hi with our first pick i would take Shelden Williams (it would allow us to trade Swift for a SG) or Marcus Williams (i dont see the Rockets going anywhere with Alston running the point) with our second round pick, take Novak or whoever who knows how to hit 3pts shots.
Dude, those "modest" stats you're giving himwould basically be worth 8-12 mil for a 4, fair market value. If Williams AVERAGES that, then he's a freakin' STUD!! If we really do get him, I'd be happy if he averages 5 ppg, 5 rpg, 1 blk for 20 minutes. It's a steal if he can make it to 8ppg 8rpg 1blk, a HELL of a steal. Remember, you're squeezing out less than 9ppg, 5rbg 1blk out of SWIFT. Think again.
Sorry, didn't see ya there... I just saw jmwilliamson's post and jumped... lol, totally agree with you... and jmwilliamson, your numbers, if i understand correctly, are predictions of an average, not a best...
Based upon hearing Jon Barry and Matt Bullard state the Rockets are bringing in 70 players for workouts, I don't care who they draft with one exception. JJ Redick. We need players who can create in the half court and play enough D to force tempo. A ond-dimensional player is not what we need and we already have a very similar player in Luther Head. I'm not to big a Shelden Williams fan but IIRC he has a wide wing span (ala Elton Brand) which makes up for his slow footspeed. He'd be OK but I hope they can get Splitter to a workout. Without question, we are getting a talent infusion. I just hope it's the right type of talent to compete where the NBA is heading with how the rules are being interpretted.
From some dude on RealGM... redick steal layup and 1 duke at georgetown http://s39.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=30W49ABN3NN3H37958I6BE8NDJ redick 3pt play duke at georgetown http://download.yousendit.com/B1467CA54FFC7FC3 redick drives for the layup wake forest at duke http://download.yousendit.com/D252BCAE0D515E09 redick stepback j ncaa tourney duke vs southern http://download.yousendit.com/0F97E0810073B3BA redick with an assortment of midrange jumpers http://download.yousendit.com/99C1D33E7CE814E5 redick pullup j fsu at duke http://download.yousendit.com/D2CCBB5240EB0647 redick coast to coast fsu at duke http://download.yousendit.com/498E49F926998179 redick behind the back dribble & pullup 3 duke at unc http://download.yousendit.com/C75ABDB219DB1DE6
Everyone has bad games, for instance, Rodney Carney was invisible in his tournament game, besides Redick won't see those defenses in the NBA unless someone is foolish enough to run their offense through him.
I was there when Mich St shut him down with 1on1 coverage by Maurice Ager. I do not recall anything but dogged single coverage by LSU. He'll face even better defenders in the NBA and he won't be fast enough off screens to overcome quicker, taller defenders. If he can emerge as the pick from the ~70 players that the Rockets will bring in to scrimmage my conclusion is that he is luckier than Mirsad Turkcan.
I disagree. He faced those defenders because he was the best offensive player on his team, and arguably the nation. Ron Artest isn't going to be worried about JJ when we have Tmac and Yao on the floor. I think JJ could really thrive in our system with 2 established stars. Wesley/Bogans/etc. bricked wide-open shots during the season - because of Tmac creating for them. JJ will have the same luxury. We're not drafting a superstar, we already have 2.
Potential destinations for our power forwards: Stromile: New Jersey (Kidd can make him look good) or Oklahoma City (run and gun style; potential problem is Byron Scott's no-nonsense style, but, again, Chris Paul can make him look good). Of course I'm thinking of cap space or trade exceptions and the two first rounders each team has. Juwan: Chicago (hometown, provides veteran presence, maybe package him with #8 and #32 to get the #2 spot, but I doubt this would happen, as there's no Tim Duncan in this draft worth moving up for). Miami (if the Heat flame out and decide to exchange Walker and whatever for Juwan).
I don't think JJ's game vs LSU should be used as evidence to not draft him at #8. Here's an excerpt from the post-game quotes by the LSU coach. Being an LSU fan, I was watching this game with interest, and I saw at least 2 or 3 times when Redick came off a screen and, instead of just hedging for a second, the big man (Big Baby or Thomas) would follow him up toward midcourt with the main defender (Temple) following on the other side until he gave up the ball. This strategy clearly frustrated him and forced some bad shots. Obviously no NBA team would put their best perimeter defender on JJ and double-team him if he were on the Rockets alongside a healthy T-mac. So, while it may be valid to mention the Mich St game as evidence that he can have terrible shooting games (I watched some of it, but it was a year ago and all I can recall is Ager & Brown dunking a lot), the LSU game doesn't prove anything relevant to what would happen if he became a Rocket.
