If we get swept or get beaten 4-1 in the Laker series, will that be enough to justify a major shakeup (i.e. trade a key guy)? What if we play great and still lose in 7? What if we pull the series out and lose in the next round? Will CD and co. give the team one more year to gel under van Gundy's system or will he make changes? I think regardless of what happens, a true point guard has to be at the top of our shopping list...whether it be via free agency (not sure of who is available or what cap space we have) or the draft. Thoughts?
IF THE ROX GET SWEPT, THE FIRST PERSON GONE IS CD. THEN AFTER HE IS GONE THE ROXK SHOULD THEN LOOK FOR TWO NEW FOWARDS. JJ SHOULD BE MOVED TO THE TWO AND MOBLEY TO THEN BENCH. CATO SHOULD BE TRADED ALONG WITH BOKI AND MAYBE EVEN MOBLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR TWO SOLID FOWARDS. JVG SHOULD THEN REALIZE THAT YAO SHOULD NOT BE THE FOCAL POINT OF THE OFFENSE AND THAT EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED NOT JUST HIM. THE ROX NEED TO ALSO GET A BACK UP PG AND A BACK UP CENTER.
I hate talking trades before the season is over but in an ideal world, we would get rid of our 3 PF that are on contract. They take up about half the teams salary. I would like to get 2 new starting forwards and move JJ to SG. Even have JJ play PG on offense and let let him guard the SG. I like Cat but I would trade him too. He is a streaky shooter and seems to make too many boneheaded plays at critical times.
im all for some kind of change, but i hope nachbar is still here next year. though he has been a disapointment thus far, those last few games of the season really showed me something about him. i think he will end up being exactly the small forward that we need. i remember alot of nba "experts" saying dont expect anything out of him for 2 or 3 years, but he will be a solid player in time. this was when most people here were penciling him in as our starting 3, which was quite unrealisitc. well, i think the experts might be right-at least i hope so. i have a feeling that jvg likes his development and game as well.
I dont think any one thing should constitute change. Teams should always be looking to better themselves. If we win the title this year, I think we should still look to get better and get someone like Ray Allen. All teams try to get better, that doesnt mean youve given up on the current team, but I do think that the only 2 untouchables are Yao and maybe steve. Even if steve and yao played greta, I think having 2 dependable stars in today's NBA leaves us still a little short of the other elite teams.... We may need that 3rd star
I think we need to explore trades that might net us any of the 3: Elton Brand, Ray Allen, Tracy McGrady. An of the 3 would be excellent sidekicks to Yao Ming. I think unless we can beat the Lakers in this series (which I dont see happening) moves will be exlored this offseason. I think the way this team is put together it has probably gone as far as it is going to go.
Any changes would cause another trip to the lottery next year...fact. Houston teams for some reason have always relied on chemistry more than anything...you take this team that is finally starting to gel, that finally made the playoffs, that played very well in them...so far...and disband it, you start all over. Especially if you throw in a big FA ego. THe key is to build a winning team around what we have....not by replacing them
New starting PG and PF are a must. This team does not have enough chemistry to worry about disrupting it. Ming is not ready to be the "go to" guy, but I believe his performance will be enhanced when he has perimeter players who can get him the ball at the right time in the right position. The team's IQ must be raised, more J. Jackson-like players.
Your right maybe I was a little premature with whole "gelling" thing but I hated when we cleaned house in '96-'97 and I will hate it in '04'05
I wouldn't mind adding a younger, more prototypical PG-a young Mark Jackson who doesn't take ill advised shots. However, we should do it with our trade exception and without giving up Yao, SF, Cat, or JJ. We're not going to make a trade that shakes this team near its core and be much better this year. I think we have the pieces, we're just not sure where or how they fit. The Pistons had them in the late 80s; the Bulls in the late 80s, early 90s; the Rockets in the early 90s. None of those teams, with the exception of the 95 Rockets, made huge trades involving superstars to get them over the hump. It took time and gelling.
I have been in favor of trading Steve for most of the year just because I don't think he fits well with this system and with Yao, but if he keeps playing the way he has since the second quarter of game one, he becomes untradeable unless you can get a McGrady or so for him. Other than that, I agree about the PF position and some guys that can consistently hit the 3.
If they are swept 4-0 then there is a slight chance that they will be forced into being truthful to themselves [the Management] and will deal with the fact of their mistake that Yao Ming and Steve Francis, both playing their present positions, are not complementary to each other and is a mountain to climb before we can play Team Basketball and win a Championship. This may lead JVG to redeveloping the Team as a Center Oriented Team or as a Guard Oriented Team.
Right on. We need find good perimeter players to surround Yao, but at the same time, I don't think Yao is ready to do this thing alone.
