With all the Artest news and Landry situation, we need to not overlook getting Deke back. If for nothing more than to give Yao rest in games. If we go on to win it all, it will be nice to have Deke there with the team. There are few guys who deserve it as much as he does. Not to mention as a player on an opposing team, you have to get around Ron or Shane only to meet Deke when Yao's resting. When do you get a break? I'd like to see us go 4-0 against the much hyped fakers. It would be even sweeter if kobe averages less than 20 against us. I was debating League Pass, but this seals it. Lastly, with the eyes of the nation on the refs (and hopefully calls against Yao) there's no way we have to tolerate bad calls any longer. One could hope at least.
In my opinion getting Deke back is a must now and that's not because of what he does on the court. Deke is the kind of person that you need in the locker room for that veteran leadership. If players like Deke & Barry can't help to gel this team I don't know who will.
last year deke signed on october 1st - right before training camp. i would expect the same this year, if not later. you know deke doesnt want to run =p
he better be our backup center next season. w/ all that perimeter talent we got, our frontcourt is undersized after yao and deke, but both of them are the best at manning the paint so that makes up for the lack of size. i thought deke comin back was already discussed...
Deke was great for us last year. I would love to have him back and actually win a ring for him this year. Plus the man is a great backup center.
I don't think we really NEED Deke, at least not on the court. Just remember he was buried on the end of the bench until Yao got injured last season and Scola was the one playin back up center (in fact the first game Scola started it was at center against the Jazz). But with that said I still think he would be good to have around the locker room to continue to mentor the young guys and for the chemistry. And as many have said if anyone deserves a ring, it's Deke.
the difference this season is that the Rockets don't need to save Deke for the playoffs; they need to save Yao. so if the Rockets sign Deke (hopefully), please please please don't wait for Yao to get injured to give him minutes (like 07 and 08), dammit.
Totally agree. YAO is too damn injury-prone. We need Deke to unload some of YAO's heavy minutes if we desire to win the title.
ya, the fairy tale ending would be for us to win it all this year ... -tmac and yao (aka leaders of never gotten outta first round club to the haters) win it all -artest, a labeled maniac all around the league proves everyone wrong -deke, just someone you can't help but think deserves a ring. it's not even a question whether or not he deserves it. -stevie, "washed up" but shows that not only can he still play, but win. -adelman, never won a championship as coach pulls everyone together as one unit and one purpose ... and accomplishes the goal -heck even throw in jvg for instilling in us our defensive identity. -our core of role players ... always played off and have always worked hard but have never been rewarded ... get rewarded with a ring. -Rockets, never in the spotlight as much as the lakers or celtics ... win it all and shut up everyone who plays us off as the wanna-be contenders. the one thing i've grown to love about the rockets is our team chemistry. i dont know if its just me but when i see other teams play, most (exception of the best teams) just don't seem to have it as much as our Rockets. the thing we've simply lacked was talent (and injury free seasons). let's pray that our stars will remain injury free, artest flourishes with us, mount mutombo and landry resign, francis makes his long-overdue comeback, and that adelman mixes this all together perfectly.
