clutch: source says rockets want 1 of 4-5 PG's expected to go lottery

The Blazers are one team that really should do what they can to move up in this draft. They're young enough that they can afford to give the PG time to develop with their young core.

The right move in this draft could put them in a position to contend for many years.

 

Eric Maynor's a good PG too

He'd be a nice add also

 

Isn't Sacramento pretty far under the cap already? Do they really need McGrady's expiring contract?

 

Like you just mentioned, it all depends upon how much financial trouble the Maloofs are really in. If it's bad both ideas seem plausible. If that's the case I would only want Udrih's ugly contract if he was packaged along with Kevin Martin. Getting the #4 pick would be nice but that is hardly equal to what K-Mart brings to the table.

 

http://hoopshype.com/salaries/sacramento.htm

looks like they will be, though not by a ton.

i agree...i just can't imagine why they would trade their only really good player, financial troubles or not. i mean, might as well sell the team at that point.

 

ummmmmm, rockets dont own his rights. hes a free agent, thus the reason the rockets would have to sign him

 

Same here, I wouldn't hesistate even for a second if I had a chance to get Harden. But as for PGs, I think it will come down to either: Rubio, Jennings.

On ESPN.com there's a video about the differences that Rubio and Jennings can bring to a NBA team. They stated Rubio will be able to make his teammates better and give about 12 pts, 12 assists per night. While on the other hand Jennings will be able to easily put up 20 pts, 10 assists (I really doubt he can averages that many assists, which Rubio can easily do) in a given night. They said that Rubio has great composure and while he may not get people to jump off their seats, he will get the team more wins. While on the other hand Jennings will excite the crowd, however he doesn't have the mentality of being a leader like Rubio has shown. Now they did say that Rubio has to be able to learn how to shoot better from the field, in order to become more of a threat.

Assuming that the Rockets get a top 5 pick:
I think the Rockets are going for Rubio because of his ability to make players around him better. Even though Rubio can't shoot as well as Jennings, I believe that the Rockets might be willing look over that "weakness" because of what he brings to the team. Also I really don't think Jennings, currently, has more talent than Brooks. The only reason the Rockets would trade Brooks is if they are sure that they are getting a better player who can help the team win a championship now or if the draft pick + another player from the roster will be traded for an experience veteran, ex: Caron Butler, Josh Smith, etc. However if we weren't going for a PG, then James Harden should definitely be considered if we are able to get a pick within the top 5.

 

Nice to know that 6 points and 2 assists in the Euroleague = 20 points and 10 assists in the NBA. What is wrong with ESPN?

 

I think Morey is trying to figure out how to get Rubio and keep Brooks. And barring that, I think his backup plan is to get Curry and keep Brooks.

If we get Rubio, I believe McGrady is finished here. If we can't get Rubio, I still think there is a chance McGrady stays. McGrady is the one guy on our team with the handle and court vision to control the game from the top. If we trade him, we've got to get a true playmaker from somewhere.



As far as Brandon Jennings scoring 20 and giving you 10 assists, he may be able to do that on a lottery team, where he can shoot 35% from the field and his team loses 60 games, but they won't be quality stats. And dare I say, Jennings won't be able to average 7 assists per game..........much less 10.

 

did u mean get curry and trade brooks? I dont think keeping both would make sense

 

Only 2 players averaged more than 10 assists per year this past year, and only Chris Paul put up more than 20 points. Even great point guards of the past, 20 ppg, 10 apg seasons are rare. Stockton, Kidd, Nash, Payton never did it. Even some of the greatest, it was hit or miss. Magic only did it 3 times for that matter. it's just ridiculous analysis.

 

I don't see how we can get a high lottery pick without trading Brooks. Obviously thats what Rockets fans would want, but it seems a little to unrealistic, seeing that Brooks is getting so much attention right now and that no one is willing to take Tmac. But if Morey can pull something off, without trading Brooks, that'd be great.

 

Yeah. If only the Blazers had done this last year.

Oh, wait . . . they did.

