We made him a qualifiying offer of 2+ million because that is how the team keeps his rights. It was reported that the Rocks were negotiating with him, so I imagine they offer him somewhere in between 2 million and 5 million. No one really knows besides the rockets and Posey. Posey wanted more than the rocks were offering so he gambles on signing with the Grizz, hoping the rockets would match. They didn't because he is not worth 5 million a year starting of 4 years. So Posey in a way loses that gamble( if you consider 23 million losing) and ends up being a bench player for a sorrier team than the rocks. Also do you really think Posey is worth within 1.1 million a year of what we signed MoT for.
how exactly did we low-ball him? we extended the qualifying offer....we didnt make a real offer, atleast none of us know if the managment did. they extended the offer, let him explore what his market value was. we then got the picture from memphis. we studied our options, and then made the best decision that will help this club win games. we added 2 swingmen, 1 a good stopper, the other an elite sniper...deepening our bench, and for a hell of alot less money
We added 2 bench players and lost a starter. Almost any NBA team would save money by dumping their starter for 2 lifetime bench players. Who's our new starting SF? Adrian Griffin? Glen Rice? Bostjian Nachbar?
1. he might have had a lucky year, that is it. Career average is more reliable statistics to look at. 2. the most important player in transition game is the PG. If SF can run the show better, it doesn't matter whether it is Posey or Pike or A. griffin to finish. 3. If he was sincere about staying, then he would have shown the offer sheet and negotiated with CD and I am sure CD would have given him a number that is acceptable to both sides. Instead, he signed it and pushed us in a corner. It is not a negotiation, it is a take-it-or-leave-it attitude. I loath that. 4. You don't know what is the highest number we offered to Posey, so don't assume it to be 2.5 mil. All we know is we did not offer MLE, but could be well over 2.5 mil. The last part of your argument doesn't make any sense at all.
Some of you haters unhappy with our new free agents need to just stop posting in this thread, no offense. CD and Les said at the beginning of the offseason we were going to sign veteran guys who provided leadership; they are just the last pieces of the puzzle that will help us in the playoffs. ***We don't need you definition of a legitimate starter RIET!*** We can't/wont/need to fill our roster up with all-stars who score a lot. Then people fight over the ball and it just causes problems. We need role players too, you know? As much as I hate their guts, look at the Fakeshow when they won their 3 championships - they had 2 superstars and a crapload of mediocre role players. Piatkowski and Griffin are just what we need. Stop hatin on the Rockets management for these sound decisions, or keep on doing so and have heypartner make you look like a fool. I notice people say the Rockets signed Rice as one of their bad contracts - the Rockets didn't actually sign him though, he was part of the sign and trade deal for Shandon Anderson. Good thing we traded him with that insane contract he got, he's sucked since Utah pretty much. Steve needs to remain our PG, he's not a true point guard, technically, but he's got so much talent that he's a good point guard even when his natural position is the two. It would be dumb to trade for a couple of okay pg's when he is very capable of playin PG. I just really, really hope we keep our roster intact and don't trade Cat, Mo-T, Griff, or Cato like lots of people say, so all you haters will love and appreciate them after we win our titles. 50+ wins and great success in the playoffs this season! CAN'T WAIT! WOOOO!
You really believe this Rox team won't run without Posey? I think you are obsessed. This team is about Yao and SF, anyone else is disposable. Before Yao and SF reach their peaks, we should feel free to try all posibilities on the supporting cast. And save the word "starter" please. Posey won't be starting in most of the NBA teams. on our team, Pike helps more on offense and AG do just as well on D. I think we are deeper or even better on our SF/SG positions now.
I also can't wait. But 50+ wins?? I highly doubt that. With the upgrades from the top teams in the West, it will be VERY hard to hit 50 wins. Normally 50 wins means you're top five, maybe six (at most) in the conference, right? Even with the pick-ups we've made, I don't think that's enough to push us into the elite. I would love to be proven wrong though.
