ect) Return in 2010/11 with Yao Top 5 pick Free Agent Scola Brook Ariza
If we keep going the direction we are going, you can expect Aaron Brooks to achieve star status this season. I would expect 18-20 ppg from him along with 5-6 assists. That will elevate him to star status. At the very least he will become a much sought after trade commodity. At the best he becomes the engine for a team of shooters/slashers in the same mold as a Steve Nash (not likely to ever be as good of a distributor). The transformation has just begun. We picked up a shooter/slasher/finisher/defender all in one, that will help us be faster and get out on the break. We are deficient as a team in fast break basketball, turning our defense into easy buckets on the other end. Ariza is an upgrade in that area. We have to combine our defense with transition offense. Also, on the offensive end, we have to become more princeton like for Adelman. That is to say, ball and player movement. When you add the low post presence of Yao to what Adelman and Morey are going to build this year, you will have a very formidable team on both ends of the floor, a team that can run the halfcourt sets efficiently, that can D it up with the best of them, and that can take the turnovers and bad shots created by their D and turn them into easy buckets on the other end. That is championship. I suspect Morey and Adelman will continue to add/change pieces that continue the defensive tradition while getting us a lot faster/quicker athletic. So, look for guys that make sense in that light, guys that will get down and dirty on the defensive end, are young and athletic, and can transition their defense into stretch offense and fly down the floor to create man advantage situations. As long as we have Yao, we will be effective in the halfcourt. He is the staple. We need him to get healthy. But while we wait for that we are going to get faster, quicker, and more efficient in ball movement and player movement. I am convinced Morey/Adelman are looking for one guy to run the show. That guy could be Brooks if he develops and can turn into a distributor as well as a scorer. When they feel they have that guy, they are going to continue to add guys that can D, run, spread the floor, shoot, and finish. That is why Ariza fits. I still think we are going to go after Rubio hard. Because of his unique combination of size, length, defensive ability, and floor vision, I am convinced we will be willing to move Battier along with some of our other young talent to acquire him. McGrady is going to be there as an expiring to add a big and some sort of shooting guard if we move Battier and our other young talent. We are building a team of racehorses around Yao, a team that can thrive when Yao is off the floor by running other teams out of the gym, and a team that can feed off the post presence of Yao in the halfcourt game.
It's hard to collect stars when you already have 40 million tied up in two players, neither of whom other teams are rushing to trade for. It seems like people keep overlooking this.
even without yao and t-mac we are still a formidable team that's better than most eastern conference teams. Brooks Ariza Battier Scola Hayes if we just use our offense we'll put up points. defense won't be a problem.
A legitimate question without a doubt. The Rockets need to get under the LT after this signing, which may not be that easy. Brian Cook or Brent Barry will have to be traded like Francis. It's easier said than done that our star will come through a McGrady trade. DM hasn't gotten any good offers for him,and moving his 23M contract,which is the biggest in the league and is a hard job by itself. Some of the posters have correctly pointed out that a star player can come only by trading Tracy. Yao's and McGrady's contracts will make it very hard for having cap room to sign a big FA,who are probably reluctant to come here since we have been weakened. Another poster in a different thread made the astute observation that DM might try to trade next season's 1st rounder(probable lottery pick) plus a player or two to try and get a big name. Maybe that might come into play,but it won't be easy either. Building through the draft is important,but takes a long time. Morey has a long and hard job ahead of him. We have to be patient,and hope for the best.
i don't think our front office is as good as we think they are Okay i know i'm frustrated with everything but lets look at this: Somehow before the draft someone leaks out that Yao isn't healing right. Right after the draft, someone leaks out that his injury might be career threatning, destroying any trade value he had and letting other teams know we are desperate. We offer Gortat a contract, obviously less then the mid-level b/c Dallas offered him the same mid level exception and he has verbally committed. So Morey low balled Gortat, probably took it as a sign of disrespect, and now signs to the mavs. GREAT....the best free agent center available at a decent price and our GM ****ed that up.... Then to top it off, he slaps Artest in the face offering only a one year deal. Now i would be okay with that and letting Artest go....but then WE ****ING SIGN ARIZA TO THE MID LEVEL EXCEPTION. So we pretty much swapped Artest for Ariza. this is so r****ded and makes no sense.....we already have shane and we desperately need a center. so we low ball Gortat and overpay Ariza (who has considerably less offence then Artest)....wtf???? Our training staff has to be the biggest incompetent bunch i've ever seen on a professional team. I mean year, after year, they mis diagnose injuries and let Yao play on a fractured foot even when he is complaning of pain, and then find out it's serious and THEN do further exams and say...woops sorry you were right, you were really injured...time to shut it down. Then after that whole fiasco 2 years ago, same **** again. Mis diagnose of a hairline fracture that will heal in a walking boot (HELLO? THE GUY IS 7'6 OVER 310 LBS HE'S NOT A NORMAL HUMAN). Now after their **** ups there like ohhh i guess now he needs surgery. WTF ****ING ****. omg i don't know who to be made at....the front office and the trainers....or me for actually having hope every season just for it to be demolished. seriously...i know i'm pissed but Morey is not the genius you think he is...he ****ed up big this off season and you all know that.
Let's hope we make it to the lottery. ;/ Don't Morey will make a big trade or anything this offseason.
Exactly. Dude, its the second day of free agency. The season doesn't start until the end of October. I'm pretty sure the front office has a plan and is working accordingly.
LOL, if you honestly don't understand the Ariza signing you simply don't understand the direction the team is going. Newsflash when you're rebuilding you don't commit long term contracts to players over 30.....After Yao went down again Artest had no shot at resigning here unless he signed that one year deal It's funny listening to people b**** over Artest and Ariza, especially when they bring up Shane Battier who's also probably going to be moved....which means Ariza is most likely HIS replacement, a replacement who's younger and cheaper WE ARE REBUILDING........what's so hard to understand about that?
This is what I find really interesting/frustrating, and I'm surprised it hasn't gotten more discussion. Why the **** did we let the Yao news get out? Could we not have prevented it?
This is the type of threads we will see for the next year from people who believe we can win a championship now.
What do you suggest? Is this just a complaint, if so can you at least what until he finishes this off-season
