Amare Stoudemire: Can he help this team?

We definitely do not need Stoudemire, no more PF's. However, he can be trade bait for a SF (in which we need, if we draft Ming). I highly doubt that Rudy will play Griffin at the 3, Griffin and Ming in the middle would make it impossible to drive in on us.

 

To be in position like this is amazing. That is having EG and Stoudamire in our pipeline. When we did not know what was going to happen, we took Taylor. The fact that we have MoT now and locked up for five more years does not mean that we should pass on a player who down the line will be superior to Taylor. You also factor in that we do not have a pick next year and our future picks may not be all that great. We have to have a long range focus. Although MoT will end up being one of our lesser PF's, he will still be wanted elsewhere. If he proves this year that he is healthy, we can move him at anytime. I see no reason to use the #15 pick for immediate help; not the way our roster is currently structured. I am also one of those who feel comfortable with the SF's we can put on the floor, including EG. You have to consider the fact that if Rice and Taylor comes back halfway decent, Nachbar or Price or Woods will see no playing time except, of course, if we continue our injury ways.

 

With Taylor and KT not looking like they're going anywhere, where else can you play Griff but at the 3? I think he is going to be our 6th man, probably splitting good amounts of time at the 3 and 5. If we take Amare and he starts turning into the next Kemp, minus the baggage, then we will move Taylor and KT. He's only 18 so he'll have at least 4 years to develope. If we do take him, he'll probably be energy off the bench, coming in and dunking on people like the monster that he could become. Besides, with Ming coming in and being a jump shooting center, do we really want a jump shooting, non rebounding PF? I think not. If Amare pans out, look for Taylor to either play out his contract and get no love or be traded. This means that Griff might become a SF like Abdur Rahim with 3pt range instead of a PF like Rasheed.

 

The team needs some toughness and defense, Stoudemire brings those 2 things. Stoudemire is the type of player that does all the dirty work and the Rockets could use that. If he works out then I think a Ming/Stoudemire/Griffin frontline could be very comparable to the championship frontline of Hakeem/Thorpe/Horry.

 

If Amare is drafted then one/all of the following is trade bait(not necessarily for this season tho):

1. Cato
2. Amare
3. KT

no way anyone of those guys are going to be stuck as third stringers for their careers, Cato, because of his salary and he's 7 feet tall, Amare because if he's a stud then he's a waste on the bench ala Jermaine Oneal, and KT, cuz he's too good to be a 3rd stringer.

 

He defenitely WON'T help us the next season.Perhaps in 2-4 years.If we really draft him on wednesday,Rudy plans to put Stoudemire as a 3rd option to SF,PF and C this year and hopes that he develop.He has very much trade value,perhaps he will be traded after the first year or something like that.

GRF

 

I have said it before and will say it again...with the #15 pick the Rockets will explore two avenues. They will either:

1) Draft a player to fill a "need position" i.e. Nachbar
2) Draft a player with major upside regardless of position. i.e. Stoudamire.

The only reason they draft Stoudamire even though the 4/5 postions are stacked is because he would add one thing we don't have at the 4/5 and that is "toughness". Additionally he has major upside as a banger/enforcer.

Regardless, I still don't see Griffin moving to the 3 spot permanently. He may play spot minutes there but not in the regular rotation.

If the Rockets can't get either Nachbar or Stoudamire at #15 (and guys like Rush and Welsch don't interest them) they may either trade down or trade the pick entirely. They also seem to like Tayshan Prince at #15 but most believe that he is a total reach at #15. The Rockets have been known to "reach" before (Roderick Rhodes) so it would not be too surprising. Prince of course would fill the "need position" role at SF.

Chris

 

Excellent post Deuce, that basically sums up all you need to know about #15

I'm scared the Wizards might take Nachbar though. If Stoudemire's gone as well, hopefully we take Woods instead of Prince. I have seen hardly any comments from the Rockets regarding Woods & his workouts with us. Is this a good sign? Hopefully we don't get Prince.

 

If he's available, the Rockets would be foolish to pass on Stoudamire.

1. Our logjam at PF/C will clear significantly this year or next. KT will either get traded or go to another team as a FA. He won't get a big payday next year from the Rox. I think we have to trade him while his value is at its highest. Maybe a team will ignore the fact that he put up big numbers on a bad team.

