First, Why would any team want to trade its best franchise player who has become the identity of his team and is only in his 3RD FREAKIN YEAR! The man is going to start at the point for the western conf. all-star team for the next 8-10 years. Also, why does none realize that no point guard,not J Kidd, not Andre Miller not even john stockton in his prime will ever average more than 7 apg in Rudys offense because its not a passing offense. Its an iso, one-on-one, beat your man off the dribble offense that doesnt generate assists. SO GET OFF STEVES ASS. If Steve, cat, and eddie can be left to grow for 3 more years, Cato improves to just an 8/7/2.5 guy(HOW FREAKIN HARD IS THAT) and the Rockets add a competant 3 who can shoot ( Caron Butler anyone? ) the rockets will at least make the second round of the playoffs. The rockets would have a good bench( MoTaylor, KT, Torres, Morris, and Norris ), awsome backcourt, above average 4, and an average center. They only need one more thing that nobody else is talking about, a thug. A thug to set the tone. One that wont take crap from Malone, Webber, or Rasheed. One that wont allow his teammates be bullied or take plays off. One that takes the intesity up by hustling, rebounding, defending, and challenging his teammates to take it up a notch. A Kenyon Martin type guy with some balls. Someone that will get Cato and Mo Taylor off their lazy asses and REBOUND. Somebody with fire that wouldnt allow anymore 30 point blowouts without somebody getting decked in the face. An intimidator. Thats what the rockets are lacking. Trading away your best players wont help. The rockets just need to get a thug and let this team grow and gel.
An enforcer is exactly what we need. If you look at every winning team there is you will see at least one enforcer on the team.
Anyone who doubts this fact need only look at the tape of the phoenix game. Look at the points in the paint, total lack of defensive effort in the last 5 sec. and how bad Collier was bullied by Tsakallidas. THIS CANNOT CONTINUE NEXT YEAR!!!!
Why not draft Amare Stoudamire? He looks like a thug. A 6' 10" 240lb High schooler, he's described as being a ferocious nasty dunker. He's being compared to Shawn Kemp (in his pre-fat years Im guessing).
You need a thug, then go bring in Mike Tyson. We're need a decent basketball player, not some gangster dude who would go around and start picking fights.
Armare does sounds like a good fit. I think we have time for him to develop as well... I believe it'll be a few years before our team is ready to contend. He'll be one more piece to the puzzle, the moves the Rockets make in the next 2 years are going to tell if Steve and Cat have a championship career in Houston, or a Seattle, good but never good enough career. The Rockets should collect the best talent available, rather than go for need at this point in the rebuilding process (yes rebuilding) Armare sounds like a great project, especially if Gooden or Wilcox are gone on draft day. The Rockets don't get in anyone's faces, they don't commit any fouls, and they are not a physical team... save maybe Kenny. Houston is quite content to trade shots to any other team in the league, always adopting the other teams style of play. They NEVER set the tone for a game... Houston needs someone to step up and set the tone, tough defense every night. That is what is needed from our leader, not more assists per game. (tho ball movement is indeed a problem) The biggest single weakness on our team is the belief that they don't have to play their best defense for 48 minutes a game, every game of the season. If that's what you call a thug, someone who responds in ways other than just trying to score harder... Yep we need a thug.
I dont think he's talking about bringing in a dirty player. There are decent basketball players out there who are also very physical. We need a player with confidence who intimidates and taunts and plays with the oponents minds. Kmart, Tmac, and KG are good examples.
I don't think we need a thug, we just need a defensive minded high energy, "heady" player...i guess some one like a mix between Dennis Rodman, Bo Outlaw, Charles Oakley. A player who doesn't need the ball in his hands all day to be effective. Also how many times in the past of you seen Rodman or Oakley get inside a guy's head causing them to do something stupid like pick up an extra foul or a Technical...just my 2 cents on the subject
I like Amare Stodemire. Re: above, Rodman and Oakley are textbook "thug" examples - aka enforcer, aka intimidator. Someone to lay the hard foul, deny easy baskets, deliver punishment, enforce the rules on and off the team. Also see PJ Brown, Kurt Thomas, etc. Would be a perfect role for Cato, really, if he had the anger and fire of an Oakley (but not the j, of course). I'd rather have Cato whack someone (esp. Karl) and foul out than cower and protect his precious 6 fouls. Just get another crappy big man that can lay the wood, like Kurt Thomas, and let Cato use his size to mean something. I'm perfectly happy with a block that ends up taking off Karl's head. More, please.
We need a thug, Do you realize how silly that sounds. So we need somone who sells drugs and rapes women that is a thug. So we need someone who hangs on the corner and starts trouble and is always in jail that is a thug. We need someone who makes bad hip hop music thugging out that is a thug. Do the Rockets really need that, No!!! they need to clean house this team is going nowwhere.
guys who I think could fill this role, who may not be too expensive to get in trade ... Etan Thomas JYD Theo Ratliff Fizer Troy Murphy perhaps? There just isn't a whole lot of guys out there with an aggressive attitude who are available for trade. Oakley, and PJ are FAs this year or next I think. Oak I wouldn't want because he's a cancer. I don't see why PJ would want to come here. Oh, and no way would I want a cheap b**** who closelines people like KMart does. I would want someone who plays d with great intensity in the post.
We need someone inside that makes it so that other teams are afraid of driving into the lane. No easy baskets. Hard fouls only. A Dennis Rodman type.
Why did that make me LOL? But, i would love to have someone on this team like Jerome Williams. Also...I like sracer's description of someone who won't take shiit from Webber, Wallace and Karla. I would love to see someone pushing Karla around just as hard as Karla pushes them.
This was the best post I've seen in a long time and I agree completely. We need a motivator. I just can't think of any players like that that I would want. Attitude like Vince Carter after a dunk. Perfect.
We need: Ben Wallace! The guy is Moses Malone minus any and all offensive ability. Great rebounder, fierce under the hoop, great shotblocker and one-on-one bruiser, and he doesn't ask for the ball a lot (good since we already have Francis, Cat, Mo, and EG). And he's signed for awhile for $5 million or so a year. Man, I wish we could swing a deal to get that guy.
detroits not gonna give up ben wallace. if we can get torontos pick this year, i say go for stoudmire. if not, i wouldnt take him too high.
Damn a thug......we need BALL PLAYERS.......people that actually know how to play basketball. Repeat: BALL PLAYERS.
if we somehow get toronto's pick, i would consider taking stoudimire, but he's more of a PF than a C, and we have plenty of those. Eddie griffin was known for his off court problems (punching he teamate etc), why couldnt he bring that onto the floor?
