[CBS Sports] Howard no lock for Lakers; interested in Rockets

Wow. This thing is just keeping real and real.

 

Does anyone know when Dwight is coming to Houston to train with Hakeem?

Shouldn't Lin, Harden, Parsons and Asik be training with Hakeem at the same time?

Just saying...

I think Hakeem lobbying for Howard to come to Houston during the All-Star weekend had an effect. Maybe the Dream could help Morey out again and invite Asik to train with Dwight and show them how playing together would work.

 

The Lakers were a sinking ship from day one, the guy wants out he just has to tell his girlfriend its over!

 

i thought rondo improved a ton on his midrange game, i noticed this watching the last few years of celtics playoff basketball.. i mean drastic improvment, to the point i didnt feel he was a liability.. i know when he came in he couldnt shoot at all..

 

cyberx posted that Hakeem made the best pitch ever to Dwight about coming to Houston. I wonder what that entailed. Hopefully cyber chimes in on this one.

cyber also mentioned Howard met McHale already, and they clicked. I just thought of this ... Isn't this tampering?

 

True and by this point in his career, it's not going to change. However, 3-pt shooting % aside, the guy is a triple double waiting to happen and we need someone to help shoulder the burden of D in the back court. It would probably cost Harden to get Rondo but with the emergence of Bradley at the point guard position, who knows what could happen. Bradley just made 2nd team All Defensive Team. I wish it would just cost Lin (China cash cow), a couple of our young bigs and a couple future picks but that would probably be a slap in the face to the Celtics.

Oh well, we are going to get to dream big about Howard for the next couple of months so I'll just focus on that.

 

Uh, you do realise when the Spurs won their 2nd title in 2003, Parker was their starting pg, not only was he young and inconsistent, he couldn't shoot either.

Tony Parker 2013 >>> Jeremy Lin 2013 > Tony Parker 2003

 

Not if they also met during All Star Break. No timeframe was ever given as to when Dwight and Coach McHale met.

 

i thought he siaid they met at all-star break...

 

Wouldn't be surprised that Hakeem made the best pitch ever to Howard. The Dream is Howard's "sensei" and you can tell that Howard idolizes him.

McHale and Howard hitting it off is a little surprising. I wouldn't have imagined their personalities matching.

Hakeem is not an official part of the Rockets organization and if he didn't say he was representing them then therefore wouldn't be tampering. McHale meeting with Dwight on the other is a bit dodgy. Did they bump into each other at the restaurant or something? Anyways, best not to mention it too loudly here.

 

U

Please chill

 

LA gear

 

So LA gear and Gone fishing are synonymous?

 

This isn't about getting rid of Lin, it's about clearing cap space to upgrade the roster. I see nothing offensive with JHolmes comment about "helping" Jeremy Lin, since a move to another team where he could be the primary ball handler would be a good thing.

Also, for everyone against a sign and trade with Lin/Asik for Howard, it's not about giving them up for nothing, it's about clearing the cap space to upgrade the roster. And upgrading from Lin/Asik to Howard/J. Smith or Howard/Millsap is a no brainer. There's only so much cap space and if the Rockets covet either Smith or Millsap to pair with Howard, they are better off clearing the cap space first in the deal for Howard since Smith and Millsap are unrestricted. That way they don't have to depend on agreeing to terms with Atlanta or Utah to make the deal. However, if they want to pursue a trade for say Love, Aldridge, then it makes sense to sign Howard outright and hold on to Lin/Asik as assets for development and/or future deals.

I personally like Lin's potential and absolutely love Asik but if you can upgrade to Howard/Smith you have to do it. Does it make sense or is it even possible to keep either one of them at $8M annually when you have Harden/Smith/Howard at max or near max deals? Especially when you have Beverly who's probably a better fit with Harden? And no, Asik and Howard won't work. It's too much money to pay for the center spot and neither are power forwards. Josh Smith is a true power forward that allows you to go small without really going small. He can guard any power forward in the league and most small forwards. His defense, steals, blocks, passing, and running the floor combined with Howard backing him up would make our defense and transition offense ridiculous. And he shoots decent enough to allow adequate spacing in the half court. His consistent 18 and 10 and great all around game would of been really nice to have in this year's playoffs.

 

We could make ten minutes per game of Howard-Asik work. But Dwight knows it. The Rockets know it. We all know it. Asik and Howard together will not work long term.

Dwight made the Finals with Rashard Lewis as his PF. Turkoglu and Redick/Lee and Jameer Nelson were the other players. All five guys could shoot the three. To maximize Dwight's value on the court you need a stretch four for at least a good portion of his minutes out there.

Even with Asik in the middle, we need a stretch four eventually. That's why so many of us want Kevin Love. He can be a stretch four, and he can be a back to the basket monster/expert rebounder. Such versatility is unheard of in NBA history. My suggestion to Donuts, Terrence Jones, and Thomas Robinson is to work on their outside shot if they want to stick on this Rockets squad. You don't have to be able to hit threes, but you DO have to be able to get the heck away from the basket and be a threat from 16-20 feet, especially from the baseline. The range of Lamarcus Aldridge and Serge Ibaka is more than good enough.

Otherwise this Rockets squad will have to forsake everything it built up this year with its slash-and-kickout game. Harden, even more than Dwight or Asik, NEEDS a stretch four on this team. I just find it highly unlikely we'll keep both if Dwight signs.

 

How do you figure that?

in the season they won parker Averaged 15.5PPG, 5.5 AST 46% from the field and 33% from 3 and 2.4 Turnovers

Lin averaged 13.4PPG 6AST, 44% from the field, 33% also from 3. and 3 turnovers per game.

So technically speaking Parker, while comparable on paper, had a better season.

 

Dwightmare! Part Deux - coming to a theatre near you

 

Howard and Ryan Anderson were perfect tandom in Orlando. Anderson's game is tailor made for Dwight.

 

Why do Lin haters have to always make it about Lin. You guys are obsessed like teenage girls!

I think the Houston FO have done the due diligence on Lin and Howard combo even before the acquisition rumours of both.

A top PNR point guard coupled with the best PNR center, music to their ears. Plus Dwight demands a double team down low creating space (when Asik is sitting) for both Lin and Harden to drive.

I think the acquisition of Howard is good for Lin.

Nothing I would like to see more than a Lin lob to Howard for a dink off the pick and roll.

Not saying Lin and Asik couldn't succeed in LA but I would rather both of them here and sign Dwight straight up.

 

After getting Howard do this...

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=n36lskr

And we are so so SO set.