I know this has nothing to do with the thread but what's up with that...he told witnesses that he was jerking to porno while he was driving, man he not just a moron he's a degenerate. We have been foresaken by a higher power for making this idiot a millionarie.
ONLY 12/5/3?????? BWHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHA!!!! Dude, you're asking A LOT from a rookie, and I mean A LOT. Those are Rookie of the Year numbers and they usually cost at around uh, safe to say, aout 8 mil in the free agency. What makes you think he can do that, a player repeatedly questioned for his passion for the game? Okay. He might make it. Just might. But how are you so damn sure he can AT LEAST be as good as Battier, who might be as smart as anyone int he league? Personally, I think he has a 40% chance to become a bust, 30% chance to be average, 20% to become decent, and 10% chance to develop into a star. And if he does, I bet it's at least in 2008, definately not now. That being said, I'd like to emphasize again: GAY IS NOT, AND WILL NOT BE BETTER THAN BATTIER NEXT SEASON! Battier is a very smart player with a great work ethnic and outstanding defensive skills. He stands out when he needs to, and is content with being a mere role player. He does whatever he can for the team. Can Gay do that? Numbers are one thing. What you do on court is another. Sure Stephen Marbury has great numbers. Would you like him on our team? The whole "Battier's only an 10/5 guy, Gay's way better than him, not to mention Gay'll be a super duper star" thing is bull****. Of course, Gay has potential. I'm not denying that. What makes this trade awful is that we threw in Stro. Now with that idiotic move, we just comletely binded ourselves. Without any trading assets, and a dynamic hole in the PF position to fill, we are as well as shot. But that's another thing. Of course we would have loved if it was Juwan instead of Stro in there, or even Head. But it wasn't. I would also have baited Gay to see if we could work out something better. Hell, Gay+Head/Juwan=Roy looks possible to me. Anyone, I'm bashing the trade too. But come on guys, bashing needs brains. Cut the Gay>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Battier crap. Get real.
But Gay has the skills and athletic ability to be a true superstar. You will agree with that, even if it is not for certain that it will happen. He still has a legitimate chance. How many chances does a team get to draft a player like that during the course of a decade? Not many, thats for sure. That's why I say you have to take a chance with a player like that when you get the chance. Besides assuming that Battier will be better next season than Gay, do you really think it will be a lot better or just margonally better?
This sucks...Besides, didn't swift come from Memphis...I agree swift sucked, but to give up on potential like Gay... That was gay if you ask me...
Well, Villanueva is less athletic has a worse jumper and was known to have a much worse attitude than Gay and he put up numbers that were better than 12/5. No one is saying that Gay will certainly be a superstar and most of us aren't even saying we need him to be 10/5 next year. Will Gay be better than Battier next year? I don't he will but I do think he has a very good chance to be within 2 to 3 years and there's a possibility he'll be a star. The slowest team in the league just gave up one of the most talented players in the draft and one of our most athletic players for Shawn Battier. We got absolutely robbed by the Grizzlies.
I hope its OK to post a link to another web site. Here is a prediction of this year's draftees' production over the next few years. The writer forecasts that Gay's max potential is 23ppg, 7rpg and 4apg. If so, those are TMac like numbers. Higher than Roy. Higher than Morrison. Higher than Bargnani. He is predicting 8/4 and 12/5 in his rookie and second year. He includes last year's predicted numbers as well, so you can see how his system works. http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/Draft/2006stats.htm It should be acknowledged that the writer thought Rudy Gay was a top three draft pick.
Talk from ESPN on memphis trading for Iverson. The Grizz, meanwhile, probably ruled themselves out -- if they were ever seriously interested -- by surrendering Shane Battier in a draft-night trade with Houston to acquire the rights to Rudy Gay. Grizz boss Jerry West, who has resisted Battier overtures for years, would have been forced to part with his favorite swingman if he hoped to pair Iverson with Pau Gasol and land the ticket-seller Memphis so badly needs. He opted for Gay instead.
