I think that the Rockets are actively pursuing a Sf after the draft. Their resources have been recently drained by the Yao Ming fiasco, but they are not done wheeling and dealing. There is still hope. The team may have a shot at making the playoffs again next year, but a decent SF will actually allow them the opportunity to imporive beyond that capacity in the years to come.
Pued is right. Nachbar is battle-tested, and ready to contribute NOW! Here's ESPN's thoughts on him: <b>15. Houston: Bostjan Nachbar, SF, 6-8, Slovenia </b> <i>Another great pick for the Rockets. He's 22 years old and will be able to come in immediately and contribute to this team. He's got a sweet mid-range jumper and likes to put the ball on the floor. Think Mike Miller with an accent. A few years from now, this will look like a steal. If Yao actually gets here, the Rockets will be a force to be reckoned with in the West.</i>
Nachbar is the sf and he is fast enough to keep up with Francis and Mobley. And can shoot if Francis lets him have the ball.
Nachbar is a project, not battle tested. I would hope they would be doing all they can do to get a young experienced small forward since they already took on 1 high risk prospect in ming. Cato will start over ming next year, and Rice over nachbar. So if we are banking on ming long term and want to improve short term at the same time, we better improve our small forward now, with a young veteran and not another project
Whats wrong with you? Just calm down! It was a perfect draft. Our experts RT & CD got all 3 players they were seeking. They run the club and know what's best !
Since when was Tito Maddox 1 of the players we were after, considering we now have 4 point guards and only decent shooting guard in Cat. Oscar will never amount to anything. We are the only ones outside of Houston who are even giving Ming a chance. I know it is because they are all jealous. Were we just jealous when we made fun of Philly for picking Bradley. I am not saying Ming does not have more upside than Bradley, but you have to admit when everyone outside of us says Ming is not worthy of #1 it must mean a little somthin, like those who say if Woods slipped that far it is for a reason. You can't just use that analogy when it works for you.
Oh, good lord!!! You ARE kidding, right?! After they drafted Nachbar(who's a SF) , you still want them to "pursue" a SF?! Where have you been?
However the offense the Rockets run require a SG that has some ball-handling skills. Maddox could very well take over a roster spot if Oscar Torres leaves for another team. If Maddox can prove that he can shoot the ball and play a little defense, he can possibly be a key player in our rotation.
Oh, good lord, Part II! Nachbar is 22 years old and has been playing in the Europen leagues since he was 15-16 years old. GMs around the NBA have said "he's as ready for the NBA as anyone in the draft". But you say he's a project? Where do you guys come up with this stuff? Or do you all just throw stuff up on the wall and hope something sticks?! ;(
Nachbar is the guy that many said is the most ready to step right in and contribute immediately. He's been a pro since he was a teenager. If he can have a Tony Parker type of impact, we will be fine. Rice and Nachbar. Rice isn't overused, and Nachbar has aguy to learn from.
E-source, you put too much stock in what you are told. Those oversea leagues are where the american players go who can't make it over here. Our college teams used to be in the top 2 over there in a bad year against their pro's. Come on now, you really can't consider that better than college basketball, just because they get paid and are called pro's. I bet our mcdonald's highschool team could take them easily. So if you play at the Y every day against older people it makes you a little better when you are young, but when you lace em up for your school it is a completely differrent game. It has been years and now I am 1 of the older people at the Y and I teach the younguns some, but that does not mean they are ready for the nba or even college for that matter
Didn't these players come from the Euro league. Gasol Nowitski Peja Turkalu Vlade Kukoc Didn't a Euro team almost beat the Dream Teamers in Sydney. I think people have too high of an opinion of American basketball players. Todays NBA players are no where near the players they were 10 years ago. Proven by the fact Stockton is still one of the best PG's in the league at 40 and Jordan coming back on 2 bum knees and still lighting it up. It is silly that a guy who only has to jump a foot to touch the rim misses shots from within 5 feet.
I seriously doubt if the highschool team could take them at all...much less easily. From what I have heard the top European teams and the top NCAA teams are on a level playing field, with a slight edge going to the top NCAA teams.
TMan, somewhere between you and us is the truth. You may be right that Nachbar might not be able to start next year. But you're mistaken in using the term "project." Generally, projects are so because they have great athleticism but nascent skills. Nachbar's got developed skills. Sure, he'll have to adjust to the physical play and pace of the NBA, but that doesn't make him a 'project.' None of us here have great information, but you keep saying that no one outside of Houston thinks Yao will make it. Where are you getting this? Are there critics? Sure. Skeptics? Sure! Guys talking out of their @$$ like that Dallas Morning News columnist? Absolutely! And there are also professionals psyched about this guy, and they're not just CD and Rudy T. And they're all documented. Either you overly exaggerate, TMan, or you're just plain mistaken. Period.
Good God!!!!! You're killing me over here!!!!! If our college players are SOOOOO much better than those Euros, and the Euros are old men at the Y then how come were so many of them taken in the first round. This draft made it look like college basketball was the joke while the Euro leagues are the proving ground.
I really think that you are somewhat "living in the past". No disrespect meant BUT that "view" about basketball played overseas is no longer valid. The overseas players are getting more athlethic and skilled every year while the majority of the U.S. kids coming out are LACKING in fundamentals, big time! All they seem to want to do is "the Sportscenter Dunk" and the fancy dribbling and passes. They have no concept of team play, etc. It's all about being on Sportscenter and "looking cool"! But wake up becuz the Europeans and others are coming up fast and are more ready to play immediately than many U.S. players nowadays.
Relativist, i agree somewhere between the two of is the truth. We are just on opposite sides of the fence so our points don't click About Ming, I jumped out of my chair when we won the lotto, and have been spending entirely too much time here reading everyones post every since. I have been going to other sites and listening to A.M. radio(things i normally don't do) trying to gather as much info as I could and this is the only site where people were so optimistic about Ming. On the radio every host talked down on Ming, on t.v. almost every show talked down on him, on all websites not named clutchcity they said biggest bust ever. I just got the same feeling I had when I was on the other side thinking how bad bradley would be. On the show Jeff was on this morning they were saying how Ming was a waste of space after he left. All this aside I am a Rockets fan first and have still managed to stay somewhat excited about Ming and even got kind of upset when it looked like it fell apart the other day. This post just asked about small forward and my opinion was we really should get a young veteran since I think we already have 1 major projct in ming.
Ref, just responding to someone else who said he was the real deal cause he has been playing against 30 year olds since 15. We all have done that is all I was trying to say. The age of your comp. means nothing.
