Humor me but what if we go for Joe Smith . Maybe some of our expiring contracts could entice the bucks to do something. They need PG help anyways. Maybe a draft pick and a player could land him. He has about two more years on his contract. And makes a little under a million than what M Taylor made. I'de willing to see what kind of fire Van Gundy lights under Joe Smith.
Michael Ruffin who played for the Wizards last season is also maybe another possibility. Considering he only played 16.0 MPG last season and averaged around 4.20 RPG , he could be a productive PF from the bench. He also recorded 7 blocks in one game vs Memphis last season. He'de probably come on the cheap. But its a very good idea to think about upgrading our back up PF position if there aren't any options for starting PF's on the market this season. Michael Sweetney from New York is reportedly available too. Isiah Thomas is trying to land someone this offseason and needs some cap room. Sure Sweetney is a little over weight than what you'de like him to be but I think he could shed it quick with a season full of Van Gundy practices. Plus you've got to love it that he's still young and a work in progress. i'de like him coming off the bench than say Weatherspoon. And definitely if developed correctly could break the starting lineup. Tony battie from Orlando could probably be available. He may not be as mobile from what we want our power forward but he does block some shots. He averaged around 1.00 block shots per a game which is pretty respectable considering he only played a little above 20 MPG. He has only one more year on his contract and maybe an exchange of expiring contracts with a 2nd round pick could get a deal done. He'de definitely be an ideal backup power forward. We definitely could go the route of landing a solid backup power forward and wait a season to see if we can land something better than a swift or antoin walker
i have a good feeling swift will end up signing with the rockets... whether if its a sign and trade deal or a with the MLE. i think managment knows he is the type of player the rockets need in the pf spot. he is young and atheletic and can block a lot of balls... basically everything jvg wants in our pf. he can run the floor too with tmac, head, and whoever else can catch up with them. ideally i think it would be our best bet to sign and trade swift and have memphis unload williams. having williams along with the package will give jvg an experienced pg. now we have the full mle to spend. possibilites of getting simmons, mobley, wells, hughes(longshot), sprewell, dermarr johnson, eddie jones, or antoine daniels.
Are those the only choices? Yecch! Swift is promishing, but a big question mark. Marshall is solid but old. And Walker? Let's just say that if he's a Rocket next year, you guys will be calling for his head inside of a month. He's a PF version of Steve Francis. Lots of TOs, only occasional D, bad shot selection, etc. The difference is that SF took it to the basket more. Toine will spend the rest of his career at the 3-point line, giving the other team fast breaks off long rebounds. Let's hope CD has something up his sleeve, because otherwise Juwon Howard will be backed up by Ryan Bowen next year.
Swift, but no more than 5 or 6 mil a yr. He and Howard should balance each other out nicely. Swift is young, long and extremely athletic.
Swift because he has the athletism to guard power forwards on the perimeter and he is strong enough to play inside. He is a terrific shot blocker and would be great running the break. To top it all off he is still very very young. I would love to see how he plays with a real center.
I can not believe that scrub Swift is getting so much love from this board. He is the second coming of Kelvin Cato! Not Mo Taylor. At least Mo could score. He will be a flop just like Cato was in this Rocket red uniform! I dont want Swift!
Has anyone thought about Samuel Dalembert? He's very athletic, has size, and could probably come cheap. I know he's listed as a center, but at 6'11" and 250 pounds, he could be the perfect compliment to Howard. Howard is more of a outside jump shooter whereas Dalembert is more of a rebounder/low post player. He's used to playing about 24 minutes a game, so he already knows his role. If we can get him for cheap, who wouldn't like to have another 8.2 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.7 BPG in about 20 minutes of work?
I wouldn't hold my breath on landing this "ultimate" pf, esp armed with little more than the MLE and some low 1st round picks. Rox have been looking for 5 years now and the best pf they've had in that span is Kenny Thomas.
Teams are considering throwing Dalembert huge offers to see if Philly is serious about matching. Rox can't land him for the MLE or small amount of trade assets that they have, even if Sam was a good fit.
Man, I didn't realize Dalembert would be so coveted by other teams. That just goes to show how valued a big man is in this league. Plus, he's a RFA. I didn't see that before.