Not to continue more on J.J, but I feel it's important to interject that being defneded by the best player on a college team is the equivalent of what he will face in the NBA every night. Garrett Temple and Maurice Ager would not be the equivalent of Ron Artest in the NBA. They'd be more like the average 2-guard he'd have to deal with. The main concern people have is that he'll have worlds of trouble dealing with a step up in the opponents' talents, something he has shown with the tourney.
I'll Just paste my reply to JM... It's possible, the guys a senior with a high IQ who knows hot to play. Probably won't happen, but based on Juwans numbers i'd expect him to do pretty well.
You can spin it anyway you want but MSU and LSU single covered Redick. If you think that how teams defend Yao and McGrady in the NBA translates to Redick being wide open your missing huge pieces to the puzzle. Teams will take their weakest but taller perimeter defender, split the difference between Yao or McGrady and then play the passing lane. If you don't believe me watch how NJ is sagging the paint to Shaq and still quick enough to rotate out to Miami's perimeter shooters. The Spurs, Mavs, Lakers, and Clippers all rotate quicker defensively than the Nets. Secondly, do the math in my sig. There aren't enough shots in the Rockets half court set for Redick to affect the game any more than Head already does. Lastly, if we ignore that the NBA is becoming a perimeter, athletically oriented game, we are going to be severely punished by teams quicker in both offensive and defensive transition. And we are going to pay deeply when the Bonzi Wells's and Ricky Davis's of the league take Redick into the low block. Redick is far and away the only wrong Rockets' choice of the top 15 players. I have never felt this strongly about any issue I have discussed at CC/CF. The teams prospering in the playoffs are the ones getting easy transition baskets. It's an extension of the seasons' trend and coupling Redick with Alston gives us a horrible transition tandem.
Are you referring to the MSU game from his junior year? I think even you would have to agree that he has improved somewhat since then. I agree with you, though, on some points. He will struggle defending the post. He's not that athletic, so he may not excel at transition and one-on-one defense. But this guy isn't your grandma out there. He's not pushing a walker around the court and occasionally chucking up a three. He is somewhat athletic. In the MSU game that you like to mention, Maurice Ager and Shannon Brown (two likely pro talents who happen to be very athletic) didn't exactly wipe the floor with him on the other end with 14 and 11 points respectively. When you mention transition buckets, you say the most successful teams are scoring a lot of them. I guess it would be safe to say that the bad teams are giving up a lot of transition buckets. What is the leading cause of transition buckets? That would be missed outside shots. Redick can hit them at a good clip. That is why we need him. How many times did you see Wesley, Alston, Bogans and even Head through a few stretches blow the open three? The shots were there. They didn't capitalize. Your 8 threes a game comment isn't exactly fair. This guy can step in and hit the 15-20 footer with ease. He will get those shots. He isn't going to be exclusively chucking up threes. With guys sprinting out of double teams on Yao, he can easily put up the pump fake and step in for that shot. Plus, as a 2, he will get some transition buckets on offense by default. So he could and probably would average above 10.8ppg pretty easily. I'm not guaranteeing success for Redick in the NBA. You can't do that for anyone. I'm the last one that want's to see another Bryce Drew, Bostjan Nachbar or Mirsad Turckan. I just like what Redick could bring to the team.
See, I don't think of Reddick as one-dimensional. The ability for him to move off the ball and square himself up with the basket so quickly after catching the ball gives him another dimension. Not your typical 3 point camper. Especially huge in a half-court offense. I also don't see him as our 2, but capable of playing the 1 (or atleast defending it) when we have two playmakers -- McGrady and Yao -- on the floor. This is big in crunch time when teams are ready to collapse on Yao or send help on MCGrady.
There is one team that Reddick will for sure thrive in --- the Utah Jazz. Their offense, with all the high/low/cross/illegal screens set to get an open shot, is designed for Reddick. If a guy like Horneck can succeed there, I don't see why Reddick can't.
wow! I couldnt believe it when i realised this thread was still going. of course when i opened it and realised leon powe actually hasnt even been mentioned for ages in it, i understood.
