I don't think its wrong. TraJ is using a 'ring' to signify someone's value... lots of guys have rings and aren't valuable. Madsen is one of them. Steve Smith was just used in an example to show what Rice should be able to do. I thought this was a bad example, simply because Smith is 33, Glen is 35...big difference. When Glen was 33 with the Knicks, he scored 12ppg on 44% shooting. Similar to Smith except smith shot at 45.5%. Nobody's stats get better as they get older...ask Jordan. All of the old 'vets' at 35 like Bullard, Ferry, Pippen, and even Steve Smith at 33 are slowly, but noticeably, declining in production. Rice is no exception. REALLY! I want Rice to do well. No S%&%t, I really do. But realisticly how can someone say he'll be any better than 50% of the player he once was? I'd hate for us to have RAPTORITIS and have the same expectations of Rice as the fans of Toronto had for Dream.
Yea but Rice has not had any wear and tear the last couple of years. He really could be "33" with the rehab and weight loss. We'll see, so far it looks real good though...
I'm hoping for (health permitting, of course, and being as realistic as possible): Francis - 18 PPG (Barely misses 20) Rice - 16 PPG Cat - 16 PPG (Rice leads by a fraction, however) Taylor - 12 PPG KT - 10 PPG Yao - 10 PPG (Rounded up) EG - 9 PPG Mooch - 6 PPG Boki - 4 PPG Cato - 4 PPG That's 105 PPG from the rotation. That's doable with discipline to the offense and the talent at hand.
True, wear and tear is always calculated when someone ages. When Jordan came back last year I remember Kenny Smith talking about how he could do as well as stockton and Malone , maybe better because he didn't have the wear and tear of the 2 years past. This is Jordan we are talking about, probably the best player as far as conditioning is concerned. Still, look what happened to him. Knee injury, limited minutes(jordan-wise), and finally season-ending surgery. Wear and tear is overrated, a person ages regardless of his time on the court and it shows.
Rice will shoot more than Cat? I don't think so. The only way Rice will score more points than Cat is if he shoots 50-55% from the field. Its painfully obvious that nobody can see my point. I'll leave everyone alone on this subject and let Rice do the talking during the season...Good Luck Glen.
SRF, I think that, if Rice truly is 'on his game', both Cat & Steve may defer to him a bit on offense. Hell, they seemed to do that some last year during the times Rice did play well. Also, just as you point out that players don't get better as they get older, players (especially good players) also have one last 'kick' in them as well. Remember how Dream looked a good portion of 2000-2001?
<blockquote><hr><i>Originally posted by Severe Rockets Fan,</i> Steve Smith was just used in an example to show what Rice <b>should be able to do.</b> <hr></blockquote> First, I didn't say, "should be able to do." I said "<b>I would be estatic</b>" as in believing that is his top production potential....big difference there SRF. <b>What I expect is Eddie Johnson numbers when he was 35 yrs old.</b> 11.5 pts at 46% and 40% 3 pointers. I think Rice can do that. I'd be estatic for Smith numbers, because that would mean he is getting wide open from the success of the team. Smith numbers would mean the team ROCKs!! and he is wide open. Eddie Johnson numbers are his target, imo. btw: from age 33-35, Jordan was NOT in decline, so why did you say "just ask Jordan?" Further, Drexler was scoring 18.4 with two HOFs at age 35. Further, Reggie Miller was posting 18+ at age 34-35. What about Stockton, Hornachek. Those are declines from peaks year, yeah, but prove many shooters don't lose ability to shoot. fact is: shooters like Miller, Eddie and Smith are the last to lose their primary skill for athletic reasons. it is not unrealistic to think Rice can be a leading 3pt shooter and carry us a few games with his low post game.
I remember watching Rice last year in the few games he did play,when he would finally get a pass he would jack it up right away. If he made that shot, he would take the next shot like if he was "in the zone" are something and miss. I hope if and when Rice gets his shooting touch back that he will be a team player and not try to take over. We already have 2 players, Cuttino and KT, who I consider to be the "black holes" of the team. Once they get the ball don't expect to get the ball back. All the players need to learn to trust each other if the Rockets plan on getting better. Basketball is a TEAM sport, not a ME sport.
Some of you aren't giving Rice enough credit. Dude averaged 16 points per game on a team with Kobe and Shaq. Plus, his main role will be to drain jumpers, so he won't take as much punishment posting up and getting rebounds. One thing that never leave a shooter is his jumper. I think we'll see a bunch of 10-12 point games with a few 20-25 point games mixed in when his 3 point shot is really on...12 points a game would be a good scoring average from him. Don't forget the clutch factor either. He probably has more combined clutch shooting experience than the rest of the team combined, which is invaluable...
