The injury bug excuse is silly if not ridiculous. Everyone gets rattled by injury. But with the Rockets talent, teams are at least respectable, going 1-15 without francis is a joke. This team needs veteran leadership from someone other than Willis and Williams. The Rockets need a leader to lead by example. Francis and Mobley can't do that. Francis and Mobley are happy getting theirs even if nobody else touches the basketball. The last thing this team needs is another player with no confidence and a boys body trying to mussle up the man beasts of the NBA title contenders. How long do fans want to keep calling off every season? For a decade or two? Serioulsy there isn't anyone in the draft that can fix these Rockets. Obviously the Rockets didn't expect to suck this bad last summer. That is why they thought that Mo Taylor was the long term aswer at the PF. In this draft I think that Gooden would have been a definatly improvement at the PF. At least Gooden rebounds. That is unlike our PF's of Thomas and Taylor. Trades should be coming, because this core of guys didn't make a ripple in the ocean. For some reason Rice seriously disappointed. And Mo Taylor didn't impress me much last year. Those guys can't fix this team. The Rockets may truly be in contention for a coaching change. I hate to say it, but it may be true.
But it boils down to trading our draft pick for someone that can help this team. I recall that this is what olipere had pointed towards. A package of the pick with some other high priced Rocket players.
The problem is that we can't package highly priced players along with the pick because Rice and Taylor are injured and even if someone was willing to pick up Cato,we would only have Collier left at the 5 which is simply unacceptable.
For some reason? How about this reason...Rice is out for the year. Injuries arent an excuse if you cant even get out onto the court. Having a sprained ankle is one thing. Having all of the injuries that the Rockets went through this year isnt "silly" and the only thing that is "ridiculous" is your way of thinking.
Not entirely true. If the Rockets pick has specific value to a particular team (or teams), then the Rockets could obtain another starting C. For example - the Mavs want the pick so bad they are willing to give up LaFrentz. Or the Wiz feel Jahidi is expendable. Or the Cavs shop Ilgauskas or the Celts shop Tony Battie. Here's one involving an injured player. The Rocks 1st pick + Cato for Theo Ratliffe (and change) + the Hawks 1st rounder owed by the Pistons (assuming it is conveyed, it is currently 23). If Chris Marcus were available at 23 then the Rocks would have Ratliffe, Collier, and Marcus at the 5. All different skill sets, all serviceable, all affordable and all solid role players on a guard-oriented playoff team.
Zacatecas, I could not agree with you less. The Rocks are a solid playoff team this year without the missed games from their starters. If Steve had not had his injuries and migraines, the Rocks would have been a 500 team in competition for a playoff spot, even with two of their starters out for the whole year. And you think we should fire the coach ... Go figure!
The problem is that it's unlikely IMO that a team would be willing to trade us a big man better than what we have in Cato for our pick. Chris Marcus won't drop so low as 23 and if he does, we're probably better off sticking with Cato.
Relativist - What you're saying is that the number 6 pick + Cato (or KT) is not worth a Cato equivalent 5 to any other team? Your conclusion then is that the Hawks would be better off with Theo rather than starting Nazr Mohammad backing him with Cato and adding either Drew Gooden, Chris Wilcox, Jared Jeffries, Kareem Rush or Amare Stoudemire? Or with the Rockets #6 and their own #8 they couldn't move up? Just my opinion, but I think Chris Marcus is going to catch the Loren Woods disease.
Hey Zacatecas, what about drafting Butler with #6 and Marcus with #14? Neither of them has a "boy's body." Put them with Francis, Mobley, and Griffin/Taylor/Thomas, and you've got a solid starting lineup.
zacatecas, i completely agree, every team gets rattled with the injury bug. unfortunately for the rockets they weren't just rattled they were completely decimated by it. there's a huge difference.
