Uhhhhh what corner did we turn? This team, as is, will not make the playoffs. How many rookies picked at 14 or 20 come in the nba and immediately make a difference? Some of you need to wake up, what team that made the playoffs this year in the west do we look better than? Maybe the spurs I guess.
Nope. As usual, you are wrong. Your risk is the money/cap space you invest. And if you invest little money (minimum or near-minimum contract), then it's low risk. (It would be different if a player was a risk to chemistry/his terrible work ethic would rub off on other players. Neither is even remotely the case with Yao.)
Sure, we may have turned it a corner; but it is most definitely a blind corner that could just as easily lead to a cliff on the edge of a huge trench filled sharp rocks and brambles, a desert with a mirage of the promised land, or Cibola. Hope all you want, but beware that it may be all for naught.
i would not mind getting kaman .. esp if we can somehow get clippers pick for taking him off their hands like cleveland did last year
No corners have been turned. As several have said, that happens when the scoreboard is running. I just don't see any immediate impact that will propel us to the playoffs, or at least beyond the trajectory of the last half of last season. That would require a center who can run and protect the paint. This is no longer the half-court offense of Yao and McGrady, but it needs a stopper in the paint to become a contender.
IF the Rockets acquire a good defensive center in a trade or free agency, this might be looked at as a good draft. They didn't fill their most important needs in this draft. Marcus Morris is looking like a nice pick, but if they don't get a center elsewhere, the draft could be looked at as a failure. Can't say they've turned the corner yet.
I get the best scenario cases. But what about the worst cases. They'd still be serviceable, solid role players. I guess.
^I agree. Especially with the player moves from west-east last season. I think it's become easier for us to compete in the west this coming season, especially if our draft picks come up trumps.
I agree good draft, every one calm down the leonard kid can't shoot he will be in the corner and no one will pass the rock to him. Much like poor keith bogans ......dude just hit an open shot......some pros just can't!
At this stage in his career, Yao Ming is a bit of a chemistry risk. If he comes back, even at 50% of his previous ability, at the vet min, and only playing 15-20 minutes a game he still would drastically change the feel on the floor. And by virtue of his size, history, and offense being his sill most likely to be closest to what it was (like last year), the ball will generally need to go through him. So he would greatly change the game, need the ball to run through him (not because of demands but because he otherwise would have no purpose on the court) and there will always be a huge likelihood of him going down for the season at any minute. That could not help but alter team chemistry and psyche.
glynch, with all due respect, this reminds of past threads: http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=175354&highlight=real+fans which basically marked the beginning of the Rockets' entry onto the treadmill to nowhere 2 years ago. Meanwhile, the Jazz have gone from contender-level to loaded up with young talent up front in the span of less than a year - marking their 2nd complete rebuild job in the last 10 years, during which time the Rockets only accomplished one.