I knew someone would jump right on it. 1. You're worried that if we get Jamison, that Hayes wouldn't get playing time? Are you kidding me? That's really a concern? 2. Other than Caron Butler and maybe Blatche, no one on that team plays any semblance of defense. A Battier on their team would help them A LOT. Any trade the Rockets want to do this offseason is going to have to include a player with a good sizable salary (e.g. Rafer or Battier). Any kind of S&T for ANY FA is going to have to include Battier or Rafer and some others like Head, etc. What's wrong with putting a 20/10 player next to Yao? Jamison defends, rebounds, shoots the 3...what's so bad about it? At 32, he's not going to get a lot of 10+ mil/year offers and I'd imagine he'd want to go to a team with a chance to actually get to the Finals. Why can't you start Yao/Scola (or Landry)/Jamison at the same time? IIRC, when Jamison was in Dallas he started next to Dirk. Of course, this all becomes moot because Hayes is going to finally get that hitch in his shot fixed and become a 20/10 player like Jamison.
I think the Rockets are pretty much set as a team after re-signing Landry (and maybe bring back Gerald Green for another look). I'm excited about the Rockets next season-- the three good rookies will likely get beter, and the veterans remain a solid core. If any talent is acquired, it's likely through a trade, using Bobby Jackson and Steve Francis' expiring contract, rather than free agency. Not many of the better FAs on the list are really attainable even with the full MLE, and there's no point in signing some of the more affordable FAs when guys on the existing roster should get minutes over them anyway.
too bad we gotta dip into the MLE to keep Landry... otherwise, I'd gladly spend the full MLE on Josh Childress to backup TMac and Battier. He can take Head's minutes I think..
Uh, sorry I left off the sarcastic grin icon. Jamieson may be an upgrade over Scola/Landry but definitely not over Battier and Scola or Landry. As for the 3, years younger next to Dirk does not make a 3 today. He will re-sign with Wiz. Focus elsewhere, but wait to see if TMac takes over and how the next 2, maybe 4, months play out.
Morey won't sign any of these players unless they willingly take less-than-market value to play in a winning atmosphere. Aka the Spurs' philosophy. For Gerald Green we won't offer that much (3-4 mill) unless he really wows us this Spring: it will be up to Green whether or not he wants to take a little bit less (2 mill, 2.5mill?) to win in his hometown and gain a reputation as a solid piece to a winning program, or just collect his paycheck and be a journeyman. If we end up using Jackson's expiring in a trade or something, I wouldn't mind seeing Duhon reunited with Battier, but again the price will be the deciding factor.
No to Kwame Brown! Why does everyone think he can help out their team? The guy has some pretty decent defense, but his offense is worst than Chuck Hayes'. At least Chuck could catch a pass!
Sadly we say that every year and look what happens...its unfortunate that our 2 stars are injury prone
Dream: Jose Calderon, Corey Magette, Grant Hill Players I would like Morey to maybe talk to see if there is interest, but at their price it would not be likely. Realistic: I'm not saying get all of these players. I'm saying try to see if we can get this players for a decent price, which I think we can for 1 or so of them. Roger Mason would be a great backup pg/sg esp if they are going to trade B-jac next year. Plus he is a big guard which is why he would be good with our other pg's/sg's being undersized Josh Childress is an obvious choice. He hasn't gotten much time in Atlanta, so shouldn't cost too much, good defender and size. Though his 3-pt shot is not the best, he does have a decent mid range game. Antoine Wright would be a gamble, but I think a decent one. He shouldn't cost that much, has size and can take it to the hoop. However, Dallas has first shot at him and wanted him in the J. Kidd trade, and he is developing his game. Still lacks defense at times, though he does have the ability. Chris Mihm, Adonal Blatche for back up center. We all know Deke is retiring. Yao is great, but I really feel if we can get a good to great back up center to reduce his minutes to the mid 30's or so he may not have as many injuries and will be better in the playoffs. Both have decent overall games. I know neither is great, but as backups, both are good options. Blatche over Mihm because I think he has a better game, and is less of an injury risk. Must do: Carl Landry, Gerald Green Landry is obvious. I just think Green will progress. Maybe not this year, maybe not next year, but by 2010-11, just wait. I know that is a huge gamble and risk to use one of your few roster spots on a guy you think will be real good in like 3 seasons, but I feel like with his potential it is worth it, and we can afford to lose one roster space especially since we played most of this year basically wihtout 2/3 spaces with Francis out most of the year and Deke/Yao basically never playing.
I think they should seriously look at Emeka Okafor... for sake of the future, and for the fact that he trained with Hakeem... and is from the Houston area in general.
I'm glad most see this team is perfect and couldn't use a upgrade. Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't Bibby have a player option after this season? If he opts out, u have to go get him with a sign and trade. 4yrs 40mil with the first yr starting at about 9m. That's jackson and francis money combined and maybe throw in hayes. Landry right night is 3m and green is 2m and the rox shouldn't sign either for mor than 3yrs especially green since he hasn't done anything since being a 1st rd pick. I also think the rox might want to think about upgrading Battiers spot. When the rox had the lottery pick a couple of yrs ago, I thought they should have traded it for Childress. If they get a chance to trade battier for him, they should do it or at least try a 3 team deal. Now for the backup center, I think Mihm would work. He's been injured some lately, but asking him to play 18 mins a night shouldn't be to bad. Mourning coming off injury would also garner some interest. This team needs to upgrade its talent to keep up with the other talented teams in the west. Thinking that the rox will improve faster than the other teams is naïve.
I hope we re-sign Green and Landry again I'd like to see them at the rockets in the future Alota big names there
I think CD could work Brown or Diop into a servicable backup to Yao. I would also add Francisco Elston to that list. Our priorities should be: 1. resign Landry to a 3 yr deal 2. get a backup for Yao 3. grt a backup for TMac
Josh Childress would be awesome on the Rockets. He is a versatile player who can do a little bit of everything. Now that David West has made an All-Star Team and is starting to get some recognition, Childress may now be the most underrated player in the league. He DOES get a lot of playing time in Atlanta's rotation as the sixth man. Heck, I think he was second on the Hawks last year in mpg. Unfortunately, the Hawks have given all indications that they will match any full MLE offer for Childress. It will probably take a team more than the full MLE to pry him away from Atlanta. That being said, if Morey can once again work his magic and convince Landry to take the Biannual Exception (a 2-year contract for roughly $4M - $1.91M for next year, $2.06M the following year), then the team will have the full MLE to use on Childress. I wouldn't mind it if the Rockets called the Hawks' bluff. Atlanta needs to re-sign Josh Smith and work an extension for Marvin Williams this summer, so the Hawks (and their fractured ownership group) may HAVE to let Childress go. If the Rockets can get a talent like Childress for the MLE, it would be an absolute coup.
