[State of the Rockets 08-09] Everything you need to know

That should be enough to disqualify him.

 

At least as a rocket. Ha Ha

 

Grant. Hill.

 

We need to make changes around here... only a fool puts out the same team expecting different results. We need length and athleticism. Guys like James and Francis were big hits last year but did not fit the bill. So this is what I propose we do-
Luther Head for Ike Diogu
They've liked Head for a while and this gives them a solid young shooter. It clears up the front court for Williams and Harrison.

Jackson, Brooks and 2nd round pick for Artest.
Artest could leave for nothing. Adelman is the coach that got the most out of him as a team player. More assist and rebounds (taking less shots) during that time respectively.

Battier, 2.5 Trade exception and 1st pick for Barbosa
Suns are like us...this team isn't working. They need to trade offense for defense and veteran leadership. Battier is that guy for them. He was a great glue guy for us but honestly you need the talent level to require the glue. We never had it and could never afford the luxury of our third best player being the glue guy. Yao has taken a more vocal leadership role this season...I fully expect that to continue.

There are a few teams with enough cap space to sign players for more then the MLE...however, with this years great FA crop plus all the teams trying to retain players... we could make a steal.
Sign Josh Childress for MLE
Atlanta has to deal with Bibby's contract and Johnson's contract. Now they need to sign Smith who demands and deserves the max (in today's NBA anyways).

resign Mike Harris and Gerald Green

Yao Diogu
Scola Landry Hayes
Artest Novak Harris
Tmac Childress Green
Barbosa Alston Francis

Barbosa is not a good point guard... he is however a good efficient player. He has good handles and exceptional quickness allowing him to be a solid defender and an excellent penetrator. I agree that a great Chris Paul like pg is what the Rockets need...however I have to believe that have a great point guard is always good for a team (see Pistons, Spurs, Suns, Utah, Hornets..). We reasonably can not get one of those players...we can however get a solid hybrid guard. Barbosa comes from a system that thrives off sharing the ball. Alston proved in the games he played in the playoffs that Tmac needs a person that can create and handle the ball sometimes to take the pressure off of him. Barbosa will get a couple easy assist each game from just dumping it to Yao. I reasonably expect he will be solid a point for us. That's the weak point too...everything else he brings is a great plus. He can shoot with high efficiency and drive, creating reverse cuts and defensive fouls.

Artest- does he fit? Yes, absolutely...I will take that risk. Rockets had Maxwell...the Bulls Rodman....sometimes you need to take the gamble. His character is his weakness and our coach is the best at keeping him sane and focused. His positives, another creator that can drive. He shoots the 3 ball at a less efficient clip than Battier, but his ability to drive, takeover, and create a play trumps this. We've tried to surround Yao with 3 point shooters...hasn't worked so far. His defense is world class, so we still have our guy to throw at Kobe and Lebron.

Childress- Is what this team needed. A player who can gun it down the court and give us length at the guard position when Tmac sits down. I fully expect with Tmac getting a little older, increase wear and tear, to keep his efficiency up his minutes must go down. Childress will admirably fulfill these minutes. He is not starter material for his ability to create is minimal. He can attack but is a little skinny to do it for long periods of time. However with Artest, Barbosa, Tmac already attacking, Childress can do what he has learned to do in Atlanta...beat up on guys who are tired down by Williams, Smith and Johnson. As a bench player he is superior to his peers.

Alston is still on the bench and can start sometimes depending on matchups (Barbosa is used to the bench to no conflict here). Diogu will give us size and athleticism behind Yao. Scola and Landry will continue to improve. Hayes will contribute when called upon. Green and Harris give us athleticism when we need it and potentially they can play extended periods when Tmac or Artest go down. Francis can contribute in his on little way when called upon as a penetrator. Novak will hopefully improve in the off season and give us a 3 point threat on the bench. This team will be able to compete and will retain the core and direction of the team. This is win now.

 

Let me also add my congrats on a truly great thread. Your hard work is much appreciated.

 

that's not necessarilly true. I can think of two such instances in the recent past being Garbajosa and Sarunas Jasikevicius (sp?).

Siskauskas looks intriguing. He shot over 45% from 3 and is contributing to CSKA who is tops in the euroleague.

The fact that the Spurs are interested in him also tells me something. I like that fact that these "top level" european players coming into the league as veterans have experience in meaningful and high stakes games. If he can come in and have a similar impact as Scola I would be ecstatic...
From the looks of him he and Scola play a similar style, they play below the rim but are heady players who take high percentage shots and believe in the team concept.

I think the people who are all about blowing the whole thing up need to relax..
take a look at the Spurs model. or how Dallas and Phx couldn't pull it together. Add a player of this caliber on the cheap (similar to Scola) and see how it goes.

Count me in the bandwagon of keeping what we have together and just adding to the depth.

 

The beauty about a post like this is I can just skip over the whole thing because I know Morey will do a better job than any other person in the world will at crafting this roster into a championship-worthy one. He's only had one year so far and look what he got us, Scola Landry Brooks and no more Kelvin Cato/Juwan Howard/Mike James albatross contract! THANKS CARROLL DAWSON.

Here's all you need to know. Whatever moves Morey makes will probably be criticized by the greater public, and whichever players he adds will likely be hated, but in the end all the naysayers will be wrong and he will be right because this guy showed last year that he knows what he's doing. Imagine what he could have done had we not been cash-strapped and cap-bursting to begin with. THANKS CARROLL DAWSON.

 

Kudos! Sticky this thing, Clutch.

Agree with Jeff, Solid, DD, etc. about "length on the perimeter. We have too many midget guards behind TMac and we are sorely lacking in athleticism and guys who can get their own shot from the guard/small forward position" and upgrading the point guard spot. I'm still absorbing all the info.

Did I say kudos? One more time! KUDOS, blathersby.

 

This is the most I've been fired up for an offseason. I really think Yao+TMac and no INJURIES would have gotten us over the hump. What the Rockets really need is to plan around these injuries and the FA list shows lots of promise. It is so sad to think that way (Injury Planning) but that is our reality.

 

Sam Cassell
Scot Pollard
James Posey (P)
Chris Duhon
Eduardo Najera
Mickael Pietrus
Chris Mihm
Chris Andersen
Melvin Ely (P)
Jannero Pargo
Bonzi Wells
Raef LaFrentz
Ron Artest
Lorenzen Wright
Kurt Thomas
Antawn Jamison


sign'em up.

 

What I'm diggin' is that we appear to have a GM who knows his business and we certainly have a coach who can take what he's given and get the most out of it. I may even get over my "playoffs ended too early, dammit!!" post-season depression. I love reading and discussing this stuff during the summer. Some of the old-timers come out of the woodwork for this. I hope we see them soon.

 

either Mike miller or Ron artest with theo ratliff please!

 

why not? big Athletic, can block shots, won't get pushed around by Ocur, Adds length, did i say he can block shots, he is a much better version of cato. all we need is an athletic 7 footer to back up yao. and for MLE i think theo is doable.

 

Diop or Elson is much better and they wont ask more than mle.

 

Vivid was way off on alot of his thoughts but i like the idea of trading Battier and signing Childress. Childress is very similar to Battier, obviously he isn't as good but he is younger,cheaper, and more atheletic. I'd rather have a less effective player as our wing defender for cheap than have battier for so much money.

It might be better to use Battier in a deal with the expiring contracts to net a really good player. It would have to be a player the other team is willing to give up though. What about Battier/BJax/Francis+2.5M exception for Vince Carter, Shawn Marion or Jason Richardson? Those teams don't look like their going anywhere and would probably love to drop some of that salary for a high character good defender.