If Iguodala is acquired by Houston, the 2011-12 season would have... AI @ 13.5M KMart @ 12.0 Scola @ 8.6M That's 34.1M of a still TBD CBA plus whatever you need to re-sign Yao Ming. And Yao's contract terms are TBD in the new CBA. I put it in these terms because regardless of who fills out the roster past these 4, the Rockets are not players in the FA market. For all practical purposes, a trade for Iguodala is your summer 2011 FA signing. But...!!! this assumes you didn't need to give away much more than expiring contracts (Battier + Jeffries) to get AI2. That to me is a large assumption. If there is not a lock out and the 2011-12 season starts roughly on time, AI, KMart, Scola and Yao will collectively be 27.5, 28.5, 31.5 & 31.0 in age. Near or slightly past their peak and absolutely near their ceiling of individual skill levels. Neither of them is going to improve beyond marginally over the remainder of their careers. So the question everyone needs to ask. Can AI2, Martin and Scola compete with the 2011-12 Lakers, Mavs, Spurs, Thunder, Hornets and Jazz to get to the WC FInals without a healthy Yao Ming? If your answer is "no", then you better think long and hard about the trade. There is a strong possibility this type of trade keeps the Rockets at the 7th or 8th playoff spot or the 13/14 Lottery spot. This type of situation worries me. Especially if the bididng on AI2 means you have to give up a Hill and/or Budinger and/or 2011 picks. Not saying I'm against a Battier plus for AI2. Just I don't think it automatically moves the Rockets to the Top 4 of the WC. The Rockets have been burned for depending on "health". Stay weary my friend.
If it's going to take our first rounder(s) to get Iguodala then we ought to forget about it. If we can move expirings and Budinger/Hill/etc. to bring back AI and Thad Young or Speights then all systems go. The window to buy low on Jrue Holiday is extremely closed. Dammit.
No way did you just compare Brooks+Kmart+Iggy to KG+Allen+Pierce. No way that you did. "maybe more"? WTF! Not ANY of those guys have led their teams ever. All 3 of the Boston trio have. What an insane comparison... This isn't NBA 2k11.
34.2M for your top 3 players isn't bad at all, in fact other teams have a much higher salary for their top 3. For example Dallas already has 19M committed just for their starting C and backup C, not counting Dirk and Kidd. Boston and the lakers have around 40+ mill committed just to KG/PP/Allen and Bynum/Pau/Kobe. So no, I'm not concerned with the Rockets' salary situation at all. Secondly are we even players in the 2011 market? After this summer where we signed Scola to 9M, Miller to 5M and Lowry to another 5M we basically gave up our right to sign any max free agent. Even if we let Yao+Battier+jeffries contracts expire that still won't give us space to sign FAs, esp. if as you say the cap becomes lowered even more. Regarding our top 2 fas brooks and Yao, they will take what the market gives them. If DM thinks they're worth the price then we match whatever offers on the table. If not then we let them walk, simple as that. Finally players decline at around 33 years of age. Discounting Scola (who I think can play effictively till he's 35) that means you still have half a decade for AI/scola/Brooks/Martin to play together. That's a long time for an NBA player.
What happened to those moves that contributed to their success after they went back to losing with the absence of LeBron, Garnett, and CP3(injury)?
Led their team to what exactly? Prior to teaming up in Boston KG was the only one who has had any sustained success. Pierce had that one finals run with Antoine Walker but after that Boston was perennially one of the worst teams in the league under Pierce. Same thing with Ray Allen in Seattle. The only true superstars on Boston are KG and Rondo. If Pierce and Allen really are that good then they should have have more than 1 ring by now, since technically Boston is running around with 5 all star calibre players (counting perkins and rondo) while the lakers only have 2+ a bunch of really good players. Secondly I wasn't talking about talent level, but the synergy or fit those guys have together. Brooks, KM and AI would cover up each other's weaknesses rather nicely.
This would actually be a nice dream scenario for us. We upgrade with Iggy but still continue losing and up with another lottery pick...either our own or the Knicks. Then next season you roll around with Iggy/Scola/Brooks/Martin/Yao? While the lottery pick replenishes the assets you lost in the iggy trade.
Unless we go ahead and trade KMart. No offense to the guy, and I know Yao hasn't been healthy, so we haven't seen what Kevin and Yao can do together, but I don't know if Kmart is the right player for this team. Defense is just godawful. Watching him chase-flail his way in the wake of the player he is supposedly defending is just painful. Not to lay the blame of everything on Kevin Martin. We've had injuries. But he seems to be Win Kryptonite.
Pierce, Garnett and Allen are all better than Brooks, Iguodala, and Martin. After that Finals run with Walker, they made it to the playoffs 3 years in a row, including the semis. They only missed the playoffs twice after that, including one season where Pierce was injured or recovering from injury. Allen at this stage in his career is over the hill though. He was not as good as Garnett or Pierce, but he was miles ahead of Brooks and Kevin Martin. Kevin Martin chokes in the 4th and Brooks couldn't win with Scola.
I admit that Luis is another sieve, defensively. Tougher to hate on him because he actually seems to be playing hard. Kevin Martin scores a lot of points but Hustle is not his middle name. But, yeah, Scola + Martin + Brooks = Matador/Turnstile Defense.
