Another Lopez article... http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/3322889 By JOHN P. LOPEZ Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Without the big splash, like landing a Tracy McGrady or getting lucky in the Yao Ming lottery, the Rockets are making waves. There were no superstars coming to town, just super possibilities. In fact, this could be one of the most productive offseasons the Rockets have had in years, considering how much Stromile Swift and now Derek Anderson change things on both ends of the floor. The two biggest problems the Rockets had last season were getting to the rim offensively and keeping opponents from getting to the rim defensively. Both problems became much closer to getting solved with Tuesday's announcement of Anderson's signing. "As much as I loved the team last year and still do, when you lose in the first round (of the playoffs) you have to make some moves," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "It's all about the results we get. Hopefully, we're going to get some good results." Welcomed additions Surely, Swift will finish more fast breaks in one month than the team had in two a year ago. Many of those finishes figure to come courtesy of a pass or break started by Anderson. On the other end of the floor, Anderson will be much more equipped to play lock-down defense on perimeter guards. Better still, if he can't keep them from getting to the lane, having Swift able to cheat off his man for blocked shots is an even better deterrent. So everything we've seen thus far should be applauded. The Rockets have added nice pieces, gotten more athletic and certainly should be better. But here's the most important move the Rockets will make this offseason: the next one. As much as the Rockets are hoping this glut of guards will somehow work, it won't. Not this many — seven with legitimate cause to expect minutes and eight, if you count Charlie Ward. Tinkering with chemistry As much as the Rockets are telling themselves having this much depth and experience makes sense, because of age and recent injuries to players like Bob Sura and David Wesley, it doesn't. In a perfect world, maybe general manager Carroll Dawson's and Van Gundy's hopes would be realistic. That is, considering how happy a family this team became last season — and truly, it did — adding Swift and Anderson should not disrupt things too much. "The chemistry was so great last year," Dawson said. "Really, you would not believe how good this team got along and was in it together." Yes, it was one big, happy family. The chemistry was magnificent. Then the Mavericks threw a stink bomb at the Rockets in a 40-point Game 7 win. Thus, the need for a new look. In the real NBA world, it is rare that there's better chemistry in numbers, especially when you're trying to fit 10 players into barely more than two positions' worth of minutes. Yao and Dikembe Mutombo, after all, will gobble up the 48 minutes at center. Swift and Juwan Howard will fill the ever-important four spot. McGrady will get about 38 minutes, minimum, at the three. That leaves 10 minutes at the small forward and time at the point and shooting guard positions for Anderson, Sura, Wesley, Mike James, Moochie Norris, Ryan Bowen, Vin Baker, Ward, Jon Barry and draft choice Luther Head. Even if you count on the Rockets releasing Baker and Ward, that's eight players for basically two positions and a few minutes behind McGrady. "There will be a lot of sacrifices that have to be made," Van Gundy said. "We've sort of protected ourselves in case we're not as healthy as we hope to be. If everybody's healthy, there's only 240 minutes to go around. It'll be challenging." Van Gundy knows better. It's OK to count on 12- and 13-man rotations in church-league games, but in the real NBA world, eight- and nine-man arrangements work best. Head likely should start looking for an apartment in Austin, where an NBA Developmental League franchise will play and could be a Rockets affiliate. The most likely candidate who should stake out a little room on the bench? Barry. Still, there are too many chances for rifts and bad feelings to begin seeping into the closely knit Rockets locker room. And even if that isn't the case, there's another reason to believe the next deal the Rockets make will be the one that solidifies this team as a contender. For all the guards the Rockets have, they still need a big man to help behind Swift, Mutombo and Howard. Baker has nothing left. It might not happen until well into training camp, when coaches can better decide just which backcourt players fit into the plan, but it should happen. September? Early October? These offseason deals have been great. I love what Swift could bring to the fast break and how he will help Yao on both ends of the floor. I love the options for McGrady, who now can run the half-court offense sometimes, run the break sometimes, and has complementary guards who can either slash or shoot. This team has all the ingredients. Actually, it has too many. That's the only thing that could be a problem, unless one more deal is made.
Is it certain that Baker has nothing left? I haven't heard of any alcohol-related incidents with him for a while... If he could pull off a comeback-- and, while we're rooting for comebacks, let's go J Will!-- well, we can hope, still, can't we?
Barring any injuries, assuming T-Mac gets about 38 minutes a game with 10 minutes left at the backup 3. Playing time will probably be divided like: Anderson 25 Sura 22 Wesley 22 MJ 20 Jon Barry 17 That's 106 minutes total for the 1,2, and as Tmac's backup (48[PG] minutes+48[SG]+10[Backup SF]). We can stay pat and still be able to divide playing time to make everybody happy. Our depth is not really a problem, it's our length in the backcourt. I wouldn't mind trading Westley for Spree straight up.
yeah this definitely deserved its own thread and i was going to make it a new thread but figured somebody would eventually do it and it was late so i posted it in krosfyah thread since the topics were so similar and i felt it should be in that thread as well. looks like another trade may go down. maybe the rockets go after Antonio Davis or a player like that. wesley and a expiring contract for AD may work.
