Any chance of the Rockets using their $4.5 million trade exception to go after Anthony Mason. Charlotte already has a PF, Mason’s natural position, with Derek Coleman who is playing quite well this year. Walt’s lighting it up now, and Charlotte might be able to use his perimeter shooting at the small forward position. Mason might be kind of older at 34 and might have a bad reputation, but he brings a lot to the table. He’d take some pressure off our backcourt, esp. Francis, by providing a presence in the post that must be respected by other teams, something obviously lacking from our current line-up. His defense can’t be questioned, with the strength to guard just about anyone in the post and the ability to guard threes on the perimeter as well (he absolutely dominated Half-Man Half-Amazing the other night). He’ll also do great things for our fast break offense with his defensive rebounding (look at his stats, very, very impressive, esp. considering he’s playing the small forward position this year) and his great ball-handling and passing for a guy his size. With Cato always going after blocks, I think it’s good to have a power forward particularly skilled at getting defensive rebounds. The major drawback I see is just his age, but he doesn’t seem to be dropping off much as of yet and look at Toronto’s success with Charles Oakley. We need some veterans to mix with youth to get more wins around here, that should help the young guys get some good experience winning games before they reach their prime years. Kenny Thomas with his 41% shooting (at the four no less) and his tendency to allow his opposing PFs to get their season highs against us is just not doing it. ------------------
My advice is to not use the exemption on anyone with more than 1 year left on their contract, or a star! We want to be able to keep our cap low for free agents in 2001. We have an opportunity here to add $4.5 mil to our salary or not! so...what do you want to do? Webber is a free agent in 2001. I want to go after him! ------------------ The farther the Rockets move down the standings, the farther I move down the bleachers.
Heypartner, you keep mentioning Webber. I think we have zero shot at getting him when he becomes an FA. He is the centerpiece of a good team, young, exciting and playoff bound. Sacramento will also give him the maximum salary and more than we can offer in raises. Plus, he's finally playing consistently well. I'd like to get him too, but why would he want to give up on the Kings to help us rebuild? ------------------
Juan, I just want to be the first to start the Webber talk. Hey, if people can dream about Hill and Duncan....hell, at least I don't have to add a bunch of what-ifs to how I'll pay for Webber. But, my Webber talk is more for effect to say 2001 is our free agent year. So, main point...ask yourself, do you really want to convert the $4.5m exemption into SALARY on just anyone. Let's not just spend the $4.5 for the hell of spending. There is a lot to be said for not even using it as a salary cap manuever. [This message has been edited by heypartner (edited March 31, 2000).]
I think Rocks would have a good chance at getting Webber in 2001. Just look at his team. They arent that solid. Jason Williams at pg is struggling. How long will it take before he can be reliable? Vlade Divac- how old is he? I dont think he has many years left. Their bench and everyone else is just a bunch of scrubs- don see why he would be attatched to them. Webber is almost single handedly leading them to the playoffs, and he is one of the few playeers on that team who plays D. Why wouldnt he want to come play here? -can get money -play with THE future pg -other impressive role players in SA, Mobes, Cato, and maybe the Rocks future lotto pick I wouldnt bet on it, but it is a LOT more likely than getting Duncan or Hill. ------------------ "Round 1 of Walt vs. Odom goes to ... Wizard!" Not only am I president of the WaltWizFanClub, I'm also the member. Oh yeah, and DoctorofDunk, Houston Rocks, RM95, Rocket Fan, TexSalsa, AzimdaDream, Johnny Rocket and Shanna.
