Clutch connects the dots between (a) the Chronicle's story about the Rockets wanting to trade down for Etan Thomas, (b) the Mavs swiping Thomas off the table at #12, and (c) the Rockets being forced to take Collier instead of Thomas at #15. Here's my question to those of you who know how draft-night deals work: Is it possible that the Rockets and Bucks had an unwritten understanding about modifying the deal depending on what happened between #9 and #15? In other words, if Thomas was still available at #15, the Bucks would take him for the Rockets and would give up more than their first-rounder? Or that the first-rounder would have been totally unprotected or protected through pick #5, instead of protected through pick #10? It would make me feel a lot better if something like this is what was arranged behind the scenes.
I heard the Rockets didn't finalize the deal until the "player(s) they were hoping for" didn't drop to them. Why would Milwaukee give up more if E. Thomas was available? Wouldn't they give up less, as Thomas is generally regarded as better? ------------------ The more lefties on your team, the better. Collier is Seven Foot and Left Handed. How can you go wrong? Trade or bench Kenny Thomas.
Sorry, I got it upside down while writing. You're right. The idea is that the pick would have been MORE protected (to the Bucks' advantage) if Thomas had been available at #15. [This message has been edited by Will (edited June 29, 2000).]
I certainly am no expert at drafting as those that saw any of mock draft can attest. But those type of deals are exactly the type of thing that CD and RT refer to when they use the terms ....... "fall-back positions", "plan b all the way to p", "a backup", "a worse case fallback", that they were quoted as saying over the previous 72 hours of the draft and since the draft. But note this: Draft are a series of feints and parries between teams. A contenious chess game amoung friends in some cases, especially if relationships are established over the season or the history of the franchise. This all makes some strange bedfellows. So, when a team like Vancover gets a new owner, with a new GM, coaches, staffing, etc... a relationship that may have been established over several years and cultivated with good rapport and fair dealings invariably goes down the drain the moment that new organization takes over. That closeness and the comfort zone that teams get when they are dealing fairly and openly with one another is lost. I cannot help but think that Houston lost some positioning with teams such as Vancover because of the wholesale change in personnel there. Other teams, that are in a bit of a flux (Indiana) makes it difficcult to approach when it is necessary to have a certain amount of trust. I have a feeling that the Rockets had very limited opportunities when it came right down to the number nine. I also feel that Milwaukee may have been the ONLY established pre-plan left after the first eight spots were gone. But to answer your question, I would bet a pile of something, that the plan was in place prior to the first draw. A sort of: ".....if this happens we do this ... and if this happens .... we do that ......". And eventually ended up as: " .... get them on the phone, tell them we go with the Pryzbilla pick and hope for Collier to fall at #15 as planned ......." [This message has been edited by oeilpere (edited June 29, 2000).]
pere-I can't help but asking, what you think/know what these moves means in terms of the Rockets future? Gearing towards '01 as their coming out party? Do these moves mean the Rockets are certain to grab a certain lower tier free agent, that's a specialist (such as Foyle, or Fortson)? If in 01, we have the cap, then it'd be so awesome....most teams that have cap don't have a "centerpiece". Who's Orlando's best player right now? Darrell Armstrong? After Brand, who does Chicago have? Artest? We'll be loaded going in, and downright fearsome going out. ------------------ The more lefties on your team, the better. Collier is Seven Foot and Left Handed. How can you go wrong? Trade or bench Kenny Thomas.
