Next year Hakeem retires. We will sign Shandon and Maurice. The year after that we sign Stevie long term. Mobley is tide up. Cato is tide up. We shouldn't have to outbid any European teams to keep KT and Moochie. If things go the way management want them to the salary space vacated by Hakeem will be quickly filled by Maurice and Shandon. We will get a few draft picks, maybe a gem like Cuttino will surface. We might be able to pick up a great deal with an exception in the next few years. Other than that... Are we looking at the team (minus a couple bench players, which Langhi or Collier might fill) as the Rockets want it to be for the next five years? You could call this stability speculation. ------------------
Cato/Collier Mo Taylor/Thomas WW/Langhi Anderson/Mobes Francis/Moochie For the next 5 yrs?? they don't sound scary right now but when they hit their prime they all will be hitting it about the same time, its safe to say we will be making some heavy noise out in the WEST ! ------------------ Life moves pretty fast, If you don't stop and look once in a while you might miss it!! ... Ferris Bueler
The Rockets are still one small forward away from their complete team. With Collier, Langhi and Thomas, you have a solid front-line bench and the backcourt is set. Walt Williams is a nice player but he is not the long-term solution. You add one young small forward in place of Williams and you have a nucleus for the next 10 to 12 years that could be VERY scary. ------------------ Save Our Rockets and Comets SaveOurRockets.com
for the six millionth time, we need to draft either terrence morris or shane battier...... ------------------
I'm sure the Rockets have a plan for all those draft picks that they're stockpiling. Either trade them away to move up in the draft, or package them with a player on the roster to fill a need (SF possibly). We'll have a better picture at the end of the season when we've evaluated Taylor and/or queried Webber. There's nothing like a disgruntled player forcing a trade to shake things up. After Ewing goes down and Baker doesn't produce, maybe Lewis demands a trade. Who knows? But you know there'll be a few of those scenarios pop up. And you can bet CD and Rudy will smell the blood. ------------------ "I'd like to be going down Fourth Avenue in a parade with all the graffiti coming down on our heads." -- Patrick Ewing, showing off that Georgetown edumacation.
Don't forget about the increases in the cap each year. If I'm not mistaken, next year there will be a big jump in the cap. Add that to Hakeem's absence and we will have enough to chase Webber. I'm not saying we will get him, but we will have enough to compete for his services. ------------------ RocketFuel is dead!
Space-Not if we want to keep Shandon if he opts out, Mo Taylor, or keep Walt around (we'd have to trade him for an expiring contract). ------------------ The Serious Police are watching. Follow the rules or be assimilated. Shandon is underrated.
