Which NBA teams could use players the Rockets have?

Miami Heat comes off the top of my head.

They lack outside shooting and we have some players that can shoot if given the open chance to (Head, Novak, etc). Hell, Kapono was damn good there last year.

 

I think Battier would be wanted on pretty much any championship contender.

Without doing a lick of research, someone like James (despite his offensive woes this year) or Rafer would be attractive to a contender for bench help.

 

I constantly hear from Lakers fans that they'd love to have Shane Battier.

The Mavericks, the Hornets, and any other team that play a half court game without a low post scorer could use Bonzi Wells.

 

I would think Head to be real attractive to most teams. Even though he's a tweener, he can hit the outside shot with consistancy.......

 

Here's a lengthier post:

MIAMI:

Needs:

Outside shooting. Other than Jason Williams, their team has little to zero perimeter shooters.

Who we have: Novak, Head, Brooks. Like I said before, if Kapono can thrive in their offense, I don't see why Novak or Head wouldn't.

CHARLOTTE:

Needs:

Power Forward. Their frontline is nothing to write home about with May done for the year and Primo playing like Secondario.

Who we have: Hayes. I'm not advocating trading Hayes away since he got a cheap contract, hustles, and plays well with Yao, but they got players (maybe Matt Carroll) that can spell our lack of consistent shooting.

NEW ORLEANS:

Needs:

Defensive player. Granted, their team is downright scary when healthy, but they need someone that can defend other than Tyson Chandler.

Who we have: Battier. I still don't think he's the defensive wizard we all make him out to be but he does enough to get the job done. And on a team that wouldn't rely on him scoring, this would probably make Battier into a better complimentary player. I honestly think they're one defensive perimeter player away from being a complete team.

BOSTON:

Needs:

A bench. Their 3 are playing a lot of minutes early on and will probably need some rest at one point or another.

Who we have: Bonzi and maybe Francis. Both are signed on the cheap and can anchor a real 2nd unit for this team.

 

New Orleans needs a defensive coach more than a defensive player. Chris Paul and Peja aren't a good defenders at all, but West, Bobby Jackson, Ely, Butler, and Armstrong have played good defense at some time in their careers. Byron Scott just isn't a very good defensive coach. Battier wouldn't help them nearly as much as a new coach.

 

I would love it if we could get Artest from Sacramento for say Shane and Luther, or Shane and Kirk; some combination of two players like that. Im not sure, but I think Artest makes more money than Battier, so that's why I am including another player. Someone else would have to add who would work concerning the salaries, etc.

Artest would give us just as good, probably better defensive presence than Battier, and still be an offensive threat in the starting lineup. Plus he would bring some meanness and attitude to the team that we sorely lack. I wouldn't worry about having three supposedly "bad boys" on our team; since Steve and Bonzi are long past those days.

Question is, would Sacramento have any reason to do a trade like this?

 

Dallas needs Rafer Alston. Pretty please?

 

What better way to mask a coach's defensive inefficiency than to add a cerebral player that plays defense well?

The issue, like you stated, is that their perimeter players don't play defense all that well while their frontline is more than capable. Having a player like Battier-who's quicker than Ely and who's stronger/taller than Jackson/Armstrong/Butler--can do a lot for their team.

 

Kobe for Tmac+Head+Snyder+James

 

Yes, we will gladly trade our starting point gaurd rafer for their backup point gaurd Jason Terry. What more could they want??!!

 

A few Rockets would be great fits in Phoenix:

Battier for his ability to find the open spot, hit threes, and most importantly, his team defense in a zone. He could back up the forward positions, where they're a little thin (especially when Grant Hill inevitably gets injured).

Head for his shooting, of course. He'd be like a second Barbosa over there.

Even Alston would be an upgrade for them at backup PG over an out-of-position Barbosa...someone who distributes and runs while Nash is out.

 

Houston Trade Breakdown
Change in Team Outlook: +3.5 ppg, -1.4 rpg, and -0.8 apg.
Incoming Players
Rodney Carney
6-6 SF from Memphis
4.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 0.6 apg in 12.2 minutes
Andre Miller
6-2 PG from Utah
14.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 4.8 apg in 35.6 minutes
Outgoing Players
Rafer Alston
6-2 PG from Frenso State
8.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 4.8 apg in 29.4 minutes
Shane Battier
6-8 SF from Duke
7.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.4 apg in 34.5 minutes
Philadelphia Trade Breakdown
Change in Team Outlook: -3.5 ppg, +1.4 rpg, and +0.8 apg.
Incoming Players
Rafer Alston
6-2 PG from Frenso State
8.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 4.8 apg in 29.4 minutes
Shane Battier
6-8 SF from Duke
7.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.4 apg in 34.5 minutes
Outgoing Players
Rodney Carney
6-6 SF from Memphis
4.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 0.6 apg in 12.2 minutes
Andre Miller
6-2 PG from Utah
14.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 4.8 apg in 35.6 minutes

 

I'm sure it wouldn't hurt teams, like the Lakers, Mavs, Spurs, and Pistons...to accidentally end up with one of the league's premier big men. Every team would instantly be a favorite to win ..... the next 3 championships, and become the 3rd team in NBA history to win 3 consecutive Championships.

C-
PF-Duncan
SF-Bowen
SG-FInley/Ginobili
PG -

C-
PF-Bynum/Brown
SF-Odom
SG-Kobe
PG-Fisher

C-
PF-Nowitzki
SF-Howard
SG-Terry
PG-Harris

C-
PF-Wallace
SF-Prince
SG-Hamilton
PG-Billiups


Imagine any of those teams with top-flight center....would be really scary for the league. IF they can't get their hands on this guy, they could always settle for Mutombo, who is probably better than all of their centers combined?

Could you imagine weaker or middle of the road Eastern Conference teams? Ending up with this guy. Think of the Wizards, Hawks, or the Pacers adding this guy don't see team that could challenge for conference title.

Battier would be good for S.A., after this year, if Bowen retires.

The Lakers could use players like Francis and Wells to come off the bench.

T-Mac would be great for Chicago, low-rent and less high maintenance of Kobe, not quite as good, but really when you already have Deng, Hinrich, Gordon, Thomas, Wallace, Nocioni, and etc. Do you really need much more?

Scola would do well in a place, like Detroit. He could slowly become better defender and aggressive player under the wing of Sheed.

 

The Denver Nuggets absolutely need Luther Head.

The 1996-97 Houston Rockets absolutely needed Rafer Alston.

 

This is a cleverly disguised "trade O-fer" thread

 

Well, Cleveland does need a point guard. They can have "Skip to my Brick" for Varajao.

 

Luther Head would definetely be very attractive to a team that needs outstide shooting and he's fairly young as well. I'm not a big advocate of giving up Battier to another team unless it was for a borderline all star type, but he would really be attractive to a playoff type team. I don't see a team offering anything much for Rafer, in fact the rockets would have to discount him to another team just to get rid of him. It still makes me sick to watch Rafer on the same court with Yao and T-Mac. Rafer to Atlanta for some of there garbage would be a dream.

 

I dont see why we would trade any of our players (even our scrub players) to the same conference especially teams like Jazz, Mavericks the teams that give us trouble all the time.....i would be looking at teams like the Bulls who probably want to make some kind of a change, they came into this season with high hopes (like the rockets) and havn't performed well at all.....if we are looking for a consistent shooter we should go after kyle krover he is a decent shooter that we can probably get for someone like snyder or wells.....Eastern confernce is really week right now and we can probably get a decent scorer for some one like rafer or head