I agree with what I think you're getting at. It's actually disappointing because it seems that Bonzi needs the ball and time to create the shot for himself. From watching those old(last year) of Bonzi vs. Spurs, it seems that Bonzi doesn't move well without the ball and at times just doesn't move at all. That bothers me a little because our offense will have to focus through Yao and McGrady. I understanding why some people think that we should go to Bonzi at times, but the truth is, our biggest mismatch is Yao, then McGrady. No one questioned the Rockets when they went to Hakeem 95% of the time in the low post, because it works. It's working with Yao/TMac, so Bonzi really should only be utilized when one of them sits, unless he learns to cut better to the basket and use his frame as an advantage because he is (at least was) a good finisher around the basket.
Trade for Jeff Foster. He's getting less and less minutes now that Troy Murphy and Ike Diogu are in town. Guy plays defense and rebounds, a perfect fit for a JVG team. I'm sure his value's still high, so we may not have the pieces.
The interesting thing is that JVG agrees that Rafer is not making the lay ups- which I think even Rafer admits. This is a correctable situation. But at the same time- wonder how Billy got the impression that he was supposed to be a "spot up " shooter. Someone would have told him that. If you are the head coach and would want to Bench a role Player- do you really need to give an explanation- but it would be nice if JVG was more interested in letting us know what he expects of Billy - he may have been a low draft pick- but this guy has the talent to be a starter one day soon. 60% of the shots will go through Yao or Mac- if we leave 20% for the Bench then that leaves 20% for the other 3 starters. What we need is more passing and finishing on penetration. And one last question, did JVG ever tell Rafer not to jack up shots!
speaking of which, here's what I would've done with rotations (assuming no foul trouble and everyone healthy and the REGULAR type of matchups, it would obviously change with teams like Dallas/Phoenix who would go small at times to create running mismatches) Alston McGrady Battier Hayes Yao Yao could get an early rest(late in 1st quarter) and should be done to preserve his status (leg/foot injuries take a lot out of you when running) Mutumbo could come in, possibly with Howard replacing Hayes.... This would give a midrange jumpshot for Howard and a rebounder that could eat up lots of time while Yao is out. During this time, you count on TMac carrying the offense. Head in for Alston might not be a bad option around this time either. Having TMac in the game could alleviate Head from playmaker duties which suits him better in the offense. Yao in for Mutumbo after a few minutes and TMac might take a rest letting Bonzi in. T-Mac could use a rest if there's a big lead, or in the above scenario, and bonzi could fit that well. In my opinion, Yao and Bonzi could coexist with Yao getting the ball the majority of the time while Bonzi has the low post at times with Yao lurking. Bonzi is actually a decent passer at a wide angle from what I've seen. Bonzi could stay in or maybe even Snyder whenever Battier takes a rest. There's also a possibility to sub in the likes of Novak at the 3 for a SHORT period of time, if any, depending on whether Novak picks up the offensive flow and in help defense. What that does mean, is a 9 man rotation. I'm not sure what the status of Snyder is, but I wouldn't go too far beyond this rotation. In this scenario, Padgett/Novak/JL3 might get some "last possession" playing time with Yao/Tmac (maybe head for JL3) Otherwise, them and Spanoulis, etc would mostly get garbage time, but that's how playing time is usually distributed where two stars would get a lot of minutes along with the likes of Battier. This, is of course speculation, but against teams like Phoenix, Mutumbo's minutes will be very small, while the likes of Padgett might come in handy. Phoenix just creates all sorts of matchup problems, so Hayes would have a bigger role. Battier guarding Marion, Hayes on Diaw, etc. Shooters that could guard the perimeter could step in while Alston would be used more as a lateral defender.
