Someone must be writing under Fran's name, cause I didn't think there was any way he could use the terms "bright future" and playoffs with the Rockets. http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/bk/bkn/967552 Hakeem, Rockets need each other By FRAN BLINEBURY Copyright 2001 Houston Chronicle Hakeem Olajuwon surveys the NBA landscape, sees Dikembe Mutombo sign a contract with the Philadelphia 76ers that will pay him $14.5 million a year, and is puzzled. He sees David Robinson re-up with the San Antonio Spurs for $10 million a season and is perplexed. He sees Antonio Davis get a new deal from Toronto that will pay him an average of $12 million annually and is vexed. He gazes across town at Kelvin Cato scheduled to make $6 million in the coming campaign from the Rockets and, like the rest of us, figures maybe pigs can fly. Or at least dunk occasionally. What Olajuwon can't see is how the Rockets can only offer him roughly $4.5 million to return for an 18th season. In a word, timing. In the evolving world of free agency, Olajuwon is like the guy standing in the street holding a fork on the day it starts raining soup. It is all about salary caps, Larry Bird rights, luxury taxes, escrow penalties and assorted other things that can only make your head hurt. The bottom line is that in what was supposed to be an unencumbered summer when Olajuwon finally was able to test his value on the open market, that market is virtually closed. There are less than a handful of teams with salary-cap room to maneuver even close to the $10 million figure he wants, and none of those teams even remotely fits Olajuwon's described prerequisite of contender. Opportunities not knocking Even the hiring of agent Dan Fegan has not shaken loose any plum offers. Some potential landing spots might have dried up, what with the dismantling in Phoenix and Orlando's choosing to split its available cash between Patrick Ewing and Horace Grant. Where can Olajuwon go to get the big payoff? Miami? Dallas? Charlotte? Even the Lakers? Nobody has more than the $4.5 million salary-cap exception to offer. Thus, only three days before the date free-agent contracts can be signed, he has no firm offers from other suitors to use as leverage against the Rockets. Even if they could do anything. And they can't. Which makes for a dilemma all around. Olajuwon must be signed to a much lower contract than last season's $16.9 million, or his rights must be renounced to make room for the others -- Mo Taylor, Shandon Anderson, Moochie Norris, Matt Bullard. There is concern about the public relations hit the Rockets will take if the Dream ever dons another jersey. But their hands are tied. The Rockets are out of the Chris Webber derby, if they were ever in it. The stated plan is the one Olajuwon was promoting at the end of the season -- maintain the family unit. The problem is that for all the wars they have fought together, the heads of the basketball operation -- Rudy Tomjanovich and Carroll Dawson -- never have come to understand Olajuwon and the things that make him tick. The pride, the ego, the naiveté that still exists to a great extent. They phoned his house at one minute after midnight and didn't even know he was out of the country. They don't connect. Now it has them stuck. For as bright as the Rockets' future appears, they are not a playoff team next season without Olajuwon in the middle. Not relying on Cato. If we take Olajuwon at his season-ending word of not willing to play for the $4.5 million, he is, then, retired. That 24-point, nine-rebound, six-assist gem against the Timberwolves was a nice final bow. But it shouldn't be. He can still contribute, still make a difference. They know where he lives Olajuwon says he enjoys this Rockets team more than any other in his career. He likes Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and all the rest. If that is the case, why leave now over pride? Does he want to become a vagabond like Ewing, hopping from town to town in his twilight, changing jerseys and chasing a dollar? What guarantee is there the camaraderie with a new team is even close to what he has with these 21st-century Rockets? Wouldn't it be better to stay here, show the new generation the way and hand them the torch? Why not be where you are most comfortable? At this point, shouldn't happiness count the most? He wants to play. He proved he still can play. If you're the Rockets, you send Stevie Franchise and Mobley, Taylor and Bullard, Moochie and his hair, to Olajuwon's front door singing rap songs, wearing do-rags, bearing the message: "You like us. We need you." He does. They do. It's time for the heart of a champion to hear an appeal from the heart. ------------------ Draftsource.net-- the premier source for draft info. Profiles, rankings, mock drafts, and more! The Mo Taylor Fan Site
That was suprisingly not bad. Even funny at the end. It seems like the market will bring Hakeem back into the fold unless CD is really pursuing another FA 5 and its just hush hush. ------------------
Well, he said "no playoffs". Despite the bright future, there will be no playoffs without Dream. ------------------ Protrolls.com! "I want to be like Olajon." -Sagana Diop has the right idea... Keep the ???? alive!
