Lot of discussion on trading number one in order to 1) trade down, 2) get an established player, 3) get rid of bad contracts, 4)(obviously) some combination of the above. Several issues I want ot post on this, but here I want to discuss our bad contracts. I guess if you read the title that's pretty obvious. I see our, (people say our), bad contracts as Cato, Rice, Taylor, and Norris. Let's discuss their undesireabilty one at a time. Cato - You know, it just is not all that far from the norm. Yea, yea - we all know it is to much for to long for to little. However two years have gone by and he has gotten better. We clearly got ripped the first year, and did not get full value last year. But look at potential. Four years at $7,000,000 each for a nimble big man with one mediocre year under his belt is not that far off. It's so wrong, but sorry it is the norm. Olawakandi, better - but basically same one mediocre year - is hopping for the max. Todd McCollough last year, Ostertag, Bryant Reeves, and that guy who basically broke up the Sconics are all historical evidence of willingness to plunk down a lot of cash for an untested big man, with only a wiff of potential. Fill in your own name, this list is long. Beside if we trade/dump Cato, who plays center. And if you say Ming, you are both dreaming and ignoring his obvious defensive liabilities. Blocks and defense are different things. Rice - Also to much. But only two years left. I believe that players in the last year of a high contract are tradeable. Especially with a name, he will put a few fannies in the seats before the next team cuts him for cap room. So at this point I see him as a one year salary. Maybe the surgery is what he has been needing for the last few years. If he is even a shell of his old game, he is just what we need. I'm willing to take a chance on a "one year" contract. Taylor - I hate this contract. I think he was mediocre at LA. I don't like having any Faulk clients. Bulls seperate, I think he fouls up teams long term. Great for players, bad for teams. My rant aside, the Rockets chose to give him that contract, they must think it is ok. I can't immagine they are suddenly anxious to dump it. Maybe there is buyers remorse, maybe the injury or weight have changed managements mind, but my guess is they like him and want to keep him. I certainly don't see them giving away something of value to dump this contract. Norris - If I haven't lost you yet, I'll try again. His contract is not to high, it's just to long. I think he is a decent sub. Mostly he knows his place. I think our biggest problem is that his agent hosed us so bad last year. If he had a two year contract at that rate, I don't think anybody would be whining. And if at the end of that contract, he signed another two-three year contract at the same rate, nobody would even notice. I am violently anti Ming (Ming will be a bust - get Butler, Dunlavey or Wilcox), but I don't see dumping contracts as a big goal.
I think a good scenario for the Rockets would be to trade down our #1 draft pick and a bad contract for a #5 pick and an okay player. At #5, we could draft Caron Butler. Too bad Carroll Dawson does not seem too enthusiatice about trading the pick.
How can you be violently anti-Ming? scroll down the board, download the clip of Ming and come back to me. Barring injury, worst case he's a solid NBA player. After watching the clip, I've lost all respect for those that say he's like Bradley et al.
"to" - if you mean excessive amount - is spelled "too". I disagree about Ming. Cato has other problems. Rice is a bad bargain. You can buy his shot for less. Taylor was a bad bargin. See above. Mooch is overpaid. Please don't draft Dunleavy.
I would like to add a few contracts to the table 1. Walt Williams. If his deal is backloaded like 90 percent of all deals before and after the New CBA, then hes gotta be around 6 or so million for the upcoming season. 2. Matt Maloney. I believe we still owe him for a few more years. 3. Jason Collier. Nuff said.
I haven't seen the clip, (I have trouble down loading). But I'll bet dollars to donoughts that it is an offensive play. I'll eat my shorts (figuratively) if it is keeping a big man out of shooting range. My concern is that a no-name college stiff could back him down and stuff on him. And that at a cream puff set up situation. Am I the only person who hears "Danger Will Robinson". I wish I had kept it, but the day after his "workout" in one of the writeups, one nba coach used the phrase "defensive liability". A couple of others were polite but clearly guarded. Call me weird, but I fear that his defense will be so poor, that he will be hard to keep on the floor. Everybody, repeat everybody is going to want to posterize the big number one. You know that Steve Francis can't wait to dumk on him, no matter what team he plays for. No difference for Kobe, McGradey, Barron Davis and any list of competitive high flyers. Again, if a potential second round pick can stuff him, I am sure every NBA big man can too.
Dreamshake, Walt Williams contract is over. It was a problem, but not now. Maloney - If you can trade that one, you are my hero. Collier - Rookie contract, no options (well +/- 20%). Anyway, it is up next year.
Holy Hell is Walts Contract finally up? Good lord thank you. Its been so long we have been living with it I lost track.
I've been anti-Ming even before the draft lottery. I'm not saying that Ming can't be a good player, but I think trading down is a safe alternative. It is not a definite that Ming will become a good player.
1. Cato. Agreed not too bad on paper, but his lazy attitude spoils the team morale. RT likes hard workers, passionate guys and that's why they wanted to dump him. My hopes are, when we get better he'll show more interest. 2. Rice. If he gets his shot back he'll be OK (still overpaid, but not complete write-off). He maybe something like Ricky Pierce or Eddie J. late in their careers, a gun off the bench. Or could be something like Sleepy Floyd, totaly useless. 3. MoT. Never liked him, now I hate him. 4. Mooch. At this level of skill the contract is both high and long, but he gives you some intangibles: energy off the bench and don't forget the hair... 5. Ming's defense. There's just a handful of teams now in the NBA that run plays for their centers. He'll hold his own against the Tony Batties and Joel Przibilas. Double team will be needed for the Shaqs and the Rasheed Wallaces, but that's not such a big deal. As for guards dunking over him, you are absolutely wrong. He'll be very, very tough as a help defender, and that's one of the big benefits of having him. Our guards will be able to take gambles and to overplay the jump shot, because if they get beat they'll know they have the Great Wall behind them.
Kayman, I am about to say something tackey, but before I do... I like your post. It seems well thought out and furthers the discussion. I fully accept your comment about Cato and his attitude. I had not really factored that in and you have moved my opinion. Rice and MoT we agree on. Moochie I think is Potato/Potaato. But I really want to thank you for your Ming comment. You think he will be able to hold his own against the Przbilla's (my spelling is generally an embarassment, and I am clearly out of my league on this one) of the league. Priz is an all defensive no offense, kid, unable to get significant playing time on a lottery team that is desperate for big men. That is exactly my fear - he is the type of player that Ming can hold his own against. I havn't looked at the list of all centers, but arguably Priz is one of the worst scoring centers in the league. Against real centers...
And what I wanted to say is that there not many "real" offensive players in the league anymore. Here's a list of guys that I don't expect Ming to be able to guard right away: 1. Shaq 2. Duncan 3. Rasheed Wallace That's about it.
