http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/feigen/3925291.html NBA NOTEBOOK Rockets tuned in to Redick Team undecided, but Duke shooter an option at No. 8 By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle When the remote control offered escape from the Rockets' frustrating season and sent fans from Rockets games to the alternative of college basketball, it was easy to imagine the latter providing a solution for the former. Squint a bit and you could see J.J. Redick, Duke's sharpshooter and the ACC's all-time leading scorer, knocking down all those shots given to Rockets perimeter players by defenses forced to flock to Yao Ming or Tracy McGrady. Redick is the best shooter the Rockets have a chance to land in the June 28 NBA Draft and offers a feel for the game and over-the-top determination. They desperately need shooting. It seems an ideal fit. But with this draft, with even the top prospects coming with huge holes to also consider, nothing is so easy. Redick, perhaps the draft's most interesting and most polarizing prospect, worked out for the Rockets on Saturday, and they would have to consider him with the eighth pick. But as much as anyone, he embodies how difficult their choice might be. They need shooting. He is a shooter. But they need length and quickness, especially defensively. Redick is said to measure 6-3 1/4 with an unusually short wingspan of about 6-2. He is better athletically than many assume, but he is far from a Rodney Carney, Ronnie Brewer or Rudy Gay. Redick could make himself more than a specialist but is unlikely to be a 36-minute guard who matches up with Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade or Manu Ginobili. "People get caught up in talking about what someone can't do," Redick said. "I'm not going to drive and dunk on a 7-footer. I probably won't dunk on a breakaway. I think I can do some things. I can't get caught up in that and I don't feel the need to combat that. I want my game to speak for itself. "There's always been doubts about me. When I was a freshman in high school, everybody said I'd have a down year as a sophomore because people knew about me. I wasn't going to play at Duke; I wasn't athletic enough. But I'm a competitor. I found ways to contribute to teams. I found ways to help teams win." That sounds good, and it is irrefutable. Besides, it would be nice to not have to turn the channel to see open shots go in. "They could use outside shooting," Redick said of the Rockets. "Richie (Frahm) and David Wesley are unrestricted free agents. There's no guarantee they will sign. I think they want a two-guard or an athletic wing. I feel like I'm in the mix." He is, but he's not a sure thing, which is typical for this draft and the Rockets' choice. Flipping out over a coach Before we let the Pistons move on to their offseason, it's worth translating the rhetoric. In the regular season, when the Pistons won 64 games, they told us it was not about the coach, whether they were led by Rick Carlisle, Larry Brown or Flip Saunders. It was about the players. In the postseason, when they lost seven of their last 11 games, then it was the coach's fault. The complaints about Saunders were so ridiculous it was amazing anyone did not see through them for the naked excuse-making they were. Rasheed Wallace railed against a brief use of hack-a-Shaq, but that is really about Wallace's continued anger with Mike Dunleavy for ordering the Trail Blazers to intentionally foul Shaquille O'Neal in the 2001 Western Conference Finals. Tayshaun Prince suggested Lindsey Hunter should have matched up with Dwyane Wade longer, though Saunders was not about to bench Chauncey Billups or Richard Hamilton too long, especially when Prince was misfiring. Most of all, Ben Wallace blathered about Saunders not practicing defense enough, though anyone close to the Pistons knew that Saunders runs far more defensive drills than Brown ever did and that if Wallace isn't complaining, he isn't talking. The media went with all this anyway until Saunders said he felt like a piƱata that had its load of candy beaten out of it. " 'Take cover,' " Saunders said of the advice friends and coaching peers offered. "I've got a lot of people who have called. I've had some coaches call within the league and said, 'Geez, looking in the last 10 years, I don't think I've seen where there's been so much focus on a coach.' " Pre-draft bait NBA GMs, scouts and coaches will arrive in Orlando, Fla., for the pre-draft camp on Monday, giving them a chance to put the late first-rounders and second-round types through their paces. But the work that might be more important, especially for lottery teams in need of a makeover (the Rockets leap to mind) will be the chance to talk face-to-face about the summer deals. For the Rockets, this could be especially valuable because they have trade exceptions worth $4.2 million and $1.67 million. Those can be valuable, but the team needs trading partners. This week's chats could indicate who is ready to change their roster and how, or in the Rockets' case, who might want the trade exceptions in exchange for free agents that could be leaving anyway. For now, most of the players the Rockets would target with $4.2 million would expect full mid-level money or more, but if the Rockets can get a team to help with a sign-and-trade for, to name a few, Fred Jones, DeShawn Stevenson, Devean George, Vladimir Radmanovic or Matt Harpring, they might get an idea this week. All might be long shots, but it is that time of year. And for the Rockets, adding a shooting guard or a perimeter shooting forward without dipping into their mid-level money could key their offseason maneuvers. Draft maneuvering likely Between the order of the draft and the players in it (and not in it), much of the top 10 is looking to move. Toronto and Chicago, with the top two picks and each with a young nucleus more ready than the players coming out, would like to use their high picks to get a difference-making veteran. Minnesota, at No. 6, would like to add veteran help. Portland, New Orleans, Golden State, Utah, Philadelphia and Orlando would like to move up. Most teams have been unusually willing to show their hand. But in a draft with players with holes in their games to repair (or at least grow out of), one move or two could trigger a wave of changes. "It's not as good as a typical top dozen," Rockets vice president Dennis Lindsey said. "You can throw out the usual high-risk, high-reward high school guys ... and at minimum it's three or four people less deep, and the consensus No. 1 pick is not available. But there are still good players available and that will be available to you." Knicks remain a wreck After so many times assuming that the New York Knicks could not get worse, only to see them top themselves with new lows, perhaps it is best to assume something will always top the previous low. This week's spate of stupidity: With the franchise apparently ready to jettison Larry Brown as coach even as he continues to work out draft prospects, the Knicks used a show of police force to keep the media from talking to Brown or Isiah Thomas. This led to the media waiting by the side of the road in hopes that Brown would pull over and chat. He obliged for three consecutive days, referring himself as a "dead man walking" on the first, but on the third roadside interview, Thomas nearly ran into Brown's car. Of course, because these are the Knicks, he missed. jonathan.feigen@chron.com
I would love to see Redick's talents work out for us next season. However, from what I hear, the chances of him doing good in the NBA are low. I thought he would be a perfect complement to hit down the wide open shots, but I guess not.