2. I think Rudy and CD are exploring trading Cato. As much as we bash him, I think he has some value to the many teams that have a true hole at the C position. Is trading Cato a gamble for us if we have just Ming? No, b/c we can resign Willis, who can show Ming how to play BIG, lift weights, shoot a jump hook, all the intangibles about being a big man in the nba . . . so many of the intangibles that Cato lacks. Ming has articulated a deep desire to learn and be coached. Who better than Willis, a 17-18 year vet of the NBA?

Would Willis re-sign? Yes. Willis never complained about the lack of PT last year, even tho he was clearly better than some of the garbage that was on the floor of the Compaq Center. He understood that that PT needed to go to young players to develop. In start contrast, Cato looked like he was sulking.

IMO, it's highly likely that our PF/C positions will ultimately be manned by Ming, MoTay and Griff, with help from 1 other person. Not a bad rotation.

 

I've seen Stoudemire a couple of times in HS all-star games-He's EXTREMELY physical, and athletic. He was in the dunk contest-He did the type of dunks Tracy McGrady would do: a through the legs reverse with authority in MID-AIR.

He'd give us that banging presence that I think we may need if Griffin and Ming don't become ultra-tough.

I've never liked the idea of Griffin at the 3-but, I suppose if you have 2 good shooters out there like Griffin and Ming, you could do it some.

Of course there's a player in Deuce's scenario that fits 1 and 2: Qyntel Woods. He may be there. Would the Rockets gamble on his offcourt issues?

The other longshot sleeper in addition to Prince is John Salmons. Salmons is the ultimate roleplayer-he's a 6-7 point forward, excellent ball handler and passer, good rebounder above average defender. He's not projected to go anywhere near 15, but Clutch mentioned they liked him. He can do a lot of little things, and doesn't demand the ball. He's a senior, too.

 

Rileydog, I agree also that Cato might be shopped around. He still has some value despite his hefty contract. If the Rockets are able to pick up Stoudamire then someone would be expendable. I can see the Rockets using a platoon of MoT, Griffin and Ming at the 4/5 spots during the season so a Cato trade is not out of the question.



Nike, funny that you should bring up Salmons. I have heard good things about him as well. A "point forward" eh? Like Odom? ;-) The Rockets might be very interested in him and again, it is not unlike the Rockets to "reach" for a player that they like. I could see them surprise everyone by reaching for this guy.

Chris

 

And don't forget reaching for Collier at #15. Also, some experts thought KT was reach at #22, that he had no heart. I think one "expert" said "no one ever did less with more" than KT. Evidently, he forgot about Derrick Coleman.

 

“Amare has an awesome work ethic,” said Earl Barnett, his head coach at Cypress Creek High School in Orlando. “He busts his butt in practice. Basketball is his love. He puts everything into it. One thing I admire about him is that he listens well. He follows directions well. If you tell him to set a pick and don’t move, he doesn’t move. He’s a very coachable kid.”

Outside of being called a "beast", and having rumored to have "destroyed" Gooden during workouts in Houston, what else could you ask for in a prodigy project? Freeing up space for him is not a problem when he is ready to start for the Rockets. Maybe in less time than we might expect.

 

Why is everyone so down on Prince. The guy is better than you think. He’s been having great workouts around the league and he is the type of player that will come in and contribute right away. If Nachbar and Amare are gone and we are left with Ely Haislip Welsch than I would take Prince over them in a heartbeat. Yeah we could probably trade down and get him. But not much. He will be gone by the early twenties mark my word.

That being said, I still think the Rockets are up to something. Wilcox had previously annouced he was not doing anymore workouts. After only 4 workouts he rejected some teams that might seriously have a shot at him. And now all of a sudden he shows up on our doorstep and then Hilario is there as well. These are players who clearly will not be available at the 15 th slot. SO why are they coming.

Well report out of Cleveland is that Paxson is under the gun. Last years pick, Diop, was a flop and after their miserable season. A quote from the Cleveland Paper.

The Draft Rebate - Enticing season ticket holders could begin as early as Wednesday, the day of the NBA draft. That's where the mending of fences must start. Let's just say the Cavs' decision not to hold a draft party wasn't exactly made out of liability concerns that excitement over the Cavs' choice would lead to a mass fainting spell in Gund Arena.

