My preference: Yao-Deke-Butler Scola-Hayes-Landry Batty-Snyder-Harris TMac-Wells-Head Alston-James-Brooks Last three are: Harris, Snyder, Head Trade or cut: Novak, JL3, Jake, Sura, Reed I'm all for trading Head and Novak if we can get something that will help us. Head is too one-dimensional for me-can he slash and score in the Adelman offense? Novak sucks. I like keeping Deke because we know he can benefit us in limited minutes. Landry may be a stretch, but his game appears to be very efficient (I wish he was better at getting rebounds though). Snyder? Can he be more productive this year? I'm hoping Wells will bounce back. Starters in November: Yao Hayes Battier Tmac Alston Changes to: Yao Scola Battier Tmac Alston I think Alston remains as the starting PG unless James looks really great. If we trade Alston, what happens if James tanks? Then we have to rely on Brooks to play major minutes in his first year. I like Brooks as much as the next guy but I need to see how he looks in the L (not just the summer). I'm hoping that Scola is good enough to start. 2nd unit: Deke/Butler Hayes Snyder Wells James Hopefully James, Wells, and Snyder can all be scorers against second stringers. Hayes and Deke don't score much, which could be a problem. Does Butler have an offensive game? Landry appears to have a consistent jumper so he may find a role with this lineup. I want Harris to stay but I don't know if we have any room.
Well Francis & Brown are speculated to cost around the vet's min and Udoka and Portland are wrangling over a LLE level deal, ie Portland wants to pay less.
It's all about versatility, teams still need shooters. As they say you can never have too many shooters on a team. Head will have a role under Adelman.
C Yao, Butler, Mutombo PF Scola, Hayes, Novak, Landry SF Battier, Reed SG T-Mac Snyder, Head PG Alston, James, Brooks Gone like the wind Tsakalidis Harris Sura Wells (or sub Reed or Alston) Lucas *Wells should be the shown to the door of the nearest thunder thighed hoochie for the way he acted last year.
Should be more like this: Yao/Deke Hayes/Scola/Landry Battier/Novak/Snyder Tmac/Bonzi/Head James/Brooks Alston JL3 should be traded for a center/pf n a PG.
Harris is this year what Lucas was last year -- a summer league star. Everyone wanting to reserve a spot on the roster for Harris, please remember he'll have about as much impact as Lucas. And, picking between them, I'll take Lucas because he has the guaranteed contract and Harris does not. And, being undersized as a PG doesn't hurt as bad as being undersized as a swingman. And, I think Lucas is better, but folks won't remember so well since he isn't in summer league. The one thing Harris has going for him is he won't agitate for playing time like Lucas. As for Novak, I never really thought he'd amount to much. I may run against conventional wisdom here, but good shooting isn't enough to keep you around. You've got to be able to do something else. Novak not only has no other skill to ply, he got too rattled to even be a good shooter. Maybe he'll bring more this season, but I'm not seeing it. Lucas, meanwhile, has a number of strengths to lean on, even if he perhaps got rattled last season as well. In the end, it doesn't matter much between those guys. They are all practice dummies for the rotation guys.
No, Harris is our version of a real and true 'Project'. Unlike Lucas he is very very athletic, young and worth investing in not for help now but for our future. I think he would be a fun project to take on, and can provide sparks here and there.. The guy has the ability and potential.. and well talent aswell to make an impact some-time
Here is my 10 player rotation 1: Rafer Alston, Mike James 2: Bonzi Wells, Luther Head 3: Tracy MacGrady, Shane Battier 4: Luis Scola, Chuck Hayes 5: Yao Ming, Jackie Butler and the rest 1: Aaron Brooks 2: Kirk Snyder 3: Steve Novack, Mike Harris 4: Justin Reed, Carl Landry 5: Dikembe Mutombo My guess is that Brooks, and Snyder have the inside track on the last two spots of the 12. My guess is that Mutombo, and Landry have the inside track on the 2 of the 3 IR spots. This leaves Harris, Novack and Reed in a fight to the death for that ever important last spot on the IR The top 10 players that would not surprise me to traded before the start of the season: Alston, Battier, Head and Butler. Snyder and Reed could also be trade fodder.
My 12 men: James/Rafer/Brooks TMac/Bonzi/Luther Battier/TMac Scola/Hayes Yao/Deke/Butler Bubble boys: Snyder Landry Harris
To the OP: Are you out of your damn mind? You have ALSTON at the head of the PG rotation!? I'd be happy if we could trade Alston for a bag of sour cream and onion Lays.
This is pretty sensible. Unless we package Sura and a couple of others for someone worth keeping, it seems pretty likely that Novak might be the odd man out. And I can't even fathom someone saying they want to cut Mutombo. At worst, he is a good locker room influence and leader for the younger guys. At best, he is an outstanding shotblocker and rebounder off the bench in limited minutes. Maybe it's just me, but I saw Deke getting double doubles last year in Yao's absence. I know most fans simply evaluate players on the basis of their playoff performance. Sure, he played too many minutes and that wore on him by season's end, but I hardly think we want to go into the regular season with Jackie Butler as our only reserve at the five. We tried that the last two years and should know by now it is a risky gamble.
Jake won't get cut. 1.Yao-keep 2.T-Mac-keep 3.Battier-keep 4.Alston-trade 5.James-keep 6.Butler-keep 7.Scola-keep 8.Snyder-keep 9.Reed-cut 10.Hayes-keep 11.Novak-keep 12.Brooks-keep 13.Head-trade 14.Lucas-cut 15.Sura-cut 16.Big Jake T-keep 17.Landry-keep 18.Bonzi-keep 19.Deke-keep 20.Harris-cut 21.Trade PF- keep That's 15. Active roster would be all but: novak, landry, deke or Jake I like Deke but I hope we don't resign him.
Alston/James/Brooks McGrady/Head Battier/Wells/Novak Scola/Hayes/Landry Yao/Mutombo/Butler Chose one, lose one: Snyder, Reed Snyder and Reed are basically the same type players, with Reed being slightly bigger. All those calling for the trading of Alston are crazy unless it brings in a proven PG in return. We're a much better team with both Alston and James than we are with only one of them. Player I'm most likely wrong about: Luther Head. Something tells me the trading is not done. Not Rockets next year: JL3, Sura, Jake, Harris.
Everybody is cutting Reed, but the Rockets wanted him included in the James/Howard trade. He is an athletic, 6-8, gritty defender with a decent shot. The one the Rockets should cut is Hayes, but he is a cult hero and therefore sacrosanct. I would much rather pick up Alexander Johnson, recently cut by the Grizz, and let Hayes go. But that's just me. Although I suspect another trade, I'd go with this roster so far: C = Yao / Butler / Deke PF = Scola / Landry / Hayes SF = Battier / Novak / Reed SG = T-Mc / Wells / Snyder or Head PG = James / Alston / Brooks The Snyder or Head choice is tough because they have different skill sets -- Snyder being the tall slasher and Luther being the pygmy but gutty shooter. However, Adelman may keep both and dump Novak if Steve doesn't get his shooting touch back. However, I'm rooting for Three-Fer Novak to get his confidence back under Adelman.
Yeah we WANTED Reed in the trade, we could of really used him if our pick-ups and trades didn't work out.. Well they have so now he is useless and I'm sure Rockets managements see's it like that.. He was assurance, now he is trash
