So Mirsad Turkcan, who never played a single minute of college or pro ball, could contribute to the Rockets immediately? I think taking Turkcan was more of a risk than taking Lewis. At least Lewis was here in the USA. I don't understand the "we didn't have time to develop Lewis" excuse. The Rockets would have had to develop Turkcan if he ever came to camp. I rip on the Rockets because someone in their organization toyed with Lewis. I heard a rumor in high school that someone (CD or other personnel) told Rashard that the Rockets would take him if he was available. Keep in mind this is a rumor (I think Rashard has told people this) and it was a business decision for the Rockets (there are no guarantees), but the look on Rashard's face after the Rockets took Turkcan leads me to believe something happened. Maybe I'm taking it too seriously but I would have loved to have someone from my sister high school to play on the Rockets. Maybe Turkcan was rated higher on the Rockets draft board or the Rockets needed to pick up another point guard for another crack at the title, I really don't know. What has happened has already happened, and there's nothing that can change it. Let's just bring Rashard home.
We had THREE FRICKEN DRAFT PICKS !!!! You are telling me that Rudy expected all 3 to play a significant role in on THAT years team. Give me a break. Rudy deserves an ASS whoppin for not drafting R. Lewis....he was a hometown player who had HUGE upside, there was ZERO risk taking him. I did not mind Drew and Dickerson, but since they took a FLYER on Turscan, they should have taken Lewis. Don't sugarcoat it....call a spade a spade....RUDY and CD ...FU..ED up. DaDakota
Wait a second!!!! WAIT A SECOND!!!! It's not like the Rockets were the ONLY team to pass on Rashard. It's not like the team picking immediately after the Rockets jumped on him. RASHARD LEWIS WAS NOT DRAFTED IN THE FIRST ROUND OF THE DRAFT!!!!! This is analagous to the Carr pick up....if things go bad, you can blame the Texans if you want...but basically everyone in the league (except for 4 teams) said they'd pick Carr if they had the first pick!!! Did the Rockets make a mistake on passing on Rashard...sure they did. But don't like they don't have company in that mistake...every other team passed on him too, in the first round.
ok...i can honestly say that ass clown is my favorite term of endearment!! i have a friend who uses that phrase quite liberally, and I can't help but crack up hearing it!!!
I agree, some of the other teams made a mistake passing him up too, however, he was from Houston, our own backyard. Hadn't the Rockets had success with Houston players? Olajawon, Drexler...etc. DaDakota
Looking those posts here attacking Fran makes me think either these ****heads are too dumb to see the truth or they really are being paid by Rudy and CD. Another great choice Rockets made was the trade with Blazers that sent Pippen there and got Cato back in Houston, instead of O'Neal. Look at Cato and Jermaine now, who do you think is better player.
Actually, Olajuwon was the only one. We passed on Drexler to take McCray. It wasn't until the opportunity presented itself that we picked him up. We've had a few UH alums on the team (Sam Mack), but not many. We also haven't had a ton of home-grown players on the roster as you put it. Who was the last guy on this team, prior to Drexler, who called Houston "home" having grown up here and played at Rice, UH, TSU, etc? Tim Breaux, I guess, would be one. Larry Micheaux made it one season late in his career. I think Melvin Booker might have been a UH grad. But that's really it. This was the 1998 draft up until Lewis' pick: Michael Olowokandi Mike Bibby Raef LaFrentz Antawn Jamison Vince Carter Robert Traylor Jason Williams Larry Hughes Dirk Nowitzki Paul Pierce Bonzi Wells Michael Doleac Keon Clark Michael Dickerson Matt Harpring Bryce Drew Radoslav Nesterovic Mirsad Turckan Pat Garrity Roshown McLeod Ricky Davis Brian Skinner Tyronn Lue Felipe Lopez Al Harrington Sam Jacobson Vladimir Stepania Corey Benjamin Nazr Mohammed Ansu Sesay Ruben Patterson Besides Patterson, Harrington and Mohammed, those other picks after Dickerson were not great including the Rockets. That's a lot of bad picks. However, we did end up getting picks for Drew and Tuckan. They did bring us things we needed, just not Lewis.
Hey people! How do you guys know that Rashard didn't look very great during the times the Rockets worked him out? Rudy and CD obviously just didn't like what they saw enough to use a 1st round draft pick on him. I bet you there's about 75% of teams that can look back to a draft three years ago and say, "dang, we should've taken him instead." I was also upset that day they didn't take Rashard, but I had no idea how good Rashard's game was, which I'm sure a lot of you didn't either. I just remember hearing "local high school kid" and that Rudy liked his game enough to give him some workouts. I thought sounded pretty cool to draft a high school kid at the time, which is the reason I was so interested in him. Heck, a lot of you even complain about Amare Stoudamire, saying the Rockets shouldn't take him because he's just a high school kid with a raw game. I'm sure the same could have been said for Lewis.
DCKid, if I understand you correctly, are you trying to defend Rudy and CD (the Dumb & Dumber) that these two highly "respected" professionals thought Bryce Drew had biggrer future than Lewis?
DCKid, Are you saying they choose Drew over Lewis is becuase that Drew had good outside shots? I remember when MJ and Drexler got into the league, none of them were great shooter.
Stop winking at me, Fran! I don't swing that way!!! But seriously, how could anyone really tell that Bryce Drew wouldn't end up like Mark Price, and that Rashard Lewis wouldn't end up like Deshawn Stevenson? Nobody! The draft is a gamble. You win just as often as you lose.
I am starting to see hope for Rockets, because DaDakota has been converted. Rudy & CD(dumb & dumber) are on the way out.
Just for arguments sake, the Rockets were taking shots in the dark by drafting Drew and Mirsad. The team that year ended up having Rodrick Rhodes(3 games), Eddie Johnson(3), Stanley Roberts(6), Antoine Carr(18), Sam Mack(25) and Brent Price(40), all players that could have been left off in order to give Lewis a shot. I have to admit, I was a little upset that night that we didn't use one of the picks on him. Oh well, you know what they say about hind sight.
People seem to forget the players that were surprises in the 2nd Round. Cuttino Mobley was a steal in the second round pick!! This shouldn't even be argued at all. Cuttino was supposed to be a non-impact player for a second rounder, but everything panned out for the best. So what if we passed up on Rashard...there is always the other side to the story.
