December 15th is what the quasi-deadline to contend for a playoff spot, this season, should be. That is the day FAgents that signed in the offseason can be traded and when movement amongst teams really begins. Morey has said nothing will happen now but specifically pointed to this day as the time teams start to discuss trades a lot more freely. A VERY real possibility is that after the OKC game on Dec 15th we could/should be 7-18 meaning we would have to go 43-14 to have a legit chance at the playoffs. Does anyone really think we will go 43-14 the rest of the way and do you really want to be an 8th seed in the WC playoffs? If this scenario unfolds then two things need to happen, Morey has to explore revamping the roster COMPLETELY and the young guys need consistent minutes much like last night. Adelman seems to have finally begun to move in this direction and hope it continues... http://blogs.chron.com/nba/2010/11/tired_of_losing_with_the_vets.html
I just do not see rebuilding. They have to come to a decision on Yao, whether he is part of their future. If he is, we ain't rebuilding, we're reloading. I'm sorry but I can't help but feel that one player like a Stephen Jackson type, a player that can shoot, dribble, and defend, multi-tool player on this current team, even with our injuries, and we are 8-4 instead of 3-9. I know that sounds like a homer. But the biggest gaping hole in this team, that I see, is our crappy production from the small forward slot. It's not Scola's defense. It's not Lowry's shooting. It's not having a rim protector. All those things need to improve. However, in my opinion, if we have a SF that can shoot 40% from distance and can dribble and create a little bit at the rim, then our record is 8-4 or better. Our SF play has totally sucked this year. It is our biggest glaring need.
I think 43-14 is possible (as is) for this team if everyone is healthy and making their shots. This year, they're not healthy (what else is new?) and they're not making their shots. 0-12 from the 3-point land last night in the 1st half? Really?!?! The problem with finishing strong is the same as we've seen with the Texans and DisAstros - owners and GMs feel they're headed in the right direction and dont try to improve the roster very much - although i know Morey does try and more often than not,has been pretty successful for the most part. But, with this team, we're likely a 6th seed AT BEST. And we cannot compete in a 7 game series with the upper-echelon teams in the West. This gives us 2 options... 1) We NEED to cash in on our assets and make a big splash of a trade. If we really are "ALL IN" this year, go after Carmelo and if he walks at the end of the year, start rebuilding. 2) Dont even try to win games, and go in "all-out Tank mode" and hope for a top 3-5 pick in the draft next year and rebuild. Either way you look at it, we're going to need to rebuild, simply cuz this roster, as is, is NOT good enough to win us a title. And like i've always believed...its CHAMPIONSHIP or BUST. We cannot have the mentality of Playoffs (only) or bust.
Nicely done Miller and Scola but Lowry is a special case since he actually signed an offer sheet with Cleveland. I think you need his permission to trade him and honestly forgot the specific date he can be traded.
I also think that a BIG trade will be done close to this date, but if we have by then, more then -5 win-loss record then I don´t think we can come back and be a playoff team..... a 10-15 record would make me a semi-happy man, but from what I have seen from this team, it will be hard, simply because Rick doesn´t play who he should... Hill Scola Lee Martin Dish PeAcE
Between now and December 15th games.... vs Oklahoma City L @ Dallas L vs LA Lakers L @ Memphis L @ Chicago L vs Detroit L @ Milwaukee L vs Cleveland W vs Sacramento L @ Oklahoma City L 5-20 is very possible ... smh.. But on the other hand that votes well for our lottery pick :grin: --RB
THIS ^ Main available guys: Scola, Martin, Battier, Jeffries, Chuck and Brooks for Young players and Draft picks... --RB
these are the types of trades we should be looking at. http://www.clutchfans.net/news/1175/rockets_deal_lue_for_jon_barry/ http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1954000 we had a stagnant 13-14 record, made a trade for barry, and then for wesley. those two moves (and later for mike james) propelled the team to a 38-17 finish. while a 4-11 record, with no clear direction and injuries to some key players give us a bleak outlook, there is hope.
We are only 4 games back in the loss column to portland. That's not a terrible mountain to over come with 67 games remaining. But we can't lose any more ground. we need to start climbing out of the hole we are in and get closer to .500 by the end of the year to have a shot. If we fall to 10 games under, the playoffs are out of reach. But even an 8th seed is nothing to be excited about. Unless you crack into the top 5 or 6, you don't have a chance at advancing. It doesn't look good. This team...is fundamentally flawed from both a personnel and coaching perspective. Adelman is not a coach to develop players. He requires veterns to lead. He needs a Vlade Divac in the middle. He needs players with championship aspirations. Yao is too quiet and Shane is too irrelevant. Our team has no true leadership, and we have a coach that doesn't commit to disciplining players and enforcing a team defense concept as a requirement to get PT. That's why we will continue to suck it up.