Its time for... WHOSE YOUR DADDY...BATTIER...WHOSE YOUR DADDY...BATTIER...WHOSE YOUR DADDY...BATTIER...WHOSE YOUR DADDY...BATTIER...WHOSE YOUR DADDY...BATTIER...WHOSE YOUR DADDY...BATTIER...WHOSE YOUR DADDY...BATTIER Best college chant ever!
Neat, but again you can't sum up a player's value with ppg, rpg, and apg. That's fantasy league stuff. What Battier brings to the table goes well beyond those numbers.
What does Battier bring to the table that goes well beyond those number? I agree he brings some intangibles... leadership, professionalism. But I feel we had bigger issues than that last year.
I'm in the Battier camp. I understand what Gay could become both ways, but I know what Shane does for this team now and in the next 4 yrs. What he does is eliminate the post ups but guards/forwards. He and T-Mac can switch on picks or while getting back on defense. He's long, very smart, and does a lot of things this team misses. On offense he will knock down the open jumper or 3pt shot. Shooting 48% from the field and 40% 3pt assures of that. As good a Gasol is, I think Ming is better and they no one close to T-Mac. Battier also is a good ft shooter to boot. Now when the Rox play SA,Denver, Miami,Det or whoever, we dont have to worry about Wesley, who gave great effort getting posted up. I really like the move, but i dont think the Rox are finshed. I think there are guys availible with the MLE and te that they can fill the roster out with. I do like the lineup better now that really if they would have drafted anyone including Brewer. I thought if they were going to draft Brewer,Reddick or even gay, they would need a veteran to negotiate through the peaks and valleys of a rookie campaign. I think they have more move ready to make eventhough they probably traded their most tradeable asset.
Like I said in another thread, by keeping a few stud young players under rookie contract. You will be able to manage cap. If the experiment of Battier fails, what are you going to do? Trade him? Unlikely with his lengthy contract. You are going to stuck with him. If the experiment of Gay fails, it is much easier to trade a rookie with potential like Gay given his age (19 yrs old) and many other teams will still think high of him. Even nobody wants to take him, we can easily cut him since he only makes 2 million dollars, while Battier makes 6-7 millions. Do you know why Knicks is in such a big mess? The management only focuses on short term goal of quick fix by going for so-called known products instead of laying back to rebuild in a long-term fashion by developing their own young players. Given the nature of NBA bussiness, it is highly unlikely to build a champainship team through trade and signing players only. What you got is what you got, players with question mark. This is what happens to Knicks. One experiment fails and quickly goes for another existing player. Succendly snow ball effect!!! You have a bunch of players that nobody wants with huge, lengthy contract! A champanship-level team can only be built via developping its young players and then you add some key trades and signings here and there. Look at Spurs, Dallas, Detroit, they all have many key players developped by themselves. Then look at the roster in Rockets. Only Yao Ming. If you counts Head (who is almost traded), that's two. This is tells you the Rockets management is doing very very poor job in the last decade. That's what frustrates us fans the most as far as I can tell. One thing I could not understand is that many Rockets fans are so patient and look forward for yrs to come while the management is so short-sighted. There is no pressure from the fans for quick win especially after the disaster of last year. Why do they do this? Beats me. I think only think of studipity or impatience. This is what I do not like JVG. He is smart but just be critical and impatient.
OUr only problem last year, was health, and inexperience. with a year under their belts, and hopefully a training regiment that will keep TMac healthy, and we're in the playoffs. Head/Rafer TMac Juwan Battier Yao That's a great starting Lineup..... I think.
What I really wanted out of this draft was a true SG, but one who was versatile enough to backup SF. I wanted an athletic player who could do a bit of everything. Someone who could create for himself and teammates. Hit the open jumper when available. Good decision maker. That's why I was very high on Ronnie Brewer. Some say the jumper is suspect, but I got the feeling that with his work ethic he would overcome that. I just think he would have been a perfect fit with the Rockets. A part of me is dissapointed we couldn't have just taken him. Battier isn't quite the "perfect fit" Brewer would have been. That's one regret I have.
