Are u kidding me!!!?!!! I heard a while back Wesly has been working on his shooting and says he will have it back. Although he has been streaky in the past, I think the upcoming season is very important for all the role players who left T-Mac and Yao to play 2 on 5 against Dallas!! Sura is another key role player who brings the intangibles like attitude, along with Barry bringing heart. These are the same players that were brought in last year that added these features to the team at which that point we had no heart or drive!! Dump those players who ride the bench all season ( Ward, Mooch, Baker ).. and keep it meshin!!!
I think it boils down to whether Head is ready to contribute, if he is, you make a trade to relieve the glut if he is not than there is no glut at all. Fact is NBA players who want to play get upset when they are not getting minutes, that is the last thing we need. Barry only getting minutes per is not good for chemistry so we have to find a way to get him on the floor more. I would explore trading Wesley and one of Ward, Mooch or Baker for a big Pitapenko type guy.
Me too. I also have a good feeling that Wesley is going to be gone soon. MJ showed what he is capable of last year, but with this lineup we don't need his ISO scoring ability.
The team the Rox have now is solid, the only thing I think we need to be a true championship team is a true PG. Look at most previous champions, most have a true pass first, shoot second PG. We have great guards but not one of them is the kind that can control the offense. If we make a move I hope it is one for a PG who will run the offense and create shots for our scorers. I am happy with the current team, but I think that is our biggest neccessity. Head, Sura, James, and Anderson can all play PG but not one of them is the kind that runs an offense and a true PG. I am happy with the team as is and if we make a move for anything but a PG or a salary cap dump, I think it is pointless. Does anyone have any suggestions for such a player?
Billups, Parker, and Fisher aren't pass first pgs and those are the three point guards from the last six champions.
Van Exel and Payton are available, I wonder if they would take the LLE? I think Nick would, Maybe GP would to! I think Payton has something left and would be a nice fit.
Not only is Mike James our best bench scoring punch, he is by far our quickest PG and most capable of slowing opponents hot 1s (Terry, Parker, Bibby, etc). It would take a really nice offer to trade him. DW and Sura are more expendable with the DA signing (who has some PG qualities in an SG body like Sura), but they also are good team players. It only makes sense to trade them if you got something more valuable in return. I have a hard time seeing what other teams are offering that would be better than just keeping them. BTW if a guard is traded I think it will be Wesley.
I think the one player that is most likely to become upset with a 'reduced' role would be Mike James. The reason? Simple: he has never had that one big contract every NBA player dreams of, and he will resent the Rockets if they prevent him from 'showcasing' himself to potential suitors for enough minutes so that he can drive up his market value. I really think if we keep all the guards we currently have, and reduce Barry's and James' minutes, MJ will be grumpy and will likely be traded away. Just my opinion...
It's possible. Although I also envision a scenario where James plays less minutes next season but gets the green light to shoot whenever he's in the game. He might become one of those 15-20 minutes, 12 ppg guys, and fans will come to games with "The MIKErowave" signs and his value actually goes up. I just have a great feeling about the upcoming season. I don't think anything will get in the way of a big time title run.
Good point. You have to look at the backcourt as a combination and at the rest of the team. Billups, even though he isn't a "pure" PG, passes much better than Sura or James and is effective on offense without dominating the ball. Parker has a major playmaker with him in Ginobilli, who is an above average passer for a SG. Parker also penetrates extremely well and can pass off the penetration, though he could improve on it. Fisher had Kobe and Shaq and he knew how to get both of them the ball. Plus, they played in the "triangle" offense where his duties weren't traditional PG duties other than to bring the ball up and wait for his shot the few times it was available. JVG's offense demands a more traditional role for the PG, which is why we made the big trade last summer and JVG got the bright idea of bringing in Charlie Ward rolleyes: ). T-Mac's playmaking and passing take some pressure off the PG in 1/2 court, but we still need another player who can pass. Neither Sura nor James do that. I said in another thread if DA is a good passer to the post, it doesn't matter what position he plays on defense, PG or SG. In fact, DA's passing could free up MJ to take a bigger role since it would allow him to play his natural SG role on offense. We don't need a "pure" PG so much as we need another good passer in the starting lineup, whether PG or SG.
Head will more than likely go to the NBDL.....he needs court time to develop and will not get it in Houston...IMHO... I have 6 seats to the Austin Toros...I will be really unhappy if the Rockets are not one of the affiliate teams......that will make my patronage a one time affair. DD
Since Pistons doesn't look interested in Spree any more, maybe we can work out a s&t with wolves: Wesley+Ward+cash to buy out ward for Spree + Tskitishvili I know Tskitishvili has been a bust, but we only need him for the unexpected circumstance.
My thoughts exactly... if he could bring even half the defense that Tony Allen brought as a rookie for the Celtics last year, he has to get some PT in my book. Not to mention he's athletic and can shoot it as well.