Assuming no one else has taken you up on this bet, and you are still interested, I would take that action. Still up for the bet?
Sorry Bro, you said that you'd be 'estatic' with these numbers: G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% PTS 77 76 28.7 .455 .472 .878 11.6 then you said you 'expect' numbers like these: 11.5 pts at 46% and 40% 3 pointers Thats NOT a...big difference. In fact his overall effiency is better than your 'estatic' claim, with the 46% fg over 45.5%. The Jordan example was to demonstrate a lack of wear and tear of a great athlete, missing a few seasons, and still coming back at a lower level than they left...no it wasn't when he was 33-35. It was last year...and he was(is) on the decline. Miller, Stockton, and Drexler were all 2nd or 3rd scoring options on their team...Rice will be 5th or 6th. I feel like a broken record. If you are so positive about yourself, why not take me up on my bet...I know you are the betting type.
Yes, I'm 100% up for it. The injury factor is part of the bet. If Glen scores less than 10ppg or is out for more than, oh less say, 22 games, than I win. If he plays at least 61 games AND scores more than or equal to 10ppg than you win. No rounding either. Do we have a bet?
SRF, You don't think he can put up 35yr old Eddie Johson numbers is fine. But don't be a broken record and say it can't happen because he's old and on the decline. Eddie was not even a starter on the Sonics team, Rickey Pierce was the leading scorer. And if you don't think Steve Smith was vastly more efficient than Eddie, I suggest you look at the points per shot stat. What about Hornachec at age 35? He was not a 1 or 2 option, just simply a spot up shooter slasher that never really got any plays called for him. What the hell does a 5-6th option even mean; it is certainly not bball talk. <b>How about Ricky Pierce?</b> <b>Age 37</b> scored 12ppg at a blazing 53.6% 3 pointers, after a bad year. Was he even a 1-2 option, then? <b>How about Dale Ellis?</b> <b>Age 38</b> .497 fg% .464 on 3s and 11.5ppg <b>How about Joe Dumars</b> <b>Age 36</b> .411 fg% .403% 3s and 11.3ppg It is weird how many big time shooters become 40% 3 ptrs specialists at about 11-12 pts a game, at old age. There are so many examples of this, it is nearly a trend for great shooters in their twilight years. What happens is these shooters just become more focused on 3ptrs, and they have vastly quicker releases than Bullard.
Hmmm. We can show examples of players all day and argue one point or another, but with all these examples you are giving me you sound 110% positive Rice will do what you expect. Why not bet me? 10ppg should be easy right? Its obvious that I'm going to be wrong b/c talking about 5th or 6th options sure isn't bball talk...right? And you are going to be right since the 1st and 2nd options are the only ones 'that can be mentioned in bball talk... Hell, you and RavenL can split the $20 if thats too rich for ya. Put your money where your mouth(err fingers) is(are), crispee.
There's a lot of speculation about his offense, but I'll tell ya this; he's a 35 yr old baller with busted knees. I have shot knees myself and am not as old as Glenn, but I know how it takes away from your athleticism. Your vertical jump and lateral movement just deteriorates. A shooter without his legs just can't shoot. 96-97 CHA 26.8 ppg 97-98 CHA 22.3 98-99 LAL 17.5 99-00 LAL 15.9 00-01 NYK 12.0 01-02 HOU 8.6 If he goes more than 10 ppg this season, it would be a great accomplishment on his part. But expect one thing for sure. His lack of a defensive contribution will put him on the bench more than the lack of an offensive contribution. Thank God for Boki!
On Charlotte he was the go to guy. At LA he was third to Shaq/Kobe. He should be in the same health as he was in LA now, or close. I think he can be a third option here, maybe not 16-18, but surely 12-14, with some break out games. Actually, I'd like to see several "3rd" options, i.e. 6-8 players scoring the 10 - 20 range.
How do you think he is going to get a ton of touches when you have Francis and Mobley controlling the offense, Ming down underneath, and Griffin, Taylor and Thomas banging the boards? They are definitely going to be getting more touches than Rice....
And how do you think he got that ring? Was he a valuable part in the Lakers winning their championship?
does rice actually have busted knees? it seems to me last year was the first significant injury he had so it is possible that he comes back and has a healthy season, despite his age. he's not as injury prone as he's made out to be. also glen is not a great defender but he plays good team defense and positions his body well. maybe he could show steve some of that.
