Here is a list of things I believe the Rockets need to do during the offseason. Number One This is a team that has more questions than answers, and the biggest question is RT. The Rockets need to make a coaching change. It's obvious Larry Smith isn't capable of replacing RT, and the Rockets will be unable to move forward as a franchise as long as Rudy's health is a question mark. As brutal as this sounds, RT must be replaced. The simple fact is that RT was probably going to get fired at the end of the season anyway, and his cancer shouldn't be a factor either way. Sympaty has no place in pro sports. Les Alaxendar has made RT a multi millionaire, and once Rudy recovers he should be able to find another job coaching. Number Two The Rockets have several overpaid players on their roster, and while it may be impossible to do so, getting rid of one of them should be a top priority. Look at the Sonics. They were able to dump Vin Baker so anythings possible. Number Three Four seasons in the lottery is enough, thank you very much. The Rockets must live for the moment. Rebuilding is over, starting next season. The Rockets no longer have the luxury of being patient with Eddie Griffin. They would probably be in the playoffs if not for the horrible play of EG this year, and the Rockets should trade this "project", while he still has any value left. Number Four The Rockets desperately need a veteran power forward. A bruiser who can play some hard defense, and watch YM's back. This type of player would have made the difference this year. Number Five The Rockets need to find a small forward who can hit the outside shot. JP has not been the answer, and GR is too old to play heavy minutes next year. While this isn't as important as aquiring a true power forward, it needs to be addressed. Number Six The Rockets need to move SF to the two position. His game and attitude are more suited for that position. Because of this, the Rockets need to pick up a veteran point guard. Someone with a reputation for smart play and solid defense. A shooting touch won't be as important as height in my opinion. Raven
Agree with all except for trading Griffin. I'd give him another year. BTW, the title of this thread made me think it was about the Baltimore Ravens!
Raven - No offense but you have created an almost unattainable "wish" list. Assuming the Rox change the coaching staff, how are you going to upgrade 3 positions with what the Rox have to offer as primary trade bait? Effectively you are rebuilding the entire team with Francis and Yao as the only players who are unavailable for trade. It is not conceivable to me with primarily Griffin, Rice, Mobley and maybe Cato and maybe Taylor that all 3 positions can be upgraded. Unless you are talking Griffin's potential, the only player in that list who is a "value" is Mobley. Rice's value is his expiring contract but no one will give a solid starting PF, SF, or PG for Rice alone and IMO no none will take Rice with Cato or Taylor. IMHO, if I had the decision to upgrade PF or SF, I'd take SF and move Posey to 2 (I'm not a fan of Francis at SG).
302's rebuilding plan: Keep Yao and Steve. Offer everybody else up for trades. Everyone else is expendable. The only possible exception to this group is to keep Cato. Like him or not, Cato has flourished this year, and we'd be hard-pressed to find a better back up center.
Here is how I rank them. 1. find a new head coach 2. find a veteran power forward 3. find a veteran point guard 4. move steve francis to the two 5. "try" to dump one bad contract 6. "try" to get a decent trade for EG The Rockets can try to pick up a veteran power forward and veteran point guard, while at the same time try to dump either MT or MN or Cato, and if necessary, use CM, EG, or GL (last year of contract), in order to sweeten the deal. Raven
#1...I believe a new coach is coming. I will regret Rudy's leaving, but this team needs a new beginning, and not just an arena. JVG? He is my guess, but it is just a wild guess. #2...true. Rice can take another bad contract for a high contract of a 'real' player. This requires the owner to see that the Luxury Tax is not all evil, as the 'punishment' would begin the year after Rice's expired contract. Cato, too, can take another bad contract as in getting a real player with a bad contract for two bad contracts, one of which is a servicable seven footer. #3...I cannot agree that EG put this team into the mess it is in. Can he still develop? Should he be traded? The jury remains out for me. #4...actually I think the Rox need a Raef type, or Antoine Walker. Yes, that Antoine Walker. I believe he could give Yao room to maneuver. #5...SF and/or SG to stick the open 2 or 3 consistently, while playing bench minutes. #6...Stevie needs to remain the 1, much of the time. He needs a Penny-type to handle the ball, initiate action etc, some of the time. My vote (hope) is for Derek Anderson and/or Doug Christie, or even Spree for this role. #7...You didn't say 7, but BUT #7, as well as all other numbers, must start with the owner owning up to Luxury Tax reality. A good player will be available for the Exception. Spend, or wallow in deep lotto land.
<B>My ROCKETS Offseason To Do List</B><BR> Re-evaluate the Rockets offense or get a new coaching staff! (more motion, passing and cutting).<BR> Try to trade for a 3rd star type player (i.e. Elton Brand).<BR> Facilitate Eddie Griffin & Bostjan Nachbar in having major offseason improvements in their game.<BR> Via trade or FA find a 3rd guard (no moochie).<BR> Re-sign Posey ONLY at a decent salary rate, otherwise let him go.<BR> Use Cato, Rice (expiring contract) and possibly Mobley as trade bait to aquire better talented players (see above) to fit around Yao's and Francis' games. Only trade Griffin for a star type player. Look for Quality over Quantity.