He implied playoffs with Dream though, and I believe sooner or later there is almost no question that Dream will be back. My concerns are if the delay will hurt us in trying to attract other free agents. Everyone in the Rockets organization loves Dream. They are willing to pay more than fair value. No other team will commit near 10 million to him. I'm very confident he will be back at some point, but will we be hurt in the process? ------------------ Draftsource.net-- the premier source for draft info. Profiles, rankings, mock drafts, and more! The Mo Taylor Fan Site
If what Fran says is true then aren't the other FA's (Mo Taylor, Marc Jackson, Nazr Mohammed...) also out of the market for more than the 4.5 million exception except with Detroit or Chicago? Does that open potential to sign Hakeem, Mo Taylor (and other Rocket FAs) and maybe have a shot at one of those non Rocket FAs left? What if Chicago signed Jackson and sent him to Houston for Walt? They get Walt for nothing and we get a 5, which they have plenty of. Walt's 3 million plus three from the cap space we have already have(if we renounce or resign Hakeem)would make the trade workout? ------------------
I sorta agree with him saying no playoffs without Dream. Dream is the only one on the team that plays good except Shandon. Without defense in the middle, we really have no chance against the teams in the west. ------------------
"Dream is the only one on the team that plays good except Shandon. I hope you meant defense, and not just overall play. Shandon is not one of the only guys on the team that plays *good*. Anyway, that was a nice article by Blinebury for a change. I'm sure Dream is a little upset with the other FA centers getting paid big, but the thing is that they are more likely to play the majority of the season. Lately, Dream is lucky if he plays half. If he played most of the season I wouldn't mind giving him 8-9 million at least, but he doesn't. 5-7 million is the most any team is going to offer him, and the Rockets are the only quality team that can afford that. ------------------ Who needs teachers? I can learn my own self.
I'm sick of this "lucky if he plays more than half the season" crap. Hakeem has played more than half the season every year he has been in the league. I expect a healthy season from him next year, at least 75 games. ------------------ Protrolls.com! "I want to be like Olajon." -Sagana Diop has the right idea... Keep the ???? alive!
The last time Hakeem Olajuwon played at least 75 games was in the 96-97 season, the last time he played 75 games before that season, was the 93-94 season. He's only played in 75 games 8 times his entire career, (16 seasons excluding the lockout year)... Do you still expect him to play 75 games this season? ------------------ So you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking, Racing around to come up behind you again. The sun is the same in a relative way but you're older, Shorter of breath and one day closer to death. [This message has been edited by Pete Rose Mobster (edited July 14, 2001).]
Originally posted by ZRB: I'm sick of this "lucky if he plays more than half the season" crap. Hakeem has played more than half the season every year he has been in the league. ZRB - you and I must do our math differently. 48 minutes * 82 games * 3 years = 11,808 48 minutes * 50 games = 2,400 Total possible = 14,208 Deams last 4 seasons: 97 - 1,633 (started 45 games) 98 - 1,784 (started 50 games) 99 - 1,049 (started 28 games) 00 - 1,545 (started 55 games) Dream played 6,011 minutes in 4 years or 42.3% of the possible. 42.3% of 48 minutes is 20.3 minutes. Let me translate that somewhat. Game in, game out it is statislically expected that Dream will be there for 20.3 minutes a game for the full 82. That's less than half-time the way I count. And, like the stock market I am seeing a downward trend! --------------- Raef to Rocks in '01-'02! [This message has been edited by GATER (edited July 15, 2001).]
