Funny there is an article about CD this morning in the Chroicle. http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/3321028 Deliberate strategy pays off for Dawson By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle There had to be times, alone in his dark Toyota Center office, that Carroll Dawson wanted to scream. He must have wanted to make phone calls and demands, to argue and plead and sell. http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/3321028
CD has improved the last few years. He's been efficient with his moves but we're still lacking a quality PG. His previous bad contracts have limited our flexibility and our drafts have been weak. I'd give him a B. If he can add a real PG or if Spanoulis becomes a real contributer - B+
I don't know why CD is getting all the love. This team so has JVG's fingerprints all over it. CD deserves credit for getting what JVG wants done and I'm sure CD has some input, but this is JVG's work mostly, just like it was Rudy's before. It's certainly no coincidence that, other than a few minor gaffes, the team started making shrewd, smart deals after JVG came on board.
CD is awesome! He knows how to sweet talk somebody to come to Houston, although we have two huge player magnet in Yao & TMac.
Some luck was involved. Obviously, Stromile Swift and Derek Anderson had to want to come to Houston for less money. And it helped that T-Mac told the press last summer that he only wanted to play for the Rockets. But it's the so-called minor deals like signing Bob Sura, trading Pike, Adrian Griffin, and Mike Wilks for Deke, trading Tyronn Lue for Jon Barry, and trading JJ and Boki for Wesley that have really impressed me lately. Think about how the man(under Van Gundy's direction, yes) has completely revamped this roster since the Rockets' first round loss to the Fakers in 2004. He took a team that was destined to be no better than a Western Conference Semifinalist to one that's arguably 2nd only to the Spurs. All in under 16 months time.
CD has always been one of the best. He has made mistakes, most of which people liked at the time he made them. It was only later that people got mad at him when they turned out to be mistakes. He's a gm and not a fortune teller. What I think sets CD apart is that he's willing to do that which isn't popular at the time, but is really in the best interest of the team like drafting Horry and CAsselll. ANd also the things that people don't think are important at all, turn out to be crucial like getting Mario. Add to that this fantastic off season where we've gotten Anderson and Swift, resigned JB and Deke, and we did it all without trading away key players so far. I love it. I love it as much for the players we've been able to keep that I thought would be traded for sure, as for the players we have gotten.
To this day, I am still impressed with the moves he pulled off before the trade deadline with acquiring the PG we desperately needed at the time without parting with our 1st rounder and finding somebody actually stupid enough to trade for Mo Taylor.
Dawson was on the bench in those championship years. At least the first one, break out your Clutch City video for proof.
I am for almost anybody getting love, but you make a good point. These moves are primarily JVG's. Along the same lines, many of the utterly "stupid" moves of the past were probably not all CD's responsiblity.
I think when we say CD has made questionable moves, it has more to do with his drafting of college players. I think anyone could look good, when you signing players off the free agent market, who are already established. That's the easy part. Players come to Houston. 1. Its a beautiful city, warm weather. 2. No state income tax 3. A city with great night life. 4. A city of sports year round. So personnel I don't think CD is a great GM. He just has a lot to work with.
Ya, I meant to write a little disclaimer next to #1 and #2. No one knew EG and Pip weren't going to turn out, but even if EG didn't go nuts, it still was a bad trade. But like another poster said, hindsight is 50/50.
Have to disagree here - As much as I dislike Pippen, I was excited when we got him at the time. I don't think it was CD or Rudy's fault that the guy was a total crybaby. Besides, didn't we just sign Pippen as a free agent and not trade for him? IMO, I think not drafting Rashard Lewis was CD's biggest mistake to date although just about every other GM in the league made the same mistake. It's just crappy that we told him we'd draft him and then didn't, with not one, two, but three first round picks which none of which are even still in the league and Lewis is an All-Star.
CD has had his good days and his bad days... I am glad we are amongst the great Days! Great as of late CD... You have made the Rox an appealing team to the media and public eye which gets us more air time nationally! This also packs the Arena which gives us no excuses when it's time to pay and keep our players... I see a ring some time soon... It kind of reminds me of the year that we won the first ring, no one really thought at the beginnig that we had what it took... Some said it was a PIPE DREAM to escape the choke city nickname... We became Clutch City and we shall revist that soon!
1) Shandon Anderson signed a CHEAP contract with CD. 3 years @ 6.6 million. Wow terrible move CD. 2) Trading Pippen for Roy Rogers and a second round draft pick? Name another GM in the world who wouldn't STILL do that to this day. Didn't think you could. 3) Lets not forget drafting Cuttino as a second round draft pick. The Clippers paid him 50 million this year. Groovy stuff. 4) Signing Mo Taylor for 48 million was a boneheaded move. But having Mo play one year (maybe 2) for a paltry 2 million was a bargain. There wasn't a team in the NBA except for the cheap Clippers that wasn't interested in signing Mo at the time. 5)Trading Joel Przybilla for Jason Collier was a boneheaded move, but hey who would have thought that JP would be as good as he has been?
