"Always looking to improve"...ideas on how to rebuild (warning: dreamcasting!)

I like PJ Brown and Jaric. Those are the two kind of guys we need. It'll take more than a first rounder to get Jaric. That guy is solid and steadily improving.

I don't like Marshall though. He is like a better version of Mo Taylor, but still soft and wimpy.

 

I am still looking for some Yao or TMac trade. real blockbusters

 

TMac + 1st rd. pick = Tim Duncan. At least in NBA 2K5.

(that team also has Kirilenko and BJax on it. Unreal(istic)....)

 

Looking to improve, Hah! That's a good one... They're looking allright.

While CD & Co. sit around with their collective thumbs stuck up their a**es, the Mavericks go out and make a trade aimed at shoring up their shaky PG position (sound familiar folks?). Nelson was just on ESPN radio here in Dallas. The Mavericks have traded Dan Dickau and a second round pick to the New Orleans Hornets for PG Darnell Armstrong. Take a look at this guy's stats - could he not have helped this team?

In 14 games with nine starts this season for the Hornets, Armstrong has averaged 10.1 points, 4.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.07 steals in 29.4 minutes per game. For his career, Armstrong has averaged 11.6 points, 4.9 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.64 steals in 28.4 minutes per game in 595 games. In 31 playoff games, he has averaged 10.3 points, 3.7 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.35 steals in 32.5 minutes per game.

As big a disaster area as the PG position has been for the Rockets this year, they have done zip to rectify the situation other than jawbone about the problem. This is a prime example why the Mavericks are better than the Rockets and will continue to be better because the guys running their organization actually have an F ing clue as to how to find players.

 

I like all 3 trades. If you could get one of them done, I'd be happy. All 3 players would be excellent role players here. The problems are Jaric is playing really good right now and the kid out there is out with an injury. I don't think the Clippers are dealing. What does Toronto get out of the Marshall deal? NO may be interested in the other deal but they just traded away Armstrong for a young PG. However, they may do that deal to be able to get rid of salary. Was it in Utah where Donyell really excelled in the system?

 

First, please let me apologize for my apoplectic post when we lost the other night. I went a little overboard with the invective. Hate is not a mature emotion. So, here, I'll tone it down.

I like both trades. I'd probably try to start both guys, with Marshall at the 3. I think DM was pretty successful with a good coach in Utah at that spot. Gee, that'd be nice! PJ Brown AND Donyell Marshall. That'd sure help Yao and Tmac.

Unfortunately, both are stop gap measures, as both guys are getting old. We still need to pick up a younger small forward and power forward. The point should be a vet.

I'd also like to move JJ. I think he's a big negative. It's time to cash out. Of course, I always advocate moving Taylor, too. I will give up our picks if someone will take him. He's just a big net negative - really destroys the team.

We also have the TE. We should try to do something with that.

I wonder if CD works the phones and scouting less effectively than other guys at other clubs, or if Les ties his hands. Either way, we do less than other clubs. This summer, we apparently chose not to chase some forwards because we only had x money to spend, and had to give it to Ward and Sura. Well, gee. Wouldn't we be better off if we spend extra one summer and cut the next ? Did we have to give Ward 3 years? Wouldn't we be better off if we had gotten Al Harrington, or even a cheap guy? I don't know who is saying what the deal parameters are, but we are less flexible and less aggressive than say, Denver, San Antonio, even Golden State - other small clubs trying to compete with the big boys. We seem to have poor research, overpay, hold on to losers too long, and then short our own stock before we sell. Thank goodness Tmac liked Yao.

 

I like Jaric. Tall, athletic, gets lots of steals and can hit the 3. With him being in a contract year and the Clippers having Livingston as thier future point, I would think there would be a possibility he could be had for the right price. Of course, the better he plays this year, that cost keeps going up and out of the Rockets price range.

 

The Dallas Armstrong trade was a good one and to be quite honest is one the ROCKETS should have jumped on. Armstrong is EXACTLY the type of player this team could use at the PG spot. He is vocal leader, someone that will push the ball up the court, is a veteran and is someone that brings HIGH ENERGY to the team at all times. Think we could use those aspects?? Plus he worked well with Tmac in Orlando. It is a slam dunk. Kudos to Dallas for ONCE AGAIN trading junk for a solid player. Once again they gain another "asset" they can either use for the team or use in future trades.

 

The Clips could probably get more for Jaric than a 1st round pick. He's been playing extremely well for them this season and Livingston is nowhere near ready.

