[CHRON] Rockets Appeal to Swift

If we got Swift for the MLE, and he worked out well, what would be a reasonable timetable for him to get a better contract from us down the road that could bind him here for awhle?

 

I am getting really uncomfortable with all the Shandon Anderson/Mo Taylor references that are surrounding Swift

... I might end up in the Walker if this goes on too much longer

 

Don't get me wrong. I like Swift, but, before I would spend millions on a race horse, I would like to see it run fast around the track a few times and not just have someone tell me this horse has the "potential" to run fast. Walker can run but Swift has the potenial to run faster. Glad I am not in CD's shoes.

 

Thats been my whole reasoning as to why I think Swift will end up wearing Rockets' Red!!!!!

 

Man, the suspense is driving me crazy. I'd almost rather have not known, than to be here at work all day, obsessing over when/what it will be! Keyword there was ALMOST. Thanks for the inside "scoop" yaomania! Keep it coming!

 

Oops. Nevermind. I guess the big annoucement was about the broadcasting position, not the power forward position.

Mea culpua. I knew there was a big secret annoucement - but I mistakenly thought it was about the team.

 

Thanks for the heads up. Now i will go on about my life when i am not waiting for tidbits of trade or signing rumors. Thanks and keep the info flowing

 

Thanks anyway YM.. you were right as usual, but we just didn't quite know what to do with the information.


Speaking of that, something Doc Rocket just said in his thread made me think: He said:"Nobody here REALLY thinks that CD made those moves, do they? Those guys were hand-picked BY JVG...which has turned out to be a good thing!! "

In other words, all this talk of 'CD, get it done', etc etc.. well, maybe it's not that simple.

If CD is genuinely trying to make a deal for Swift, wouldn't that necessarily mean that JVG has already 'hand-picked' Stro ? In other words, all the wondering about whether or not Stro would 'fit' with the Rockets, and whether or not he would be able to flourish under JVG - wouldn't that mean that that question had already been settled, by JVG himself?

Kind of a relief, really, to know that whoever we settle on aggressively pursuing should be someone that JVG has personally decided he wants.

So if the Rockets are seriously gunning for Stro, that must mean that JVG has seen whatever in him that he wants/needs to see. Right?

 

Swift is way more athletic than Cato.

 

“In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women”. – Tony Montana (Scarface)

If it wasn't about the money it wouldn't be considered PROFESSIONAL. Let's see what difference a day or two makes. We knew Swift was coming to visit and he won't be the last one to journey through these doors in consideration of the PF position. I'll give him credit for saying all the right things which would indicate manners and intelligence, the basic requirements to any good mutual contract and resolve benefitting all sides. A positive indicator.

Of note: Some post questioning the IQs about this or that player should take a mandatory IQ test themselves. Will the American quest and self-proclaimed domain over 'manifest destiny' ever die?

 

Well, uh, yeah, that's our prayer. Since arriving in Houston, Jeff Van Gundy hasn't been a guy who's placed a lot of stock in "potential." Typically, he only gets excited about proven commodities.

Still... that Game 7 in Dallas was the kind of thing that can really screw with a coach's mind. And there were no shortages afterwards of JVG quotes hinting at the need to take some big risks to get to the next level.

Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean he had Swift in mind, since pretty much every forward's name that's been tossed around this offseason is attached to some pretty glaring weaknesses in addition to their strengths. Marshall has his age, Walker his ball-hogging and low %, etc.

In essence, no matter which route we take at the four, we're gonna be taking a risk. I'm not sure JVG has much experience with taking risks.

So... we'll just have to cross our fingers no matter what!

 

Swift isn't as offensively inept as Cato, nor as defensively and athletically challenged as MoT. Swift is not a star, and will never be a star, but he should be a good enough role player between Tmac and Yao. The position may even be ideal for him, he doesn't have to be a primary offensive option, but he can get to the hole quickley when doubled off of (he is a good finisher at the rim or at the line), he can crash the offensive boards, he run the court, and he provide weak side shotblocking and be fairly quick for a 4 in rotations. The fit seems real good here. Much better than if he went to a cruddy team (Atl, NO, Char) needing him to be an offensive centerpiece and expecting more than he can offer.

 

i completely agree with desert scar. where are these comparisons to kelvin cato coming from? have those of you making the allegation even seen him play? he's not kevin garnett by any stretch of the imagination, and he'll never make an All-Star team, but he's not Kelvin Cato. don't you guys remember him absolutely owning Yao Ming whenever they'de match up? he would face him up, take a few quick dribbles and go right to the hoop. a decent midrange jumpshot too. he had a little turnaround jumper at LSU which i have yet to see in the NBA. this is not an inept offensive player.

 

That is an excellent point. I'm not a big Swift fan, but if JVG is so certain that Stro is what we need, I will have to bite my tounge and deferr to him. The guy definately knows what he's doing. THe T-Mac trade, the Wesley trade, the James trade, Barry and Motumbo ... they were all good decisions. Perhaps the CD/JVG team is getting it right more often than not?

 

Thats also a bit optimistic.
The bottom line is that the rockets management made a decision not to draft a pf on the presumption that they would pick a better one up in free agency. We will probably never know who they had in mind at the time. Hopefully they will be genuinely keen on whoever they end up with, but well almost certainly never know that either.

 

I agree with all those trades this season, but wasn't letting Posey leave and bringing in Pike/Griff as replacements the CD/JVG braintrust's first move?
That said, I think all of the trades this past season have been great and I'd love to have Stro.

 

The assumption then must be that the Rockets management believes the contribution of Head (including the ability to trade a member of the backcourt and/or use funds previously allocated for the backcourt elsewhere) plus just about any significant free agent they pick up at the 4 outweighs what we could get out of Simien plus a free agent guard.

The depth of this free agent class at the 4 certainly played a role in that.

 

Interesting point. But, if I'm not mistaken, those were done in the same summer JVG was hired. Maybe they were moves done before JVG had total control. Maybe the signing of Jim Jackson was the first real move he had once he became coach. I'm only speculating but neither played at all (partly due to injuries) and were quickly sent out the next offseason.

 

I think you're right. I also wouldn't count out New Orleans, although I have no idea what their priorities are. In the end, I think Swift will go to whomever can pay him the most, counting taxes, etc. I think our chances hinge on being able to do a S&T where we take Cardinal or something (Bonzi's expiring). Even then, I think the Knicks could easily outbid us if they wanted to with their expiring contracts in Penny and Tim.

I think we can only hope that other teams are smart and won't overpay. Swift isn't worth breaking the bank for.