[Chad Ford Insider] Hou working on 4 team deal [Update: Done Deal - Ariza for C Lee]

You know what occured to me? Maybe this trade happened to free up space for another SF(Iguoldala) maybe our next trade will be Battier, Jeffries for Andre?
Brooks/Lowry
Martin/Lee
Iguodala/Budinger/Patterson
Scola/Hayes/Patterson
Yao/Miller/Hill

 

:grin:

 

Why are people acting like the reason Battier got less playing time last season was because of his "deterioration?" He only got less playing time because he was injured late last season. His injury's healed (probably) so he should be back to the Battier of two years ago. Plus he relied much on using Yao behind him to funnel his man into bad positions, so he looked much worse as a defender without Yao than with.

 

Ariza needed to go - he was an outcast and not a 'team' guy. I mentioned this after I sat behind the Rockets bench for a game last season: http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?p=5014354#post5014354

Saving money for Les, getting rid of an outcast, and getting an athletic, young (semi?) player - Morey does his job again.

 

Could be Iggy or Melo. This trade is perfect if that's the plan, because Ariza probably wouldn't be included in any possible deal for either of those guys anyway. It would likely be a package centering around the expiring contracts of Battier/Jeffries and some combination of draft picks and a young guy (probably Jordan Hill).

In such a deal, the only rotation player we would lose (Battier) would be replaced by an all-star.

 

Like I said before, it really doesn't clear up much. There should be a follow up trade.

Anyways, you guys are kidding yourselves if you think Budinger is starting. Battier is starting. Lee possibly, but certainly Battier if he isn't traded.

Chase is a proven rotational player; good shot, good athleticism, but let's not make him out to be some type of phenom with extraordinary potential. He'll be a similar player year in and year out. He doesn't have that much "potential" left.

 

Wow! Spend most of the day away from the BBS playing Starcraft II and return to Ariza gone, Lee in, and a 52 page thread. On the face of it, a good trade. Clearly saves Les a lot of money this year and going forward, and gives us a $6 million-plus trade chip with the TE. While Ariza looked very good after the Martin trade, perhaps Adelman and Morey just felt they couldn't depend on that kind of production from Trevor. Looking at his career shooting percentages, I can understand that. Courtney Lee is a solid young SG. Lee plays very good defense and has decent size for the position. He's a good ball handler, something Ariza was not, and a much better shooter. This leaves the 2 spot balanced, with Martin/Lee, and we still have Battier/Budinger at the 3.

Some thoughts... this is clearly a vote of confidence in Chase, unless there is another deal for a 3 in the future. It puts a question mark around Taylor's future. Lee has been compared to Battier with regards to his approach to the game, his BB IQ, his locker room demeanor. We immediately become a better ball handling and shooting team, with a dependable defensive option at the 2 and, very important, an excellent backup if Martin misses some games.

I'm excited about the deal and completely surprised. Makes me wonder, what's next?

 

What have you done for me lately?

Though, I will admit he's definitely on the move after this trade. I certainly think him, Jefferies, a combination of our picks/Hill/Budinger is out for a legitimate star swingman. It's what I'm hoping for at least, and I can see it aligned.

 

One step further from Championship, if no other roster changes.

 

We are winners and champions with this move. Quote me, "Rockets Champions this year over the Heat."

 

lol.

lol.

 

I've seen Lee play last season he looked good, hitting threes and attacking the rim. But Courrrtney sounds so fricking weak

 

Aaron Brooks
Kevin Martin
Shane Battier
Luis Scola
Yao Ming
--------------------
Kyle Lowry
Courtney Lee
Chase Budinger
Chuck Hayes
Brad Miller
--------------------
Development...
Jermaine Taylor
Jordan Hill
Patrick Patterson

Two players that fans on this board **** on far too often=
Shane Battier & Chuck Hayes...

These guys will play a ton of minutes for the Rockets this year, and will be the heart and soul of the team.

Clutchfans love to play with their shiny new toys...

 

Two random thoughts:

Chuck Hayes throwing an outlet pass to Lowry, Bud and C Lee on the second team would be fun!

Without David Andersen and Trevor Ariza, who are the haters going to hate next year?

 

I nominate Jeffries. How can a professional NBA player be nearly 7'ft tall and not be able to dunk or do a layup consistently?

 

And the more I think about it, there is likely another move that explains this one. More money is available. Chemistry is likely improved. But something is missing. But what? Or who?

 

3 important things i get out of this

1 rthis opens the door for more minutes for Budinger as the primary backup to shane
2 the coaching staff are convinced Taylor is not ready to be the primary backup just yet
3 it is a salary dump


Lowry
Lee
Battier
Scola/Hill
Hayes/Yao

Lineup will be insane on the defensive end.

 

AB will always be the most hated player.

 

I think we've taken a pretty big step back defensively.

Lee maybe good at defending pgs, sgs and maybe a sf, but Ariza was the hope for this team defensively against the likes of your Kobes, Wades and Lebrons.

Battier has obviously lost a step and the next drop down now in defense is the PF/C Hayes but after that it is either Jefferies or Lowry? Seems like we are going more for offense and losing a lot of the defense that I think helped us succeed in the previous seasons.


I get the move and I even get why it wasn't Battier they moved (only real leader the team has at this point since neither Brooks or Ariza were ready to take that role on), but it feels like we lost a key piece in this being a championship team THIS season.

 

short arms.