Like Deuce said, I was dissapointed to see Armstrong go for so little, definitely a move the Rockets should have made.

CD better have something good cooking.

 

Even if we got Garnett or Duncan, can you imagine their "new" game in a Rocket uni? I'm afraid of anything short of a rediculous trade won't help the Rockets get to the next level.

 

Who are the players on other teams that those teams have given up on? Those are the only players we have a chance of acquiring because those are the kind of players that we have to offer-- other than entirely unproven players.

Can anybody come up with a comprehensive list? I don't follow the league that closely to provide such a list.

 

bos - walter McCarty - fans say they would rather let young guys develope than give him minutes. they would move him for anything decent.

chi - chandler - i love the guy, but chi questions his work ethic and bball iq. they want something good in return though.

den - skita - not good enough to help us this year.
nene- just because he is redundant they would like to move him for a 2, to balance the roster. surely they want someone young and talented.

ind - crochere - with a full roster, they just didnt need this guy considering his contract. would probably move him for cap space.

min - sprewell - had a great year, but now the drama starts. an ending contract of that size should be able to bring in more than what we could offer.

njn - kidd, zo, aaron williams - would move them all for ending contracts/picks. we have a shot at zo and williams using the TE + a future pick (not worth this years #1)

ny - houston, kurt - we have no need for houston, thomas would be the ideal PF for our team, but they want a center in return.

phi - mckie, kenny thomas - both for cap reasons.

por - shareef, stoudamire, DA, NVE, patterson - they are gonna move those guys for either kidd or VC, so ill move on.

tor - williams, marshall - alvin for cap reasons, marshall because they are afraid he will bolt. i would say one of our PF's + this years unprotected pick for marshall would be idea for us.
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and just because i watch every game league pass has to offer does not mean i don't have a life

 

Yao + Mo for Boozer + Arroyo + Collins

I wrote in another thread. Right now it's clear that Rox are
Tmac's team, and we should find pieces to complement him,
e.g., "excellent role players" including ferocious rebounders,
good ball-handlers and defenders. Boozer fits the bill
better than Yao. He's a much better rebounder and
garbage man. Arroyo will solidify the PG spot too. We'll be
an excellent run-and-gun team. Moreover, we don't need to
worry about maxing Yao to cripple the Franchise.


Collin/Mutombo
Boozer/Howard
JJ/Boki
Tmac/Gaines
Sura/Barrett

 

Out of all the names that have been tossed around, the only ones that bring any real interest to me are:

Nene: pipedream, but toss em JJ + a 1st rounder and see if they bite.

Chandler: another pipedream, but offer to take on AD's contract and throw in a 1st and see if they bite.

Zo: TE + a 2nd rounder, he ain't worth more than that, considering the risk involved.

Donyell: not sure exactly what to toss em, maybe a top 20 protected 1st rounder + either spoon or the TE.

 

jARIC? Give me a break!! I hate these threads that always suggest sorry loser type players. Similar threads in the past have suggested Ridnour or some other crappy guard. We're losing because we don;t have a guard that attacks the basket. Jaric isn't a slasher, is really slow, and can't shoot. Even Derek Fisher runs better than Jaric. Please. We need a Tony Parker, Chauncey Billups type guard. A franchise type guard that passes better and doesn't turn the ball over as much. Watching our offense you always see 3 guys other than the big 2 standing around passing the ball on the perimeter. This is sickening. I miss Chise slashing to the basket to create. We aint doin it that's why it's so easy to guard us and that's why we're losing.

 

What about Kwame Brown.

 

Alright, Let's give it a go...

Bearing in mind we've gotta keep one of them...

Current Roster
PG: Sura, Ward, Lue, Barrett
SG: T-Mac, Gaines
SF: JJ, Boki, Bowen
PF: Howard, Taylor, Padgett, Weatherspoon
C: Ming, Mutombo

Yao + Taylor for Jermaine O'Neal + 2 first rounders

Howard + 1 pick + cash for Donyell Marshall

Suddenly we have an athletic big frontline and plenty of versatility!

 

how much money can we ball with after this season for free agent?

 

How exactly is that versatile? Bulk-wise, that is one of the smaller froncourts in the league. You can't just throw out two PFs at the same time and expect to be successful, unless you were trying to be just a complete fast break team (ala Suns) and you would NEED a Nash-like point guard to run it. Besides, if TMac wanted to play with O'neal, and not Yao, he would have demanded a trade to the Pacers this last offseason.