So if you need to put players around Yao to score in the 4th, why do you need Yao? I think you either roll with Yao or you don't. If we don't appear to be SERIOUS contenders next season, early on, I think it's time to move on.
Your assumption is that Yao will be back to 100% and the rockets still will make game plan around Yao. In fact, even Yao is back to 100%, Landry is still a more efficient player than Yao in the 4th quarter. And, I don't think Adelman will make a big change of his system for Yao next season.
I understand when u talk about scola being a better rebounder and i understand defense being a defensive stat, but scola is not a better defender and neither a re good defenders. Scola is like sasha fom la in which he's pesky, but teams abuse him alot on the post. At least landry will get a block and scola does come up with big time late game 4th quarters.
You trade him, it is not worth playing Landry anything over what Terry is earning and it is likely he will ask for more. He is a great offensive guy off the bench now, but his defense is average and he doesn't really have length so he will never be a good 2 way player. I don't think you can get away with starting a player who is kind of undersized and doesn't have much length and is average on defense and doesn't make up for it with exceptional offensive ability. You also can't get away with having Landry coming off the bench for the rest of his days, so IMO trade him for assets.
Regarding the PF position, Morey first has to think about cap space. Will he even have cap space to work with this summer? Will any trade of Tmac jack with our summer cap space? Etc etc. As it all stands now, Luis is the more likely to get traded, IF the team that gets him believes they have a chance at re-signing him. Given my personal choice, I kinda sorta wish we could trade Ariza, if simply because I like Landry, Brooks, Lowry, Budinger, and Scola better. BUT we won't do that so soon. Adelman seems determined to give Ariza enough rope to not only hang himself but the rest of the team.
What I have yet to see anyone in this thread comment on with respect to Scola and Landry is the nature of their respective free agency. Scola will be a RESTRICTED free agent this summer, meaning that the Rockets can match any offer for him from other teams. I'm sure Morey will publicly state that he'll match any offer, which will likely chill Scola's market value. This means that the Rockets should be able to retain Scola at a reasonable salary. That is why I definitely think that Morey will retain Scola this summer, barring some major outside free agent for whom the Rockets would be willing to renounce his rights. Landry, on the other hand, will be an UNRESTRICTED free agent in 2011, since the Rockets will undoubtedly pick up his team option for next season at a paltry $3M. This means that it doesn't really matter whether the Rockets want to keep him. Landry can go wherever he wants. Sure, the Rockets would want to retain him and may end up in a bidding war with other teams, but in the end, it would be Landry's decision, not the Rockets'. I agree that the team should make every effort to retain both players. Frankly, the Rockets can't afford to choose between the two, since they could conceivably lose Scola this summer (if they "chose" Landry over him), only to then lose Landry the following summer to unrestricted free agency. That is why I see Morey re-signing Scola to a very reasonable contract this summer, retaining the option to trade Scola the following year (if need be) in order to improve the team and/or to keep Landry. (On a side note, on the players' comparative abilities, I actually tend to agree with DD--shocking, I know--that Scola is the better all-around player and Landry the superior offensive threat. Yes, Scola is not going to make any All-Defense Teams, but he's a much better defender than Landry, who has a lot to learn in that department. When Yao comes back, I expect Landry's production to decrease significantly and for Scola's to decrease only slightly. Still, I think DD maybe underestimates Landry's versatility. But like DD, I hope both players can be retained.)
Wait...are you sure you aren't referencing Scola? Lulu is undersized, w/o length, average on D and lacks exceptional offensive ability. Killer Carl is leading the NBA. In 4th quarter points and doing it with extreme efficiency. That sounds like exceptional offensive ability that is possibly being stifled by remaining on the bench.
Malone/Stockton, Danny Ainge... Not that flopping was their primary attribute, but it was definitely in their tool box. As a fan, I could never understand why they didn't stop giving calls to known floppers.
