[Chad Ford Insider] Hou working on 4 team deal [Update: Done Deal - Ariza for C Lee]

While I agree that an improved CBud fits better with Yao, I am not entirely sure Ariza wouldn't be a much better fit on a Yao team than he was on a Yao-less team. With Yao, I don't think Ariza would need to dribble drive (in fact, probably couldn't with Yao in the post). Instead, Ariza would spot up off a Yao feed, or play the two-man game. I don't think you will see the wings driving as much, and if you do see drives, it will be Brooks and Martin.

I do think CBud can be a better player in this offense if his outside shooting proves to be consistent with more playing time and his passing continues to improve. If he can show the patience of working the ball into the Yao post, and allow Yao to re-set and re-feed Yao, the offense will click, especially at the end of games and in the playoffs. CBud will also be the recipient of open looks.

Defensively, well, hopefully CBud improves there, but again, with a Yao in the pait I think he won't need to worry as much about losing his man. It would have been fun watching Ariza defend the perimeter (both sticking with his man and gambling on passing lanes).

 

http://www.basketballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=1194

[rquoter]
HOUSTON ROCKETS

Acquired guard Courtney Lee from New Jersey in exchange for forward Trevor Ariza as part of a four-team trade. [8/11]

The Rockets were well into luxury-tax territory after re-signing Luis Scola and Kyle Lowry this summer while adding free-agent center Brad Miller. Swapping Ariza for Lee lightens that load for this season and beyond, though Houston is still over the tax threshold for the coming campaign. However, if things go bad, GM Daryl Morey can still get under the tax line with another swap down the line. If things go well, Morey can use the $6.5 million trade exception he picked up in the deal to add a piece for a postseason run.

With Ariza leaving town, Shane Battier will re-ascend to his unchallenged throne as the Rockets' top perimeter stopper. Promising second-year forward Chase Budinger will see his minutes go up. His presence is largely what made Ariza expendable. Meanwhile, Lee will give the Rockets top-notch depth and another quality defender at three positions. He's a superior spot-up shooter to Ariza, which will make him better-suited as a supporting player to Houston's offensive core of Aaron Brooks, Yao Ming and Kevin Martin. So Houston saved money with no likely dropoff in the quality of its projected rotation for the coming season. What's not to like?
[/rquoter]

 

I am not sure if Ariza make the starter lineup better than with Battier. Battier's defense and hustling do make a huge difference. Him and Scola like taking charges. Could it be that with Ariza attacking the basket make us even better? What about his rebounding and gambling to steal? We don't really know.

On the other hand, you can ask similar question....do we really need another player to attack the basket now that we have both Brooks and Martin to do that?? Of course, it doesn't hurt to have another player attacking the basket. Our offense was too limited back when we have Yao Scola Battier Artest and Brooks. When Yao was being fronted...we only have Brooks to go to....to generate offense. But now at least we have Martin to attack the basket.

I also feel that with Brooks Martin and Ariza, our perimeter players are too thin and weak in terms of overall defense. I also think that Ariza isn't that great a shooter as demonstrated by his dismal free throw percentage.

 

I agreed. I like when he said LEE is a superior spot-up shooter to Ariza. This is a fact and was back it by stats from field goal % and FT %.

 

Kind of like Peja for the early 2000 Kings.

 

I still remember the day Ariza was signed. Many IDs here predicted he's gonna be the new TMac. Well, it's only one year.

 

Why not Ariza+filler for Collison and Posey straight?

Sure, we had 2 pg, but Collison was sooooo much better than Lee, that even in a worst case Scenario, Lee or Brooks could be traded quite quickly for a SG at least as good as Lee.....don't you think?

 

Can someone with ESPN Insider post the John Hollinger scouting report on Courtney Lee?

 

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/players/hollinger?playerId=3445

Scouting report: Often compared to Richard Hamilton because of their similar builds, especially once he donned a facemask in last season's playoffs, Lee is likely to have a much more defense-oriented identity as a pro. He's a very good spot-up shooter, with last season's numbers backed by strong 3-point percentages as a collegian, but it's unlikely he'll ever be great at creating his own offense since he's neither a deceptive ball handler nor an explosive leaper.

Where he does excel, however, is at the other end. Most rookies struggle on defense, but Lee was the Magic's best on-ball defender from the get-go and has a good chance at becoming an elite defensive stopper. Even though he isn't powerfully built, he moves very well laterally. He needs to get better at drawing charges, though, as last season he took only five, and he needs to get stronger to defend post-ups better.

 

And I assume he's talking about defending a 2. Don't know where people get the idea he can defend a 3.

 

Not totally sold on the trade but I'll roll with it. Not much choice, really.

Positives:
1. Shane back in the starting line-up which is nearly the same line-up that went 2 rounds in 09 (just swap Artest for Martin). The front court of Battier, Scola and Yao is tried and true. I think Battier goes a long way in making the starting line-up work because he's content to play D on the toughest wing and spot up for threes.
2. More minutes for Bud to continue to develop.
3. Solid backup 2 in Courtney Lee. Better balance.
4. Huge trade exception puts us in play for a star player.

Negatives:
1. Ariza was a piece that could grow with the young core of the team. Now we don't have that guy since Shane is too old and I don't see Bud as a starter on a championship level team.

4 positives to 1 negative. I guess I was hoping for no negatives.

 

Would it be wrong to say he is a younger version of Raja Bell?

 

My god... I LOVE YOU MOREY!!!

I hated the Ariza signing from the second it happened. Yeah, he's good on defense. But he's atrocious on offense and takes too many shots. He was never worth that contract, and I couldn't believe Morey was foolish enough to give him mid-level money.

I was sure we'd be stuck with the guy and his contract until it ran out in 4 years. But no, we trade him for a guy who makes $5 million per year less and is certainly a better fit for us.

Moneyball indeed. Morey fixed his mistake and then some here.

 

And then there was complete and utter agreement.

Life is good.

DD

 

1. Money > talent.
2. Hornets did not want to help their division rival.

 

Because the trade was done to reduce salary. Whoever heard of reducing salary by acquiring 13M over two years? Collison is great, and might actually be better than Brooks, however at this point in time he's not a superstar and wouldn't be worth the 26M the Rockets will have to pay for him (Posey's salary+tax).

The nice thing about it though is DM did it by getting a player who's a better fit for this team and acquiring assets in the process.

 

I beg to differ

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Also his ball handling skills are underrated.

 

5. Helps make Indiana better, which means NY will have a worse record.
6. Gives CP3 some hope of sticking with his team meaning NY has a harder time convincing him to come there.
7. Makes NJ better this year, meaning NY will have a worse record.
8. With CP3 entrenched in NO, NJ will focus its attention on Melo, meaning NY will have another rival in getting Melo from the Nuggets.
9. With two teams with capspace (NY and NJ) vying for Melo, chances of Melo leaving the Western conference becomes higher, and if that happens that's one less western rival for us.

9 positives enough for you?

 

For our sake, hopefully. I don't like that comparison, though.

In Bell's prime he was a top-notch defender -- we're talking Shane Battier level defense here.

Oh well, we'll just have to see what happens since Lee isn't exactly a finished product.

 

Will Bundinger ever be able to play defense good enough to be an starter getting significant minutes? There's no doubt that he shoot well and score in more ways than people would expect...