The way the team is looking in the preseason, I think it might be a wise decision to hold onto 15 players. It looks like it'll be a tough job for Rudy to cut it down to that. Definitely deserve spots: PG: Steve, Mooch, Tierre SG: Cat SF: Rice, Morris, Nachbar, K9 PF: Griffin, Taylor C: Ming, Cato, Collier That gives us 13 players right there, leaving two spots. Collier makes it because of his contract and he actually didn't look like crap the last game he played. On the bubble (in order of performance in preseason): Oscar Hawkins Mickael Goodrich Maddox It really looked like a toss-up between Hawkins and Mickael, so that may go down to the end of the preseason. Goodrich hasn't been playing, but Maddox makes me want to bash my head into the wall. Are the Rockets looking for a Troll-doll endorsement? Drop him and let him develop for a year, and try next year. What are your impressions?
Maddox is a lock since the Rockets signed him to, I believe, a 2 year deal. I'd like to keep Mickeal, his defense and hustle is outstanding, and reminds me of Mario Elie in that respect but Hawkins has the inside track and he definitely is earning a spot. I would be shocked if Oscar is let go. I think Oscar and Maddox get the last spot. Keep in mind though that T-Mo will definitely be on the IR once the season starts, so that frees up another spot for Mickeal and Hawkins. And Mooch may well start the first couple of games, maybe week on the IR, so there's another spot. So Mickeal and Hawkins may start the season on the roster, and hopefully can be put on the IR after T-Mo and Mooch get healthy.
The satellite hasn't shown any Rockets game so I've been forced to listen to AM radio from San Antonio and Orlando. This combined with the stats I've read, my money is on OT and Juaquin Hawkins (barring injury).
Contract or not, I don;t think Maddox deserves it.... I'd say Torres and Hawkins deserve the last two spots. Send Maddox to the NDBL.
This is news to me and I don't recall ever seeing that posted by anyone else. I recall a non-guaranteed contract but not a 2 year deal. Are you positive? How so? There are 15 spots total - 12 active and 3 inactive (the old IR was eliminated in the recent rules). By my count, the Rocks have 12 contracts (unless you can verify the Maddox contract which I'm skeptical of). That means 3 players stay and 2 go.
I don't recall. But the larger question to me is this - If you're over the cap and have a small contract (Maddox) which does not take you into the Luxury Tax level, why keep that player if they are outperformed by another if signing that player (Hawkins) to a small contract also does not force you to pay the LT? My guess is Maddox's contract is between 250k and 500k - why sweat something like this on a $49m payroll?
I think Hawkins just sent the Rockets a very special message" I can put it in the basket and I can defend, also I am 6'7'' and would make a great back up to Cat Mobley" Under Contract: Francis, Maddux and Norris do we need to have a 4th. point guard (Brown)? Will Oscar Torres make the Team? Francis Maddux Norris Mobley Torres Hawkins Thomas Rice Nachbar Morris Taylor Griffin Yao Ming Cato Collier 15 Players.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/bk/bkn/rox/1572882 Tito has a 2 year deal. Doesn't say so in the article, but I remember that it is partially guaranteed. I remember finding it odd as well. It must mean the Rockets really believe in Tito.
I agree with you Gater.I think Maddox should be sent to the NBDL or to Europe. If we can sign Brown and Hawkins or Torres without going over the luxury tax it would be even better.
We have to send Tito down, he hasn't played well enough either in the summer league or in preseason. Send him to the development league then invite to the summer leagues next year. Brown and Hawkins deserve to be on this team based on their play so far. I'm looking forward to watching them play in the next couple of preseason games.
Why would they keep Collier? It doesn’t look like he has a future with this team. Eating his contract for 1 more year is not that big a deal. Might as well keep someone who may develop, or who may provide more depth at the 2. Keeping Collier and having him ride the pine all year and then be gone next year doesn’t make much sense to me.
