We also have to remember that the two words in front of Charles Jones were: HAKEEM OLAJUWON. Hakeem didn't need a backup, Yao, due to fatigue and foul trouble, DOES. Now, I don't think that there were better options and I hope Yao is even better this year than we've seen him but seeing Deke in there for stretches at a time could get hard to watch.
What the hell???!!! After talking for this long this is the best they can do? Even I could have it done 2 weeks back.
I concede that Deke's negative effects on offense probably won't be as bad on us as in NJ. But that doesn't change that I think the guy is just an awful player. I don't think he is even a good back- up. He has nothing left in the tank anymore. You guys remember the Deke of old. Now he's just old deke.
gotrock, at first thought that was my concern as well. Then I factored in the leading scorer of the league into the equation and that concern diminished some. Mcgrady is a 40mpg guy. He has the stamina and the strength and the advantage of youth, that allow him to play as much as anyone. So while Yao sits and Deke plays, Mcgrady is still in. Mcgrady will not need to feed Deke da damn ball nor will he need Deke to do anything but rebound and play the paint and get in a deke finger wave or two and rebound like mad for those 10 or 15 minutes he gets. I understand your concern though. But with Mcgrady still out there - another bona fide superstar, something Hakeem did not have - that concern is not as strong.
I agree with Jeff. I am in awe of those who are complaining here. If this was a perfect world we might have somebody like Kirk Heinrich starting at the point next season and somebody like Vlade Divac as our back up center but adding Tracy McGrady and then filling the holes with veterans who know their roles and will most certainly accept them is nothing to sneaze at. If you had told me last season that we'd have Yao and T-Mac in our starting line up next year I'd have never believed you; however, that is now the case. I'm incredibly excited about this years team. I can't wait!
Not sure why people are mad, it's seems like a good deal because it fills needs on both teams. Rockets get their backup center, Bulls get their backup swingmen, and neither team get affected signifcantly salary-wise.
You don't think Mutombo can play for 10-15 freaking MPG? He put up similar numbers to Cato last year in 23.0 MPG. I still don't understand why people dislike this deal. Why the sudden love for Pike? The guy shot 35.2% from 3-point range last year. He's coming off an injury. He was in JVG's doghouse most of last year. He'll turn 34 this month. He's a defensive liability. Why are people suddenly extolling the greatness of Eric Piatkowski? This is insane.
Oh, I dont' care about losing Pike at all, I just think Deke might be more of a curse than a blessing if he brings the same attitude he had in NJ. I'd take an inoffensive stiff who knows his role over Deke and cloggery any day.
What did the three guys do for us last year? What is their true worth? Wilks is a backups backup. I would take any of our other 4 point guards over him. Pike can’t play defense, could not shoot the ball last year, and is on the decline. Griffin was either hurt or rode the pine. Motumbo should be able to play a good backup role. His numbers last year were just as good as Cato’s.
I love having the Mt. Mutombo in Houston ! Imagine leading the Spurs by one point, and they have the ball... we dont want them to go inside, and they have been shooting badly outside all night... so here's are lineup : Dikembe Mutombo Yao Ming Juwan Howard Jim Jackson Tracy Mcgrady No one is getting inside there !!! We now have the Ming-Mcgrady-Mutombo combo, b****es ! Be Happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Griffin, Pike and Wilks wouldn't see a minute of playing time for the Rockets and people are complaining!?
