If Spanoulis played like Parker, he'd be here. Or we'd be getting all kinds of trade offers. That's CD being nice. James knows we only have MLE and he, IMO, is the best person (and most realistic) to take MLE from us. He definately takes care of the outside shooting that we are missing and plays good D. He's stated that he'd love to sign for the Rockets. Why the hate? We need everything. Get as many good pieces as you can and I think you'd find trade partners to fill in the holes.
Actually a deal with Atlanta is probably our best chance of getting someone we'd like ala Washington's Roy. I wouldn't be opposed to our #8 pick, next years #1 pick and Swift for Childress and the #5 pick. Reason's why, Childress is a very good shooter and adding Roy takes care of our SG and backup SF holes. Next years #1 most likely won't be a high pick anyway. Both Childress and Roy would give us a youth infusion and more importantly SIZE. Trade a portion of our TE for Padgett. 2nd round pick take Marquettes Novak (Bullard clone). Atlanta needs a big or a PG. They can get whatever PG they want at the #8 spot and IMO the big 3 PF's (Thomas, Aldridge and Bargnini) and Morrison are gone with the top 4 picks. So they have their pick of the Williams boys or Foye (who they're supposedly very high on). They also get our next years #1 and Swift which would be how we get Childress. We then use the trade exception on M.James and our lineup becomes.... C--Yao, Motumbo PF- Howard, Padgett, Novak, Lampe SF--McGrady, Childress, Bowen SG--Childress, Roy, Bogans, Head PG-- James, Alston, Head, Our new 14 man roster. We're still weak at PF but in the new NBA we become much bigger, faster, younger. It also leaves us to use the 4.2M to pick up another F/C backup.
Thank you because for some reason people want James off the bench. *** dat. I feel if phoneix can have three 20ppg+ starters we can too.
i dont know if that is realistic or possible, but that is the best trade ive read on here in a long time. that would be one sick lineup there. that would even give us a pretty darn good bench. with alston, head, howard, and mutumbo. makes me wonder if the rox GM read this what his impression of it would be. or maybe just maybe you are the rox GM. if you are i want you to prove it.
The only problem is that we're talking about the Atlanta Hawks managment. They don't think in logical ways. Here's what he said about drafting a PG: http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/sh...lumns/entries/2006/05/11/hawks_knight_do.html Now maybe it's just a smokescreen to get a better deal in trading down, but he sure wasn't thinking in those terms last year. I would not at all be surprised if Atlanta sits at 5 and drafts the best player avaliable regardless if he has 2-3 young guys that plays the same position (read: Gay or Roy).
Excellent posts by NIKE, as usual. I'm excited about our pick, because I think there is a good chance someone good will drop to us. I would like for us to take the best SG, SF or PF on the board when we pick. Since we can get Mike James without giving up any talent in exchange (if he takes the MLE), and with Rafer as a backup, we would have PG covered, so I wouldn't be that excited about picking a PG.
Why the hell do you guys want to give the full MLE to Mike James? You have seen the best he has to offer as a player, it is all downhill from here. You have a lottery pick by sheer circumstance, draft a PG. Quality PGs are hard to find. If Marcus Williams is there...you take him and then you have someone who can do what is best for Houston for the next 10 years...GIVE YAO THE DAMN BALL. Try to steal Vlad Rad from the Clippers and put him at PF, then trade Swift or Howard for a shooter at SG. P.S. You do not want to trade your 2007 draft pick under any circumstances. Might be the strongest and deepest draft in the last 10 years. The top 10 or so players in that draft would be #1 this year.
We won over 50 games with Mike James as our third best player, and 20/6 is not what we normally call going downhill. He also loves Houston.
The Raps are only offering the MLE. In saying he wants to go to Houston for the MLE he is bargaining for a better deal elsewhere. He wants to get paid, he wants more than just the MLE. Rockets need to make Harpring their no.1 target.
We need exactly a player like MJ. He is the fire that we desperately need. we don't need an assist man, we need a bucket man. He is the one who can put the ball in the basket. About your comment that MJ played for contract is not correct. We saw how MJ played here and in Detroit. He has the toughness and passion to win. Letting him go was a mistake and bringing him back would be the best.
Well one of the reasons he is not here is also because he wanted to develop more with the his european team and they were offering him more money at that time than the Rockets. Dawson has already stated that he wants him here and he is NBA type player but money is the issue since he might be asking for more money.