1) True Centers are at a premium in the league. Look at what passes for adequate in the EC. Last years EC Finals Centers? Todd MAC and Vitaly Potapenko. 2) The lack of true big men has meant that even "thin" players like Nowitski, Gasol, and Griffin play minutes at the 5. 3) The center position is the hardest for a young NBA player to master. 4) SG's are much more available. There were 7 taken in the 1st round of the 2002 draft. In a center starved league, only Yao Ming and Curtis Borchardt were picked in the 1st round. 5) There is no guarantee that Cato will remain healthy or make a contribution. 6) Colliers development has lagged from injury but there is not any doubt about his desire and hustle. 7) Colliers makes more than any 2 players combined (Maddox, Brown, Torres, or Hawkins). If waived, the Rockets pay his $1.3m contract and he will surely be picked up for "free" by an EC team. Case in point - Sean Marks and Vladimir Stepania are vying for the starting spot as the Heats' center. Next question...
I know he hasn't performed as well to this point but I'm guessing they keep Tito and Brown is the one who goes based on upside,especially since Tito hasn't played in a year and may just be super rusty and raw. They can't just send him to develop somewhere else without making him available to other teams can they? The last two spots I think go to Hawkins and Oscar. And maybe Brown stays after all instead of Oscar. So who starts on IL? KT,TMo and a bubble player who makes it or KT,TMo and Collier? MoT can't start on IL because his 5 game suspension has to be the first 5 active games,correct? So even if he did get hurt,it'd be wiser to keep him active the first 5 anyway. And of all these guys Collier has to be the most undeserving of any kind of roster spot but lucky for him his body qualifies as a center.
Do I sniff another bet in the air? At this point I agree with your assessment. However, I want to see a bit more of Mickeal and Hawkins before making a final judgment.
The maximum is 15 players and I do not see any of the news guys making it. First Hawkins needs to work on his free throws and we cannot put every hustler on the team. Everybody who plays his position hustles so that is no advantage to him. Plus Mario would not have made this team.
Gater, I know for sure that Maddox's contract is partially guaranteed for the first year. It's a 2-year contract, so I guess the 2nd is not guaranteed. I have a question for eveyone: How good is Hawkins' defense? It seems he can score, and he's 6'7. He's a bit light, so I'll assume he can only play the 2. Knowing this, I'd rather have this roster of 15: Cato/Ming/Collier MoT/Griffin Rice/Nachbar/T-Mo Mobley/Hawkins Francis/Moochie/Tierre IR: Tito Maddox and a player we sign and some point during the season after signing him to a few 10-day contracts. Probably Pig Miller. I really don't think this team needs KT. He won't play enough to make a difference. Rice has looked good ni preseason, T-Mo has looked good in preseason, and Boki (regardless of whether he looked good) has to get minutes to develop (garbage minutes). The only time for KT is gabage minutes at the 4 MAYBE. I don't think that's worth the chemistry problems or the whining from KT. So by this roster, I assume that we've traded KT for a future draft pick (mid first round). Some teams that may find a use for KT: Milwaukee, Seattle, Toronto maybe, Lakers, Minnesota, and New York... Don't know if I want to help the Lakers though.... Point being, I'd rather have Hawkins backup Cat and Collier being on the roster than KT playing virtually no minutes behind the 3 and 4. It's unfair to him, and non-productive for us.
1) Collier in some ways is not a true center. Some think he would be better at PF. I think he is too slow for that myself; 2) Great we don't need Collier, just use EG and MT as third option; 3) Another reason not to keep a guy who has tried for 3 years; 4) So we have our center. Take talent next over some guy that will never be more than 12th man at best and won't play until it's a blow out; 5) There are no guaratees Collier is healthy or will remain so; 6) All these guys have desire and hustle; 7) Who cares who picks him up? We need talent that possibly can contribute. EG, Cat, Steve, Yao, Rice, Brown, Torres, Cato, Boki, Hawkins, MT (suspended), Mickeal should be on the active. Mooch, TMo and KT on IR
Anyone else think Hawkins solidified a spot after his performance last night? PLus he has a built in nickname...The Hawk. Chance
