Now that the smoke has cleared and we're pretty much done with the off-season moves (maybe), what combination of players would you prefer? I'm not including Novak, JL3, Snyder and Jacobsen because we could have gotten those guys either way. But it's safe to say that if we had signed Mike James, we couldn't have gotten Bonzi and wouldn't have brought over VSpan. IMO, the Battier/Bonzi/VSpan is a much tougher combo defensively. Shooting ability is about equal. So is versatility. James/Gay/Stro is slightly younger. BBV is also more proven than JGS. Sometimes Plan B is better than Plan A.
Gay's potential is scary. But for the Rockets Bonzi/Battier/Kill Bill is a better choice than the other one. It's going to be one HELL of a team if they click.
In Jeff's system, its a no brainer. Battier, Bonzi and Bill are my choice. We are gonna cause matchup problems next year with a lot of small ball combo's. Stro never had a clue what it took to play in Jeff's system, Gay was an unproven talent, and Mike James is a legit scorer, but he sometimes needs to massage the ball (a la Stevie Francis) to score. Jeff wants to score form moving the ball around and screen and rolls, snd both Stevie and MJames would rather take a defender 1 on 1. Congrats to CD and the staff for making something out of nothing.
Thats the problem with potential... until it is realized its scary. Ill take production over potential all day.
Eddie Griffin had "high potential"...........we saw how that worked out..............Gay will be okay, but no superstar...if I am wrong a championship ring will soften that blow.
That's a good point. I suppose that should have been an option. Is there any way I can change the poll choices?
I really wanted Mike James. I'd still like to have him. I wasn't too sure about Stro last offseason and my doubts were confirmed. I really don't know a damn thing about Gay, but he's a rookie, and what we needed were starters. Battier doesn't have Gay's potential, but he doesn't have his downside, either. He's a proven NBA starter and the ultimo role player. It's never fun trading two players for one (even if one guy you're trading kinda sucks), especially when you don't know if Gay's going to be really good. BUT, we traded two guys who probably won't start this season for one guy who will. V-Span, hell, I'll excited to finally see this guy. We've heard rumor and conjecture on this dude wafting over from the Mediterranean for like four years now. Sure didn't hurt that he had a big game against Lebron and co. at the Worlds. Like his attitude, like his confidence; he's gonna help us, and cheaply. Bonzi is some incredible luck. I really do feel more comfortable with five proven starters on the squad now. I'm not as down on Alston as some around here are. This group has the potential to be a powerful, versatile offence, and the defence is taken care of.
Ya know, I don't want to say anything negative on a brilliant day like today, but since you asked... I still don't like the Rudy Gay trade. In fact, having a solid veteran like Bonzi is even more reason to go for a rookie with potential. With Bonzi, Gay would have room to gradually work his way into the starting lineup, and could be groomed as his successor.
I think the James group would have made us a more up-tempo team. All those guys would fly up and down the court. The Battier group makes us more of a half court team, which isn't necessarily bad. In fact, it's more in line with how Yao and TMac like to play. Also, this group based on their individual talent can D-up well in the half court as well in transition D.
People need to forget about Gay being on the Rox. It was never going to happen. If we could not have gotten Battier, Gay still would not be on the team. For whatever reason, the Rox did not want to draft Gay to keep. If Memphis said no deal, it would probably be Sefolosha on the Rox instead. Gay was selected only because the deal with Memphis was in place.
Where is it written that everything is mutually exclusive, or that the choices were A or B? If we got James it's not like the Spanoulis draft rights get thrown out the window or swift doesn't get swapped out. When the Rockets were pursuing James, Swift and Gay had already been traded to the Grizzlies. How is this even possible then to have a line up of James, Swift, and Gay? Plan A was James and Battier and Spanoulis.
You're absolutely right. I just wanted to simplify it. Regarding VSpan though, he was clearly plan B in case Mike James didn't sign. Plus, there would have been no money to sign him given that James would have taking the entire MLE. The TE's or the vet min would not apply. And the league min would not have been enough IMO.
I voted James, Gay, and Stro. James is the best player listed. Battier is the next best player listed in my opinion even though he's another of my favorite players, too. With the way this board reacted to the Battier for the eight pick and Stro, I would have expected more people to value Gay and Stro over Bonzi and VSpan. I would have preferred to vote for James and Battier. Alston and Howard, the two most inefficient scorers for the Rockets last year, are relegated to the bench in favor of two people who can put up a combined 30 ppg highly efficiently. Battier and James are better defenders foir their position even though Alston can get a few steals. You would have 4 three point shooters around Yao in the starting lineup. This would have been a beautiful starting team that would be very thin after that.
our MLE was either going to Mike James (I think we offered him the whole MLE) or VSpan, JL3, and Bonzi. I'd go with the latter.
any list you could put head to heaf i'm always gonna pick the one that doesnt include Swift. but apart from dumping Swift - I was disapointed with this summer right up til the Wells signing.
