The title was my attempt to imitate a bbs poster's post whom I enjoy reading MacBeth. I will not used the back do' sliders most often used by MacBeth, I'll just get to the point,no pun intended MacBeth .I personally feel a healthy Zo should be on our highest fa list next to trading Cato. The acquisition of Zo could and would propel this team into the upper echelon without damaging the long term building blocks of this team. This young Rockets team can fit the description of what he is looking for and vice versa. Everyone may not be happy, but this is about the Rockets and nothing else. I will propose a couple of scenerios that could be or should be used in trying to get this team to the next level. I'm not talking about the playoffs, I'm talking about being the team,the champions. Since its July 1st, the Rockets should call Riley,Pfund,Falk and Mourning and make this proposition. The Heat sends a signed and traded Mourning (2yrs 8 mill per with p-opt and 1 t-opt) for Taylor. Why does this make sense? Morning gives the Rockets everything the really need from a pf position. Many willtalk about him not being a 4, but he's been a undersized 5 for yrs. Zo can hit the 15 ft er, rebound, defend in the post and weakside and provide this team with a toughness they haven't seen in a while. Taylor would give the Heat a offensive 4 to go along with Wade and butler while leaving Grant at the 4. Even with Zo off the books for 20m, the Heat really only have about 6m to sign a player. There probably will not be any frontcourt players who will go there for that amount without just staying where they're at. Since Taylor and Zo are both falk clients, I'm pretty sure Falk would look out for the best interest of his client. If Miami doesn't want to do it, the Rockets should offer Zo the 4.9 mle then Taylor would be stuck moaning and groaning on the bench. Many people think a move like this will either kill Cato's trade value or slow Griffin's development, but I have a solution for both. I'll address the Griffin problem 1st. Next season, hopefully Ming will be able to log more minutes at the 5, how many more we will not know. Zo coming into the fold really gives this team some very good flexibility on the frontline. Lets assume Ming can handle 35 mins a night, that leaves 13 mins to spare since Cato is out of the equation. we're going to also assume that even though he's back, Zo plays 30mins a night, that leaves 18mins a night. All total, that leaves 31 mins a night to Eddie Griffin. When Ming goes out, Griffin comes in and Zo moves to the 5 spot. When Zo goes out, Eddie plays the 4 and Ming is at the 5. Those 31 mins Eddie is playing, is 8 more than he played this past yr and should be enough to keep him happy for a while. He's getting his mins, he'll get his money and all is happy. The Rockets run the Sa type high/low offense and everything is fine. On defense, they would make it tough for anyone to score on them which is how title are won. Picture Mobley being a 4th option on a team. What to do with Cato and his contract. Many people on this board think the Rockets need a combo guard to compliment to Francis and Mobley while replacing Norris. Of course i have a remedy for that problem also. GS have 2 centers who are in the last yr of their contracts. Neither are that good, but are servicable like Cato. GSW also might lose Arenas to free agency, but that remains to be seen. Here's the remedy to both, plus solving our bad contracts. Houston offers Cato and Norris for Foyle and Bob Sura. Cato is signed for 3 more yrs and Norris 5 more. Sura and Foyle both are free after this yr. Sura can play both guard spots off the bench for the Rockets while Foyle gives the Rockets the 4th frontline player in case something happens to Zo,Griffin or Ming, not to mention he comes off the books after this yr. The Rockets would have Rice,Foyle and Sura all coming off the books after the season. With so much activity, the Rockets might lose Posey, but he would be replaced with Sura,Nachbar,and Morris, so its no big deal. In 2 swoops, I have taken care of the Rockets weakness and their bad contracts. Can someone picture a lineup and bench for the Rockets looking like this: Ming-Zo/Foyle Zo-Griffin Morris-Nachbar/Rice Mobley-Sura Francis-Sura How does that team rank not only in the west, but in the entire nba? That team could match up with any team in the nba man for man even the mighty lakers,Kings,spurs and Mavs. I'm not even thinking aboutthe eastern conference, because they don't count. The Rockets would not only be on track for the playoffs, but would have a immediate shot at the ring right now without sacrificing their young players for older over the hill ones. I know everyone will not agree and I'm not CD of JVG, but this isn't like its unrealistic from either side. The youth isn't compromised, the ring chase is accelerated and the Rockets are in the thick of it by only giving up role players and getting role playes. Feel free to chime in.