So under the Draft Rebate offer, season ticket holders would receive $50 if the Cavaliers draft anyone who underwent foot surgery in the last two years, $100 if that player is still on crutches or has more than one orthopedic surgeon on his speed dial, $150 if a foot transplant has been performed in the last five years.

A $50 retroactive rebate should also be in the offing if the Cavs choose a player who earns less playing time than previous draftees Jeff Trepagnier, Trajan Langdon and DeSagana Diop.

So let’s just say Paxson knows he better not draft a project this year. He definitely wants some one to come in and play for them now. And then TRG reports that they are interested in KT (normally I wouldn’t even pay attention but he says it is coming from other sources and even the cleveland papers say the Cavs are looking to trade down).

So now I am seriously thinking the Rockets are working on something with the Cavs. I don’t honestly believe KT and the 15th pick are worth the 6th pick. But who knows maybe they are thinking that a player like Welsch, Williams or Dickau would be good choices since they are likely to lose Miller and then they get KT who can contribute immediately. I don’t know if a trade will go down, but it sure seems like the Rockets are up to something.

 

Here's one site I could find on KT being a reach:

http://cbs.sportsline.com/u/basketball/nba/1999/draft/reportcards.htm

 

Great observation Old Man Rock. Wilcox did refuse any more workouts and now here he is in Houston. Both Wilcox and Nene were projected to go as high as 6-10. Hmm, very interesting.

 

Pronce is an unspectacular player. He plays on the perimeter but doesn't have that good of a shot. He has no strentgth and he isn't quick for a perimeter guy. I would take him in the 2nd round but no way would I take him with the 15.

 

He doesn't have that good of a shot? You must be kidding he has one of the best in the draft. I will a gree he is not lightning quick but he isn't slow. He has an adequate amount of speed to hold his own in the NBA and he does have a quick move to the basket. I would dare to say he is just as fast as Nachbar.

In an article from ESPN insider about who is hot and who is not in this years draft, here's what Chad ford had to say:

Here's our latest look at who's hot and who's not in the draft.

HOT

Mike Dunleavy -- We're not sure whether he can actually play basketball in the NBA, but the kid could be a CEO in marketing. While other top players are killing themselves in daily team workouts, Dunleavy is hanging out in Durham, shooting an occasional jumper, playing coy on good days, lifting his skirt just a little when it gets a little cloudy. Is he in or is he out? No one knows, but with all the attention he's generated (both the Grizzlies and the Warriors came to him this weekend) you have to believe he's figured out how to make this process as painless as possible. Dunleavy's stock is as high as ever for doing the very things most teams say they hate. He's indecisive, uncooperative and in control . . . and the Rockets are still pondering whether to take him No. 1. Go figure.

Nikoloz Tskitishvili -- Speaking of mysterious, the more Skita sits on the bench thousands of miles from here, the more his stock continues to soar. His agent says he's in the draft, which means he's already secured a top-10 pick, but with the way things are going, he now looks like a lock for the top 5. Warriors brass flew to Italy this weekend to get another look. Grizzlies godfather Jerry West is planning a last-minute visit if Skita won't come to him and the Suns are trying to convince his coach, Mike D'Antoni, to come along for the ride.

Chris Wilcox -- After sitting out of workouts before Chicago with a pulled hamstring, agent Rock Newman finally got Wilcox to show up and pound the hell out straw man Jermaine Williams in Chicago. That was just a taste of what was to come. Wilcox went toe to toe with Fresno State's Melvin Ely in New York Saturday and left teams blown away. His athleticism and defensive tenacity have the Knicks drooling at No. 7. Will he even be around then? The Cavs are also looking for a power forward at No. 6.

Tayshaun Prince -- Prince seems to have recovered a bit from a nasty case of senioritis. He's been working out this summer and teams have been blown away by his shooting and ball-handling skills. Although questions still linger about his ultimate position in the pros and just how durable the Fen-Fen poster child will be, it looks like he's now a lock for the first round.

BLOWN AWAY, doesn't like a term used in reference to an unspectacular player.

 

I think that Amare Stoudemire has an NBA future as a 4/5. Amare's frame is wider than EG's so he should fill out more. Four years out, the Rocks could have a front court rotation of Yoa (5) / Stoudemire (4/5) / Griffin (4).