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With the new franchise, who do we keep

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by ROCKET!!!, Dec 19, 2002.

  1. ROCKET!!!

    ROCKET!!! Member

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    To all,
    Assuming we have all our current players when the new Charlotte franchise gets to make its supplimental draft, which players do we keep/protect (remember we can only protect eight players)?????

    Obvious: Franchise, Ming, Cat, EG

    Others:

    Cato - regardless of whether you love him or not, finding a quality back-up center is difficult at best and he is locked in for several years. Yes he makes bucks, but he continues to improve. Remember, this is only what? his fourth or fifth year of organized ball and he did not get much pt/experience in Portland. I say you have to keep him. He still has too much upside.

    Mooch - Just signed..more big bucks, but again, quality back-up at a critical position. He also is starting to embrace the motion offense/passing philosophy.

    Posey - Assuming we resign him, we have to protect him. We do not have another 3 protected...yet. This is why we traded for him, right?..to hold down the 3 spot until Boki is ready. Speaking of BOKI...

    Boki - The potential is just too great to let him slip away. Posey and Boki represent a great future one-two punch especially with Posey's ability to slide to the 2 spot when Cat is not on the floor.


    Not protected:

    Collier - nuff said

    Rice - expensive and old. Not likely to be picked up.

    Hawkins - We now have Posey (if he is as defensive minded as the press releases). Hawk is expendable.

    TMo - Numbers game here. Have two protected 3s and he is not one of them. Posey is proven and Boki has more upside.

    Tito - Price of being a third string rookie - expendable!

    and lastly.........

    MoT - I hate to loose a guy that is a quality back-up. However, he has to large a price tag and has not come all the way back (although he may and I hope he does). Plus, if we had to make do with only the protected eight above, it is not improbable that at some point this season Rudy T will try Cato at the 4 spot. Further, if we lost MoT, we could draft or sign a back-up PF for significantly less.


    Thoughts???????
     
  2. RIET

    RIET Member

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    I think youve nailed it.

    There is no way in heck someone will take Mo T, and if they do, Hallelujah. Moochie Norris - ditto. T Morris adequate but too inconsistent to be a fulltime player. Jason Collier and Tito can say Bye Bye. Kelvin Cato is good for 15 minutes/night. I doubt he gets picked up.

    The only thing about Rice:

    Isnt he in the last year of his contract next year and if so do we keep him to free up cap space or will his exit automatically free up cap space?
     
  3. ROCKET!!!

    ROCKET!!! Member

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    His exit will automatically free cap space. One way or the other, we get $9.0 mil in cap space within or after the next year!......
    SWEET!!!
     
  4. don grahamleone

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    It just like any other sport. The game of roulette and protecting your players. I protect:

    Yao
    Francis
    Mobley
    Griffin
    Cato
    Taylor
    Norris
    and maybe Posey

    That way our rotation remains the same. Boki hopefully won't be an issue and Glen makes too much and will likely retire soon.

    left out:

    Rice
    Boki
    Tito
    Hawkins
    Collier

    Our risk is in boki or Hawkins being taken. Let's not think about all this stuff.
     
  5. prettyricky

    prettyricky Member

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    I would give them a draft pick to take terrance morris. How he even warrants being labled "adequate" is absurd.
     
  6. topfive

    topfive CF OG

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    Can we give them Calvin and Bill Worrell? I never realized how god-awful these guys were until I got NBA League Pass this year and had the chance to compare them to the local announcers for other teams.

    They may be great guys, but man, the games are less about basketball and more about those two guys trading mock-insults all game long.
     
  7. UTrocket

    UTrocket Member

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    remember the new frachise doesn't start play until 2004-2005. That's the season after next. At this point I don't believe that Maddux, Morris, Rice, or Hawkins aren't even under contract for that year.
     
  8. prettyricky

    prettyricky Member

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    Whoa, I totally disagree. Every other team makes me press mute and cut on some music. They are the only not dull pair in the country, and maybe with the exception of those Celtics guys, the most passionate
     
  9. haven

    haven Member

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    Actually, I don't think we can trade Mo T.

    We don't have another back-up 4 anymore. Rice looks out of place there, Terrence Morris is utterly horrific in every respect, Yao's far better used as a true C, and Cato has horrific hands and no jump shot. You can get away with that at C, but not at PF unless your name is Ben Wallace.
     

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