Does the Battier/Gay trade still bother/frustrate/infuriate you to this day?

So why did head and a scrub like hayes play as much as rookies?

 

Shane Battier is the glue of our defense. Rudy Gay would've taken shots away from Yao and McGrady, and the Artest deal never would've been made. I think Artest's impact on our squad would be greater than Gay's. Maybe we should've invested in our future, but the impact Battier has on our defense is enough for me to like the deal, even while he's injured. He's a great guy to have on a squad. Aside from being a good defender, he's a great individual.

 

Battier played like 38 mpg his first year with us. I doubt Gay would have gotten much more than 20-25 mpg. I imagine more defensive responsibility would fall on T-Mac. We'd probably bring in some less effective player to take some minutes at the wing position as well. Overall, I'd expect that our defense would be significantly worse. As for offense, I'm doubtful it would be much better, if at all. I think the Rockets were correct in thinking that Gay would not be as helpful at least for the first couple years. Right now, with Battier injured, I think it would be nice to have Rudy Gay. Super athlete.

 

This may or may not be true, but I would also consider that our D was top 5 in the league before Battier was on board and we´re talking about swapping a guy who can average 20 points a game (even if for a poor team) for a guy who asn´t averaged double figure scoring since his rookie year.

I don´t know that our D would be significantly worse (although a little, as Battier is great on D), but I think Gay would definitely have added something that this team has lacked for the last 3 years. I think this team could have used a young athletic scorer more than a defensive stopper/offensive liability.

 

Im bothered/frusturated/infuriated to this day that people:

a- think that Battier is useless
b- think Rudy Gay would be drafted by the Rockets (when that wasn't even the guy they wanted)
c- don't understand what Battier brings to this team


Rudy Gay is filling it up on a team that sucks. It wouldn't be the same if he were on the Rockets.

 

I understand all of that. But we made the trade to win now. We didn't win now, and at this point (what, two years later), Gay has eclipsed Battier as a player...in on the court value and trade value. We got the short end.

Again, we got Artest so it may not matter....but we did get the short end of the trade.

 

I think it doesn't matter now, but this was a top 5 defense before battier got here. On top of that, people don't believe th impact Jeff could have on a atheltic guy like Gay defensively. Imagine that guy following the vets and playing defense with his length and atheleticism. On a final note, who did Battier defend in the playoffs? That's what I'm saying, he had a -100 when he was on the court in the playoffs. If a team like the jazz are putting non top 5 wings out there and Shane can't increase what he does offensively, what good is it?

Gay on this team playing the way he's playing is a better offensive team and marginally worse defensive team. Also the team would be younger and more atheletic big time. Isn't that what they were trying to do anyway?

 

I wasn't a big fan of the trade, and I may be a little biased because I'm a UCONN alum. I was so excited to have Gay on the team, even if it was for only a few moments, before he got traded. The Rockets should've kept him and groomed him to be T-Mac's replacement. That's what I would've done, but hey, that's just me.

I think the Rocket's overrated Battier and underrated the 8th pick. I say the 8th pick because it's common knowledge now that JVG wanted Sefolosha, not Gay. You would have think that the Rockets could have gotten more for a high draft pick PLUS Stromile. Even if they got a second round pick or a future pick, it might have made the deal easier to stomach. The trade was very one-sided in my opinion.

I love Battier, but the "he's a winner" thing is way overblown. Other than at Duke, what has he won? Didn't he help the Grizzlies get SWEPT out off the playoffs not two but THREE years in a row. Of course, it's not all his fault, but I would have hoped that Mr Intangibles would've helped his team win at least one game. And why can't I have some tangible stuff with the intangibles? Why does it have to be one or the other? I know Battier is capable of scoring more, he averaged almost 15 ppg his first year. He really should use that hook shot on the post more often.

I like Battier like I like Alston. They both play hard, they're both relatively good defensively, but they both have limitations on offense. Alston can't hit a bucket and Battier doesn't take enough buckets. They both seem like good guys, although Rafer seems like he may knife you during a pickup game, and I'm happy their on the team, but not as starters. Battier is not worth a lottery pick PLUS Stromile, no matter how bad Stro has turn out to be.

Now that I think about it, with Yao, T-Mac, and Battier, you have players with some of the worst playoff history in the league. Never been out of the first round, Battier got swept out 3 years in a row, and weren't the Rockets the only team to win the first two games on the road to lose a series? T-Mac also lost a series after being up 3-1 when he was with the Magic. That's a pretty bad resume right there.

 

Word...

 

Why do people still harp about this? Get over it already. Good lord.

 

I will take Battier over Gay any day. Battier makes up for any offense with his defense and personally I think Battier plays with more heart. I would never have anyone with the last name Gay or Head on my team EVER.

 

I think most people that aren't affiliated with either team will say Memphis got a steal, we've know it for a while but accept it because it's done.

Just think of this lineup...

Brooks
McGrady
Gay
Artest
Yao

...maybe I should wake up now.

 

The perimeter D in that lineup would be atrocious.

 

WHAT!!?? I definitely love Head. That's the best....

 

Not to mention the rebounding and passing. We would be the Atlanta Hawks, but in the West.

I think it was a good risk to take at the time. We lost out, but it was well-calculated and I have no problem with our management taking risks that are studied and calculated. That is how you win championships, and that is how we have such a talented roster now.

Had we kept Gay (although we wouldve picked Sefolosha), we would be in good shape now, but we may have missed the playoffs a couple of times. With T-Mac and Yao entering their primes, taking it easy a couple of years was not a smart option.

This team is well-assembled, competitive and will have cap space in 2010. You can not ask for more than that. Be a contender and have cap space soon if you need it? Depth, talent, everything.

We do lack some athleticism, but athleticism is not necessarily what wins championships.

 

people still don't realize this is the stupidest argument from the pro battier side

 

I was thinking offensive lineup, if you want D you can mix and match with Hayes, Artest, Alston, Deke and so on. It's always nice to have options.

 

Dude, it wasn't Stro plus Gay for Battier, it was essentially 8th pic for battier plus grizz have to take on stro's contract. stro had a garbage contract at the time. they wanted to get rid of him. he wasn't an asset, he was essentially a burden.

 

Also, why do folks keep mentioning the Grizz sucking, as if Battier is good enough to carry any team as the #1 option.

 

exactly, but to be fair i think they may be arguing that rudy gay wouldn't be effective on this team because he's just a score, I disagree with that logic. its the same logic that put battier on the olympic team because he's a role player.

as we saw this year, chris bosh was turned into a role player because he played with people better than him. i'm not saying gay is as good as bosh, but the whole, "you need role players" argument is overrated, being a role player is overrated. if a player is just generally good, and has a good attitude, and a good coach, they can be a role player, as opposed to battier who will never be anything but a "role player"