Rebuild

i agree with you in some respects, but how do we do that? nobody is going to take Mo Taylor at his salary. if we get rid of Cato, who spells Yao for 20 mins a game? Cat is the best player we are going to get for the money, and the rest of our team is basically junk or role players. the best chance that we have is picking up a bargain free agent like raheed or SAR.

 

If the Rockets get swept there will be a major overhaul this summer.....clutchcity.net will be the hottest site in houston......(if itz not already)

 

I would really like to pick up Sheed or SAR this offseason. However, Detroit has already expressed that they are willing to put out the big $$ to keep Sheed.

SAR, however, would be a nice SF or PF. They guy can rebound, he can hit jump shots, and he plays well around the basket.

Is he a FA this summer?

 

Honestly not sure that he is, but I definitely think that he can be had with good use of that MLE, and I also think that Abdur-Rahim can play some 3 for us, and leave Mo and Cato at the 4 most times. He seems to have fallen out of favor for Darius Miles towards the end of the season. I don't think that we should so much make changes as much as add to the team. We have some options this off-season, but I'm really hoping that management makes the right choices by keeping our core and trying to add with the TE and the MLE.

 

SAR is just like MoT except better rebounding. He is a solid low post presence something we do not need.

 

We need more than Mobely will get us. The only way to rebuild is to trade Francis. Not because he is a crap player but because he has the most value and can provide us with depth. As was previously mentioned, we can't improve through the draft or through free agency, it has to be through a trade.
IMHO we need:
a defensive minded four who can hit a mid range J and run the floor.
a three that can hit the 3 and is long.(Bob Horry, Kirilenko type)
a point that can hit the three, run the break and feed the post.(Nash, Bibby type).
JJ starts at 2. Cuttino is 6th man of the year.

 

Steve and Yao are completely opposite kinds of players and will never complement each other. If you dont deal with this fact, everything else is a waste of time.

 

I know JVG is smarter than that. One only will stay; the other will be shipped out pronto. It is clear JVG has two important qualities his prefers in his players; toughness (with positive production) and smartness. So time will tell where the chips will fall. The season is not over yet though; lets go out on Friday and try to avoid embarrasment.

 

Actually, I think thats exactly what we need. The only thing we were missing this year is a PF that can rebound, defend, and score. Cato does one and MoT does the other, SAR can do by himself. SAR could have a field day with the attention Yao gets.

 

yeah.. but SAR is like a curse. Every where he goes just happen to be a losing situation. If he is that good.. why he been trade so many times? and every team he goes to is usually a losing team?

 

I've been saying this a long time, plus he's effecient. 14 shots will get you 20ppg and 9rebs, plus he draws fouls.

 

The same was said about Bibby, but look what happened in Sac. Some said Odom puts up good numbers but loses, but look at Miami. Mitch Richmond was like that also, but it wasn't his fault Jerry West wouldn't have traded Bibby or SAR, just like he wouldn't have drafted Swift or Gooden. Coaches need players and players need coaches.

 

Vancouver Grizzlies, Atlanta Hawks, Sheed-less Trailblazers, would be a losing situation no matter who you are.

 

SAR's rebounding is very overated and he is a bad one ball defender. He is also a turnover machine.

If we need PF grabing rebound to complement Yao Ming's weakness, we need a dominant rebounder.

 

So you are basically telling me that if the Rox can get a pf who will get them 19.7 ppg and 9.3 rebs while taking the same 14 shots as mobley and having the same asst total, thats overrated? If the Rockets can assemble a team that has consistent weapons, wouldn't that help the team ?

 

I don't think SAR will help Rockets as much as many people think here. But I woundn't mind give him a try since he only has one year max contract left. If we could move our overpaid PF/C to get him, I am all over it.

 

I'll predict SAR goes to Seattle for Ray Allen. The smart thing for us to do is get in on the trade by moving Francis for Allen.

We can pick up a 4 to complement Yao elsewhere. There's two kinds -

Big (5-4s) - use size and strength

Eric Dampier
Samuel Dalembert
Brian Grant
Slava Medvedenko
Vitaly Potepenko
Kurt Thomas

Small (3-4s) - use speed and skill

Troy Murphy
Al Harrington
Donyell Marshall
Stromile Swift
Chris Webber
Vladimir Radmanovic

It's possible to work either sort with Yao, but I prefer the attack of a skill player teamed with a great two guard on the opposite side from Yao. A skill player is also going to be better at getting the ball Back to Yao or a cutter with good interior passing if he gets covered up.

I'd rather have good hands and smarts. Spread the court, get good passing, good shooting.

 

I think if the Rox really want to make a serious move, they could by going after McGrady with Francis,Mobley, the te and whatever else they have. They still could use the mle on someone like McDyess or Okur then fill the rest of the roster out with minimum guys. If the Rockets want McGrady, they'll have to take hill. Any team that wants McGrady will have to take Hill, but Grant is a good guy and may come back and be a good, not great player. You might go at Grant and ask him to opt out so they can lower his numbers.

The Magic number is 29.5m. Thats the amount of players and contracts the Rox will have to come up with to get McGrady,Hill,and a throw in like Lue. Francis-10m,Mobley-5.5,Cato-7,TE-6.9 gets you to that number. They just have to be willing to make it happen.