Mav fan here, regarding the AG signing ... The Good ... I've met AG and he's a GREAT guy. Real down to earth - he and Dirk could be seen on the bench chatting together often during the long season - one of Dirk's fav guys. He's got kids and a great wife and he's from Wichita, KS ... which I'm guessing played into AG hooking up with the Rox, seeing how the proximity to his homies a few hours up I-35 from DFW was a big plus to him signing with Dallas - just a few hours more from Houston to Wichita. He's a good ball handler, and can play without needing fga's. He will make an eye opening play or drive occasionally in traffic that you'll appreciate. He was solid against Kobe and Peja occasionally - when the refs allowed. He's got really loooong arms. He glides around the court with his elbows maintaining an obtuse angle, which allows him to occasionally just sneak up to an unsuspecting opponent and tip the ball away for the steal. Probably the best FA signing Mark Cuban ever made - bang for the buck-wise. Mav TV announcer Derek Harper LOVED AG - so did I. The Bad ... For some reason, Nellie could often be seen screaming bloody murder at Griff over some missed assignment or something. AG [along with Najera] was Nellie's punching bag. AG can't jump, sorta moves in a slow glide which can be beat by the greyhounds of the NBA, and he ain't getting any younger. He's a role player, don't expect much more. One worry I have is how AG will cotton to Mobley and Francis' selfish immaturity after playing with gung-ho team-first guys like Nash, Fin and Dirk who are out for W's and not the hi-light package on NBA 2night. I could see AG getting tentative with his game if he deems his new teammates to be ridiculous petty people. The Ugly ... Last summer AG had back surgery. It helped ... but he's still got major back issues. He can miss stretches of games when it 'locks up.' Since the surgery I'm guessing he's put on 15 pounds - I assume it's because the bad back just doesn't allow him to work out as much to reach the fitness he had a coupla seasons ago. He also has just about lost the ability to dunk - but he'll surprise you occasionally on a snowbird. When he's feeling good he's effective. If minutes are dumped on him his back will crumble and he'll visit the IL. JVG will have to ration AG's good days. Raja Bell had simply become a healthier younger spry-er option for Nellie - and Mav draftee Josh Howard meant AG was now a luxury.
Thanks for the info Franz. I'm very happy to have picked up player like Griffin who can defend and hopefully score when necessary. One thing I wanted to ask was why you think Francis and Cat are selfish and immature? I really hate how people have that stereotype of those guys, especially Francis. I see where you might get the impression that they're selfish and immature, but I think those days are behind them and they're are ready to do anything for the sake of winning. Maybe you should think about who your calling petty when you don't even really know them. Anyway we'll see how things go. Good luck, even though I hate Dallas and the Mavs.
No offense, but that was the only redeeming part about your last post...You will be proven wrong. I get really pissed when someone says the Rockets can't do something, so I won't even respond to the other stuff you said...Rockets will win 50!
I know people have already refuted all of RIETS points, but this post just angers me so I had to reply. Have you seen James Posey shoot? He has one of the ugliest shot I've ever seen. He's a very streaky shooter who's either off or on (not too often). Outside of his defense, his game really didn't fit in to well with where we're going with our team, which is to be built around Yao. I will admit that I really liked Posey on the break and he was a great threat in transition, but as someone else already pointed out, the PG usually leads the break and Posey was just there for the easy basket. I really think it would've been a bigger gamble had me decided to keep Posey. I'm sure we could've gotten him for a little lower than what Memphis paid, but throw $5 million a year at him a role player who doesn't really fit our plans and who's spot we can fill with 1/2 the money. I think in the long run he probably would've just come off the bench behind a shooter like Boki hopefully, to defend if an opposing player was torching us. Finally, like others have already stated, I'm sure we offered Posey more than what we offered Pike. Please don't try and argue that the Rockets brass believes Pike is worth more than Posey because that's just ridiculous. It's obvious we probably upped our offer, but were smart enough not to over pay him. You need someone to pump your stomach and get the drugs out of your system. Pike complements are system perfectly and A Griff can defend and shoot. I don't see what we're going to miss about Posey that we're not going to get in Pike and A Griff.