CK, I like your thinking here. I would actually rather have Webber than Hill given the current compliment of Rockets. Webber would be almost as good an addition as Duncan in fact. Plus Webber is a year younger than Hill and size wears better with age anyway. Cato, CWebb, SA, CM and SF would be an awesume nucleaus for years to come. Or we can find another guy in the draft to play the 3 such as Morris Peterson (I am not againt this guy but I just am not sure he is worth a 4 or 5 pick) with CM, KT, Los and another big guy being the bench brigade. I would really like the look of that team. Who knows, it could happen, there isn't a lot of things for CWebb to do in Sacremento. Let's turn him on to cajin cooking and have Chuck give him a tour of the nightlife. [This message has been edited by sir scarvajal (edited March 31, 2000).]
Webber isn't going anywhere. Sacramento has a solid team. White Chocolate is still developing and has the potential to evolve into one of the top PGs in the NBA. Corliss fills the SF well. Nick Anderson has his moments and Stoyakovic or whatever is a pure shooter. Vlade is fading but who cares, he's still a solid center on most nights. Pollard can come in a back up Webber or Vlade. Then they have Martin at PG to calm things down. They are a solid young team...and the management seemed pretty intent on building the team around CWebb. Forget Webber...get another Michigan product: Robert Traylor. ------------------
The Rocks would have no shot at signing Webber, even with money. A year ago the Rocks had no chance to sigh Anderson, and didn't have money. Strange things happen with NBA players, and where they would rather be.. ------------------
I say trade Bryce and Kenny for Anthony Mason! ------------------ Houston.....we have a problem!!!! Thomas Hamilton seems to be eating the Compaq Center......WE NEED A NEW ARENA GOD DAMN IT!!!!!!
I say trade Bryce and Kenny for Anthony Mason! Walt stays in Houston!!!!!!!!! ------------------ Houston.....we have a problem!!!! Thomas Hamilton seems to be eating the Compaq Center......WE NEED A NEW ARENA GOD DAMN IT!!!!!!
SlamN, Sacramento? Solid team my arvo!!!! they are okay, but if you think they are going to get any better than what they are now, a 6 - 8 seed, then you are buying into the NBC hype of the "Y2Kings". This team is only going to go downhill from here. Nick Anderson sucks now. Stoyakovich is a soft European player who likes to shoot. Pollard is a good BACK-UP, but what about when Vlade retires? "white chocolate" is the stupidest nick ive heard for him. And he has struggled this year. Yeah, he can pass it fancy, but when is he gonna play D? When is he gonna learn to shoot? When is he gonna be involved in crunch time? They have a decent bench, but who cares? Webber isnt gonna make a decisiion of where he is gonna go due to a weak bench. Im not saying Webber WILL leave, or that he WILL end up with the Rocks(thats HeyPards job),but I am saying that I wouldnt be surprised if he DOES leave in 2001, because they are not a "solid" team. That could change if Sac makes some gouda personell moves, but it could get also worse. Oh, and leave traylor trash alone. ------------------ Hey Partner says : Webber = a 2001 Rocket!! U heard it here first!!??!!1010111001!!