Houston is probably one of the best shots of Redick doing well in the NBA but that doesn't mean we should take him. We need somebody who can shoot nearly as well but also can guard Kobe. It'll be interesting and I'm sure lots of folks here will be pissed no matter the outcome of the draft. But then again, how many people were pissed when we selected Robert Horry?
I'd love to see Redick as a Rocket. The guy can shoot the lights out, and with tmac and yao he'll be open a lot. However, I just don't know if he's a number 8 pick. If by some miracle roy, morrison, gay, aldridge, bargnani, thomas or even marcus williams is still there when we draft then I would not take redick. Between him, brewer, carney and foye I think it's a little closer because all those guys either have big question marks just like redick (brew and carn) or are too similar to guys we already have (foye is a slightly taller version of head).
Oh hell no. 6'3 1/4", 6'2" wingspan and can't dunk. The key for Redick for how high he goes in the draft will be his one on one workouts. If he can't get his shot off in the competitive workouts, he'll drop like a rock. Supposedly, Carney shut him down during the Warrior workout.
This is sad that this is our outside shooting... --- "They could use outside shooting," Redick said of the Rockets. "Richie (Frahm) and David Wesley are unrestricted free agents. " Draft anyone else and sign Padgett. Do IT.
Redick is probably a lottery pick but not worth 8th pick. Glad to see Rockets try to use TE to do a sign-and-trade of free agents.(Harpring will be a good choice for 4M)
My heart would not be broken if we could pick up Harpring. However, I would much rather try to pick up Qyntel Woods or Trevor Ariza because they have a faster, slash to the basket game. Harpring is a much more intelligent player and a better shot, but he may not have the quickness the Rockets need.
Feigen is dropping us some names. Cool. All of those players are reasonable targets for sign and trades using our 4.2 TE. The only player i'm not enthused about is Stevenson. The rest would be welcome additions to our ballclub.
we need to stockpile as much young talent as possible. this is how the west is won. kenny smith was terrible defender, we won 2 championships with him.
Fred Jones and Vlad-Rad would be AN AWESOME offseason. it wouldn't even matter who we draft. too bad both will probably resign with thier teams. stevenson gives us an young slasher but he can't shoot or defend. I would pass on him. i think george and harpring will be playing for new teams next season. they are realistic options for a S&T using the TE. the problem is, both of them play the 3 and i don't think either one of them can play the 2 or 4, which we need.
Even Kenny would not take that much credit! We won those two because one Man - if that is how you want to go- THE DREAM. Drexler gave us the edge and there was a ton of role players who played their hearts out
At 6'3", Redick wouldn't be much of an upgrade over Wesley. I think he would be a good pick somewhere between #12-#15, but at #8, more athletic guys like Carney and Brewer would be much better picks.
wrong, we didnt win ONE MAN. ONE MAN only won 2 championships because he had TWO GREAT TEAMS. NEVER CALL OUR CHAMPIONSHIPS A ONE MAN CHAMPIONSHIP Hakeem - "BASKETBALL IS A TEAM SPORT" no, they were GREAT PLAYERS who played with Heart. Im so frickin sick of the fake Rocket historians on here. The 1994/95 Rockets were teams. Hakeem would be Barkley and Karl Malone without great teammates like Cassell Horry Elie Otis Thorpe Vernon Kenny Carl Drexler TEAMS
this boils my blood. did you watch Dream when he was stuck with Buck Johnson? Derrick Chevous? Why did Dream not win championship then? did something magically happen that he got really good those 2 years? I say we force these noobie Rocket fans to watch Clutch City 94/95 to understand that those were TEAMS. Look at the Rockets now. we've got the best Center in the League, why arent we winning championships? I guess some of you dont know that Maxwell dropped 31 pts in the second half against phoenix, or Cassell hit the 3 plus 4 more points against the knicks at madison square garden, or horry hitting game winners in san antonio or kenny knocking down 9 3pointers . in my mind, people who call the Rockets a 1 player team are worst than Dallas fans, San Antonio fans, Lakers fans and Bulls fans. At least those fans, recognize that the Rockets had a potent arsenal and great coaching. who's that Horry guy with 6 championships? or did you not know he's saved the lakers and Spurs championships? who's that Cassell guy who brought a team who the laughing stock of the entire sports world to contenders? what team did these guys play on.