True... I think the question now is what do we do with that group? I see a few options A. Trade one of them for a more two way player. We could end up losing significant talent. B. Acquire a two way player to compliment them without giving one of them up. I don't think it will totally work but it should help. C. Acquire a two way player to start and relegate one of the three to the bench. Which could be a lot of $$ for a bench player. I like option B & C better. I don't think we will be better off trading Martin for Iggy. I think if we could acquire Iggy without giving up Martin we should do it. We could play him either at the 2 or 3 spot to see what works better. The time with Yao and all the older vets (Scola & Battier) could almost over and if we aren't trading Yao then we aren't rebuilding and if we aren't rebuilding we should try to get better now.
Iggy will help those who say he wont need a brain scan. The guy has intangibles like good play making which they lack, solid defense which they lack and can be our 3rd or 4th option surrounded by scorers if he brings the ball-up. He is the perfect 'fit' piece. Regardless of what direction they decide to go, his contract allows Houston to tank it this season and learn the system and be ready by next season. And i'm not sold on this season being over just yet. I think this kind of move can make us really tough to beat. Right now the Rockets lack the 'fit' pieces like length/defense/health. Considering Iggy hasn't missed many games in his career he is worth the money. This team lacks interior defense and perimeter defense and a closer. They have to also find a Landry type closer you remember our Mr. 4th quarter? And to those who have been watching and saying Martin is no closer needs to watch again he plays better in the 4th quarter imo. A line-up that features Yao/Scola/Iggy/Martin/Brooks compliment each others abilities and weaknesses.
http://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=1070539&sid=b965419fd697a0d118f8e5cb7e480e3c ""Iggy should of been trading last year, but Stef didnt want to make a trade because it didnt make "basketball sense" Basically they would of done the same kind of trade like they did with Korver to free of cap space. Supposely there is 3 teams interested in Iggy right now, Cleveland, NYK, and Houston.........The only person I would consider from any of those teams is Kevin Martin from Houston, but getting a Kevin Martin, that is Evan's position, so that would mean no growth for Evan."" ______________________ This was taking off realgm board. Most of them want to trade Iggy and this poster believes only Houston from those interested teams have the better offers in place.
While agree in premise, I would say that Brooks/Martin/Iguodala is a hell of a lot more dynamic than Williams/Turner/Iguodala... (Even though Holiday is the starter) Martin and Brooks are much better than Holiday and Turner at this point. That said, I am not so sure that this would put us with the championship contenders of the West. It sure would be fun If DM did make this kind of move though. It would get me excited again...
Iggy will just be a piece to the puzzle imo. No he probably won't put us over the top, but he's got something and brings to the table what the Rockets need and can use. I think we'll get him eventually. Since last season they held interest in him. So normally Morey takes about a year or so to aquire that player they previously held interest on. He will play the role of Doug Christie that used to play under Adelman in Sac Town. He brings more dynamics to the system a cutter/slasher can bring the ball up and play off the ball. He can also beat his man off the dribble. He really don't need the ball to be successful. He's a 'system fit', like Martin. On defense he plays good 1-1 defense and solid team defense he rotates and can move his feet very quickly. He can guard 1 through 3. On the break he's a high flyer. He also plays good vs the Lakers.
Regardless of our defensive woes, this team shoud be better than it is. This is why i say that Iguodala would put us right back in it almost immediately. People are saying "he's not a superstar" and "we should trade Martin for him". Don't you all realize that Iguodala is the perfect compliment to Martin? Not only does he play defense and score, but he is also averaging 3-4 assts a game. You have to be on a serious hate binge if you think Iguodala would not help this team tremendously.
Philly should be in complete rebuilding mode in a month or so, so the Rockets should be able to offer more picks and young talent than any team in the league. Make this trade happen to atone for your Ariza mistake, Morey.
I think people are underrated one point..... our system Our offense is based on off ball movement, were wing players play off the ball, threw screens or simply cutting to the hole, and our big men have to be quick enought and skilled enought to pass the ball at the right time.... this is why Chuck and Miller, are important, because they hit that passing lane in no time.... Iguodala adds another dimension that Martin lacks... <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EtNQjGGOQRI?fs=1&hl=pt_PT"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EtNQjGGOQRI?fs=1&hl=pt_PT" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object> He just doesn´t go to the rim, he GOES HARD to the rim, and this is the difference between a 3rd and a 4th quarter, Martin depends on ref calls to be effective when going to the rim, Iggy doesn´t, he will dunk on you regardless. I am not saying to trade Martin, a trade for IGGY will NOT include AB, Yao, Martin or Scola, and if Philly demands those ballers Morey gets out of the room immediately. I am not even talking about defense, because I think no one disputes his value on D, and another thing, he only missed 6 games in 6 years. I don´t even think Iggy is overpaid like people like to say, and for those that say he is a SG, let me say that understand, but nicely disagree. The only thing that makes him more a SG is the fact that he is 6´6, everything else about his game makes him more of a mobile SF, with the post-up, cutting, and off ball-movement and D that we need for that position And another thing that a lot of people have said, including DD , we have too many good players that deserve mins, by trading for IGGY we reduce roster size, and gains a rich man Ariza (I am not a Ariza hater) PeAcE