Lousy article. How can I take it seriously when he is suggesting that the Rockets' hands are tied and there is the need to sign Anderson and Bullard, of all people. In the article on Dan the Man, the point was that the team is loaded at SG and SF. So why are you asking the Dream to sacrifice so we can get those guys. The Rocket management has done great by getting Griff, Morris and the Man Dan. This gives them the luxury of retaining the Dream under circumstances acceptable to both sides. It just does not make sense. Did anyone see what New Jersey offered Todd Mac? 5+million. You do not have to have much pride to be pissed with the $4.5m exception crap he is talking about. ------------------
There were only 50 games in this season, and, as you can see, Hakeem didn't miss a game. ------------------ "I guess that's YOUR theory"
I cannot believe Blineberry when he says the Rockets would only offer Dream $4.5 million. For who else would the Rockets be saving their $16 million in cap space? The more money the Rockets give Dream, the more free agent money they have next year, and the smaller the total size of Mo and SA's potential seven year deals will be. For every million you take from Dream's contract to give to Mo, it costs you $9 - $10 million over a seven year deal. If makes perfect sense to give Dream a larger contract. ------------------
Agree JBC. ------------------ Rarely is the question asked: Guns kill squirrels than REDRUM to fools across the nation?
You know, there's not a law saying that the Rockets have to use every bit of cap room this summer, and they probably won't. I seriously doubt the Rockets would treat negotiations with Mo Taylor differently based on how much Hakeem signs for. The Rockets know that if they got Hakeem for 4.5 million, they will have gotten a break, and they won't simply turn around and give it right back. Hakeem is not the long-term answer at center for this Rockets team. What he does do, however, is buy us some time to find that center, and when we do we're going to need all the cap room we can get. The Rockets aren't morons-- if they get Hakeem for cheap, they won't give Mo Taylor any larger of a deal than they would've if Hakeem had signed for near 10 million. ------------------ Draftsource.net-- the premier source for draft info. Profiles, rankings, mock drafts, and more! The Mo Taylor Fan Site
Cat: I have this in another thread, but I'd like your opinion on trading Cato or Anderson/Collier for Chris Mihm in light of Cleveland drafting Diop and acquiring Doleac? ------------------
I think it would have to be a S&T of Shandon, because the Cavs don't need another big man in Cato. However, I'd love to do it, if we could get the chance. Mihm could fit in very well on this team-- he can create in the post, rebound, and he is capable of playing physical, despite many people claiming that he's soft. He also has a pretty nice jumper. However, the reports I've heard say they did those moves to have Mihm play the power forward position. Still, he probably isn't untouchable-- we could give them Collier or someone with Shandon, and perhaps they could play Doleac at the power forward spot. I wouldn't think of it as a likely scenario, but I'd like to get Mihm on this team if we had the opportunity. ------------------ Draftsource.net-- the premier source for draft info. Profiles, rankings, mock drafts, and more! The Mo Taylor Fan Site
Cat, can you tell me why the Rockets want to get the Dream for cheap. I am lost as to how getting the Dream for cheap is going to allow the Rockets to get the long-term answer. If Dream is an interim answer, then pay him interim money because you have it. If you did not have the funds it is one thing but that is not the case. When exactly is the Rockets going to find that center. They are just not available this year. Did you see how much New Jersey have offered Todd Mac? 5m+ The situation is desperate at center, so dish out the $7-8million. ------------------
DR, If the Rockets decide that they don't want anyone in this year's free agent crop besides Hakeem, they might as well pay him the 7-8 million (which still isn't good enough right now). However, I still think both Nazr Mohammed and Marc Jackson can be very quality centers in this league, and ideally I'd like to pick up one of them in addition to our own free agents. ------------------ Draftsource.net-- the premier source for draft info. Profiles, rankings, mock drafts, and more! The Mo Taylor Fan Site
