Atlanta enters the Mike James sweepstakes (UPDATE: Hawks sign Claxton)

Well, if Atlanta wants him then I guess it is back to biz as usual. Are there any old Knicks or cheap players around? Perhaps old vets who might halfway regain their faded glory, and actually not get injured too much? How about some undrafted cheap guys to audition?

I guess it is back to the continual focus on winning now at the cost of the future, with its curious Rocket's twist. We can't go over the cap even briefly now unless it is for Ron Artest suposedly. This despite the rapid growth in the franchise's value. Continue the total emphas on JVG getting his contract renewed which is rationlized as his obsession with winning now.

Oh well, back to the continual process year after year of sacrificing the future for the present that never seems to be that hot.

 

He wants to be a starter/primary contributor on a championship team. He's in the Rock's big three by default if he chooses Houston.

 

If Mike James is smart he'll take the Atlanta money. Look what happened to the last go who took the rockets MLE. He was traded back to his old team and they didn't want him in the first place.

 

grizz wanted him but not at 10m/yr.

swift & stro both got mle deals, toine got lucky to be able to get into a s&t situation. houston gave stro the best deal he could find.

 

Mike James talked too much about wanting to play in Houston. He'll sign here.

If there's any hold-up, it's a sign-and-trade. We'd like to keep the MLE. Offer up Luther; use the Moochie TE to take back MJames' 5 million bucks.

 

MJ wants to paid. That is the bottom line for this guy.

 

Mike James is a 31 year old combo guard. He's worth the full MLE, but not much more. If the Hawks want to throw gobs of cash at him and he wants to play for a loser, ala Joe Johnson, then let him go.

 

Mike said meet him half way. I assume that means we say 3 yr, he says 5 yr. i.e. Give Mike a 4 year deal. At this point, if we don't, there aren't many more options for our Win Now season.

 

If Mike James comes here, I really hope he doesn't start. The Rockets traded him because he couldn't make the entry pass, and the PG who could got hurt. He'll get his, but at the expense of some of Yao's. Yao will regress if Mike James is the starting PG.

 

Wow, Swift AND Stro both got MLE deals?? How did we manage that?

JK.. but who did you really mean?

 

Yeah, if it turns out that 1 year busts the deal, I'd be mad. Mike might be slowing down in that last year, but even then, he still has value as an expiring contract. Just give him 4 years.

 

i don't think so. if he doesn't make the entry pass, then he comes out of the game. if he can't make the pass, then they work on it during camp and preseason.

believe me, i worked everyday with the Hofstra University post players for 3 years. it took me a month to learn from scratch how to make a post entry pass through ANY defense.

- wing defense pressures the ball
- wing defense sags back half way to the post
- post defense 'fronts'
- post defense denies ball

among others.

i don't believe that if MJ wants to play and contribute on a good team he will not make those passes.

hell, if he doesn't then bring me in! I'll make the f*in' pass

 

I can appreciate the difficulty. But that one issue is the reason James was traded away last year. I would like to think that he can improve, but he is a 31-year old veteran with very good parts to his game. And he has a history of going back to shooting when the primary job (PG) gets tough. He won't have any trouble with the first two defenses that you mentioned. He can beat most wing defenders off the dribble and if given very little space, he can nail the shot.

I want Mike James as much as anyone. But I'm realistic on what he brings to the table. The board seems to think that he can be the Rockets' Chauncey Billups. That'd be nice, but it's just not true. He'll be a lot closer to the Rockets' Jerry Stackhouse.

 

Some things to remember with James and the Rockets this year:

First, when James was here, Yao had still not yet 'stepped up' like he did during the last half of this past season. Now, though, I believe that everyone in the organization, including Yao himself and even Tmac, understands that THIS IS YAO'S TEAM. PERIOD. Now James knows full well that this team became Yao's fully and completely last year. He gets that, I think. At least I hope so. He has to understand that his success will be predicated upon Yao's touches, and the better Yao is able to perform, the better position he is put in by his teammates, the better position his teammates are in as a result. This was not so much a reality as a theory when James was here last time. But it's different now.

Frankly, this upcoming season, following Yao's dominant breakout last year, is something which ought to have us all very excited. I mean seriously, imagine it. If Yao is able to continue to build on what he started last year (INCLUDING finally starting to get some legit respect from the Refs), and if TMac can stay on his feet and out of severe pain, then add James on the perimeter and Battier roaming the mid-range (and then it doesn't matter if you have Alston or Howard out there with them), this team is going to scare the hell out of the opponents. How do you game-plan against that? The only thing that might stop them is bad health.

Have to believe that James sees this too, and that has to be one of the meain reasons he wants to come back here. This being his home and all just makes it that much more appealing.

The other thing about James is something not as recent. Can anyone dig up some of James' interviews and public statements during the Katrina hurricane relief last year here in Houston. I don't remember verbatim what all he said, but I remember that I was highly impressed with the character of the guy. As much as you can see the guy's heart on the court, it really showed that he was for real when he was going out of his way to help after Katrina. I know that doesn't have that much to do with his on-court play, but still, it's worth remembering, and it's that sort of heart and mentality that can really help when the going gets tough.

He may not be the most talented guy in the league, but there is zero quit in him - he's all guts and heart, and that is the sort of thing this team desperately needs. If all it takes is 4 years instead of 3, then GIT ER DONE.

 

Alston - James - Sura?
James - Head - Free Agent?
TMac - Bogans - Bowen
Battier - Howard - Novak - Hayes
Yao - Mutomo

After the year he had last year starting I don't see why he'd come here if he didn't start.

 

If the strategy the club has chosen is "all in", then make James an offer immediatly. Is MLE for 4 years enough? If yes, just do it.

I hate our front office's hesitation in offseasons. If you believe the window is narrow, then why worry about the length of the contract? With teams have more money to spend out there, it is best to act quick and get what you want.

 

It's gamesmanship on Mike James' part, I have no doubt that he will choose financial security (i.e. longer contract, more money) over a winning situation. Keep in mind the man NEVER got that one nice, juicy contract that every NBA player dreams of. He's 31 and this will definitely be his last -- and first -- chance ever to cash in.

If the Hawks or some other team offers anything close to $10 mil per, he will be on his way there, regardless of how the situation 'fits' what he's looking for...

...and rightfully so I would add.

 

If mike james goes to the Hawks, they will be a playoff contender, mark my words. a mike james and joe johnson backcourt in the East, joe johnson is the exact type that can work with mike imo. since mike can go shooting guard when he gets hot johnson can get him the ball. and part of atl's problem is no leader, if I were mike I would seriously look at that situation.

 

If Mike James cares about the money, I think then the Hawks would be for him, but if he cares about winning, Houston has a slight edge over Dallas

 

I would think that anything lower than an $8 mil per year offer from the Hawks wouldn't even interest James. The value of being able to choose where to go and the value of being paid and stay at home near your family is pretty important, ego or no ego.