The problem is there really aren't any facts to show that you need emotion and heart to win big, other than looking at past and present champions. I know T-mac and Yao have it, they just rarely show it. Every team needs someone that can inject some life with their personality on the court, and as of right now nobody really jumps out from our roster other than Sura. Plus, he proved that he could hit the open trey a couple of years ago...we all know how much we missed that last year. I'm not saying he's going to be a starter, but in a limited role he can be huge for us. Find me someone we can get with a 3.8 mil expection, that is attainable and is a sure thing to help us more than Sura, and I will concede that we should give up on him.
Kyle Korver - if we are looking for Offense. That guy and Steve Novak will be something else to watch- if TMac and YAO come back healthy and play 70+ games. And a Cheaper Option would be Jumaine Jones ( I think he is quick enough to guard SG's)- Of course I also would want Rybo Gone ( buy out) and Howard traded. Also Jumaine would be a great Back up for Tmac. If you want a "motivator" from the Bench heck Tony Robbbins might be cheaper!
Sorry to be so late to post on this, but... I'm calling out everyone who swore up and down the Press "Availability" for Sura would definitely be his retirement announcement... !! I'm pulling for Bobby every step of the way and would love for those of us who are cheering for Sura to make it all the way back (OK, maybe 95% back ) to maybe let him know it. Any ideas out there? Kinda of a "Get well and kick some ass" card with lots of CC.Net sigs... ? I realize that with all the ambiguity of Sura's own remarks and the fox-like cunningness of C.D.'s comment on him "making a lot of shots" that we have absolutely NO guarantees about Sura's return to the form he had two years ago. However, I'm willing to give the guy who did more to get this team OVER the proverbial hump (as far as a winning attitude and how to play with heart and guts) than anyone besides TMAC. There's no way we would have made the 5th seed without B.S. I'm guessing we would have maybe finished 7th or 8th that year and wound up getting swept in the first round instead of getting a seven game series that had us on the edge of our seats until the blowout!! It was a LONG DRY SPELL between serious playoff consideration for the ROX a(and no, the Lakers series before that does not count as a "Serious" playoff effort). So, with any chance that Bobby can get back to doing what he loves and excels at doing, I'm asking that the doubters ease up a notch and give him until at least half-way through training camp (if he doesn't hang it up before then) to cast him off as a has-been. The guy is a warrior and deserves better from us. Besides, he's already humbly pointed out that he does not want to be a financial burden on the team and will ONLY continue to workout and play if he feels that he can contribute in a legitimate way. GO JUNKYARD BOB and GO ROX !! (Oh, and sorry SOLID for NOT seeing your return post in the other thread, I was laughing at the thought of you fouling out constantly!!! )
If Sura can go and if he can he will back (he says clearly he is only coming back if he's his old self)......... He is easily the 3rd best player on the team and brings MORE heart and competitivenss than any player in the NBA. The people who have sworn all along that he was done and would never play again or that he's just a "scrub" look awfully sad.
Just want to clarify a couple of facts: 1. If Sura is granted medical retirement, his salary comes off the team's payroll for salary cap and lux tax purposes. However, it does not appear that you get an "disabled palyer exception" if the player retires for medical reasons. Seems like the exception is granted when you have a player who you can prove will be out for the entire upcoming season but is not retiring (thus his salary will still stay on the cap). 2. Even if Sura's injury qualified for a "Disabled player exception," the amount of the exception is not going to be $3.8 mil. It would have been 50% of the injured player's salary (up to the $5.2 mil average salary of all NBA players), in this case, $1.9 mil. Not exactly a generous amount with which to sign a FA or make a trade. Source: http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm Relevant sections quoted below
This is good news. The Rockets really need someone like him on the squad. T-Mac and Yao are great, but they cant bring what Sura brings to the court.
gostros is my favorite poster of the day. First he forgets our only player on the Dream Team, then he randomly add Steven Jackson to the mix. You're missing the point of laying down the roster sheet. The point is to look at it and think about if there are any holes. So you say: PG: Alston, Vassilis, Lucas III, Sura SG: McGrady, Battier, Sura, Snyder, Vassilis SF: McGrady, Battier, Bowen PF: Battier, Hayes, Howard, Bowen C: Yao, Mt. Mutumbo Then you look for holes. Your rosters killed me. First I wondered where Battier went, then you corrected it and I was like, who is Jackson? Where did he come from? And then I read your post about wanting him. What does your desire have to do with the actual roster? Nothing. Steven Jackson will not play for 3.5 million next year. He is a pipe dream. His value is too high for us to get him without significant trades involved. I understand wanting him, but if you are going to dream, dream about getting somebody better than Steven Jackson. Kobe would be a better option or Vince Carter. Too funny. I was actually laughing and I don't do much lol'ing. Thank you.
