If you had the chance to be the Rockets General Manager and decision maker for one day, what move or moves* would you make to catapult this team out of mediocrity? *realistically speaking - not any Moochie for Garnett nonsense.
"I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve." In other words, don't taunt the trade-thread starters.
Trade Cuttino for Brent Barry, shift Francis to the 2, trade Moochie and enroll the entire team in yoga, ballet, and psychotherapy. Barry Francis Rice Taylor Ming *a shooting threat from all 5 positions*
I'd probably sign myself to the max, plus a little more with a wink-wink deal. Of course, I'll be cut the next day unless Les fires me right away and cuts me the 1st day. Hey, at least I'll be living pretty well. Too bad I just screwed the Rockets over and Les will have wasted a lot of money. Maybe I'll decide to give back a few million. Seriously, I really wouldn't know what to do. I am leaning towards getting just some FA's to fill out the roster at PG and PF and maybe C, but that is really about it.
I would do the only thing that is appealing to me, namely let JVG take the guys we have into camp in 3 weeks and see where we are before trying to revamp this team. JVG has a lot of ammo to load and an entire offensive and defensive scheme to implement. It is the best idea to let the guys who have been training and playing together to implement that scheme together as opposed to trying to work a new personality into the huddle. We have changed our coach, we need to give it time to find out what that coach does with what we have before trying to rework things. If, at some point close to the trade deadline, a can't pass opportunity comes up and we can get a good player for Rice's expiring contract and scrubs, then we should jump on it.
Wellll, in my new role as GM for a day, I'd... 1) ...give myself a free, lifetime, irrevocable mid-court suite in the new arena. 2) ...hire Barkley to beat up on Clutch the Bear, just because it's funny to watch. For the benefit of the animal rights activists, Clutch will have extra padding, so as to not get hurt. 3) ...get rid of Turbo. A grown man running around in tights......., if he's not a ballerina, then there's got to be something wrong with that picture. 4) ...make sure that Murphy gets a constant supply of cookies, so he'll stay at the mike & not roam around. 5) ...increase Murphy's clothing allowance, so that he can buy some conservative clothing. 6) If #5 fails, I'll issue sun glasses to every fan that enters the arena for every game. 7) ...give every fan, that sits behind the baskets, strobe lights to turn on everytime the opposing team shoots free throws. That should be good for about 10-15 ppg for our team. 8) ...get to know the Power Dancers a whole lot better, if ya' know what I mean. 9) ...make all the courtside seats cheap seats & install cameras in the formerly cheap seats (way up at the top), so all the rich, dignified people can be seen & not heard. This new arrangement would however, be subject to change, if the noise level is not maintained at a constant, still to be determined, decibel level. 10) ......, well, make a trade or two, of course. You didn't think I'd post in this thread without making a trade proposal did you? Houston sends Cato/Mobley/E.Griffin to Indiana. Indiana sends Artest/Harrington/Tinsley/Ferry (expiring contract) to Houston. I'd slide Francis over to the 2 & insert the new players in their respective positions. I'd then sign either Stepania, McCoy, N'Diaye, Kemp, or Drobnjak to be my backup center. I'd even resign Collier, just to piss off the Collier haters. My new team would be: C: Ming/Stepania/Collier PF: Harrington/Taylor/Badiane SF: Artest/A.Griffin/Nachbar/Rice(IL) SG: Francis/Piatkowski PG: Tinsley/Francis/Moochie(IL) Man, I'm tired. That's a lot to do in one day. Oh well, wish me luck on my final task (#11) today, as GM for a day. Meet Marilu everyone.
I'd do #1, #9, and #10 definitely. I would love to do that...and I would also sign Steve Smith or Stephen Jackson or Jim Jackson to play at shooting guard.
I'd try and move Mobley for a PG, or for another SG who can either run the point, or doesn't dominate the ball much (Redd, Barry, Ray Allen). Honestly, I'd shake this team up. I'd try and work this trade: Reef/Ratliff to Portland Wallace to Houston Rice/Griffin/Portland first rounder/houston first rounder to Atlanta It would need a couple of throw ins, but it's very close. Yao/Cato Wallace/MoT Griffin/Boki/Pike Mobley/Pike Francis/Moochie
I would stand pat. I don't want to trade the good assets and I don't want to trade the bad assets when their value is so low. Anything we can get for Mo, Moochie and Nachbar we don't want. Any of the three is more likely to increase his value through play than to bring a player worth having on the roster. So forget them. Steve, Cat, Eddie, Cato and Yao all show promise. I have faith that JVG can do something with our guards and younger guys that Rudy couldn't: instill institutional discipline. It's like military: you follow your orders, and when you learn to do that, you get to do more. They have to learn to do what the coach says. We just got Pike and Adrian, and Rice is not a good trade option because he brings a big salary back. So that means I don't want to trade Steve, Cat, Eddie, Cato, Yao, Moochie, Nachbar, Taylor, Pike, or Adrian. Stand pat. Let the man do his job. JVG gets a free pass until midseason, as far as this fan is concerned. You hire a new guy, you gotta give him a chance to transition and make the team his.
....I would waive JVG and his staff, move Rudy from the front office back to head coach and give him this season to take HIS team to the playoffs.....If this fails rehire JVG build another arena and start from scratch!
Agree with those that stay stand pat, unless a deal to good to be true drops into our laps. JVG's system and approach may change the way our talent plays dramatically. If it doesn't or certain players don't adapt...then make some deals to put the right talent in the system.
#1) I would give myself courtside season tickets for life. #2) I would get rid of Moochie and sue him for all the money he has cost us. #3) I would sign some free agents #4) I would go all the way to China, punch every single person thats making Yao Ming overwork and personally bring back Yao on my private jet. #5) I would sue any media member that would try to pressure Yao again like last year #6) I would make a night for the first 5000 fans in the arena would get free lower bowl tickets #7) I would get all the kids that want to see the Rockets live, tickets so they can come, of course they would have to be kids that were in big need and have no moneys what so ever or have a terminal disease. #8) I would make the suns practice in a park, Maybe Ingrando Park. #9) I would let the coach finish out the season and then determine who needs to go and who needs to stay..