In last year's draft, the Blazers took advantage of a combination of good trade assets (the #13 pick, Jared Jack) and luck to trade up and nab Jerryd Bayless with the #11 pick. This was a guy that was projected in many (if not most) mock drafts as going as high as #3 behind only Rose and Beasley.

What is the point of trading up for Steph Curry? If the Blazers got him, I just don't know how much better he'd be than Bayless. Portland already has Roy, Fernandez and Bayless (together with its lone veteran in Steve Blake) as its guard rotation for next year. Why replace any one of those guys with Curry? It just doesn't make sense.

The Portland Trailblazers don't need a guy like Steph Curry. They need someone like Shane Battier. A veteran influence to help anchor their defense.

 

Ah, right, Bayless. I was just thinking about Blake and completely forgot about that dude. I don't know, their PGs seemed pretty underwhelming during our playoff series.

But you're right, Battier would do serious wonders for that team. Plus, he'd do what he did for McGrady: take on the tough defensive assignments and allow Roy to save his energy for offense.

 

There's an article on Rockets.com about the how the Rockets fit into this year's draft and what they are looking for.

Gersson Rosas, the Rockets’ Director of Player Personnel, describes exactly what they're looking for:

“We put players in situations where we can evaluate whether or not what they do translates,” says Rosas. “With point guards – can they play pick-and-roll in some of our offensive sets? Can they defend and operate in some of our defensive schemes? With wings – how are they getting their shots? Can they come off screens? What position are they most comfortable defending?And bigs – evaluating offensively and defensively what their technique and fundamentals are like in the post.


“The biggest evaluation question for us is: What part of their game translates? Additionally, how does what they do fit in with us? The answer to that is primarily based on physical, athletic, fundamental and intangible attributes. There have been a lot of very productive college players whose games have not translated because of a number of factors; a very common one is that they’re just not athletic enough to impact this level, or they're a bad fit as their system in college has been set up entirely to help them be productive.”

Now which players fit exactly what the Rockets are looking for?
Let's look at Ricky Rubio:

Question: Can they play pick-and-roll in some of our offensive sets?
Rubio, like most European point guard’s we’ve evaluated, is effective on the pick and roll. With 27% of his touches coming from the two-man game, Rubio could have a mutually beneficial relationship with the post players he is teamed with in the NBA, since they’ll likely make his life just as easy as he’ll make theirs. (from draftexpress.com)
Answer: Check

Question: I]Can they defend and operate in some of our defensive schemes?[/I]
Rubio's impact extends far beyond his ability to score. Rubio got his hands on every ball even remotely in his area in the game we saw the moment he stepped out on the court—causing deflections and turnovers on a couple of occasions. His knack for getting in the passing lanes is nothing short of amazing, and he’s an absolute nuisance playing defense on the ball. (from draftexpress.com)
Answer: Check on the defend part, but how exaclty he fits into the Rocket's defensive schemes is yet to be known, or will never be known.

Question: What part of their game translates? Additionally, how does what they do fit in with us?
He’s a natural born leader, and extremely likable on top of that. The moment Rubio came into the game, he immediately began directing traffic and instructing them where to go. In practice, he quietly demonstrates to players close to twice his age where they should be on the floor in a certain set or drill. Another NBA scout pointed out his incredible natural talent and basketball IQ, saying that “it's impossible for a player this smart not to end up being successful.” Offensively, he’s primarily a slasher when it comes to his scoring ability. His footwork is a thing of beauty, and this, combined with his terrific ball-handling skills, creativity, and feel for the game, allows him to put constant pressure on the defense in a style that is somewhat reminiscent of Steve Nash. (from draftexpress.com)
Answer: Uncheck, while we know how Rubio can easily change the pace of the game and has an impact, we do not know how well his game would fit into the Rockets system. However according to Rosas, the answer to that is primarily based on physical, athletic, fundamental and intangible attributes, so let's examine those qualtities.