So is it safe to claim that our priorities have shifted from needing a PG to a front court player? If ANY of our big men go down we are in trouble, but then again we can play small ball with all of our gaurds.. If anyone remembers the garbage minutes baker played last season then we can confirm he is done. We possibly could use Bowen in a backup PF role if one of our big men go down since Swift can play back up C, but I don't feel too confident that we are safe with this as our only option. We need a Spoon replacement and also a relief in our gaurd glut. Please get'r done CD.
We really don't have that much of a glut...we have 5 guys that should be in the backcourt rotation (Sura, James, Wesley, Anderson, Barry)...a rookie that will play garbage minutes this year or be in the NBDL (Head)...and the rest is garbage. Ward and Moochie will be lucky to be wearing a Rockets uniform this season, much less see the court. The same goes for Baker. Bowen is a 12th man type, so he doesn't have to have minutes. It's really not that hard, Lopez, once you sort through the garbage. PG: Sura (24) / James (24) SG: Wesley (28) / Anderson (10) / Barry (10) SF: Mcgrady (38) / Anderson (10) PF: Swift (28) / Howard (20) C: Yao (35) / Mutumbo (13) Bench: Bowen, Head/Baxter? IR/Cut: Ward, Moochie, Baker There's your 9 man rotation, with Barry being the 10th guy seeing limited minutes. There is plenty of competition, so guys will have to earn their minutes...but there is also room for injury. It's time to let this rotation see what it can do.
Oh, really? More important than signing Swift? I'd like to see that. I guess he counts Mooch as someone who should expect legitimate minutes. CD was asked yesterday about Head going to the Dev League. He said something to the effect of "nothing has been decided," but his tone lead me to think this wasn't the plan. It was pointed out later that this would be the equivalent to having Head play another year in college. I wouldn't be surprised to see Head start the season there, but it would seem a shame to be paying a full rookie contract to someone who would probably develop much faster being with the team, even if his year 1 playing time was limited. As for Barry being a bench warmer . . . c'mon Lopez, get real. . . . and this is based on what? At last we get to the point. We do indeed look a little thin at the 4 spot. That's why I have a little trouble with the idea of getting Spree at this point. OK, he gives us another backup 3, and if we get him in a 2 for 1, a roster spot opens up, maybe for Baxter; but if we are out of money, how do we pay Baxter? Wouldn't it make more sense to get a backup 4 in a trade if one was available? I don't hear any trades for 4s mentioned right now, which is why I wonder if the next deal may be a little time away. Overall, this Lopez article is on target only in that another deal will probably be needed. Anyone who can count on two hands can see that, though. The rest of this article says absolutely nothing of value, and to say a deal "looms" is just simply bad journalism.
I predict that will be primary rotation, if we get Baxter and drop one of the "IR for-lifers" then we are set to make a serious run. The only conflict from that gaurd rotation would possibly be Barry wanting more time, he played 23mpg last season.. now his minutes would be cut more than half.. and barry was an integral part of last seasons second half run.
I don't see how anyone can post the amount of minutes a player is going to get. It's all in-game coaching and whose hot, whose not basis. There shouldn't be any allotted minutes -- let them earn it in practice and the early games. Trade/package the outcast.
I don't see that big of a glut. Five players for 2.2 spots. PG: Sura 25 / James 20 / Anderson 3 SG: Wesley 25 / Anderson 11 / Barry 12 SF: T-mac 36 / Anderson 12 If the 3 guard lineup is effective (which I think it will be), then T-mac should be able to scale it down to 36 minutes. We'll also cut James' minutes down but he can have the perpetual green light. Just let him come in and gun it. I'd like to get Barry and Wesley some more minutes, but at their age it's probably for the best. And the minutes will vary depending on matchups, but it's not too bad, especially since we got a few guys that have been injury-prone in the past.
I just don't see Head going to the NBDL at all. In fact it's funny that it's even mentioned. He will probably help this team in spot duty this up coming season. I think there will be some players moved this offseason and having Head on the roster will make much more sense once those moves are completed. Remember this kid can defend and that's what JVG loves.
i dont know when it started or why but this Head is going to the nbdl talk has got to slow down a bit. i think its because now that there is this nbdl developmental league people think if your not a top 10 pick that the player should automatically go there to develop. if anything i see baker and moochie going to the nbdl league before Head. anyways Head is a very good player. he didn't shoot 50% during the summer games so the thought that is spreading around is that he needs to go the nbdl to develop his shot. thats funny. dan langhi has a couple of 15 pt games in the summer league and everyone proclaimed him to be the second coming of tom chambers(myself included). I'm glad jvg is the coach and is not looking for a guy who can just park at the three point line and shoot three's because Luther Head is not just a shooting threat. his all around game is as good as any player coming out of college. thats why we drafted him. and thats why he'll earn playing time this year. when i think of Luther Head I think of Rodrick Rhodes with a jump shot. think about this, the best team in college last year until the final game, did not have luther head running off of picks and screens to pop open for jump shots, probably more than any other player in college that year, for nothing. the guy can shoot. Heads height and atheleticism make him more of a threat than wesley who ran similar patterns around picks to get open last year. theres just no way he is sent to the nbdl. he has too much to offer.