THANK YOU AzCkR!!! Exactly! Pretty much in line with what I was saying to RIET... Also, you have a great signature -- we both believe not trading our guys is the key. The Wink Yao Dynasty sounds better though cuz it's not all about Yao.
LOL I just changed my sig, which made a long time ago when I Doc posted that we were going to draft Yao for sure. The Ming Dynasty just went well with all the other old Chinese dynasties. Anyway, I wouldn't mind trading Cat at this point if he doesn't want to change his game. If he settles to mainly taking the open shots Yao creates for him he'll be fine. I don't see us trading the Franchis, Stevie is here to stay and I hope it's for the rest of his career.
posey is the one who gambled. even though he got his precious money it wasnt whith the team he wanted it from. he just thought that from the way the rockets over paid in the past that he could do the same and he probably would have thought that he could have played just as bad as them too once he got his contract. we just got two guys for less money who may not have as mutch talent but should work better for this team.
May I respectfully suggest again that we should consider what role Boki played in this supposed swap of Posey for Pike and AG. If Boki is ready to deliver, as a member of the rotation, then we should include him as part of the reason that Posey was passed up. I cannot believe neither HP nor REIT, in their animated banter, considered the Boki factor. HP, a whole bunch of teams passed on Pike and AD too. The fact that 16 teams, your count, passed on Posey does not mean he is not worth it. How many of those teams are all set at SF relative to other positions? Despite the MLE, how many of them have tax implications? I can see someone concluding that Posey is going to be overpaid but the extent of that overpayment is clearly melodramatized on this bbs. Thanks Mavs fan for the insider take on AD. At $750,000 per year, AD may simply be a replacement for Tmo. As some have suggested Posey may still be in the cards if all of these acquisitions were more about the 2 than about the 3. It may be that Mobes is moving and our 3's will be Posey, Boki and Rice. Or maybe Rice and Mobes are moving? Hey take Posey and trade those guys to Memphis for some upfront size. Why did they sign and announce AD now? Is this timing purely coincidence or there is something else working. Who know! My comfort level with losing Posey, at this point, rests squarely on Boki. If he is going to play like Rudy said he could play then I can live with the loss.
I would like to think that in these matchup situations, the coaching staff would be more inclined to start/matchup E.G. against some of these guys. That's the beauty of having a versatile roster.
I just read the Mavs board and they don`t seem too upset to lose Griffin. They say he was so slow and was totally anemic on offense. They say that he was way more likely to dribble the ball off his foot than he was to make a good pass ( and thats only if you severly limit his minutes so he doesn`t spend the year on the IR). They say all he was any good for was guarding Kobe and to have any worth in that area he will have to steal a car in Colorado or something. Talking about Rocket fans wearing rose colored glasses. There is no way we are better than last year unless Van Gumball can controll these ball hogs ( which I doubt) If we make the playoffs it will only be because of the implosion by other teams (Utah). The only player I like on this team is Yao ( and no I am not Chineese). We need to get rid off everyone else and rebuild around Yao ( or trade Yao for Garnett) . If Francis and Mobes can play as a team I can see mabey keeping one of them. I kinda like the Yao, EG and Cato lineup if they could all play together. May be hard to penetrate on. My dream would to trade every one except Yao for Garnett and Brand and add guys around them. That my friends would be a real Dynasty. I know , I know .......keep dreaming. Wow that would be something Yao in the middle flanked by Brand and Garnett. Thats more than a dream thats a fantasy baby. It wouldn`t matter what any other team like the Fakers did then.
I agree! I am amazed at how many people feel that every move or acquisition that the Rockets make has to be of epic proportions. It's as if they don't realize that we already have the prerequisite superstar combo (Yao & Steve) and third option (Cat) with promising young talent in E.G. and B. Nachbar and a strong bench w/ Cato, Mo T., E. Piatkowski, A. Griffin, and G.Rice (one of whom will likely start). It is obvious to even the casual fan that the biggest thing this team needs is experience with will hasten the development of good team chemistry. I think C.D. has done an excellent job of putting these pieces together that will reap great rewards in the not so distant future.
