The Swift Signing made this offseason "great"!! Anything else is gravy!!

I agree with not going overboard about Swift. Is he really that much of an upgrade over Juwon Howard, a career 17-7 guy? I think Swift fits with Yao Ming better, which is why the Rockets got him, but it's not going to transform us into a team that is better than San Antonio or Detroit. We're great at 3 and 5, solid at 4, and dubious at 1 and 2. We're better than we were at the end of the year, though, so that's progress.

 

I just dont see the Pacers giving up Artest for anything less than an All-Star type player. I just dont see it. Maybe the Pacers are willing to move Tinsley and Croshere's contract for someone, but I dont see Artest.

As for the thread itself. I do think the Swift signing made this offseason. Raise your hands if you felt that someone of Swift's age/talent would be available for the MLE? I think we got lucky. Good timing in the NBA Marketplace.

I still feel like we need to tweak the roster a bit but the fact we were able to get a CORE player with our MLE is amazing to me.

Swift was the hardest piece to get. Whatever we want to get now should be easier to obtain, be it a SG or a PG.

 

I think this team will between 55-60 easy as is, IF we can avoid injury. The bottom line is we won over 50 games last year with our starting PG missing significant time due to injury. We also remade the roster on the fly last year, and still won over 50. Also, anyone that watched game 6 of the Dallas series knows that we should have won that series. That is not me being a homer, that is a fact. That was the worst officiated game I have ever seen in the playoffs, especially at the end when there was no time to overcome it. We also palyed the series without our starting 4, and say what you want about JHo, but we were rolling good teams before he went down.

I don't think we need all that much, sure it would be great to have a stud at every position but that is not realistic. The Lakers won with an old Brian Shaw, Fisher, an old Fox, etc.. (ie not great players but guys that filled their roles well). The problem with getting too many guys that can get their own shot is they can tend to want to do it at the detriment to the team offense (see that Rocks of SF, CM, MoT, and Yao). All of those guys could get their own shot and the team's offense suffered because of it IMO. I think we will make more moves but that they will occur closer to the trade deadline when the value of expiring contracts greatly increases.

 

Artest? PLEASE.....LMAO

Only if Larry Bird went on a night on the town with "Wayne Brady beotch!"

 

My thoughts exactly. As far as Sura/Howard for Artest trade, the Pacers would have to have a massive brain lapse to do that one. But if they would do it, giddyup! That would terrify the league. But we still need a real PG. This team is not geared to go all the way yet. Too old, too injury prone, not quite enough talent. Remember, Swift is unproven, Ming has only three or four "great" games a season, and a gapping hole at PG.

 

Bird has stated that he isn't looking to trade Artest, but if he did, would expect a top-5 NBA talent.

 

It still won't make sense...

 

Howard and Sura are not going anywhere!

 

Dangit ROCKET!!!!

There goes my 15 minutes.

 

ROCKET!!!

No offense, but it seems to me that you are just trying to emulate some of Popeye's and Doc Rocket's older posts.

Can you please point us to one thread where you have accurately predicted anything based on claimed insider information?

If someone comes here and acts like an insider, there is no reason to doubt them unless they are proven wrong (e.g., Troy Baros) or whatever they predict is so unrealistic that it just cannot be.

If I remember correctly, you claimed to be "in the know" that we would trade the Ming pick instead of picking Ming. That is the only "insider info" I can remember from you, and it was incorrect. I am not saying that this makes you a fraud at all, but it is all we can go by at this point, as far as I know.

Doc Rocket, on the other hand, has given us correct insider info numerous times (I remember that Clutch even had to make you, ROCKET!!!, apologize to Doc Rocket after that draft, and you did).

Please accept my apology that I have my doubts with regards to your insider status, or just tell us what you say you know. Thanks.

 

Sorry, but this whole 'create their own shots' thing is wayyyy overrated. This is not SF's Rockets team anymore, where the only offense is 'get the ball into any player's hands who can create his own shot, and step back. This is team-oriented basketball, where the ability to pass, defend, and hit an open jump shot will be FAR more valuable than someone who can dribble like he's on an AND-1 video.

