I am 43 years old and I have watched a ton of basketball in my life, a ton. I have watched over 300 games an NBA season for the past 25 years at least and that number is probably closer to 500 games a season since I have followed at least 4 teams consistently during that time as well as watching most or all of the playoff season itself. I have watched a ton of college ball as well. I played the game in H.S. and college on top of that. Enough of my resume. But I'll stack it up against yours or anyone else's that isn't working for an NBA team currently. By the way, Golden State, as currently constructed, will be a playoff team if they remain injury free. That could be greatly effected by a significant injury to Curry or either of their two bigs (Biedrins, Lee). But if they remain healthy, they are going to the playoffs. Prince does not significantly upgrade this team. And it's pointless to talk about him. He's an expiring contract. We're not going to give up talent to get him. And the only way Detroit trades him is for either a significant talent or draft picks. They have no other reason to move him. Now, if he is bought out and comes free he may be worth adding at the minimum to a potential playoff team such as us, but to trade for him and give up a young talent or a draft pick in the process is a waste.
he also didnt have Shannon brown type open shots...he was hitting insanely covered jumpers. That's just a hot hand. And monta is more like Parker...they shoot a lot of close shots, layups, etc...so it boosts their shooting %.
I agree with all this. He is a PITA defensively. He's like Jeffries with the ability to play even further up on the perimeter to make the shooters struggle. I think he's a good player. I'd like to have him on our team. But he's an $11 million expiring and he's not worth giving up a young talent or a draft pick to obtain. If you want to move jeffries and Battier for him, I'd do that deal if nothing better materialized. But Detroit has no incentive to do that deal. The only incentive Detroit has to trade Prince is for a young talent, or a draft pick, or a longer term contract of a star player. It will not be to our benefit to give up any of those things. I never stated he was a bad player. He simply is not enough of an upgrade to take us where we want to go, that is, a championship. And since that is the case, we need to hold our chips for something better. The expiring deals of Jeffries, Battier, Hayes, and the young talent of Bud, Hill/Pat, Brooks, should be able to bring us a far better upgrade.
Prince is not a significant enough upgrade over Battier to give up assets. He makes $11 million this year. Giving up either of the picks now, when they might end up in the lottery, is ridiculous.
THIS. FTW What I been saying all along. This is the NBA it's all about TEAM DEFENSE, not an individual defender...Most people can't get that through their head!!
A lot of people here don't even know there's a defensive side of the ball, period. They want OFFENSE OFFENSE OFFENSE. The one or two guys actually trying to play defense get called out for not stopping the other team. The solution? Trade those guys for more offense! It really is ridiculous.
The problem is the same as it always is in these types of situations, RV6..... ...the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Some guys are going to be more offensive-minded than others. That's all well and good, at face value. But the guys who are going to get the bulk of the court time, and be anointed team saviors or team leaders, have to play on both sides of the ball. What you may do well on offense doesn't excuse you're responsibility on defense. You can be a good defender if you work at it. You're not going to give yourself a chance to win if you don't work at it. There's no reason not to play good defense. Defense (or specifically, defensive effort) is the only constant outside of the rules of the game and the gym you play in. The problems the Rockets have are two-fold, in my opinion, RV6. First, barely a week into the season, it is FAR too soon to worry about the Rockets' fortunes. Fans are fans for a reason, though. If most of us didn't routinely panic at five minute intervals, we'd wet ourselves. But the Rockets MUST commit to playing Yao Ming as the on-court situations dictate...not as the medical reports advise. Yao is supposed to be heathy. He has no pain or discomfort in his foot. Radical procedure or no, if Yao is able to physically play without pain or discomfort, then he needs to play. Yao was going to be rusty and a bit out of sorts, anyway. His teammates were going to have to get used to playing with him again, and vice versa, anyway. Delaying or slowing or overly guarding that process makes no sense at all. That's all there is to it. And second, playing Yao puts the onus of adjustment and accountability firmly on the shoulders of Aaron Brooks and Kevin Martin. Their jobs are larger than their desires to fill them currently. Both of them have to be better individual defenders, but without Yao, there is no need for that to happen. Yao's presence helps the team defense by a quantum leap, but both Brooks and Martin would also have to offer better resistance in order to keep Yao from fouling out trying to cover up their defensive lapses. Just for starters. I get a sense that everybody has that basic feeling, RV6. But you just CAN'T continue to say that we're only going to play Yao for a few minutes a week and say that you've got a good team. The Rockets slogged through last season and went this route with Yao's recovery in order to stop having to do this type of thing. Preparing and planning and ultimately adjusting for Yao's absence is what a good team does, RV6. The only problem is, you don't go about the way the Rockets are…when you don't have to.
