We need a star this summer and I want Melo on this team badly. But I just don't see it happening. Its definitely possible but its going to take alot. I say we dump Lin or Asik off to a team for a 1st Rounder this year. S&T = Parsons, Lin, filler, 1st rounder for Melo/average filler player (maybe a big). This trade gets Melo to Houston and ensures the new big 3 at least 2 years (possibly 3 if Howard wants to stay).. We could then utilize that MLE for an Ariza type player. We might go over the cap or something to that nature but Les would finagle a way to make it happen. PG: Beverley, Canaan/MLE?/filler SG: Harden, Troy Daniels SF: Melo, MLE?(sixth man), Garcia for cheap? PF: DMO, draft pick, MLE?, Big C: Howard, Filler, MLE? (Doubt this) I really like this team. Parsons won't be on this team if we get Melo, thus it isn't feasible to keep him and lose him for nothing. It reminds me of the Heat team kind of. Nonetheless, this might be what the team looks like.
Disagree. We can use some of those assets and Smith's contract itself down at the deadline to trade for parts players that we need. We can also sign a guy like Toney Douglas or Kirk Hinrich or possibly even Nate Robinson as the backup point if you feel you need a point guard. I don't think we need one except a 3rd stringer...if we move Lin. I think Canaan is going to explode on the scene once Lin is gone and we both know Bev is already good. Backup center is the only real issue in my opinion. And in my opinion, we can either sign someone like Kamaan, or Okafor or possibly even Jordan Hill.....or we can find another big that is currently out of the league like that Iranian guy that played for Phoenix season before last and spent last year in China or....dare I say......bring Hassan Whiteside back in here on a minimum salary deal. If you think you've got to have a more quality backup center than that then you've got DMo/Jones plus non-guaranteed deals to go get someone. You can probably get Brendan Haywood out of Charlotte. And he's got the perfect contract for 2015-16 to give us even more trade flexibility. And I'm sure he'd be good for 10 minutes a night in a backup role. J.R. Smith on the MLE with next year non-guaranteed or only guaranteed at the minimum is a good chip when combined with DMo to give you a lot of trade flexibility come December 15th. And I haven't even brought up the BAE.
What does Smith give you that you wouldnt already have? Bench scoring? With staggered minutes from Harden, Melo, Parsons and Dwight, that won't be necessary. Smith doesn't compliment your stars. He doesn't provide rim protection, wing defense, or set anyone up as a distributor. He's a finisher, that would be on a team filled with finishers. And still, I'd be willing to overlook all that so long as he doesn't prevent you from using the MLE to solve your other problems.
Rockets need defense more than they need offense (scored over 100+ in all 6 playoff games) No Melo please.
What other team could he go to that offers him a better chance to win a chip? As well as offering him the ability to play with two superstars and a coach that lets you do whatever you want on and off the court?
I'm going to cry like a little b**** if the Mavs get Melo. Our division is weak as hell, we're still several years before Anthony Davis becomes a bigger force in the league. Memphis is having internal problems, and the Spurs old three will retire at any moment. The division is ripe for the taking. Come on Rockets can we please win a division title for once? This is so frustrating we're so close. We're one piece away and our division is on the decline.
Signing Smith to the deal I described could be what gives us Melo for Asik/Lin and a pick. And it also gives you essentially a $5.305 million expiring contract to add to DMo/Jones/etc. to trade for other pieces after Dec. 15th. Now....as far as what he gives you on court??? A decent 3&D guy that can knock down the open jump shot and provide some decent perimeter D if he actually gets minutes. Taking J.R. Smith on with the MLE is simply so we don't have to give away all our assets and go under the cap to sign Melo outright.
I'm not understanding any of this. TAs per nba.com, the Rockets averaged 112 PPG. That's the best in the Western Conference by almost 4ppg, and, also the best of any team in the playoffs. Guys, the Rockets do not need more offense to win a Championship. They just don't. The Rockets problem is defense; defense at the SG and PF positions. And that won't change with Melo, J.R. Smith, and Felton on the team because all three of them are negative defenders. So what if we improve our playoff PPG average by 10 pts if we give up an additional 10 PPG? The result is the same. Via ERPN's DRPM, Carmelo Anthony sit at -1.03 (59th of 80 PFs in the league). J.R. Smith sits at -0.75 (33rd of 90 SGs in the league). Raymond Felton is not the answer. His DRPM is -1.22, 42nd of 87 PGs in the league. And we'd be giving up some combination of Asik, whose DRPM is sixth best in the league at +4.85, Jeremy Lin whose DRPM is 18th of 87 PGs in the league at +0.30, DMO with a DRPM of +0.52 (46th of 90 PFs in the league) or Casspi (+0.32; 31st of 80 SFs in the league). TJones' DRPM is not good, -1.91 (84th of 90); not good.
Edited: As per nba.com, the Rockets averaged 112 PPG in the 2013-2014 playoffs, best of all playoff teams. The Rockets do not have problems scoring.
The Rockets need an Iblocka... Dude is a beast comparing OKC with and without him is really a game changer. Too bad there's no one else out there like Ibaka for sale.
If you take team play out of the equation, Carmelo is a fantastic player. However, if we get him, we'll be worse on offense, worse on defense, less cohesive, and even more clueless in the clutch. Why Houston is so obsessed with "score so I can score" players, I have no idea. Any poor team that adds a talent like Carmelo Anthony becomes a contender for the playoffs. Any championship contender (okay, well we want to be) that adds Carmelo Anthony becomes middle of the pack. Or a team that can't make the playoffs in the east or something. It would be understandable for a team that considers itself terrible and needing a star to go after Carmelo Anthony. For a team that wants to turn a winner into a champion? I don't know if the right word is stupid or suicidal. Every team in the league and every fanbase in the league will laugh at the team that leverages themselves out or trades a bunch of assets to sign Carmelo Anthony next. Isn't that what we're all doing now? It is either five years too late or five years too soon to go after Carmelo Anthony. Think of how long it took for Vince Carter to start making a positive difference again. Double that for Carmelo Anthony. He's better than Carter and he's much, much worse.
Ideally, someone like an Ibaka or a Bosh if such a player becomes available and wants to come here. An Ibaka or Bosh type is the answer. Guys like that are top of the line defenders and can score anywhere on the court. An Ibaka and/or a Bosh clone would definitely improve our playoff defense (2nd worst of all the playoff teams). Yes, we led the league in scoring during the playoffs this season at 112 PPG but also gave up 112 PPG in the playoffs (via nba.com). We won't give up 112 PPG in the playoffs with an Ibaka or Bosh two-way player on this team so our chances of winning it all increase. But if not Ibaka or Bosh or even Love (who is not as good defensively) then who?
^that might be one of the dumbest things I've ever read. (Puzzled fan, not flours) Full of non sensical rhetoric with nothing of substance at all.
good bball perspective. but who cares winning champion. one scrub try everything to keep his job despite a major mess up, the other wanna keeping full control and got tunnel visioned with his little invention, and for the boss ticket sale and profit always come first.
