Yeah Wafer really disappeared in that game in Boston. You may not be aware of this, but players sometimes improve after their first season in the league.
I hope this isn't true. Wafer brought an offensive spark to us when Yao and Ron didn't provide it. He is a special player and if this new is true then Daryl made a big mistake.
Isn't that why they hired Gentry? To get back to the run and gun style?... Terry Porter was SUCH a bad fit for them IMO..
Wafer is a restricted FA, so the Rockets can match whatever kind of contract the Suns offer him. Wafer will still be a Rocket if Morey wants so, and I'm sure he wants him to remain a Rocket at least till the date when t-mac comes back.
Nice points, BT. It takes a lot to get on the Rockets bad side. AS DD said, he was proven in many areas, and he must have worn out his welcome since they only wanted to offer the minumum to him. And, knowing he probably would not accept the minimum they drafted a replacement. Hopefully Taylor can acclimate to the NBA defensive pace and still score his points.
i was paying attention. they slowed down for shaq. it was 7 ssol and if they didn't get a good look they went into a half-court set. the first two games after the coaching change i think they put up 125+ ....that is as run and gun as it gets
Von's restricted? Hmmm... It'll be interesting to learn his market price, and whether the Rox are buyers at that price.
I bet others on this board believe like me that Wafer sealed his fate last year by getting himself thrown out of the building in the game against the Lakers. Someone in that position, getting a chance after being a non-roster invitee, should always be humble no matter how well he's doing. You could read between the lines once the Rockets drafted wings in Taylor and Budinger. Whatever problems the administration had with Wafer, they were serious enough for them to warrant making no attempt at all to re-sign him. And think about it this way: Backup SG is to the Rockets like runningbacks are to the (former) Denver Shanahan offensive scheme. Wafer did well in our system, but all he was asked to do was take the ball to the hoop each and every time he received a pass. Towards the end of the year he started settling more and more for those awful T-Mac/Ron Artest off balance 20-footers, and even though he made a few, outside shooting was not his greatest strength. We're going to show everyone how easy it is to plug and play 2nd round picks into our backup wing spot. According to Feigen, Taylor is not as fast as Wafer but is much stronger, a better defender, possesses some court vision (as opposed to Wafer's big fat zero), and can actually pass the ball. Wafer may thrive in the Suns situation, and I hope he does, but I'm sure the Rockets will come away from this just fine.
That sounds like a good idea. I think Wilcox would be a nice pick up. He plays some decent defense, can rebound well and scores on high percentage. Maybe him and Andersen can battle for the center spot...make sure each guy brings it every game.
If the Rockets wanted to stay young, Von should be back next season in a Rockets jersey. Although I have been skeptical on his defense, I do like the scoring punch he brings off the bench.
You may not be aware of this, but last season was Von's 4th in the NBA, not his first. He's played for the Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, and Blazers. Von's a low-IQ basketball player with questionable coachability. He's good at 2 things, shooting and taking it to the rack, the latter often because he's cherry picking. He's a weak defender, despite his speed and athleticism, which means to me that he's not trying that hard on that end of the court. He doesn't create for anyone else or do anything else that helps a team win. Not that scoring is a bad trait to have. But let's not kid ourselves about where Von Wafer's career is headed, or what his strengths and weaknesses are or will be.
Bad news. Von Wafer gave us energy off the bench. I still like his potential even though he had that run in with Adelman. I wish he could have been here longer. This off-season has been bad so far.
Even wh McGrady he would get good minutes. Anyway putting any type of hope in McGrady being healthy is not a good thing. I guess Battier and Ariza can hold the fort down until we are officially in the lottery. This probably had to do with money and not playing time. Good luck Wafer.
I will miss his energy and his off-the-bench scoring. I do believe, however, that he peaked last season. Would have liked to have resigned him, but I trust DM knows what he's doing
Stop crying over Von Wafer. We spent a couple million to add wingmen like budinger and taylor not to mention ariza. we would way to crowded at those positions. we need quality size. so we are going to pursue that. good move. and its good for wafer.
A second-unit backcourt of Barbosa and Wafer should be interesting to watch. They'll definitely have some speed but I'm curious to see how it will work overall.
A-FREAKIN-MEN ! Though to be fair it was not his first season, just the first season he had meaningful playing time. He is going to be a good player, and the Rockets should not be letting him go, unless it is outrageous money 3.5+ Million. Taylor - please.....not impressed with him so far, like Budinger a lot, not so much Taylor... DD