All this crap about Ming is gonna sell jerseys and seats and make Rockets fans out of 10 Billion chinese is a bunch of crap. I want to get the best basketball player/players possible out of the number one period. I just want to stick my fingers in my ears and go la la la la la la every time I read about Ming is going to bring us this or that. BULL***. I want to win. Winning will fill seats and sell jerseys. If Ming = Ring then get him at all costs. If there are better players to be had then trade the pick and shaft another team. Bottom line. Drafting Barney the big purple dinosaur would sell jerseys, and if he's a winner then I'm all for it, but I don't love the Rockets because people wear their jerseys. I want a WINNER.
my two year old son really likes the idea of drafting Barney. But apparenlty Baby Bop is being a real hard-ass about draft rights and where Barney can ultimately play. It's alright, though. Barney can shoot 3's like a mother...and I'm putting together a video of all the purple dinosaurs in Houston who would open up their arms to their brother. Did ya'll know Houston is like 3rd in the nation in number of purple dinosaurs per capita?? seriously...i'm with you...stop worrying about selling jerseys and start worrying about winning ballgames. what jersey someone wears on the other side of the globe is roughly last on my list of what's important. but that's just a Houston fan's perspective.
Who do u think is the *best* basketball player in the draft? I'd rate them this way: 1) Jay Williams 2) Caron Butler 3) Juan Dixon 4) Dunleavy 5) Dajuan Wagner 6) Dan Dickau Yeow! would be a couple spots later I guess...dunno.
Ya I really believe in Juan. He's like 6'1", but he's definitely the best shooter in the draft and he has a will to win. He mowed down everybody in the tourney and the only reason he's projected low is cuz of size. Even tho I haven't seen his point guard skills due to him being a 2 guard at maryland, I really can't doubt his ability to succeed at the next level and he's that focused on being the best. He's had to overcome a lot (both parents murdered..maybe a sibling...not sure). Oh and on my list, I left out Steve Logan...and probably some others...too many to count. That's why I think this year's draft has the most talent compared to other years...so many good players!
how do you KNOW Yao is in the top 3 talent wise??? what have you seen of him that leads you to believe this??? everything I hear is that he MIGHT be a top 3 talent...that he might develop into something special....
Talent is a difficult way to judge a draft prospect. There are a lot of things I like about Juan Dixon and I believe his character and will to win are at the top of that list as well as his talent. The only problem is these guys are going to play in the NBA and talent alone don't get it done. This is why we here about potential and "his game won't translate well". Its unfortunate because if this weren't the case I would take Juan with the number one no question, he's a winner. All that being said I will give you the list of players I like for the Rockets reguardless of draft positioning. 1. Caron Butler - NBA ready. 2. Nick Tschick - NBA potential 3. Dunleavey - To many experts say he's the man 4. Nene Hilario - The Hakeem comparisons 'Homer pick' 5/6. Gooden/Wilcox - Both will impact the NBA 6. Woods - TMac? 7. Nachbar - Best player on Nick Tschick's team and the main reason Nick road the pine 8. Ming - 7'5" pain in the butt I'm no GM but this is my draft order for the Rockets.
The consensus among writers and GM's has been fairly consistent. The best prospects in this draft are Ming, Williams, Butler and Dunleavy in no particular order. Half the GM's in the league wouldn't want to try to move up and get this guy if he didn't have talent. I'm all for winning first and foremost. There is even reason to believe that some Rockets people or other NBA folks may feel marketing a Chinese guy to be a pain in the ass. But, if he is among the tops in talent and gives you an option at center we haven't had in a while, there is nothing wrong with the marketing angle helping to push you in that direction. Truth is, before any of the business people from NBA clubs even considered the marketing angle with Yao, scouts and personnel directors were drooling over him. The marketing thing is just icing.
No matter how fans feel it's still a business.If Les feels like he can add a huge fan base,I'm afraid he will want the big guy. I do feel a bit better after watching his video ...but I'm salivating at the thought of how much better we could be now ! If we can swing a trade for an established veteran(Odom ?) and still draft ..oh say ...Dunleavy ..I would be ecstatic.
i agree with you that i don't exactly like the rockets drafting ming for the sole purpose of pub. yet when you say you want to win, but you don't think that ming=ring, i tend to disagree with you a little. let me offer my opinion if i may: if we draft someone with a higher immediate impact probability or pull a trade and land a star (not SUPERstar, because that won't happen- star is still being optimistic in itself) we still won't get a ring. no fans like the ones (...ah-hem...bandwagoners?) clogging up this site right now will come to the games because "their" team will never get past the damn lakers for 5 more years at least. how did the lakers get shaq anyways? he had a good young nucleus around him in orlando but sold it out to go bask in the publicity of LA. what i mean is, we're a lot further away from title contention than this one draft right here, and ming with his legions of INTERnational TV cameras might just hold the potential of attracting such talent as will be needed further down the road. add to that his own potential as a player and i would have to deeply consider this one if my franchise was falling off like carroll, les and rudy's.
Being in need of 3 and 5 help that leaves us with Ming, Butler, Dunleavy. Now take away all players who cannot guarantee us on their own word that they will show up for every game, practice, summer games, training camp, playoff games and their own mothers funeral because their government can tell them no. And you have Butler and Dunleavey, neither of which I want to spend the number one on. Trade the pick.
okay, but do you want to spend the number one on somebody like Odom? because that's about what we'd probably get in return. i don't know yet, i'd rather take this pick and use it on the gamble so i don't look back and go "d'oh!"
Top players in the draft, in my opinion: 1. Jay Williams 2. Drew Gooden 3. Dajuan Wagner 4. Chris Wilcox 5. Amare Stoudamire 6. Caron Butler 7. Mike Dunleavy 8. Qyntel Woods 9. Jared Jeffries 10. Frank Williams
I'm not a big Odom fan and if it's Odom for Ming I say hell no and so do Rudy and CD. Now Odom and the #8 with the Clippers taking Rice's contract would be interesting. or Jamison and the #3 from GS or Kandi #8 and #12 from the Clippers So many posibilities, I hate to settle for Ming unless we own him. how about Curry & #2 from Chicago then trade the #2 for Odom and #8 Its nice to dream and Ming is a Nightmare.
One of the many demands of the Chinese govt. is that the Rockets go back to the all-red uniforms. Ming will wear #75.
