The Rox backcourt, as of today: Rafer Snyder KillBill Head Battier (as well as 3/4) Sura (maybe) Little Luke (maybe) So, how does the backcourt shake out? If Sura can play then (at least) one will go...Head? Is Alston a trade chip? Is there a big 2 up CD's sleeve?
i like the depth, speed, and shooting of our backcourt. snyder-head-sura rafer-killbill-lucas consider the backcourt done. unless of course the rumors of head being on his way out are done...but we have no other assets available to bring in anyone else. i think our roster is basically set.
I don't think we can consider Battier a guard at all. McGrady will play a fair amount of 2 next year (probably even start), but Battier is a 3/4. Alston is going nowhere. He is the best ball-handler the team has had in years, and he's the only non-rookie PG. I'm guessing if Sura comes back, it'll be Lucas's loss. He'd be on a rookie contract. But I'm guessing they'll just move him to IR, rather than cut him.
Whether we consider Shane a backcourt Battier or nay he and the coaching staff has daid he'll play some 2. TMac 2, a 2? Some, probably. Interesting decisions impend.
I hate this position naming. If the BEST perimeter player on the team we face is a 2-guard, battier will play 2-guard on defense and guard him. That's what's going to happen, like it or not, call him a 2 or not, that's the fact, period. Enough of this misunderstanding , it's annoying. Our perimeter players, let's call it that are: Rafer Alston Luther Head Kirk Snyder Shane Battier Tracy McGrady Ryan Bowen(oh god!) Vassillis Spanoulis Bob Sura(he's not coming back, let's face it) Do I see a trade of one of them? If it is, it's going to be Luther, or even Sura as a cap filler in a deal. Do I hope for one of them to be moved? No doubt, get rid of Ryan Bowen! Anyways, I'm hoping Rafer, Luther will be our parts to stop the fast PGs, same with Vassilis. I hope Kirk, Tracy, and Shane take the bigger, better guards! A good rotation of 3 of them is good. However I see: Tracy, Shane, Kirk, Luther and Rafer as the main rotations of the 1-3 positions. I don't think we'll see Luther moved, until we REALLY see how Vassillis performs.
Hope fully our backcourt is able to handle the ball well and t-mac wont have to handle the rock like he had to in the playoffs and season two years ago. That will take much pressure off of him and can help him focus more on scoring and defending. If Rafear and rest of backcourt cant handle it i am going to be mad BUt they will rpolly do a good job rokets have an okay depth. not too much not too little.
Rafer was a huge component when our team was healthy last season. His ball-handling, perimeter defense provided a great help, overall. I'm hoping we are all healthy to see this team really on the floor, it'll be exciting.
Yes, that is true. But i wish he can keep it up consistantly. A healthy rockets club is dangerous. Just like a ak47
pg- alston/JL3/vspan (JVG liked JL3 over vspan, if he signed with us) sg- synder/head/sura sf- tmac/navok/bowen pf- battier/howard/hayes c- yao/deke Depends on where would CD put battier at. Howard is definately the odd man out with his contract playing as a bench warmer. if battier stays at 4, then howard will be shopped. If battier stay at 3 than we may just be getting a younger pf/c person. pg- alston/JL3/vspan/sura sg- tmac/synder/head/ sf- battier/bowen pf- howard/hayes/novak c- yao/deke in this situation, head is not getting much PT, so head maybe gone.
Head isnt going anywhere. Sura will either play or retire he won't be traded. Alston isnt leaving he is the starter just based on having the most experiance and thats big in Van Gundy's mind. I think Lucas will be signed soon and he'll be Alston's backup as I don't think V-Span will play many mins this season. The PF spot is set and as I have said many times don't expect a trade to Upgrade it CAUSE ITS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. Go Rockets!!!
I don't disagree, but Battier will guard the strongest perimeter player. If the 2-guard is Arenas or Wade and the wing players for the Rockets are McGrady and Battier, T-Mac has to guard them. (I would guess the Rockets would play smaller and Snyder and Sura(?) would play 2-guard.) While Battier is an excellent defender, he only has average SF quickness.
if Cd want to win now, before he retired than it doesn't make sense in keeping sura if he can't even contribute. alston/vspan/JL3 */synder/head/sura If synder the starting 2, then perhap we would keep sura for a while (given he can log in couple of mins a game) if tmac the starting 2, then no sense of keeping sura at all, as he will be IR and space. this will be interesting to see how it would develop. CD wants to win one more championship before he retired. also JVG is in his last year of the contract with the big math goru, JVG may not be back next season.
If they have to cut someone, they BETTER cut Bowen before JLIII. That's just idiocy if they're willing to cut JLIII first. The cap hit wouldn't be that big and I think I can speak for everyone when I say we'd be ok with that cap hit. Of course JVG will intervene and we'll make a dumb decision because his boy Bowen has to be on the team.
I ain't madd at this backcourt Consistancy and solid will be the buzz words IMO we *have* to have a triple double collectively from this crew and maybe 3 steals 12 ~ 16 pts 8 ~ 11 RBs 11 - 13 Asst Rocket River