I would never say never. Orlando had an up and coming team and had already made the finals when Shaq left them. ------------------
Webber would be perfect no doubt, but I guess I just figure that a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush. I don't think it's a safe bet that Webber will leave Sacramento, let alone come to Houston. I don't think it's even been determined that we'll have the money to give Webber after Hakeem retires without getting rid of some other players, considering the raises in salary some of our other players stand to earn. The $4.5 million trade exception is there for the Rockets to use. Our backcourt's been bringing it every night, but our frontcourt's just overmatched. I'd like to see the Rockets get some improvement at the PF slot. Mason could fit the bill IMO, but if not him, I hope the Rockets bring in SOMEBODY! ------------------
Webber was not happy going to Sac, not because of his team, but because he perceived the city basically as boring for him. In fact he said he wouldn't resign there. Now he may have changed his mind because they have nice owners and team success, but he may want to go to a higher profile team and to a city with better food and nightlife. Like I said, let's have him tour around the town with Chuck and develop his taste for Cajon. I would also add that I think the nucleus around Webber would be much better in Houston than Sacremento. They aren't bad around him, but they don't have the quality of young gaurds and swing players we have, make no mistake about that. Yes, it is a long shot, but not as far fetched as getting Shaq, Duncan or Hill. And I think Webber would be a better addition than Hill anyway. ------------------
Although I would love to have Webber I again don'tr think it will happen. Webber is happy in Sacramento being their #1 offensive weapon. He has a cast around him that compliments his game (White Chocolate is a pass 1st pg who keeps his big men happy). Yeah he takes some silly shots but on the break he always rewards the big men running the floor. Anderson is a good fit there (although he is having a bad year) because C-Webb draws double teams. Corliss is a nice SF and Vlade is an underrated PF. C-Webb would not want to play, IMO, on a team where the focus of the offense may not always be him (Francis). Don't count Sacramento out yet, they match up well vs Utah and if they can slide into the 6 seed they can also play Portland tough as well. ------------------
4chukie, my opinion is that C-Webb makes all these guys look much better than they are. Vlade and Anderson are fading fast with their age. Corliss appears to have reached his potential--which is that he is ideally a back-up. JW is ok, but isn't near the class of Francis in terms of talent or refinement. If you surrounded Webber with Francis, Mobley, SA and Cato--that would be a whale of a team. Add KT, Walt, Moochie + another decent PF/C substitue (e.g., Etan or K. Johnson) + whoever we add with our good pick, you have far more realistic contending team for the next 8 years or so than you have in Sac. If you take Webb off that team, I don't think they hold a candle to us regarding their future. I agree it is a long-shot, but if he wants a better shot at finally getting a title, and the culture, nightlife and food of Houston, who knows. As I said he wasn't very open to the city of Sac when he arrived. [This message has been edited by sir scarvajal (edited April 03, 2000).]
SS: I agree that we may have more talent than Sacramento, but I look it like this. Every NBA star has an enormous ego. C-Web, IMO, is one of the top 5 players in the NBA (Shaq, Duncan, KG). Naturally he is going to want to be the man wherever he goes, until he becomes older (like when Clyde & Charles came here) and is willing to become more of a team player (like David Robinson when Duncan arrived). I can't see C-webb sacrificing part of his game, for the benefit of a championship, yet. He still thinks, and it may be possible, that he can carry a team to the title. Also C-webb loves Sacramento. he didn't like going there, but he knows he is in a good basketball town that loves him. I honestly think the only way we get C-web is to get rid of Francis. 2 NBA stars don't mix well unless they have always played together (usually one gets drafted while the other is already a player) or one agrees to lessen his role for the benefit of the team (usually an older player searching for a ring like CB/Clyde). ------------------
I don't think the presence of Francis would dissuade Webber from coming here. If anything, it would help. If Webber was here, he would be the man. He's a better franchise player than Francis straight up. Plus, Francis' position is point guard, so it's his job to get others involved unlike lots of other stars. Still, I don't see Webber walking away from more money to come here. I think that's kind of far fetched. ------------------
Did somebody say Sac has a weak bench? Actually, they have a pretty good bench in Pollard, Corliss, Barry, and Stojakovic. Add Darrick Martin, Ty Corbin, Delk and Funderburke, and you have one of the best benches in the league. ------------------ HOOP-T Hey Shaq, Acme called, and they want their bricks back!
The thing about Sacramento is they have a weak team after Webber. Their bench looks strong because their starters outside of Webber suck . Actually that isn't entirely true and I am being a little facetious, but outside of Webber you don't know who the Kings will end with. Could be JW or Martin or Delk at the point. Could be Anderson or Barry or Delk or Stiohj at the 2. Could be Nasty, though almost never though, at the 3. Could be Pollard or Vlade at the other big position around CWebb. I think Sacramento has one great player, and like 10 mediocre players throughout. You can put a nice spin on it as say they just have a good bench if you want, or take a negative spin and say after Webber they pretty much all are equally sucky and interchangeable. ------------------