Bonzi of the Bench is the best option for post up opportunities. If you noticed the Spurs were Double teaming him to get the ball away- give him time to settle down, and that play run 4-6 times will get us guaranteed points against most SG's. His rebounding and passing are not bad at all.
oh, don't get me wrong, I agree that he needs to be utilized, as soon as he's in shape and has the passion to play as a team. The spurs will have to double team because Bonzi has a size and weight advantage from the position that he plays. Now the problem lies in that when we go through Yao or TMac, he's still trying to get low post position, but he needs to have more movement out and in towards the basket to be compatible with TMac or there will be no penetration. Bonzi's jumpers actually aren't that bad, but from everything I've seen, it seems like he needs an adjustment time with the ball to measure the basket, or at least that's what I'm assuming. He seems to need to get the feel of where he is with the ball, and that could stagnate an offense. That's also why I feel like he's more suitable playing with Yao than with TMac. double team with Bonzi's visions could create a lot of plays for Yao as well. If we use Bonzi's low post, T-Mac might only be a good option as an outlet shooter, which could work but T-Mac is seemingly more effective driving to the hoop. That's why I think it's essential that Bonzi is able to move out of the post area at times too, creating spacing and an outlet pass for easy jumpshots.
Bonzi will do great with Yao, he's not a pure low post player anyway. He has a mid-range game and he can slash to the basket rather than needing to establish low post position to get off his shot. He can complement Yao by staying on the weak side and help with his above average rebounding ability. We have enough guys that shoot the three, we have needed a guy like Bonzi for years now, a guy that has some athleticism that can dunk the ball with some regularity.
Bonzi is probably the only black dot in yesterday's game. Way too many TOs, he was obviously not in the right form. I wish his back holds.
I'm a Foster guy and the Pacers are cap challenged. Sura/Padgett - Foster. Works. But, how badly does that impact Rox roster options financially over the next two years?
Not for at least a month, and is conditioning could be completely gone after two+ months of not being able to jog or anything (bike off-limits). Detroit is looking to move either Dale Davis or Nazr Mohammed and has reportedly been interested in Bonzi all season. Just putting that out there. Evan
Exactly. Detroit has been asking for Bonzi, and we need a good backup center (Deke won't hold up forever). I can't help but wonder if we're getting Bonzi some playing time ("see, Mr. Dumars? he CAN still play!") while also trying to figure out who to include in a trade (Bob Sura and his will-expire-in-a-year contract? V-Span and expiring-contract Padgett?)
Jeff Foster would be a perfect fit. He's exactly the kind of dirty work player that does well with superstars. He could get minutes at both post positions. Besides, I'd love to see the offensive rebounds that the combination of him and Hayes would get.
Yeah, Foster's hustle and blue collar style of play would fit us well, don't think we can get him though because the Pacers probably think the same thing about him.
Yeah, those talks died down after the Webber deal. I would pass on both Davis and Mohammed. Instead keep Bonzi and go for a cheaper, more atheletic guy like Ely for Sura's contract and Padgett or something.
It's out there, has been out there. Let Minny trade Jaric or Hudson for NM and let both teams receive warts for years on that one. DD is through, finished, kaput. If Joe D wants to talk about Dice or even Maxiell then OK, talk.
The Foster idea is the best in some time. Unfortunately, Indy isn't going to trade him for birdfeed. The only thing on this team they'd be interested in is Luther Head. They need a guard who can drain the open shot when the double team comes to Jermaine. They're pretty down on Jamaal right now since his outside game has been atrocious and his defense has been subpar.
I was seriously getting irritated with the guy in the first half. I swear to you Walton didn't say a positive thing about the Rockets until after half time. I wanted to hit mute. Fortunately he did give them credit for hustle in the second half. Grudgingly, but he did agree when Jon said that the Rockets (ie Chuck and Shane in a couple of sequences) were the first to fall to the floor for the ball and the Spurs followed. And he complimented Chuck on his hustle guarding Tim Duncan. Thanks for posting the link for this interview! I am off to listen.
I still want the Rockets to trade for a backup point. Rocks don't need Bonzi to beat the Spurs. IMO he's trade fodder. I'd do a Bonzi + Sura for Brent Barry trade in a heartbeat. Barry plays 1 to 3, has the 3rd best 3P% in the league, and is 6-7. He could shave minutes off Rafer and Battier. As for the need of a big I'd rather take a punt on Haryasz or Luke Schensher. The last time I saw Foster play the Rockets were letting him get offensive rebs even though it was in the dying minutes of a close game. The reason being he had absolutely no offense. Another negative is Foster's contract that's as long and as much as JHo's.