I hope the Rockets move up in this draft for either Gay (strong preference) or Roy. There are three teams ahead of us (Atlanta @5, Minnesota @6 & Boston @7) who need either a PG, C or PF. Yet after the top PFs are gone in the first 4 there are no PG, C or PF worthy of a pick at 5, 6 or 7 this year. At our pick #8 for PG there could be Foye/Williams/Rondo, PF S. Williams or C O'Bryant. Thus, Morey the new asst GM can really earn his stripes by helping to orchestrate a move up for Gay or Roy who are more complete players that could help us to both add youth and fill needs. Gay would allow T-Mac to play the 2 & give us insurance at the 3 if T-Macs back continues to be problematic (which I very much fear it might). Perhaps T-Macs minutes per game could wisely be reduced with Gay on the roster and Head backing him up at 2. T-Mac at the 2 solves the too short in the back-court problem. Further, Gay doesn't seem to be a selfish player so he might fit with Yao and T-Mac on the floor. Gay can shoot, run the floor and rebound without hogging the ball. While Gay is very young a little infusion of youth might not be bad planning. In addition, one can hope that Gay might help solve the match up problems we had with Josh Howard in the Mavericks playoffs series last year. Josh Howard's length and athleticism gave us fits. It isn't that I'm not happy to have a high second round draft pick, but I'd gladly give it up to trade up a spot or two if Gay is available. If need be, Gay might also make Stromile Swift expendable so we could cut him loose (if anyone wants him) for a defensive banger. We already have 37+ people under contract so we don't need quantity we need quality and fit. Add Mike James (if T-Mac can stomach it) for quality bench points or for those nights when Rafer's shot just isn't there and we could compete. This team would be exciting to watch play. C: Yao, Motumbo, Lampe PF: Howard, Banger in trade for Swift, Hayes SF: Gay, Bogans?, Bowen SG: T-Mac, Wesley?, Head PG: Alston, James, Spanoulis (there you have it JVG 3 PGs) If we must stay at #8 (and I really hope we don't) my choice would be Sheldon Williams (a defensive banger/rebounder who already has NBA size and could also back up Yao as Motumbo isn't getting any younger) or perhaps O'Bryant (who could be developed or become good trade bait later). Then pick up the best shoot 2 or 3 available in the second round.
Yes, but what assets do we have that would allow C.D/Morey to make that move up? I love it if they could, but ......
I love how everyone's forgotten how much of a ball hog Mike James used to be. Yes, it's fine when he's actually hitting, but what happens when he takes the ball up the court, blows by T-Mac (who was waiting for the hand-off) and then throws up a wild runner while Yao looks on in frustration? It happened a lot last year, and everytime it did, T-Mac would give him the look of death. On top of that, the guy put up those killer numbers on one of the worst teams in the NBA, where he basically was the only guy under 6'10" with any skill whatsoever. The only way you take on Mike James is if he's leading the second unit, when either Yao or Tmac are resting/injured. If both are on the court, it's just a waste of their ability. He's a good player, but I wouldn't give him a max MLE contract at this point.
Honestly not much, but we only want to move up a few spots (from 8 to 6 or perhaps 5). The only assets I can think of to move up are as previously mentioned, this years pick #32 (usually desirable to have a high second round pick), next years first round pick, and/or Swift (not worth much) in trade if anyone wants him in their system. However, we would only be trying to move up 2 or 3 spots. In addition, the team moving down still gets the player that better fits their need PG (Foye/Williams/Rondo) or PF (Williams) or C (O'Bryant) this year but for fewer cap $s and also adds future picks. I've got to think that Minnesota (an aging team) might be interested in our second rounder and perhaps next years first rounder. The hope for the Rockets would be that we could improve with Gay/Roy and a healthy T-Mac and Yao. I can dream can't I?
Let us look at this objectively and assume we dont trade our 1 st round pick ( I should say trade down our pick not trade away) I am just giving porjected stats- and you can feel free to add or remove Option 1 Carney Projected stats 14 Points 5 Rebounds 1 steal Option 2 Get 2 first round picks ( lower than our current picks). Draft Shelden Williams 12 Points 10 Rebounds 2blocks Redick/Mike Gansey/Quincy Douby ( You get a reasonable SG) Saer Sene ( long term back up for Yao- heck I will play him off the bench at PF for defensive reasons) Obviously TMac should come back healthy- if he does that, then with Yao progressing in stature we need more of a balance- not highlight reels. Shelden Williams is boring- but he is good value. In both cases we will still have Second round pick- and I would go with a Steve Novak or even a dark horse like James White. I think the second round pick is more "valuable" in this draft. After what happened with Eddie Griffin ( the "P" word) and Boki- I would play this conservatively.We still would have our TE/MLE to add a quality contributor. The only picks I would feel comfortable would be Bargnani or Roy ( meaning I would have to trade up to get them)-especially Bargnani- we should be able to give up a 1st round pick next year - so if it is chicago- then they will have 2 picks even next year ( one of them from the Knicks who will still be a lottery team ( and they may be forced to swap it!)
one of Phoenix's 20ppg starters is the best passer in the league. Nash always gets his within the flow of the offense. Mike James doesn't. It's apples and oranges.
I strongly disagree. Elton Brand just had his best season because he lost weight and became quicker. Dirk and Marion are thriving in the west. Neither of those guys are traditional tough guy power forwards.