I loved Bobby Sura. He was easily my 2nd favorite player on that team but he, much like Battier will be this season, was a product of Houston's lack of talent. Houston had Charlie Ward and Andre Barrett running the point before Sura finally played in December. With those 2 being your pgs you'll welcome anyone with talent and skill that can play that position. Because of this I think his value to that team was slightly overrated. Sura missed 7 games right after then all-star break leading into the trade deadline that year.....i think he tweaked his back (im not totally sure though). After he returned from his injury IMO he wasn't the same player. He seemed to have lost a bit of his athleticism and there were so many reports on how much his knee was bothering him. Mike James showed up and easily outplayed him.
I've been wanting to say this for awhile. Has everyone forgotten that Darrell Armstrong abused Mike james in tha Dallas series? Of course it would have been nice if the Rockets got james and he is a good player for sure, but a healthy Sura is better than James IMO and I don't even think it is close.
Armstrong only played in game 3, 5 & 7 of that series. How did he abuse anyone when he only played a total of 30 minutes in that series and 19 of those minutes came in the blow out game 7??? This isn't about James though. I only brought him up in reference to those who act as if Sura was the end all be all of that team when he really wasn't.
i really hope he can play, he'll be able to contribute one way or another. seriously can't wait until next season.
July 22, 2006, 2:03AM It's not quitting time yet Despite missing last season, Sura hopeful he can help Rockets By FRAN BLINEBURY Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle How long has it been since Bob Sura was on a basketball court? "They changed the basketball," he said. No, it's still round. "They took the leather out, and it doesn't even feel right to me," Sura said. "I'm like a fish out of water." That's because he's been out of the pond for more than 14 months with the latest in a string of knee and back surgeries that had the 33-year-old guard pondering the end of his NBA career. "It's good to get back in and smell the gym, break a sweat, those kinds of things," Sura said. "You get the juices flowing pretty quick. I had almost written myself off, having not been around the game for a whole year. But now I'm encouraged by what's happened." Sura has gone through the paces of four workouts at Toyota Center the past two weeks and has seen just enough glimmer of hope to keep him pushing forward. "They've gone pretty well," he said. "Better than I expected. So I'm encouraged at the progress that's being made. I'm going 45 minutes to an hour and haven't had any setbacks." However, that's still a long way from putting the 6-5 stick of dynamite and the explosive pop that Sura brings to every game back into the Rockets' lineup. Sura, who hasn't played since May 7, 2005 — Game 7 of the first-round playoff loss at Dallas — will use the next 2 1/2 months before training camp as his own personal tryout. "They haven't given me a timetable," he said. "But I've had several conversations with (coach) Jeff (Van Gundy), and I don't want to handcuff the team as far as them using my money if I'm not able to do it. "I've got to convince myself. If I'm able to do it, am I going to be the player I was a couple of years ago? There's a lot of factors to consider. And there's just too much of an unknown to speculate on what's going to happen yet." The Rockets' backslide last season began when Sura underwent knee surgery in June 2005. He had another knee surgery in September and had back surgery in November. The Rockets missed not just the 10.3 points a game he scored for them the previous season but more importantly his dive-on-the-floor-for-everything mentality. "I ran into a few of the guys at Dikembe (Mutombo's) charity function (Thursday) night, and it felt good, those guys letting me know that they wanted me back," he said. "They talked about my personality and how much they missed me." That personality and willingness to literally throw his body into a game is not exactly the best therapy for someone on the mend following seven surgeries the past 11 years. With the additions of Vassilis Spanoulis, Kirk Snyder and likely John Lucas III, the Rockets will have fresh bodies in their backcourt. But to get back a veteran with the savvy and spunk of Sura would be a surprise. Even to him. "(Not playing) has crossed my mind," he said. "Some people that are close to me, family members, they want me to take that route. They say it's not worth it to risk the future, whatever might happen with my knees or back. "But this is all I've known, all I do. So I'm going to give it one more shot. It's not going to be for another contract, not going to be for the money. It will strictly be for the love of the game." fran.blinebury@chron.com
God if only every pro player had that kind of dedication, spririt and humility!! I'd take four Bobby Sura's for any team... two on the floor and two on the bench to sub.... As I said before, the guy's a warrior and he deserves his shot to make it back!!
I didn't see good thing from sura. Emotional? that is J Barry! good rebounder? Those ball are from Yao and our Pf's hand! Ball controlling? no good passer, no good eyes with brutle diving into paint then withdraw for nothing. AND NOW, second enjury immediately will kick him out. Wonder guys cheer for what?????????!!!!!
