Should we trade Shane Battier to give Chase Budinger more playing time?

The way I see it, Battier's basically already another member of the coaching staff, as well... :grin:


And all-around he's a damn good guy, he makes the fans feel good about the team.

 

Obviously whether or not to trade Battier depends on what we could get for him.

I would be tempted to trade him for an expiring contract to give us more room to go after the big free agents.

 

The only way the Rockets compete this year is to get a legit center. If you don't care about competing this year, then playing Battier over Budinger does nothing for your future. Therefore, we should either trade Battier for a legit center (rental) or have him come off the bench if we can't find a decent trade.

Budinger should be starting at SG and Ariza at his more natural SF position. The ideal trade would be Battier and Cook for Camby, but I don't know why the Clips would do it unless you through in a first which would be too steep. If you could swing it with a 2nd rounder, I would do it in a heartbeat.

The Miami trade of T-Mac for J. Oneal and a 1st rounder would be a steal, even if JO didn't play a second, but I don't see Miami giving up any draft picks. We may end up doing it to unload Cook and T-mac and get under the LT with other expiring throw-ins from Miami (if this is even possible).

 

Are you want Toyota Center be another Madison Square Garden?

 

1. There are no decent big men available.

2. I don't think the center position is as important these days as people make it out to be. I mean let's face it Shaq is old, and Chuck Hayes did a decent job against him and guys like Dwight may be imposing, but they're not Dream or the centers of that era. The rest of the centers in the league are not really dominating the game like centers used to, because they're not really at the same level of athleticism.

Therefore I don't think having a "legit center" is that important, especially giving the run and gun style of play we have. If we were going to switch to a slower-paced, half-court game, then having a center would be a must. As it is, we can just outrun all the big-men in the league and if they get the ball inside Chuck Hayes is a tough, tough dude who's showing he can handle the best.

 

After watching the video with Shane teaching our young players, I say hell no. Chase is going to learn alot from Shane.

 

what???? You do realize most championship teams had a decent big men at Center. Even Jordan's team had a tough defending center or PF who played great defense.

Run and gun = no championships, plus we don't run and gun we just play more uptempo with motion offense.

 

It's a different league. Jordan's team had to play the dream, ewing, karl malone, david robinson, a young shaq.

There's no one even close to any one of those guys in the league today. Therefore I think hustle and toughness can compensate for size. And I don't think anyone can disagree we've got some of the best in hustling down low in Scola, Landry, Hayes.

 

Different league?? The last 10 teams to win a championship had decent bigs....look them up.

 

no. bad idea. a lot of people dont' realize how important shane is

 

We can't compete in the playoffs without some more height at center. The Lakers, Spurs, and Dallas will all kill us. Camby is being shopped. He is a good, not great, defensive player and can clog up the lane when we play teams with huge front lines.

Battier and Ariza are redundant. At this point in their careers, Ariza is a better defensive player, younger, and at times a better offensive player than Shane. Budinger has all the tools and needs playing time. We should either trade Shane or bring him off the bench to get the young guns ready for Yao's return.

Camby or Gortat or somebody like that would give us at least some hope of progressing in the playoffs, while still nurturing our youth along. Battier taking up minutes just allows us to be competitive during the regular season and r****ds the growth of Budinger and Ariza who are part of our future.

 

So you think nothing can ever change? You're talking about history and I'm talking logic and an observation of how things are now.

History does mean something. But it's not like it's impossible.

And I think with the decline of big men that are REALLY GOOD all around players (not just "decent") it may not be that essential to have a really huge guy at center if you are able to compensate otherwise.

If any team can compensate for size with hustle and toughness it's our Rockets! Can we at least agree on that?

 

Battier won't be traded just to give Budinger more playing time. Chase may indirectly "benefit" this way if Battier were traded, but the main reason for a trade will be to acquire a better player.

IMO outside of Yao, none of our players are untouchable. If Battier or Budinger or Brooks or whoever can be packaged to bring in a star-caliber player, Morey will do it.

 

Ariza is a better defensive player?? What are you smoking? LOL

I agree Ariza is redundant, but I think the redundancy is more with Chase, T-mac and Brooks than with Shane. Ariza is a better scorer that Shane, but with those other guys, do we really need that? I think Ariza's going to go way down in minutes as T-Mac comes back, and if anyone gets traded, it would be him.

 

You trade battier because he is redundant with Ariza, or because he is payed a lot more than what he produces, but not just to "give chase more minutes".

Plus, trading Battier will have a lot more sense next season, when T-Mac will be gone and Battier's contract will be expiring.

Personally it would have to be wheather we think Ariza is effective or not playing the 2 guard. If he is our definitive solution at that position, then we need a SF (Nocioni would fit, adding some offense and not loosing what Battier already brings) or if we combine his contract with another to get something at C if Yao cannot come back.

Many things can happen. Better wait.

 

Who wants to bet me that when Chase has a couple of bad games, we start calling him Bumdinger

 

If this were a true meritocracy,

The starters would be Chase and Shane with Trevor coming off the bench.

Chase is better than both Shane and Trevor already.

DD

 

Everyone knows that Ariza is Battier eventual replacement.

We will never trade Battier though. It would have to be a trade to a contender to do him justice and get the Greatest team player I've ever seen a ring.

 

Chase has had bad games as well. You're not really being fair.

 

If Chase Budinger deserve more time, can't we just play him without trading somone?

Did we have to trade Hayes before Landry gets to play?