Well, I guess you can't really fault the front office for chasing these stars, because I think everybody else in the league has probably chased after these stars at one point or another. However, the front office may want to re-evaluate whether or not their "assets" are really worth what they believe they're worth on the actual market...because it sure doesn't seem like it. It could just be that some GMs are afraid of getting fleeced by the MORE-y.
Going after a player "like LaMarcus Aldridge" is basically going after LaMarcus Aldridge. There are only a handful of guys on the level of Aldridge and Im pretty sure every team that has that player is building around them. Best young PF's in the game- #1. Love #2. Aldridge #3. Griffin .... Everyone else. -Maybe your insinuating going after a player with the same physical stature as LaMarcus Aldridge, but getting a player like that isn't going to happen until they become veterans that are tradeable like Bosh, Gasol, Garnett, etc. When you get a young all-star like that you build around them. Nobody is going to give them up unless it gets you back Lebron James. Even then, Im not sure a team like Portland that is rebuilding gives him up for Lebron.... well maybe they would... regardless. You can try and draft someone with the same physical stature, but trying to convince yourself that he's going to all the sudden become that great of a basketball player when he comes to Houston??... I think your kidding yourself. If the Rockets want to aquire an all-star big man, he's going to be a veteran. If a team is going to give them up, Its because the trading team has finally found out that the guy isn't the perfect big man to build around or they leave in free agency on their terms which is pretty rare.
I checked salaries and Smith is due 13.2 million next year. Steep, but given Scola's salary not necessarily excessive. I am going to consider this subject at more length.
Dobro, calm down man. NOBODY said we were chasing after LMA. I don't even know why you are trying to start an argument over this subject. I thought I made that really clear already. One of the earlier posters had suggested the idea and I said I like the idea. Of course I know the Rockets don't have a shot in hell at obtaining LMA. I was referring to LMA, because I like the fact that he is young and a player that you can build your team around. If the Rockets can't obtain a young cornerstone caliber player, it's fine. They could potentially build through the draft or they can go after a Josh Smith as JTR had suggested earlier. But enough of the one-year rentals and aging, overpaid stars.
I don't think the Rockets have many better options than Smith at this point. He might be kind of pricey, but if you could get him for Scola and one of our younger prospects as we had talked about earlier, I think it would be a step in the right direction.
He's on another level below. Its the next level down, but still there's a big drop. The main difference is "can you build around him?" I personally do not think that Josh Smith is the guy. Could he help out the Rockets? Sure, but he's not going to be someone you can rely on to take this team to another level. Thats just my opinion, but you really cant compare Aldridge and Love to really everyone else. Josh Smith as well. Blake Griffin is a superstar, but he's still not the refined player that Love and Aldridge are at a young age. That being said, if the Rockets aquired Josh Smith and didn't have to mortgage the future I would be stoked. However, you really shouldn't convince yourself that he's something he's not.
Sorry - Doesn't Josh Smith have to be in there somewhere? The cat knocked a beer over onto this keyboard a couple of weeks ago and the keys are still sticking. LOL
I am OK with that except for Griffin. This year I would probably take Smith over Griffin. Next year who knows?
Blake Griffin as a player doesn't belong in the category of superstar players--yet. Blake Griffin the entertainer and a guy that can fill up the seats is a superstar in his own right.
Depends on what you mean by superstar. From a marketable player you can build around.... yeah he's there. Especially on the marketable part. Dont forget, he's only in his second year and averages nearly 20/10. Thats pretty darn good. He has major holes in his game that LMA & Love do not have that puts him slightly below those two IMO. He isn't the player Love/LMA are, but the talent is off the charts and every team would love to build around him for more reasons that just his popularity.
I had not considered the entertainment value of Griffin. From that viewpoint he should top the list. But as far as his impact on the court ... no.
I would have to agree. Although Griffin puts up some impressive numbers, his impact in a game is debatable. He's not really a guy you can rely on down the stretch. Chris Paul made a hell of a difference on the Clippers and you could tell that the team is incredibly dependent on Paul. Griffin? Not so much. He puts up the numbers and he'll sell some tickets, but he hasn't reached game-changer status just yet. He's still young though, so we'll have to wait and see how he develops his game.
Love-26/13 LMA-21/8 Blake-20/10 I understand those are just stats, and they dont take into account the defensive end of the court, free throw percentage, etc., but I wouldn't write him off as hyped up scrub. 20/10 in his second year is pretty good. Add in the entertainment value, and you have a player that any team would want to build around for alot of different reasons.
I am probably old school but defense in my mind is every bit as important as offense? From a faulty memory wasn't Smith the youngest person in NBA to block 10 shots in one game?
I dont know if this is about players that you are able to aquire vs. players that make a bigger difference on the court or not. I would say that it would be virtually impossible to aquire Griffin, and much more feasible to imagine a deal bringing in Smith because now he's a known commodity and teams wont be able to sell him to their fans as the next big thing. That being said, I would say Smith is a slightly better basketball player because, like you mentioned, defense & other intangibles that come with a more experienced player would be more valuable on the court. (Im talking like Smith is a senior citizen or something I know. Maybe Smith will take his game to another level later in his career, but IMO he's been in the league long enough now to where you sort of know what your getting.) That being said, there isn't a GM in the biz that wouldn't take Griffin over Smith for a variety of different reasons. I guess my 1,2,3 ranking is based on value as up and coming stars that teams want to build around. I excluded the veterans that are "Known talents" and those players are much easier to acquire in trade. Hope that helps explain why I came up with the 1,2,3.
Fair enough. And as you noted none of those three will be available. Smith however is probably available and extremely interesting. Especially to a team like the Rockets. Is he an upgrade? Most definitely. Is he available? Probably. Do the Rockets have the assets - cap, picks and inexpensive talent to acquire him? In my opinion yeppers.
