Not going to cut it? Did you plan on us winning the championship this year? We are the second youngest team in the NBA. Griffin is only 20 years old and gaining valuable experience everyday. Most players come into their own around their 3rd to 4th year in the leauge. About the time he should be coming into his own the team should be peaking. Everyone needs to be patient with Griffin and this team. The only player on this team I can see anyone justifiably losing patience on is Cat. In this his FITH year, his play has (IMO) proved that he is not a starting caliber SG. I believe he should be nothing more than a role player. A scorer off the bench. We should trade him now before everyone else figures out he has peaked.
I'm as big a Griffin fan as there is, but if the Rocks can get Gasol & change for him & Mobley, I say do it! Gasol is a younger, Euro version of KG, and could form an even more devastating combo with Yao. Don't get me wrong, I still think Griffin will be a star in this league, but Gasol has already proven that he's a franchise PF. IMHO, if that deal is on the table, the Rocks have to swallow hard and make it happen.
Oeilpierre, I think you should tell the people in the Rockets management that everyone here would like to get Gasol. Tell them to start working on it -Tariq
I'm leary of a Yao-Gasol frontcourt's toughness. I would be extremely interested in what Gasol might bring us in a 3 way trade.
I'd rather go for Brand than Gasol (I'd value Brands defense and tenacity over Gasol's higher offense ceiling given our other players), but Gasol would be intriguing nontheless. I like Cat, but if Cat and EG would get us Gasol I would say pull that trigger instantly. Brian Grant is only 30, he will be effective the rest of his contract even if he is overpaid. But it is better to get production even if overpayed than inconsistent production at less money. I see Grant as the older, poor man's (in skill, though Grant is not unskilled), rich man's (in money) Brand. Pop mentioned nothing about Brand, too bad. It isn't like the Clips are really comp as they are out of the playoff race, but maybe Brand isn't on the block. I would take a flyer on Swift but not sure what for. Maybe EG if Memphis gives us our pick back--but even then I am not sure if I like that deal for us. If we get Memphis #1 this year (even if top 3 protected) plus Swift for EG then maybe we have a deal.
Cat would start on like 20 other teams in the NBA. Cat would make some very good teams like Spurs or Nets into that much tougher teams with a real shot at the title. The problem IMO is Cat and SF don't compliment each other real well.
I'd trade Mobley for a bag of peanuts right about now. A bag of peanuts doesn't have a big contract, you don't have to worry about team chemistry, and most of all, a bag of peanuts even knows to pass the ball to the 7'5" guy that is wide open in the post.
Yea, I'd like to start winning soon. If we had a polished PF than we would havea pretty good chance at being good. Griffin could definitely get something like a Brian Grant. I wouldnt be opposed to that.
Man. Brian Grant. Can't believe OP actually just said that there are indeed talks going on. I have been a fan of Brian Grant ever since his amazing defensive job on Malone back in the lockout shortened season. A tough minded, no nonsense defensive minded demon that cares like few do. The man has heart in spades, doesn't demand the ball, can hit the open shot. In short, he is perfect for the team. Dumping Rice + Cato or Griffin for him makes perfect sense. He is still only 30, and we are tied up salary wise anyway. Wiping rice off the books next season won't put us under the cap, and short of Brand, I can't think of any player that could possibly be had that would fit our needs so well. Go for it! If we can dump Taylor to a third team in the process, and stick with Griffin, even better. By the time Grant's contract expires Griffin would be mature enough to take the starting spot. A line-up of: Yao Grant Posey Mobley Francis Should not be taken lightly. Mobley could still possibly be traded in the future if he doesn't settle in a proper role, or if we decide to move Francis to the 2 and bring a PG like Snow or Miller. I am only worried that if we dump both Rice and Mo, we might lack scoring punch from the bench. That's why i think that Griffin is probably more likely to go.
So lets see, you are really high on a player, who in his second year, is one of the worst defensive 4s in the NBA, jacks up 3s on offense, and incredibly, unbelievably untalented in handling the ball, and extremely shaky in the post up. However, you are ready to trade away a player or bench a player like Cat, who is averaging 19, 4, 3 and shoots over 42 % from the field, is average to above average defensively, and only makes 5 mil a year???? And since when did players start peaking out at age 26???? ps. i still love griffin and will be patient and wouldnt necessariy trade him.
I didn't say I wouldn't trade him. I would want someone with equal or better potential. Cat and Griffin for Gasol I would do in a heartbeat. Heydude to answer your question. Yes, yes and back at you. I didn't say players peak at 26, just think Cat has. I don't care what his stats are if you have seen him play you have to realize he's more of a street ball player than a team player. Thats why I would trade him of have him come off the bench.
Possum, more than anything, i am trying to figure out your reasoning. On one hand, you defend Eddie, who has shown very limited, or lets say very raw, potential thus far. But you dog a player like Cat, who went from 2nd rounder to being a very decent player. And why call him 'nothing more than a street player.' If <b>you </b> watch the games, you will see that Cat doesnt really iso quite as much any more. If anyone can be blamed for playing w/ the ball, it has to be Francis. Yes, I will agree that Cat takes some bad shots, but he is a freaking shooting guard. Which 2 guard can you tell me doesnt take bad shots?? Have you seen how many 3s Michael Finley shoots? And yet he is considered an all star by many. If the Rocks were a better team, Cat would be also. And why contradict yourself?? You dont think players peak at 26, yet supposedly Cat has???? Care to explain.....