1. aquire a physical rebounder/defender to play the 4. 2. find a way to move steve off the ball. either by bringing in a point foward or a point guard. 3. hire an assistant coach who has a lot of head coaching experiance 4. bring in an outside shooter
1. Mark this down, Rudy is not going. Rudy and Les should both know now that: a. Eddie Griffin is not a physical PF and at this time is only an average role player. b. We lack a consistant outside shooter c. Yao is a rookie and cannot carry the team- he will become a very good center has he gains rest, strength, and NBA experience d. Steve is best offensively when he can drive and go strong to the basket and will have to improve his outside shooting, if he is going to be able to take this team to a championship. e. Cato and MoTaylor are pretty good off the bench. f. Steve cannot at this point in his career defend playing the point. (not sure what that means if he moves to the 2) g. The team defense stinks when they play man h. We must improve at the 2, 3, and 4 positions i. We need a point guard badly and may have to move Steve to the 2 guard. All of this has been hashed and re-hashed over and over. I believe we will try to move somebody but I don't expect much to come of it - We really need a physical 4, a good consistant outside shooter, and a floor general/Point player who can run an offense.
What if we were to move Steve to the 2 and acquire Joe Johnson, the 6'-9" shooting guard with incredible ball handling skills from the Suns? Does anyone think he could play the point, and even more important, be an improvement over our present backcourt?
Now, ya'll know I have to respond to this. So Griffin's play is the reason why the Rockets are staying home this post-season. Not Steve's. Not Yao's. Not Cat's. I mean, they're just the stars and leaders of the team. If a ship goes off course, do you blame the navigator, the deck hand, or the captain? Why, the deck hand, of course! At least that seems to be the CC.Net explanation for the moment.
OK, I'll bite. Even though I think Griffin and Taylor's numbers are adequate for their combined salaries and I think upgrading the SF is more important. Somebody please name me a PF who fits Raven's description of "...a veteran power forward. A bruiser who can play some hard defense, and watch YM's back." Elton Brand? IMHO Donald Sterling is not interested in Glen Rice's contract not even for 1 year. Absolutely no way...not even if you sweeten it with Mobley and Griffin. If you don't want Eddie Griffin, why on earth would Sterling? And further, Brands best bet of making big bucks is to tough it out one more year for the Clipps and he will be an unrestricted FA. I won't argue this with anyone. Brand to Houston is just not going to happen. Brian Grant? Do you really want 4 more years for $55.6m? The only way is maybe if Caron Butler is coming with him in the deal. Othella Harrington or Clarence Weatherspoon? Not unless Sprewell is part of the deal. SAR? Raven did say "veteran" and "bruiser". I'm highly skeptical of the bruiser part. And before you remind me of the trade deadline rumors regarding SAR & EG, let me remind you that the Hawks fired GM Pete Babcock a week or so ago. I just think someone would put a better deal in front of the Hawks than Cuttino and Rice. PJ Brown? Currently makes Cato & Taylor money. Even if he forced a SnT to Houston, what do the Rox have the Hornets want? The last time I looked, NO had a lot of contracts expiring this summer. I suppose it's possible for someone creative to come up with a Brand to NO, PJ to Houston and some cheap contracts to LAC, but 3 teamers are a little tough. And Brand would have to be re-signed to keep NO interested. Ben Wallace? The heart and soul of the Pistons D? For who? Cato and Cuttino? I don't think so. Tim Thomas? I think we could come up with a package the Bucks might like...but... Thomas is a little perimeter oriented and gets away with PF in the EC. TT also makes big, big bucks and until 2005-2006...think about this before you ship MIL Rice + EG. We will be stuck with Thomas and Taylor for a long time. I'm going to skip the WC...I just see even fewer possibilities in the West. OK...other than Elden Campbell for a portion on the MLE, who is this "vet bruiser" that Raven has suggested.
How about this trade? Houston Trades: Eddie Griffin, Kelvin Cato, and Glen Rice New York Trades: Kurt Thomas and Latrell Sprewell Trade Accepted on Real GM ---------------- I like this deal for a couple of reasons. First the Rockets get a few more veterans in the mix with playoff experience. They get a legit starting PF that can score and rebound and a SF that can play good defense. I wouldn't worry about Latrell attitude too much because every player that Rudy has coached has gotten along with him. Remember Mad Max. New York would do this because they get their center in Kelvin Cato and a young talented PF in Griffin. The most important part of this trade is that Kurt Thomas's and Sprewell's contract both expire in 2 years which would leave the Rockets a huge chunck of money to pursue a big name free agent.
Teaching them DEFENSE would be a good start, both team and individual defense, individually this is focussed on our Leader Steve, Mo, Eddie, and Boki. can we trade for that K Thomas guy tearing up for Phili???
Kurt Thomas is good, but is just under $5m. Antonio Davis has 3 years left at $37m. IMO, Cuttino would have to be part of either deal. How does that sit with Rox fans? Taylor and Cuttino for Davis (a 3 teamer as the Raptors already have Mo Pete).
Trade Rice for a young, tall shooting guard who has a first hand acquaintance with the bottom of the net. Otherwise, IMO we need to leave the team alone. Ming/Cato = most effective center combo in the league Taylor / Griffin = proven PF backed up by a coming star Posey/ Nachbar = solid defense and a lights out shooter Young Deadeye / Mobley = Rocks' only need and star sixth man Francis / Maddox / Norris = PG with firepower and backups. I think we can keep T-Mo, Hawk and, yes, Collier.
If you could talk the Knicks into it, absolutely yes! Sprewell in a way answers Ravens' request for a PG as he has good handles. Although I still think Cat would have to go (somewhere) to get Thomas and Spree. I may be alone, but I like this: 1) Francis 2) Posey (re-signed $4-5m) / Cat = 6th man 3) Sprewell 4) Thomas / Taylor 5) Yao / Elden Campbell w/ the MLE That team can play some D IMHO.
