Where are all these great backcourt "fits" with the rox?

I agree that we should expect to get a player with significant weaknesses to go along with significant strengths. Perfect-fit role players typically aren't going to be available to a team with two superstars unwilling to pay the luxury tax.

Mostly though, I just wanted to chime in so I could give you props for quoting Jake "The Snake" Roberts' drunking rant from Heroes of Wrestling in your sig.

 

I really think it's only one poster who;s suggesting we put off upgrading the PF spot for another year. Everyone else is just pulling for the one particular player that they like, and dismissing anyone else (Walker or Swift in most cases) as a poor fit for the system.

Oh, and of the guards you listed, McInnis would be nice because he can create shots for his teammates and doesn't turn the ball over. Problem is he's getting older and his defense is absolutely horrendous.

I agree with you though, we need to find an upgrade at the 4 and this is probably the best time to do so.

 

Duhon and Dixon

 

Kareem Rush is a FA. I'm not sayign we should give him the whole MLE or anything. But an athletic 2 guard who can hit open shots, defend, and has playoff experience at the age of 25 would be pretty nice in my opinion.

 

I think Stoudamire would be an improvement at the point. Only for the LLE though. Don't forget about the possibility of Finley or the other possible cut victims.

 

Hey, Raja Bell isn't under contract with the suns yet. He's a dedicated defensive player with a consistent shot. I doubt the Suns are throwing the whole MLE at the guy.

 

If you’re talking strictly in terms of fit (as in, who could you plug into the system we ran last year), most of those guards would fit better than Walker. Not as talented, but a much better fit. Many of them would be upgrades to the guards we have now and they wouldn’t sacrifice any of the strengths (smart efficient basketball) we had last season .

If we were talking who would fit into the team we had a couple of seasons ago with Rudy as coach, the ISO offense system, and Steve Francis as the main star, then it’s a different story. Walker would be a perfect fit on that team. On the current team with Van Gundy as coach and an emphasis on team ball, he would be a horrible fit.

It’s all about putting together the best team. Not putting together a team that has the best individual players.

The whole > sum of its parts

 

If Cat is only offered the MLE by Denver or any other team and we offer him our MLE, he will sign with us.

 

Agree in theory that the "whole > sum of its parts" should be the way to go. However, what "system" are we talking about?? The rockets as a whole still need an overall talent upgrade so that their "system" has more available options and is more diverse in its attack. The rockets "system" is very limited in it's offensive attack because you really only have 2 guys that can create their own shot. I think too many people are mistakingly comparing Yao/Tracy to Shaq/Kobe and want to build a team a similar way. We don't have 2 superstars. We have one in McGrady while the other is a pretty good player. Nothing more, nothing less. If i though the rockets had a legit chance at Simmons or Mobley, then i wouldn't be so much in favor of getting Walker or SAR. But I think having that 3rd scorer is very important and will continue to be a necessity until Yao learns to be more consistent.

 

The Mighty Mouse would definately help us. He's the closest thing to a real point guard that we've ever sniffed. I don't think he's the greatest player or anything, but he can definately pass, and handel the ball. Not sure about his defense, but he's still pretty quick. Stoudamire would definately help this team.

 

We can only hope. No state tax and he lives here.

Here he would be the 3rd option while in Denver he would be behind?? Melo, K-Mart, Miller, Boykins?

 

Bobby Simmons

 

The system we have in place now is very simple and very effective. We have our clear cut superstar in Mcgrady who will have the ball in his hands most of the time. We have a very good 2nd option in Yao. And we have role players with clearly defined roles. We're keeping it simple. That's how teams like Detroit and San Antonio win. They keep their offense simple. They don't have a team full of players that all need the ball in their hands or need plays run for them. Just one primary playmaker (Duncan and Billups) and a lot players that feed off of them. Not players that will take over for them as the #1 option.

Yao and Mcgrady may never be Shaq and Kobe, but they are very comparable to Wade and present day Shaq. Who is their 3rd option? Eddie Jones?

I think you are really underestimating Yao and Mcgrady. They don't need the Rockets to make a huge splash this summer. This is a team that just won 51 games. All we need are some tweaks and some minor upgrades to the starting lineup.

While I agree this team could use a 3rd option, I don't think we need someone like Walker or SAR, who would radically change the way we play. A smart and steady player who is capable of averaging around 13 points would be more than enough as the 3rd option. Someone who's capable of being a playmaker for stretches. Not someone who's used to being THE PLAYMAKER for his team.

Some of the guards listed in this thread (Daniels, Mobley, McInnis, Stoudamire, Simmons) would make perfectly acceptable 3rd options. They're not going take over for Mcgrady as playmaker. They're not going to need plays run for them or need the offense run through them, but they are capable of creating plays from time to time. And we would not need to make any big changes to the way the offense is run, like we would with Walker or SAR.

 

Those two laker teams wouldn't have won 3 championships w/o Horry, they might have won one. My point being you can't win with two superstars and a bunch of scrubs. Look at the 2002-2003 lakers. That team had 2 superstars and not much else and they got knocked out in the second round and were trounced pretty bad. You got to have a good third go to guy or a third guy who will hit clutch shots, otherwise you can't win.

 

The Pacers & Cleveland have been mentioned as the most likely teams to sign Sarunas Jasikevicius. Pacers can only offer part of their MLE, however much that is? He would be a gamble, but intriguing nonetheless.

 

How about adding Jay Williams and Ronald Murray to the list?

I'd be happy to get 1 of them for the LLE

 

I know I read a few weeks back that the Rockets were seriously interested in him.

He is a little older, he may have waited a bit too long to try his hand over here in the NBA, however, there is always room on the roster for the guys many people call 'The Best Shooter In The World'.

And of course, with the superstardom of TMac, and the WORLD Superstardom of Yao, he would certainly be joining the most high-profile of the possible teams if he were to come here.

How sweet would it be to have a guy who can consistently knock down open 3's whenever he is called upon to do so?

Let's hope CD doesn't take his eye off the ball on this one.