Canoner what was the sales pitch? "Well GP we along with the Kings and Spurs are the only teams with a chance to win the NBA title. Oh and youre from Cali and the Kings and Spurs aren't going after you so come play for us if your about winning." That means there organization is in a better place but not that they are a better organization. They now have an overpriced backup PG, Deven George makes way more money than he should and I won't even get in Samaki Walkers contract. They got GP for the mid-level exception not b/c they had a ton of cap room. I do agree that the Rox should do something but the offseason is nowhere near over yet.
What could the Rockets do? They don't have a lot to trade with. Eddie G and Mobley is not worth an AllStar, or do the Rockets have the $$$ to go after a free agent of high value. The Lakers get Payton because he wants the BEST chance for a ring. Can the Rockets seriously say that they have a chance in the next 2 years?? NO, NOT, NANA. Payton is doing the honorable thing because $$$ is not everything. He's proving this with his wallet. These things happen. The Rockets will just have to play better as a group. Maybe get a vet or two and hope that with a more structured coach and a year of exp. for Ming, that he will be able to carry the Rockets into the playoffs. No way the Rockets have any chance of willing it all next 2 years so what's the big fuss about?
The Spurs and Lakers were already ahead of the Rox anyway, so it's not like we are losing any ground. If the Clippers somehow signed Payton and Malone, then I would be concerned about our playoff position.
You are on to something. Rockets GM continues to handcuff the team w/ big contracts to avgerage (if that) players (i.e. Kenny Smith, Matt Moloney, Cato, Rice, & Mo Taylor) never try to position ourselves to acquire a proven talent that could available. CD must go or get better glasses!
you.... he has never acquired proven talent at all, with the exception of hall of famers Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, and Scottie Pippen.
GUYS come On it's Only One Ball! Let the Lakers Have Payton,Malone, Spurs have Kidd.. It's still ONE FREAKIN BALL!~ Besides all that talent on one or two teams will depleted the other teams and that would still push up The Rockets to like the 4th seed behind the spurs,mavs,lakers.. I think we may even can beat out sac... with a 7 games series in the first round and Yao Ming, anything can happen...
I think we need to give JVG time to develop the young talent that we have. Stop worrying about the grass being greener on the other teams. Chemistry takes time to build. I think we should have learned that after all those erratic trades we did after the Clyde Drexler acquisition. Remember Barkeley, Pippen, Willis, and all those other oldsters while the team still gradually declined? A team might look good on paper....but you only know they are good when they play that way. Some of the patterns I have seen in the past is that you can only tweak with one major piece a season. You need to maintain you core to maintain the chemistry. With the Laker's changing two major pieces, it could come out for the worse than the better. The Celtics team might have had Hall of Famers at every position. But they were HoF's that played together for many seasons.
I'm less scared of the Lakers if they get the Mailman, because there is only one ball. You think the Mailman or GP will take any crap from Kobe?? GP will slap Kobe if he whines to him. The Mailman will want his shots. Still a very scary thought, though. What about Sheed to the Rockets. I think it could be done, and he is an all-star type player. If we had him we would never go 6-8 minutes without a point. I guarantee it.
we are far behind in the west. What I want is a superstar on this team that we can just sit back and relax and know as long as this star is healthy and playing on our team, that's a guaranteed playoff spot, like the dream, the duncan's, jordan's, the shaq's, the mcgrady's and maybe lebron james. I'm talking about one mvp type of player. If we're just the same ol' team we are last season then I don't see us making the play offs again and I seriously see us falling behind.
Even if Yao has the mother of all monster years it won't be enough to contend. Given the current state of players and coaching, I'd say that the Rockets are now at least 4 years away from being serious contenders. I also feel that this won't be due to any dramtic improvement on their part but on the teams ahead of them getting older and dropping back into the pack. You have to pay the piper eventually and it's time for all of the poor drafts and bad personnel decisions to start catching up with this team.
There are only a handful of teams with cap space this off-season. I guess the league is full of "Yes Men", huh?
Righto! The Rockets can't fall back behind the teams that are already ahead of them. Their problem is keeping up with or surpassing the teams in the second tier: Seattle, Phoenix, Golden State, Clippers and Denver. I worry the most about Denver. Kiki is making all the right moves and is building a really good team. Plus, they've already bit the bullet and had their crash & burn season in order to shed bad contracts and now have the cap freedom to go after free agents. Seattle made the deal we should have made with Milwaukee - Mobley for Ray Allen. Now they have the SG we don't and the nucleus of a good young team that's athletic. Phoenix passed us by last year and will get better as Stoudemire matures. He has the physical style of play that will give Yao fits. I like their coaching a lot. The jury is out on Golden State. I just don't know what they'll look like until the Arenas issue is settled. As for the Clippers...well they will still be the Clippers as long Sterling is their owner.
You can say Shaq isn't durable, but Payton and Mailman are guys who never misses games. Karl Malone has only missed 20 games or so in his entire career and Payton is somewhere aroundthat number also. What the Lakers did is why i don't think you can ever stand pat. Most would have thought Sac would be a favorite with a healthy team for a coupleof yr, but what the Lakers have done is really closed their window down alot. Sac still matches up to them, but it makes it really hard to have a lineup that can beat La.
What? ofcourse the Rockets can beat the hell out of this sorry Lakers team loaded with over the hill hall of famers... Well, after 3 years that is...
1.Mavs (if they get mourning) 2.Spurs 3.Lakers 4.Kings 5.Timberwolves 6.Houston 7.Phoenix 8. Portland/Golden State/Seattle (Toss up between these teams) Lakers Vs. Rockets 1.Payton....Francis Francis 2.Kobe ......Mobley Kobe 3.Fox..........Posey Posey 4.Malone....Griffin Malone 5.Shaq........Yao Tie Bench 1.Fisher/Rush....Moochie/Maddox.... Lakers 2.Shaw..............Francis/Posey......... Rockets 3.George...........Rice/Nachbar...........Rockets 4.Medi..??..........Mo T.........................Rockets 5.Madsen..........Cato.........................Rockets
The Lakers getting GP and possibly the Mailman will not assure them anything. Way too many egos to deal with and the Lakers had a hard enough time this year dealing with that with only two of them. Remember Dream, Clyde, and Barkley...they didn't do a damn thing and there was so much hype over that as well. Or Pippen, Barkley, Dream...same thing..nothing. My guess will be 3rd to 4th seed tops for LA. Too many chiefs on one team!
If you think about it, the Rockets will have an easier time making the playoffs this year then last year. You have your 6 regular playoff teams: Lakers, Kings, Spurs, Mavs, Wolves and Portland. That leaves 2 playoff positions. The teams who really can really contend for those are: Suns, Rockets, Jazz If Malone does not sign with the Jazz, then that only leaves Suns and Rockets to contend for the two spots. Rockets will make the playoffs this year.
shaq and yao are not a tie. maybe in a couple of years, but right now shaq is much better than yao. and to say la will be 3rd in the west is pretty ridiculous. because adding payton and malone gives them a deeper bench and allows shaq and kobe not to wear themselves out in the regular season.
with all due respect the big ape shaq daddy, i would much rather have yao on my team then him. shaq maybe more dominante at this point, but how long has he left? he's toes are almost useless and if you go by theory of productions down the road, yao mings stocks are far higher. as for the rox chances in 2003-2004 to be bruitaly honest( dont roast me guys) there realistcly not contenders , but should atleast push for the 6 or 7th position. with a defensive minded and a methodical coach like JVG, i personally cant see them not making the playoffs.
