We'll start from least to most important. Leon Smith could be a nice addition to our team. No one has heard anything from him lately which suggests he is doing well and staying out of trouble. His contract is very low, even if we have to take on his rookie contract but I would prefer to sign him to the minimum. He's 6'10 and could develop into either a nice PF or SF, at worst, he could be a cheap bench player. He's very young and I believe would feel very comfortable with our young growing team and with the way our coaches have performed this year, I think they could bring the best out of him. Brad Miller is a very nice big man(7'0). He's finishing out his contract in which when he got PT, he performed very well but since he was injured for much of the season, he won't be able to demand as much out in the open marked. Haven't been able to see him play much but numbers are good and he knows Rudy from his time during the olympic qualifying team. He is young and would complement our team nicely and since EJ may be leaving Charlotte, Brad may want to go to a more stable team, so hopefully things work out. And the kid everyone is starting to love is Rashard Lewis. He may even become our future starting PF (but won't too bad at SF) b/c he is only 20 and has some filling out to do. Although the Rockets may be regretting it now, I believe Rashard being drafted by Seattle was probably the best thing since it would help him learn and grow more on his own and not be distracted by family and friends here in Houston. Plus, if he would have been drafted by the Rockets, Seattle may have drafted Mobley, so we shouldn't have any regrets. Now that he is more mature and about to enter his 3rd year in the league, he now can be trusted to perform, the only catch is, is if he is still bitter about Houston not drafting him. Hopefully he will see through that and realize what we are building here in Houston and wants to become a part of it. With these 3 young, and budding players and then add a lotto pick to that, I think we would be in the playoffs for years to come. I think the odds of getting all 3 are very good b/c we have exceptions to use and a very honest and trustworthy organization. And if we had to do a sign and trade, we have some players who's stocks have risen with their play this year and should be acceptable in sign and trades. Let me know, if these players are satisfactory or if there is another player(s)that would be better suited for our team. I was using gut feelings on how these players would fit in with this team but I may have missed the logic part, so add, subtract players that u would want for this offseason. ------------------ [This message has been edited by rocketteen (edited April 10, 2000).]
> Leon Smith could be a nice addition... > Brad Miller is a very nice big man.... > Rashard Lewis. He may even become our > future starting PF Leon Smith might be talented, but I wouldn't add him to a team as young as this one, where the chemistry is so fragile. If Barkley were going to be here to kick his *, maybe. I prefer Lewis, who is definitely moving in the right direction. The big questions are 'could we get him' and 'would he come'. We might be able to get him in a trade with Seattle (Drew?) with our $4.5 million trade exception. I'd sure love to have Lewis at 3 when we played Minnesota... Miller would be a decent backup. Rudy loves him from the worlds two summers ago. Don't forget Othella Harrington. He likes Houston, knows Rudy didn't want to trade him, and expressed his desire to leave Vancouver. He'd be a very solid 4/5 for us, and he's very experienced despite his youth.
There's a good article in USA Today on the upcoming free agent market. See http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketba/skn/sknfs01.htm
Those USAtoday guys stole my research. I guess I posted int he wrong forum though, I was used to roster discussions being seperate from the Rocket games. http://bbs.clutchcity.net/ubb/Forum9/HTML/000103.html ------------------
Lewis: Woud definitely be a good pickup He will only go up from here. But does he have to much pride to play for the team that snubbed him? He was really angry after the draft - saying rudy lied to him. Smith: He really would be a project - both emotionally and with his game. He has spent this last year floundering. His game has to have suffewred while he was painting himself and going to the hospital. Brad Miller: He would be a great backup. I have seen him play and he has a lot of energy. He is also smart. He would be a good fit. ------------------ rimbaud post-a-thon 2000