That all depends on if Mourning stays healthy. Its not as if his kidney problem has disappeared forever. It could creep back in at any moment. Even if he was healthy, I'd be skeptical if we could get a ring in just two years of being together. I want the PF we get to be here for atleast 3-4 years- we need time to build chemistry.
I'm reviving this one. If Dallas is in pursuit of Mourning, why are we not in the same pursuit. They have nothing more than what we have, the mle unless a sign and trade is involved. If the Rockets are really serious about gettingtough up front and getting veteran leadership, why not this guy?
Not true... they have X-Box consoles above their lockers. Seriously, we are laying too low on the free agent front. I guess we've resolved that we will take the leftovers. I'd like to see Mourning on the Rockets for reasons you've mentioned that I'll reiterate; development time for EG, immediate toughness, maturity, strength, he's a warrior...come on CD, pick up the phone. We can still land Jon Barry.
Two things I need to point out here. First, Pat Riley is reconsidering letting Zo go (I made a rhyme!). The Heat may try to get him back for one more run. Second, his health is too big a risk for my taste. I not referring to his kidney disease but to what that means for his overall health. Should he catch say a cold or worse, the flu, he could be out of action for a month or more. That's just too big a chance to take IMHO.
I'd rather do Cato and Mo Taylor for Brian Grant. Ming/Grant/Badiane Grant/Griffin/T-Mo Posey/Rice/Boki/T-Mo Mobley/Posey Francis/Moochie There's still one more trade to be made. Maybe Rice and Mobley for Eddie Jones? Who knows.
I would rather have Zo than Grant mainly because of Grant's contract value an length. Either trade would be to get a serviceable vet for a couple of seasons and Zo could provide all we need and would be around as long as we wanted to keep him. I really don't think either will provide anything that Cato can't give us.
Zo would give us the banger powerforward we need. He's a big time rebounder if not still a big time scorer and has proven he can lead the league in blocks. A frontcourt of Ming and Zo and possibly Griffin would lead the league in blocks and rebounds for sure. Zo is too good at possibly to cheep of a price to at least not look into.
By the time the Rockets are ready to contend for a title (maybe in 3 years) , Zo would be too old and too slow to make a significant contribution... so what's the point having him? Getting into the playoffs?
If Zo could play at his level 2 years ago then, we could contend this year. No doubt about it. At least it would be interesting. Especially if all we had to give up was MoT.
You've got freaking TMo in your starting lineup?!?! Dude isnt even going to be on the team next year..... Hell he probably wont even be on a CBA team next year.....
Although Zo might be a good addition to the Rockets, that isn't the position that is hurting the most. We need a power forward not another center.
Are you saying we could contend for a title this year with just addition of Zo (at the level he was 2 years ago)? rolleyes: Realistically, he's no longer an all-star even 2 years ago... I say we would need a Duncan in order to be a contender for this year...
ok say zo has 2-3 years left in playing basketball that will give us enough time for eddie to mature and and take zo's spot id do it
who's to say he couldn't play some PF. i figured he would if we got him. he could probably still hold his own against most Pf's in the league. i'd be all for getting Zo for cheap - he'd bring a lot of things this team needs (ie, intensity, toughness). it'd be weird having Zo play for JVG, however, w/ all the bad blood those two have had.
2 years ago he was a 15 and 10 guy which is more that Yao gave us in his rookie season. How many double double guys are there in the league. You can count them on one hand. PF is also our weakess position because both our PF's are way soft and Mourning is the antithesis of soft. This also doesn't take into account that Mourning was one of the best post defenders out there. So yes, I think we are only one "Mourning from 2 years ago" away from contending and matching up very well with the likes of the Spurs and Lakers.
