[CHRON]Rockets shouldn't have knee-jerk reaction to Shaq trade

No, but it might change they playoff fortunes. This article is strictly party line. Did the Rocket's PR department write it?

 

we have like 6 new players on this team, and yet so many people's thinking on here is to make a trade for the sake of trading.... honestly, this is baffling. how can you assess this team's playoff fortunes when this is practically a new team, with a new coach and a new philosophy? i guess i just dont see the need to make a move for the sake of change when we dont even know what we really have, yet at the same time are in the midst of 16-3 hot streak.

 

Just can't resist to post this old article from Steve Kerr, dude has an eye for centers

"Link to article (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_y...YF?slug=sk-notebook031506&prov=yhoo&type=lgns)

Quick, who is the second-best center in the NBA? Obviously Shaquille O'Neal is the best, and the name most people put after Shaq is Yao Ming. In fact, Yao has been on fire of late, averaging 32 points and 11 boards over his last five games.
But if you said Chris Kaman, you wouldn't be far off.

Kaman is having a breakthrough season and is one of the reasons the Clippers have become one of the better teams in the NBA. The 7-footer from Central Michigan is averaging 11.7 points and 9.4 boards but had a huge night in L.A.'s victory over Minnesota on Monday, going for 24 points and 23 rebounds. It was another in a long line of outstanding performances for the young center.

He is a traditional back-to-the-basket big man with great hands, a soft touch with either hand around the hoop and quicker feet than you'd think. He's always in good position defensively, clogging the lane and helping teammates, and he has anchored a defense that has been among the league leaders in opposing field-goal percentage all season. His presence has also opened up the game for Elton Brand, who is enjoying an MVP-type year.

In short, Kaman has become a top-five center in the league and may have elevated himself to the top two or three."

Steve Kerr should never be a GM, and he should never ever forever ever make decisions on trades with regards to big men.

 

True to a certain extent.

I don't care who the Rockets put out there around Yao and Tracy. If Tracy doesn't play with energy every night and just have sense of, I don't know how exactly to articulate this, but "wanting it". Passion perhaps. If he doesn't bring that every night, key word being every, why does he expect to win a championship? There are players that do bring that competitive energy and fire to their games more times than McGrady, but he wants to win a championship? Yao will bring it and you won't have to worry about him. It may not work for him, but not from a lack of effort. We will see how far we go this year. Much of that depends on McGrady, so hopefully he realizes that.

 

Kareem was an absolute nut about staying fit. The guy was unreal. Shaq in his dreams couldn't begin to approach Abdul-Jabbar as far as getting into and staying in condition. Who's Kerr kidding? Himself?

 

I don't see much downside to this trade for Phoenix.

Do I believe it will work and the Suns will win a Championship? I doubt it.
Do I believe they were going to win it all before the trade? Absolutely not.

So, in my opinion, they went from no real chance of winning a ring and then losing Marion to giving themselves a small chance at a ring. Sounds good to me and I applaud Kerr's "gamble" on this one. Not to mention, Shaq suddenly seems 2-3 years younger according to how he says he feels physically (which is an indictment on him as a professional) and ready to bust his butt to prove the doubters wrong.

 

If the Rockets could acquire Sam, I'd feel much better about the playoffs, and I doubt it would break the bank to get him.

 

can you provide the source's link? It's pretty annoying seeing articles quoted but lack the source's link. thank

 

Les is living up to his name this year.

 

well the fact that shaq, nash, and bell are all off of the cap in the same summer might make sense from a management standpoint. but the problem is they hit the FA pool a year after kobe, arenas, wade, brand, johnson, etc... hit in '09.

 

I agree. Its a gamble but a motivated Shaq - if healthy (a big if) - could work out for the Suns in a big way.

 

The suns had to trade marion, he was not happy. The probably got the best they could for him.

 

If I was phoenix, I would've tried to swing a marion for gasol+fodder instead of shaq. You're right, shaq is probably the best they could get NOW but man...a monster contract for 2 years at 20MM will really screw phoenix if shaq is one and done this post/off season.

Marion at 17-18MM and him likely to opt out of memphis woulda made Jerry West jump at the opportunity. Then again, since Memphis is quitting this season and is having their fire sale, they still got alot of cap room with expiring contracts from kbrown and aaron mckie + 2 1st rd picks.

Still, from Kerr's perspective, he CLEARLY knee jerked for this trade after the gasol trade. Gasol fits in LA, but he woulda been badass in phoenix.

 

Party line or not, I have to somewhat agree. Making a trade just because everyone else is doing so is not wise. And, could further negatively impact the team for years to come. Having said that, I'm all for swapping some of our lesser used (Snyder and MJ) players for players that might someday have a chance of getting off the pine. At the very least it would give Snyder a chance to see some play time on a team that needs him.

I give the Suns trade around 20% chance (I went through many complex computations and proofs before pulling this number out of my @ss) of working. But I look at it as a positive since it has a greater chance of removing some competion that's been above us for many years. And (much more importantly) there's an outside possibility that with the Suns and Lakers playing each other frequently that Shaq might just get into it with Kobe and knock him on his ass (many times). Guess what I'm hoping for!

 

They shouldn't make a trade because someone else did.

They should make one to correct the erroneous path they went down under VG. They should have surrounded Yao with greyhounds instead of one-dimensional standstill spot up shooters.

If the Shaq experiment is even only moderately successful, they'd better start recognizing it.

 

For one thing Shaq and Kareem have different body types. For another, in the latter years of his career, Kareem actually bulked up to more effectively account for his reduced speed and fluidity. Finally, Kareem's pride was evident in his deeds, not his mouth.

BTW - Shaq's injuries and Walton's injuries were as much at odds as their recent 'feud'. Just for the record - had the deadhead/Redhead had 'normal' feet he just might have been GOAT. Maybe. But, he was that good for the discussion to have included him.

 

the Shaq trade is interesting. the Suns, even w/o Marion & Shaq, are probably good enough to secure a decent playoff seeding. the gamble is whether Shaq can provide that extra umph they've lacked in recent playoffs.

Kerr made this trade for its successful season ending possibilities. despite his idiotic Kaman comments, i don't think he's stupid enough to expect a lot of regular season help from O'Neal.

its a betting man's move. can the aging big man recapture even 80% of his former dominance fer 28+ games? i don't think the answer is conclusive at this point, just a roll of the dice.

 

btw, the Rockets should make no trade solely 'cause other teams made moves.

 

I don't see Shaq playing beyond the Suns.....I think title or not this will be his final farewell.

Kobe is probably staying in LA, unless LA suddenly makes run LeBron. I doubt it very seriously.

Wade will stay in Miami

Brand and Johnson, hard to say.

Arenas will end up in......................................a city not named Washington, they don't really need him.