How could he ask if regrets building around them??....i think Building around them was a smart idea at the time!!...its not every day you have a 24 yr old 7'6 center with amazing offensive ability, and a Dynamic 6'8 25 yr old small forward considered at the time a top three player in the game.....it made common sense to built around those guy's at the time, just nobody predicted the crazy amount if injury's these two would have!!! -rocektblaze
I think you're exactly right. That is the sentiment behind Les's answer as well. I've made a similar case for other players on the team as well, including Battier. The fact is that you can pick apart any acquisition in hindsight - that's too easy.
I don't know what happened to my last contribution, but I will make another tip jar bet that tracy will be a rocket longer than shane. When I say longer, I mean tracy will be resigned after the season. Not saying I agree because I think they should dump all the guy 30 and up and move on, but I don't think that will happen. I know Raven thinks its a forgone conclusion and so do others that he's gone, but from what I Hear he's just a good season away from signing a 9m per yr type of deal. He's a good guy and his teammates know that when he's healthy, everyone is a better player with him.
He is a smart business man who never says it all. He can't tell you how much he was disappointed in Tmac last year and how much he wanted to trade him. But if Tmac was on the block like everyone has claimed than you can be sure Les was okaying it. And if he okayed it than you can also besure he wanted out of the tmac saga. But that is gone and in the past and if Tmac comes back strong with the right attitude all is forgiven. It's a new season and a healthy and motivated Tmac will be good for the Rockets. But I can assure you of one thing, Les will not be offering the max to Tmac. And if the right player gets offered in a trade Les will listen.
Yeah... sort of. His body was there, but his game wasn't. He was completely out of it with his sickness or knee injury or whatever he was dealing with. T-Mac/young Yao had to carry that team of scrubs.
He should regret not ditching their contracts when their value was highest yet there were visible reasons to doubt both.
well that may be because what he said was 100% factual, every year we've made the playoffs we have not had all of our guys, whether it be yao or tmac, or just important roll players. we don't lose in the playoffs because of tmac, we lose because we just don't have enough firepower left by that time, because we constantly struggle to keep EVERYONE healthy. don't forget the d tmac plays in the playoffs, he gives it his all there, say what you wish about the regular season (his d is pathetic at times) but most certainly gives it his all in may. as far as acquiring tmac and yao and them ending up as injury prone players, well like he said when you get the chance to get two superstars you don't hesitate and consider, what if? you do what you can to improve your roster and you deal with the problems as they come. i hope les doesn't resign tmac if tmac is not healthy, but if he is, i say you let him finish his career here IF he still is capable of playing at a level proportional to his salary
Les is smart. He has 2 championship rings, had the foresight to hire Morey and invest a truckload of money on the technology he requested, and now we have a forward thinking strength director as well. That said, yes he sticks his foot in his mouth (Langey!), but I don't think this is one of those times.
I believe the Rockets got blown out by forty to the Lakers last year. I dont know what it is, but the Rockets do not seem to be ready as a team in "BIG" games.
Agree. Les loves Tmac and Yao, but not enough to stick with both of them when they stink. He did trade Hakeem after all....