Less than a month ago the Rockets brass were saying they were in a win now mode. If they would have signed Mike James to go along with Battier, T-Mac and Yao then that would have been a starting group that probably could have competed for the WCF. James would have given the Rockets a very real number 3 scoring option and Battier as good of a 4th option as there is in the league. Of course James went to Minni and now Battier who would have been our 4th option is now our 3rd option. So are we still in a win now mode? I’m not sure but it does seem like we are in a mode of acquiring talent regardless of NBA experience. Snyder, V-Span, Hayes, JLIII and Novak are all very young players with little to no experience in the NBA but will still likely be asked to make significant contributions in the rotation next year. All are still very likely very impressionable as well. I have always believed that teammates can and usually do have big impacts on each others careers. As a result a team with young, talented but impressionable players need to have teammates that not only have a good work ethic and high character but are also very successful with that approach. I can’t think of two players in the league that I would rather have setting an example for our young players than Battier and Sura. No one can really question their success in the league or their approach. As much as T-Mac and Yao are the superstars on the team and both are good examples of what good players do, I think Sura and Battier may be a little more outgoing as leaders of the team. I also think that with that many young players on the team (particularly when Kirk Snyder is one of them) you need more than just a couple of veterans to keep them focused and playing the game the way it is suppose to be played. I think if you put that many young players on a team where the only real leader and role model is someone like Alan (we talkin’ bout practice!) Iverson then I think it’s a lot more likely that the team would implode at some point. As a young player it’s very hard to argue against what the coach preaches if you see your two superstars following his orders as well as players like Battier and Sura. I think when they see players like Yao Ming, T-Mac, Battier and Sura at practice early and busting their asses to try and improve them selves and play together and as a team then the Kirk Snyders of the team are a lot more likely to fall in line with that approach. And I certainly think that having Yao, T-Mac, Battier and Sura makes it a lot more likely that the Rockets young players will be successful.
I think Bowen is needed now more than ever. HUSTLE HUSTLE HUSTLE. BTW, anyone seen the Rybo movie, Hustle and Blow?
good post. first off i still am a little ticked we didn't get james but that said, i don't know how important an impact third scorer is when your main two guys are yao and t-mac. you can't have zero reliable options after them but i don't see that as the case here. battier is more then capable of being successful at that role anyways to your main point, i was thinking of this the other day when tinman posted that story about how the veterans took it to sam cassell in practice as a rookie and forced him to mature because they knew they would need him come playoff time. it obviously paid off. do the people on this team seem like the guys that would bring that intensity or is that relevant in today's nba? i think part of the reason i wanted mike james was because he seems like he would push it in practice and really make sure if you're guarding him or on his team, you would be working. now that could be a mischaracterization of james but looking down our roster and thinking about the cassell story you're probably correct in assuming battier and sura would be the ideal "role models." of course can't forget yao's work ethic. on the other side, how different is the nba now from even just 10 years ago? it's possible that the insane amount of money that are thrown at these young guys in their contracts or even advertisements effects the way they handle leadership. basketball has changed. van gundy has said, MANY players in this league play the game, not because they love it or even enjoy it, but because they're good at it and someone will pay them a lot to do it. (imo, part of the reason swift is gone.) i don't see this applying to JL3 or vspan but it's something to think about when you're trying to determine how a player will respond to the coaches leadership or if he'll follow the routines of a professional like battier. the good thing about this team is that there are a lot of great character guys, so it's not a big problem. if sura comes back plus the additions of snyder and vspan, there should/could be more fire to these nice guys.
In a discussion on role models for the rookies, you should not leave out Juwan Howard. I know his name is now anathema here and everyone is hoping he'll be gone by training camp (esp LakersPride), but he is a consummate professional and a hard worker, and a successful player to boot.
Good thread, I agree and I hope Sura is back. We have some good veterans ..Mutombo is still around! But we definitely have a lot of younger guys this season. They should be good guys though. Hayes and JLIII have played with us before. Span should be learning a lot and adjusting..Novak? Don't know. Snyder - hopefully he'll be influenced by the coaching staff and players. It would have been really nice to have a solid 3rd scoring option though.