Physical, Athletic, Fundamental and Intangile Attributes:
Considering his frail frame, lack of awesome leaping ability, and level of competition, it would be fairly reasonable to expect Rubio to struggle around the basket. Even though European prospects (and veterans for that matter) tend to have a lower PPP than their NCAA and NBA counterparts, Rubio actually falls right around the average of this group as a finisher at 1.11 PPP. His ability to transition that part of his game to the NBA is going to be very important when you consider that he takes under 2.5 jump shots per game, has made only 5 of his 25 logged pull up jumpers, and is still gaining confidence in his improved catch and shoot ability (1.1 Pos/G, 41%, 9/22).

 

Edittt: My bad I accidentally pressed enter, before I finished.

Physically and athletically he has some disadvantages going up against big NBA bodies, but his fundamentals and intangiles are at the least decent. Although he does need to work on his shooting, his main strength is to create offense and make his team better. So the question is, do the Rockets need that type of PG or do they need one who can score, much like with Aaron Brooks. Will he fit in the Rockets system, especially since he flourishes and has more impact in a more fast paced transition type of offense, like D'antoni's sytem?

 

When it comes to Rubio, he won't get past Sacramento at 4. He might go as high as 2.

So then you say to yourself, a team will have to trade into the 2 or 3 spot to land Rubio.

Then you tell yourself, who isn't thinking about Rubio. Look how many teams who's thinking about PG in the top 10. That's not even including these teams out of the lottery who'd like a Rubio.

Then finally, you ask yourself what will it take to maneuver high enough for a shot at Rubio?

Is Aaron Brooks + change REALLY enough? Considering what other teams can offer?

And if everybody shied away from TMac during the deadline (possible VC trade, Camby + BDiddy even whispers of Butler) what makes you think they'd all of a sudden are interested in TMac now, a mere not even 5 months after the deadline? What's changed?

Of course we'd like Rubio, but I don't think it's realistic.

The real scenario you should be thinking about is if Rubio is off the board, which of these other teams coveting a point wouldn't be interested in Brooks over the rest of the PG bunch? They all would.

..and he'd come cheaper (compared to a top 10 pick money wise)

 

Not to burst everyone's bubble, but I truly think the only reason Morey would let this get out is so that players who will likely be drafted from no. 7 to no. 31 will actually be okay with doing workouts with us (excluding the ones we get to see due to our agreement with the Timberwolves). For a draft prospect, hearing a news report such as this is more believable than just the Rockets telling the kid that "they are looking to get a pick. trust us." I honestly don't think we will trade for a lottery pick, maybe early 20's in 1st round if there is a steal there but that is a large maybe.

 

I would agree with your hypothesis under normal circumstances. But these are not normal circumstances. Many teams are struggling. There may be some lottery teams out there that just straight up do not want to take on the financial burden of the guaranteed money of a lottery pick and would be willing to dump a lottery risk player for a proven player with a smaller contract for a few years.

Now who are those teams I can not tell you. But the consensus is they do exist. So we may have what they want. AB and to a lesser degree Landry show cased their talents to the league and they both are young talented and cheap. They may never have a higher trade value. So that brings up the point of your statement I disagree or should because of the economical wors of the NBA I mostly disagree with. And that is there are not a number of teams are ready to jump on an opportunity to move up for a top ten lottery spot. And the reason why is because some don't have the player another financially strapped lottery team might covet and/or they themselves maybe financially strapped.

That is the opportunity that exist out there now. Les said as much when he said he did not want to use the term predatorial and then preceded to describe how they might be just that. Certainly other teams like the Lakers would be ready to take advantage of another pau Gasol takeover. But just don't have the pieces to offer to move up. But the Rockets do. SO now let us see what the draft deals bring our way. I am excited.

 

I agree that AB + change can be appealing to teams.

I was just saying we need to stop fooling ourselves if we think AB + change is gonna land Ricky Rubio.

That along with these proposed trades where the Rockets fill every need like getting a Kevin Martin + Hawes + the #4 pick. No way.

A more likely scenario, yes, trading AB + change to a team like Sacramento for the #4 + change because Rubio is off the board and they're not too enamored with the rest of the PG's. Or a team like Minny with 3 first round picks who might want to unload some money, don't want to tack on another youngster.

I think while we're interested in Rubio, the Rockets just don't have an attractive enough package to maneuver that high.

A play for Curry or these other PG's IMO is more realistic.