i know i'll probably get killed for suggesting this, but anyone think sabonis could help us? (i mean until a decent center is available and developed by draft/free agency). given the incredible lack of decent centers in the league i think that he would probably not be a bad alternative should dream leave. i mean the guy is still a big body that has a pretty good outside touch and can still pass quite well. i know that he look's pretty silly next to shaq but how many centers available don't look silly. on top of that, if we got webber, sabonis would be a good center to help draw some of the big men out of the paint. i know with the new zones, that teams would have a tendency to let their forwards do the drifting outside, but i think sabonis is big enough to shoot over them. on defense i think the zone rules help someone like him - a big body that can't move real well. as far as his availability, i'm pretty sure he's a FA, and pretty sick of portland at that. and finally, i think a sabonis/cato rotation isn't such a bad thing. during games other teams would have to change their way of defending us every time cato/sabonis alternated. i think this is something that our guards certainly could exploit. oh well, just a thought.... ------------------
Sure, we could use an old, big, slow center with one good leg. *throws towel in face of bronxfan* ------------------ My doctor says I am bipolar. I am going to get a second opinion. I have never had intimate desires for polar bears. [This message has been edited by HOOP-T (edited May 24, 2001).]
It is not the first suggestion that would come to my mind for our center problems. Not even the second. But Bronx has some good points. A tandem of Sabonis and Dream with some young, inexperienced,(read: fleetfooted,speedy but clumsy)center would be a better combo than that slug Cato IMHO. Yeah,but I like your mindset Bronxfan. ------------------
I wouldn't mind getting Sabonis. I just looked up his salary and he was making 10 million with the Blazers last season. I don't see why he'd come to Houston considering his career doesn't have many more seasons to them. I could see the Suns trying to sign him... ------------------ "Empire" had the better ending. I mean, Luke gets his hand cut off, finds out Vader's his father, Han gets frozen and taken away by Boba Fett. It ends on such a down note. I mean, that's what life is, a series of down endings. All "Jedi" had was a bunch of Muppets.
Yeah, he's getting up there in age, and has some injury problems. Sounds similar to an aging center free agent we all know & love. Except, of course, Dream could waste Sabonis. ------------------ Founding Father of the Refs Suck Club
If it rids us of Cato GO 4 IT! Rocket River I'm really beginning to thing there are not BAD cato deals. ------------------
if i wasn't stuck in new york that would have sounded like an insult (but up here that's just talking...) anyways, please give me a suggestion as to who you would go after instead. now mind you, i'm all for developing young talent at the center position, but we haven't exactly been churning out centers lately. my point is that IF we lose dream and IF we plan to stick with the idea of developing cato, then I think Sabonis would not be a bad fit for the next 1-2 years. one other reason i think that would work is that i think that his old knees will not be as overworked in the new zone defenses. and as far as the price, i don't think he will be as expensive as people might think. maybe 3-5 million a year? i really like his attitude. he knows his role on a team and doesn't try to do too much. also as much as i like dream, he's never been the mentoring type. maybe sabonis would help cato develop a little better.... (okay now i'm just plain wishing...) ------------------
Hey, one of the main reasons Mo came to the Rockets was for the opportunity to learn something from Dream. He's more of a mentor then you believe. And he leads by example. ------------------ Founding Father of the Refs Suck Club
I think he would be a 100% improvement over Cato. He is only good for 20-25 minutes a night but he has a nice outside shot for a center hich could be even more of an advantage with the zone rules. If he came cheap he would be ok, but we would need another quality center as well, maybe a young center thru the draft.
Sabas could be a decent temporary solution. Though his wobbly knees may not quite fit in with the speedy Rockets. Still, he is a quality player, shoots ok from the outside. If he were to come at the right price, he would definitely be worthwhile investment. Then everyone could scream "Valio!" (Lithuanian cheer) when Sabas score a basket. ------------------ "I didn't like jr. high when I was there. Why would I want to watch it on tv?" P. Mesku's opinion about "Survivor"