Bima, With TOR scheduled to lose Bosh, will they be in position to offer LuLu big money? They're a perfect fit for each other, as TOR will want to continue targetting International Lovers (underrated Prince song) that'll stick around. In fact, which teams will be able to offer >MLE money?
Bima, morey will say that about matching scola, but with enough teams with cap room this summer, I think someone is going to at least offer scola mle if not more. Unlike landry coming off a rookie contract, teams have 3 yrs of data when dealing with scola. I disagree about scola being the better defender. Landry is always the the 2nd choice behind hayes when guarding 4's and we've seen carl on the court guarding those guys during crunchtime. When Yao comes back, i actually see carl's game going to another level. His deadeye 15ft er, the ablity to draw fouls through a finish, not to mention he almost 4 yrs younger. I highly doubt scola signs for less than his cap hold. Wouldnt the rockets hold landry's bird rights?
I think landry will of course want a larger contract, but not as big as others think. Sentimentally, Landry has found a home in houston, being shot, and losing teeth to battle for us, has probably gone to his head. I think scola as well likes it here in houston, and we might be able to cut a little of his money, and give that to landry. Resign lowry.
It actually applies to both of them, thats why PFs always have a field day against us. At the end of the day i think they will both be gone at the end of next season unless Scola signs for something around 4 to 5 million.
Toronto won't have any significant cap room unless and until they actually lose Bosh. My guess is that the Raptors won't renounce his rights. Call it a hunch. Then, they could always either re-sign him or sign-and-trade him for something else that eats into their cap room. While I think that Bryan Colangelo would probably love to acquire Luis Scola, I just don't see it being through free agency unless Toronto has already waved goodbye to Bosh. And even then, if Bosh leaves and Toronto gets nothing for him, it may be time to re-build, in which case overpaying a 30-year-old PF (when you have Bargnani there already) wouldn't be the way to go for the Raptors. As far as teams expected to have more-than-MLE cap room: New Jersey New York Miami Chicago Minnesota Oklahoma City L.A. Clippers Sacramento Houston Toronto (only if/after Bosh leaves) Atlanta (only if/after Joe Johnson leaves) Phoenix (only if/after Stoudemire leaves)
Thanks for the list Bima. Of all those teams, i only see maybe the bulls,if they get wade or even jersey if they get the prize they want which i doubt. If phoenix loses amare and given nash's age, they might sign him. I dont know if morey will match a mle though. Every team will have one of those and someone will offer that to him i'm pretty of that. A team like utah after losing boozer might like the combo of scola,milsap,and okur.
Bima, Thanks for the comprehensive rundown. Wow that's a lot of bad teams. Lol! I'm talking "Ford Fairlane" Andrew "Dice" Clay bad! If I'm a FA, I'm not going to two-thirds of that putridicy (Is that a word? If not it should be. Should be a NY franchise, in fact.) The odds of Amare leaving PHX are pretty high and Bosh is all but out the door as soon he can leave the Great Northsuck. Those two movements will create an opportunity for Scola (or other suitable power forward, preferably with wiggable hair. Wiggable...yet another word that "should be". Vida Guerra is wiggable, butt in such a different way...)both in the city they left and in the division rivals of the teams they respectively join. I also wouldn't be surprised to see the Spurs re-structure their flawed roster after Jefferson and the team Flame out (no gay reference...ok...maybe just a wee one) and take a shot at Scola. Overall, we'll just have to wait to the major players (Bosh, Wade, Amare, LeTravel, etc.) to decide where they're going. I think after that you'll see some panic signings whereby a solid guy/player like LuLu gets paid more than his true value.
I don't see any way we can keep both Scola and Landry. I LOVE me some Scola, but I can envision Landry being the one kept if push comes to shove. Then again, if someone blows Morey away with a deal for Landry because of his offense, I can see them moving him and keeping Luis. I don't wanna see Lowry, Scola, or Landry go anywhere.