Thats a good thought. My only gripe with Prince is he is almost the same age as Battier. I dont see why we need to give them any draft picks from the first round for him. To me they could take Battier straight up almost or Battier and Hill straight up. I dont think Tayshaun is worth a 1st round pick anymore at the age of 30.
The only problem with RV6s response is it assumes Battier can still play defense. He cant. Not at a level of Chuck Hayes even or Courtney lee anymore. Battier is neither a really good defender or offender.
The only problem with my response is that you want to find a problem with it. I said trying to play defense for a reason. He's giving the effort, Whether we think he's playing good defense or not is irrelevant right now, since some of us understand a guy still hitting a jumper with you draped over him, while others think that's bad defense. The moment your focus on this boards turns to hating on a player just to hate, it really only hurts your support for the Rockets. Stop focusing on trying to shut down anything that's remotely pro-battier and focus on the problem at hand. If the backcourt stepped up their defensive effort battier wouldnt have to be rotating so much to cover other shooters, which would cut back on those buckets in his face, which would make you realize his defense isn't as bad as you make it out to be.
There is nothing streaky about a 47% volume jumpsooter. The guy is a good shooter inside 20 ft anywhere on the court. Streaky is 43%,not 47.
He's a good shooter in front of the rim. He's streaky everywhere else except in one corner....and look at how many of his shots come at the rim.
I think Battier is the least of our worries. He can still play defense, and we really don't need him to score. We're averaging 119 pts per game, getting a high scoring small forward just takes points away from our other scorers. It's too early in the season to know if we are the worst defensive team in the league, or if we've just been unfortunate to play two teams who happened to be red hot shooting the ball.
Jopatmc, I played D-1 ball and I'm an old head too. This isnt a pissing contest,but this is bigger than that. Prince is a huge upgrade to battier. Is he enough to put the rockets over the top? Probably not, but he a very good 2 way player in the last yr of his deal.He's still a very good defender with a high bbiq. Offensively he would get 12 easy pts through transition,offensive sets and cuts, and he has championship mettle. He's made ring level plays during the pistons run and thats simething no rocket can say. What is he worth? Of course he's worth more than battier or jeffries. He would cost one of those guys plus either patterson or hill. To me, thats not alot for what he brings in terms of offense,defense,and intangibles. He comes in and plays like tayshaun normally does, the rockets would have the inside track on resigning him. Prince in the lineup would give the rockets a 2 way player which they sorely lack. My assessment of the team is they really only have 1 player who is effective on both ends and thats yao. Everyone else is either offense or defense and thats why they lack versitility.
Dampier can play defense. He should start over Yao? Better defender by the Battier logic club. You can barely play defense and no offense your a liability. Thats all i am saying about that. 112 points and then 132 doesnt prove anyones playing defense. Especially the player who was lit up for a career high 46 points. Anyhow. Tayshaun i am sure wouldnt get lit up for 46 points and he can score too.
I am sure everyone is "trying". Heck Kevin martin looks like he is "trying". Doesnt mean he can. Buckets in his face only with the only guy he is covering one on one in most instances? I thought the guy he was covering had nothing to do with team defense? The guy who scored 46 points and started the avalanche.
