I bet if we could see the ages of the voters in this poll the younger voters would be saying Swift and the older saying Howard (and clowns saying Spoon). I'll say at the beginning of the season a healthy Howard starts, but Swift comes in early (with 2 or 3 minutes left in the first) and gets close to 50% of the playing time and that should help Howard stay healthy. A 6th man can be a change of pace by ramping up the defense as much as the offense. But it's a long season and the rotation will depend on who's healthy and how the wins and losses are looking.
Tough call. JVG can tell his power forwards that they can duke it out for the starter's role (with a wink and a nod to Weatherspoon: "You go buy us some donuts; you're just backup in case Juwan goes down again"), but, in the end, Stromile will start. We need someone in the second unit who can score. Juwan. And Stromile's here in part as weak-side help for Yao. AND we probably lured him here for less money with promise of a starter's role. Well, maybe.
I think 60+ wins is Possible if everything goes right with Injuries, etc, etc.., however it's just mere Wishfull thinking in my Opinion.. on current Scheme of things, i say were probaly now on Equal terms with the Suns and probaly a good point guard away from the Spurs.
I think that JVG will pencil JH in the starter's role during training camp, but will take a $1 tip jar bet (GATER) that SS wins the starter's role during the preseason. I agree with GATER's analysis (in a post a week or so ago in one of the SS threads) of how SS will help the Rox by playing alongside Yao and TMac and believe that he will show that he has that ability during the preseason. SS starts opening night.
Its a no-brainer Swift starts with Howard bringing some offense from the bench. Deke and Swift together off the bench just are not going to get you a ton of points. With Sto and T-Mac in the lineup, it totally sandwiches Yao with two freakish athletes. Also the defensive rotations with Swift in the lineup will be dramatically better then last season.
Why Howard will start: -More skilled. -Slightly better rebounder -A proven scoring option -A good team defender...almost always in position -Does exactly what JVG asks of him with a good attitude: very professional -Was not good off of the bench last year -Very consistant as a starter, you always know what you are going to get Why Howard will not start: -Not very athletic -Poor to average help defense at best -little shot blocking -Not much speed on the fast break -Advanced age and heart conditions could severly limit his minutes -zero upside. What we got from JHo last year is as good as it gets with him... -Could use his scoring touch on the second unit Why Swift will start: -An Athletic Freak -Great help defense -Great shot blocker -Runs the fast break like a gazzelle -Plays way way way above the rim -Has the size to guard the bigger PF's in the league and the speed and quickness to guard the smaller PF's in the league -No ceiling to what he can do on the floor...very young and tons of upside -Not a liability on offense -The Rockets did not bring him in to compete for 6th man of the year -JVG covets defense more than offense and Stro has the type of athletic ability that JVG loves in his defenders -T-Mac can not make Stro an all star if he is playing with the second unit Why Stro will not Start -Not as skilled as Howard -Not as consistent as Howard -Not as good on offense as Howard -Has not been durable for a young man -Sometimes gets lost on defense....but not too bad -Has never been a starter -Does not know the schemes, either defense or offense, as well as Howard -Does not play with the same intensity every night Plenty of valid points for reasons to start and not start I guess. I have always believed that almost every coach thinks he is the one that can get a tallented player to play up to his potential. I don't think JVG is any different. I think JVG thinks he can teach Stro to play on defense like he did T-Mac last year as well as bring every night intensity. If that is the case then I think Stro starts from day 1. So while I think the position is open to a degree I think the plan is to give Stro every oppertunity to become the every day starter right away but if JVG can not get Stro where he thinks he should be by opening night then he is very comfortable with JHo starting.
Great post. in Conclusion, i believe "Defense wins championships" Offense wins games. hence i see Swift as a more Valued as a starter then a bench player. i dont think Deke and Swift will give you much Offense off the bench, but a combo of howard and deke will.
A lot of people I respect are saying Howard and for good reasons, but I agree with the Swift supporters that in theory Swift is the better fit to start next to Yao. JVG is known to have said that the PF's job is to protect Yao on both ends of the floor. The reason why we like Swift is that he can potentially do that better than Howard (through his shotblocking, team defense, and also his mid-range jumper, although Howard's j is superior)
The Spoon/Baker 2-for-1 combo forward would definitely "fill" the lane. Howard starts. No brainer. He is an *above* average starter in the NBA. Swift has struggled for PT on bad teams. The league agrees or Swift would have signed a Cato deal. (BTW at the MLE signing Swift is a good thing.)
If the Rockets do inded get Stoudamire, I think Van Gundy will start Swift to help cover up for Stoudamire's defensive weaknesses.
SS does not take a lesser paycheck from Houston to sit on the bench. Pencil in him as a starter from day one unless he totally screws it up.
My Sentiments. SS can work his way into the starting role if he can. Of course, if SS can't earn a starting role his stock will drop like a rock along with CD, JVG, and TMac. All of them strongly recommended SS.
With Swift here, JVG's new defensive rotation is: Swift, don't let Yao look too bad alright? aka - operation cover Yao's @**.
To start the season, Juwan will have the starting role with Swift getting just as many minutes, if not more, off the bench. Swift's minutes will increase throughout the season until he's ready to TAKE the starting spot from Howard. It's dependent on how Swift performs. Howard has seniority here. Swift should respect that.
It's a good problem to worry about! I think we need dump baker, mooch and/or spoon for a S&T to bring in DS and DA from portland. Then we sign Baxter as a 3rd string PF. We will be all set. Somehow, Tmac just has his ways against Spurs, esp it's always a offensive struggle when we play spurs for both teams, and Tmac is the only one not limited by that. Next year Roster DS/Sura/Head DA/Wes/Barry Tmac/DA/Bowen Swift/JHo/Baxter Yao/Dike/Swift Man, we will be one muther focking scary team for anybody to face if we have that roster.
