I wonder if Alvin William of Toronto is available? He and SF would make a very good backcourt because AW has the size to defend SG while still efficient enough to bring the ball up and initiate the offense.
It is really just a matter of semantics, classic PG vs. an intelligent combo gaurd. I wouldn't care if Stevie was a small forward, the core matter is he does not play intelligently. That is something that he may or may not learn how to do one day. If or when that day comes, we have to accept him for the player that he currently is.
If Steve is to play his scoring point guard role, this team must have an alternative at the backup PG position who is a competent point guard. The Rockets usually go really cheap at the backup PG position for some reason. Excluding Mark Jackson, point guards who are free agents willing to take the minimum are not competent point guards. Go into the draft and get some point guard who has played 4 years at a small college like Gonzaga for the backup position. Van Gundy should never be put into a position where he is forced to play Steve even if he is not effective on the court like when Moochie and Wilks were the backups. Wilks' shot is bad. Mark Jackson is a solid backup, but he is old. Go draft someone. There's always solid passer to be found in the 2nd round of the draft. Look at the Wizards with their pickup of Steve Blake from Maryland in the 2nd round. Steve Blake is a solid shooter who can distribute the ball very well.
What school was Bryce Drew from again? How many good pure pg came in the league in the last couple of years? Steve Nash is the only one that comes to mind and maybe andre miller but the days of the classic poing guard is long gone. However, the true problem is that the drop off from those two are pretty big. Look at what some of the team are using as a starting pg, it's pretty sad, with the exception of all star caliber players like marbury, kidd, cassell, gary payton, baron Davis (three of whom are also scoring pg). A lot of team are starting either their SG or a journey man/unknown. Some time you migh get a flash in the pan like carlos arroyo or gilbert arenas but let's face it, the point guard spot is the second hardest to fill outside of the center, and it's not like most replacement will be better than Steve so I say let's stick with our freaking all star pg.
Bryce came from Valparaiso. I said in the previous post that Van Gundy should never be left in a situation where he has no choice but to leave Steve in the game due to the backup point guard being incompetent. Look at the backup point guards they've gotten over the years. It's just plain ridiculous that the Rockets think they can scour the free agent wire to get good backups. At least spend a 2nd round pick. Get a humdrum passing point guard who Van Gundy can put in to run the offense at times. That's exactly he brought Mark Jackson for. However, he's not going to play in this league that much longer. If Yao is not playing well, Van Gundy has alternatives to put in at center. This was not the case with Moochie and Wilks. Anyone who has watched the Rockets in the Moochie era knows that the level of play on the court went down dramatically with Moochie on the court. I'm pretty sure Van Gundy knows that. I'm pretty sure Steve also knows that.
Yea, what were the Rockets thinking, signing midseason free-agents to fill roster spots instead of drafting them. Clearly, we need more guys like Roderick Rhodes, Jason Collier, and Terence Morris on this team and fewer guys like Chucky Brown, Eddie Johnson, and Mark Jackson.
You do realize I said point guards, right? In the Steve Francis era, there have have been a variety of backup point guards from guys like Moochie, Tierre Brown, and Tito Maddox. They were all free agents signed to make minimum. You're implying that all the point guards that are signed in the 2nd round in the NBA are garbage. Most of the average to good big men are taken in the 1st round. However, there are many capable average point guards that are available in the 2nd round. Like I said before, watch out for Steve Blake of the Wizards who was taken in the 2nd round last year from Maryland.
So you want to exclude the only recent point guard we've picked up under your criteria? Fine, laughable, but fine. Charlie Ward's a solid PG who's doing the same for the Spurs, but I guess we should exclude him too? Do you remember what a good job Moochie Norris did in 99-00 for us at the minimum (before his big contract)? You just joined this board 2 months ago, so maybe you weren't a Rockets fan then. Matt Maloney (again, pre-contract) did a very credible job for us playing for the minimum. Scottie Brooks was a nobody before the Rockets brought him in. What round of the draft was Carlos Arroyo, the starting PG for the Jazz, drafted in? Since the last 3 points guards we drafted before our starter Francis were Bryce Drew, Roderick Rhodes, and Randy Livingston, I wouldn't count on a 2nd round pick doing even a competent job in the NBA. The fact is, Charvo, that the point guards drafted outside the lottery are a crapshoot. Sometimes good, often bad. Those that are really good, like Arenas, might leave anyway. I'd rather entrust the backup job to a competent veteran than hope against hope that our next backup PG drafted doesn't flame out as bad as the previous ones did. By the way: Did you know that we drafted Tito Maddox (PG, Fresno State) with the 38th pick in the 2002 draft? That would be a PG drafted in the second round, all of 2 years ago. It's a pretty easy fact to look up.
I'm giving Van Gundy the benefit of the doubt as to eyeing point guard talent in the 2nd round. I don't think he looks for the athletic type point guards to run his teams. I'm sure there are many senior point guards coming out into the NBA draft who are not very athletic, but they have basketball smarts attained through 4 years of playing college ball. I think that counts for a lot. I doubt the Rockets ever pick up another John Stockton, but the Rockets have 2nd round picks. I do not think that only the lottery picks are talented. There is talent all the way down the draft, but the Rockets do have to look for it. Look at the Spurs with their pick of Tony Parker with their last pick in the 2nd round. He's a solid point guard. He's not Steve, but he's good enough. I think the draft system works better than you think it does.
I used to be interested in Alvin Williams, but I think initiating the offense is a weakness of his. AW's a good enough ball handler to bring the ball up the court and is very good at not turning it over, but I've heard he's not good at getting the ball into the low post. He's really more comfortable at the 2, and while I think he would be an excellent pickup for the Rox, I now question whether his passing game would actually improve upon what we have (not including Mark Jackson). I also wonder about Brent Barry, although I am admittedly still interested in signing him.
I completely agree. One single player can have much more influence on a basketball team than in any other major team sports.
^^^ Then Garnett and McGrady should both have at the very least made it to the second round of the playoffs by now...
That statement does not imply that EVERY great player will have playoff success, only that almost every championship team will have a GREAT player...
I'm italian for fisrt and sorry for my speaking. The right move for now, i think that is to trade Mobley for Tinsley and move Steve as a pure G. We'll have this roster: C Yao/Cato AG Cato/Taylor/Spoon AP JJ/Padgett/Nachbar G Francis/Piatkowski PM Tinsley/Jackson/Wilks I think that is an improved team and Yao could have many ball possessions to put in 20+ points at night.
