This is a good post. Totally agree with you on Artest, this should be a priority. Davis and Diop would be very nice additions to the bench and could be valuable if and when one of our primaries go down.
Idk about Ricky Davis. Diop is a great choice though. He is pretty young, so he can learn without getting too tired...he may thrive under RA's system...who knows? Artest is SOO needed. If anyone can turn his personality around, its RA and our two superstars.
He still has his explosion from the 20 games I watched. If the rox get Artest 1st to play along with tracy, then u bring Davis off the bench for 30 mins a night. Plus he's 28 which puts him the same age as ur core. He'll get u 10-12pts , 4rebs, a couple of dimes and shoot 40% 3pt, 77 ft at 6'7. He's been a knucklehead yrs ago, but the last few yrs he's been cool.
Wait, are you suggesting getting rid of Alston (for what?) and starting Brooks? Did you happen to watch the Jazz series? A healthy Rafer means we probably win that series. The offense was completely discombobulated with Brooks out there and he just gets abused defensively. If anything, Brooks is in line to be a Bobby Jackson style change of pace backup. I think he could do great in that role, but I don't see him as a starter. He beats his man all of the time, but he doesn't know what to do with the ball. Maybe he'll improve, but his decision making is weak. We've seen for two years that Rafer is just as important to the team playing well as Yao and McGrady. You can't just chuck him aside unless there is something really, really good coming our way at the point.
Artest and Davis on the same team!!!! Only 1 malcontent at a time please and I personnally don't want either! Davis already has a fork stuck in him and even a chartered flight won't let Artest on with all his baggage!
Talent wins. If you can upgrade talent, do it. All this personality/headcase crap is overrated. Those guys don't bring down organizations because any good organization can contain them. Sheed, Mad max, and Dennis Rodman, all headcases. All have championship rings too. Bringing in a guy with a bad reputation is actually a good way to upgrade without losing much, many teams have done it before.
The problem is you need an alpha to maintain control. Olajuwon, Billups, and Jordan all were that guy. Who is that on the Rockets?
I'll concede Jordan. Although, Olajuwon was a great leader but not necessarily vocally and Billups can't really be considered the leader of the pistons, at that time it was Ben Wallace (who isn't really a calming force himself). In reality no one kept those guys in check, they were just as crazy winning championships as they were when they weren't. I don't know why everyone wants to say they kept them at bay.
Yes I agree a cushy move for a bench sitter and local resident. Yet being in his final contract year, he would be available as a trade stuffer. Then it will be really good to have had him back!
Rasheed is hot headed. So was Maxwell. (You can't say that Mad Max wasn't a distraction during that second championship run. We were just strong enough to overcome it. In the least, his "talent" wasn't contributing at all for that second ring.) Rodman was flamboyant and weird but he knew what he was doing. None of these guys are crazy. Artest, on the other hand, IS CRAZY. Something triggers him, he will blow up your whole season. Besides, it's just a whole lot more fun to root for good guys than bad guys.
You don't have to be a great leader. Olajuwon was know for having a mean temper when set off and wanted to win. I bet screwing around was an easy way to set him off. You need that kind of guy. A guy who WILL get pissed off if you screw around. If anyone used to be that guy on our team, it was JVG.
Daryl was also on our show yesterday afternoon. Already got the interview up for podcast right here ESPN 97.5 THE TICKET PODCASTS here's a direct link where you can stream the interview http://www.3592.com/onlinedb/kfncfm/audio/JSDARYLMOREY5-7.mp3