I am for any deal that makes us a better squad, but I just don't see the benefit in trading Cat. Sure, the guy has holes in his game, but he is talented, wants to play here, is cheap, and he gets along with everybody on the team. Cat is a big piece of our team, his role just needs to change. Put Cat on the bench as a backup pointguard/offguard where he can be a straight gunner like he was a couple of seasons ago. Grant is perfect for this team, but we have to give up so much just to make the salaries work that he isn't worth it IMHO. Swift would be interesting, but Ii wouldn't give up EG for him.
I defend Eddie because he hasn't played long enough to get a real evaluation of him yet. I don't think it's fair judge a player that is only 20 years thats in his second year. As for Cat, what difference does it make what round he was drafted in? That doesnt affect how he plays. It doesnt matter if he never iso's again either. He has been playing for 5 years and still doesn't understand when to pass and when to shoot. He's a hard worker and a good person but he's just not a smart player. Contradicting myself? I never said players do or don't peak at 26. I just think Cat has and it has nothing to so with his age.
It's so strange that so many people STILL haven't grasped the value of expiring contracts and Maximum contracts. This is the new NBA. This summer, Glen Rice will be worth more than 75% of the SF's in the league. We'll get an overpayed contract? Are you kidding me? Teams will call US and offer US what we want. It would be so horrible to get Brian Grant. He's not worth 12M in money for 4 more years. Maybe if he was in hsi last 2 years, but 4 years? He's already, and turning 31 this season. NO WAY. Great player. HORRIBLE conditions. Also, Stromile Swift is NOT an upgrade over Griffin. he doesn't do anything can't, and Griffin has a much bigger upside. Why? They both have potential, but Swift is lazy and has horrible working habits, while Griffin works VERY hard during the season and after the season. Griffin will improve more than Swift. Gasol is the way to go. Offer ANY 2 players but Yao Ming and Steve Francis. I think they'll insist on swapping Lorenzen Wright with Cato if a deal were to be struck. oeilpere, Are these ongoing talks? Should we be hopeful? Although a Ming/Gasol frontline is thin, the shotblocking improves tremendously. Yes, Griffin is a slightly better shotblocker, but Gasol would have many more minutes because he's more consistent and can score. Hate to give up Griffin, but Gasol has been here for only 1 season too, and has shown A LOT more.
I'd love to have Gasol except for the fact that our franchise center needs a bigger body alongside. If a Gasol trade were possible, I'd look into sending him to the Paper Clips for Brand for some, er, hot 3-way action. But I still wouldn't complain if we had Gasol.
I agree with Sane, and concur given the economics, that is to say HIGH salary for Grant, there must be a small asking price for Grant. The acquiror (ROX) woud be burdened heavily by the remainder of his contract. Luxury tax or not, I just can't see it happening, unless the Heat take back one of our bad long-term contracts in exchange, but that defeats the Heats purpose. Although I guess if they trade down, move out Grant and bring in Cato or Taylor, they have a better shot at trading either, because on a lot of days you could make an argument that they earn their stipend. My take is that Grant would improve the Rockets immediately, and he is just what the Rockets need. But that contract will feel pretty heavy, if let's say we miss the playoffs this year and watch the Spurs sign Kidd. Also, if we let our nucleus grow and if they develop as we are hopeful that they will, we should have some veteran "tag-alongs" who come to town looking for a shot at a ring. It becomes difficult when you can't hand out "tag-along" contracts (good player, minimal price) because you are paying the luxury tax on contracts in excess of the cap. A cap that we would be pushing if Grant comes to town. As far as Gasol goes, is Gasol's market value that depressed that Griffin and Mobley would land him. I checked the Grizz sight and a fan poll related to who would you most like to see at all-star weekend, of the four participants (Person, Gric*,Gasol or Gooden) and Gasol came in dead last with only 3% of the fan vote. He must not be likeable, or something. His stats look good, but why could we get our hands on Gasol, a 7' with skills and a ROY contract for Mobley and Griffin? BTW, Griffin is the man!
I agree, we need a bigger body alongside Yao. But I stick by my previous statement, Grant makes too much and he would kill our chance at quality role players as well as re-signing Posey long term. As for the 3-way Clippers/Grizz trade, I think we're in serious danger of losing out. What if the Grizz offer Gasol for Brand straight up? then we'd have a problem. An otherwise solid deal though. BTW, I'd rather have Eddie Jones for the MAX than Brian Grant right now. For the same money, Eddie Jones brings defense, offense, apssing, and 3-pt shooting. He would improve us tremendously. Mobley and MoT for Eddie Jones? That's a deal I'd make.
If we got Grant, i'm sure Rudy would want to send off Mo Taylor. That is really what Miami needs, some offense and their contracts are comprable, with Grant making more, but Taylor's lasting longer. Grant/Best for Taylor/Moochie seems like a fair deal. With Griffin, we don't need additional scoring; Grant would be ideal because he is a hard nosed defender and enforcer for PF's in the west and will get Yao Ming's back. He can play backup center and free up Yao and Griffin for weak side Shot Blocking as well. With Griffin AND Mo, we're still having an identity crisis. I think Griffin will learn the game that Mo has and more with his ability to shoot from all over the court. Grant provides us with ROCK solid stability at the 4 and Playoff toughness. I used to LOVE this guy back in Portland and he was a defensive beast against the PF's of the world, though Duncan ripped him that year! He knows his role and will play within a system. He is a perfect fit for this team and a consumate team player.