 

That's not it! I don't know jack about jack, but:

We're not going after Van Excel...self-explanatory.

Could it mean that Marion is going to Indiana?

"Sun always rises in the East..."Pacing is Everything""

and we are in it on a three-way. That would meet Indiana's qualifications for an All-Star in return for Artest...free up Artest for a much needed change of scenery -AND -

Phoenix could then possibly wrap up Johnson with the salary saved...

Are we talking:

Houston Out: Spoon (salary)
Mooch (salary)
Picks

Houston In: Artest


Phoenix OUt: Marion

Phoenix In: Spoon
Mooch

Indiana Out: Artest

Indiana In: Marion


One last piece - "why Ming Bling?" and a starting unit of "2 points, 2 forwards and a guard (McGrady?)...this part puzzles me...

"Bob is looking forward" - is that Gerald Wallace "Bob"-cat waiting in the wings?

 

hmmmm. Even with cap help they would want much more.

 

What if they offloaded "Bob" or, in other words, Austin Croshere ("Bob" Schneider is an AUSTIN icon) in the process? That would help Phoenix, help Indiana and help...us.

 

(ok, let's see what we can make of this.. and, um, WHY exactly? Is this another person with Doc-Rocket-like cred?? If so, then cool! If not, well, it's still fun)

Some say we will excel. That will not happen-just win.
(Some say we will get Nick Van Exel, but apparently not.)

This is the season.

Other than LLE and our free agent signings we have 2 and 3 positions left.....maybe?
(unknown)

Additions through subtraction. Cap relief.
(Two or Thee-for-one trade deal coming?)

The sun always rises in the east and Bob....(or is that Bobby?) is looking forward. Pacing is everything.
(Hmm.. possible 4-team trade?? Involving the Suns, the Cavs, the Pacers and the Rox? Sending Bobby away?)

Our test, big time, is if the layoff deal is relieved from suspension. If so, ALL changes. Really no point to this. Just need to make sure we don't get a stern warning again.
(Our Test = Artest. Back from suspension, have to hope he won't get in trouble again, and get suspended by Stern again. But no point guard from Indiana, just Artest.)

Fruition is an immediate export for the current fab 5. Not trying to be too pointed, too forward or guarded.
(Jalen Rose?)

Ming bling.
(Ming is going to sign the max deal soon?)




Ah well... can't say I am too good at all this cryptic business, but at least it's something fun while we wait for the season.

 

I think we as a board are too harsh on people.. even people w/ insider knowledge get things wrong here and there.

The SSwift signing was awesome and it finally fills our PF void.. remember how we wished for a PF that plays some offense and defense. We didnt have one for 3 seasons and just made due.. then last season our PF position was a carousel w/ JVG trying to find the right mix. How many players started at PF for us last season?

JHoward / MoT / SPadgett / RBowen / CSpoon / TMac / Moochie ? im not sure about Mooch

so it shores up the PF position for years to come and JHoward is an awesome player to bring off the bench and to mentor Swift.

* about the trade rumor..

I would love to have Artest in a Rox uniform crazy and all. He would bring a fire/intensity to the organization and make us immediate contenders.

I dont really care who we trade as longs as its not.. our big 3.

Can you imagine TMac (1st option) Yao (2nd option) Artest (3rd option) with each player able to take over a game by themselves if need be (depending on matchup)

Swift then ties everything together and if we can get a decent PG (doesnt need to be a star) just a solid role player we would be set.

JVG is willing to take chances and pull big trades... hes stated that before.

J

 

Wow Nero. Props to you, that was some good deciphering.

 

Landing Artest for anyone besides our big 3 is a pipedream. But a line-up of Yao, T-Mac, Artest, swift with anyone inserted as PG is scary for the whole league. We can only hope that'll happen.

 

Pariah, I'm not saying you know jack about jack , but the Phoenix Suns' owner is Robert Sarver. Robert = Bob?