I'll say that's asking too much for the Rockets to contend for the title in the upcoming season... this is not the east you know... What about chemistry... it takes time for players to gel. What about the lack of experience in the playoffs? Besides your "Zo", Francis & Yao don't have any playoff experience... no need to mention how many years it takes the Kings and the Mavs to advance to the next rounds of the playoffs... even the Lakers had their struggles before their 3 peat... Even as a Rockets Fan... realistically, how many people think that the Rockets will have a shot at the title next season?
I like the deal. I think it would work. And yes, I like TMO in the starting lineup at small forward. He's a scrapper and you have a couple shooters on the bench in Sura and Boki. And then we have all that capspace available for next year. DDDDDDDooooo it!
TMo doesn't even look to be on the team next year. And canoner is right: there are plenty of other teams that have much more to offer, so it's a moot point.
The only person that cuban could offer that is better than MoT is Van Exel. He definitely isn't giving up one of the big three. The rest of the team is just junk.
Okay you make a point. However power forwards have to be big and fast. Zo is extremely strong, but his mobility is questionable, and that is why he plays center. At center he can dominate the paint. I don't think Zo would be able to keep up with the more athletic power forwards out in the west. I could be wrong but utilizing a man who's made a living by bulling other players around under the basket and then asking him to shadow the likes of Dirk, Duncan, or KG could spell disaster. This is the same reason why Shaq does not play power forward. If Zo is playing with Yao... I have stated that it would be better to have Yao play the power forward postion while Zo plays center. Now that would be an intresting line up.
So Duncan and Webber are faster than Mourning? Once again, with Zo playing against the likes of Garnett and Dirk, those 2 will need help trying to guard him on the blocks, which opens up the rest of the floor for the rest of the team. Its give and take,push and pull just like any other player the team brings in here. Mourning last season he played 15pts 8.4rebs and 2.5 blks in 32mins a night on 11 shots per game. To those who say he can't play the 4, is he any less equipped to play the 4 than Robinson/Duncan.Duncan can't hold Dirk or Garnett on the perimeter either, but what he does play off both and sit back in that 3-2 zone. Why couldn't the Rockets with Mourning do the same thing? Last seasonon 8 shots per game eddie avg 8 pts and Taylor avg 8pts. Why not try to add a who give you those type of numbers to a team that neds help for Ming? Any team that signs Mourning can always place clauses about amount of games he plays to receive his full salary. Getting rid Taylors contract and not stunting Griffin's growth. Zo in 3 yrs will be 36 yrs old, but Griffin would be and should be ready to really play major minutes. If he isn't then this team is in trouble anyway.
Cuban and the Mavs will mis-handle Zo, in the middle of courting him, like Lewis last summer, he'll turn his attention to a player that is "available" per ESPN insider. Wasn't it KG that diverted Cuban's attention when he was doing his college recruiting tour for Rashard? Denver will sign younger talent IMO. SA will land a big time FA, perhaps Kidd. THUS, Leaving the Rockets, who have taken an ostrich approach (head in the sand) approach to free agency there to make a bid for him late in the FA game, whether it be MCE or S&T. One thing about an ostrich, you all know, is they are very damn tough birds. I like our strategy, if indeed it is our strategy. I'd love to see Zo on the Rockets! I don't think it would stunt EG's development, the reduced minutes would be offset entirely by having a mentor in Zo. "Patience, grasshopper" is what I keep telling myself.
That's assuming that Eddie will ever mature... The Mav's best offer to Zo is approximately $16 million for 3 years. They may need to throw in a player, say Van Exel or Nash to make this work. Cuban is playing the old "You have a real chance to get that ring with us" card. Once again, the Mav's are trying to work around the Shawn Bradley albatross that Nelson & Cuban have hung around their necks. This is why I believe the Rockets have a real chance to catch them in 2 years. Yao will be the difference for us just as Duncan is for SA. The Mavs will still be paying Bradley $6 million to be a big white stiff.
I believe, Yes, Duncan and Webber are faster then Zo. I also think having Zo playing at the power forward position will hurt his stats. He isn't going to get the 15 points 8.4 rebounds and 2.5 blocks by having to spend time outside the paint guarding the faster quicker power forwards. He is going to get tired and it won't be a good use of energy for a man who's main purpose is to stop the big guy. It's not that I don't think Zo can't play power forward expecially in a zone defense as you had previously mentioned but I think it will not be utilizing his strengths. Zo is a center. Not a combo center/power forward.
Unless we can get the top tier PF like Brand or O' Neal, a second tier PF will not have bigger number than EG's. Zo got 15.7 p, 8.4r, 2.5 bs in 32.7 mins playing center in 2002. He won't get those numbers with his current health playing PF. Grant got 10.3p, 10.2reb, 0.6 bs in 2003 playing 32.2 min. Their rebound number would drop by virtue of playing with rebounding guards like ours too. EG had 8.6 pts, 6 rb, 1.4 bs in 24 minutes. If he plays 33 mins, he would get 11.8 pts, 8.2 reb, 2 bs. There is no reason to go after the 2nd tier PF.
Zo got those numbers by only shooting 8-9 times a game and shooting over 50%. EG shoots around 40% which is a big difference. Also Zo's and Grant's defense is light years ahead of Griffin which is the biggest difference. I'm not worried of a PF going around Zo or Grant. There are only 2 PFs in the league that are fast enough to go around someone and they are KG and Dirk and they can go around anyone including Griffin and MoT. If we can get Mourning for MoT and sign Mourning for only 2 years I'm all for it. The worse that can happen is that Mourning retires and we get rid of Mo's terrible contract.
My point exactly. The only "fast " pf's in the league are really sf's in Dirk and Garnett. All the other pf's are low block to high post players like Zo. All that dribbling and running done by Garnett and Dirk, what happens when they have op guard him? I'll tell you what happens. The same thing happens when Dirk gets into fould trouble trying to guard a physicall low post player like Webber and Duncan. Physicality always beats finesse period. Think about the fact that Zo avg 11 shots a game and still got 15 pts, while Taylor and Griffin took 16 shots together and avg 16 pts. Why? Because Zo goes to the hole and draws contact which draws fouls so he's more effecient. Thats the difference in a guy like Malone getting 18 shots and scoring 28ppg and a guy like Webber taking those same 18 shots and avg 22 ppg. Its all physical. Getting rid of Taylor's contract and having Eddie as a understudy would help this team more than anything.
