Couldn't you see JVG wanting a player like O'Bryant or Simmons? I could also see him drooling over Rondo as well. I'll be pretty disappointed if we don't come out w/ one of the players you mentioned.
While most here appreciate your enthusiasm on Redick. You shouldn't blindly trust what GM's say pre-draft about a player. Many times they just seek to plant a seed around the league and talk down or talk up a player for their own agenda. Talk down - Hoping that other teams above them will not pick the player so they can take them or Talk up - hoping a team above them takes him so that the player they want falls to them.
DD- I wouldn't call other posts "lousy" when yours isn't all that great either. To say Redick "can get his own shot" kind of makes me wonder if have actually seen him play. 90% of his shots come catch and shoot, which isn't a bad thing, but Redick's shots come from set-up plays just for him. That won't happen in the NBA. There are plenty of players available that can catch & shoot while able to do other things. Redick is almost exclusively a catch & shoot player, he's not going to get by NBA SGs like you're suggesting. I wouldn't say the point about faster players is "moot." More athletic players have shown that they can easily disrupt JJ's game, and when he isn't making his shots, he's not the type of player that can contribute in other ways. I really don't get your last argument, I could swear guys like Carney, Brewer, and the 59 draft candidates are PLAYERS as well. My point is that you don't need to sacrifice everything else (defense, rebounding, passing, running the break, etc...) to find perimeter shooting.
Oh my! I do believe that DaD is getting a wee bit cranky in his old age... This is one of the worse cases of "man love" (DaD for JJ) I seen in a long while. He's right about one however: Thanks to the (less than) sterling efforts of the CD & the rest of the Rockets organization, this team is in desperate need of "players"
If we got Redick, it does not preclude us from getting other athletic players that give us defense on the perimeter. We are not going to have an allstar playing at each position. The player that we all want at SG is an allstar. I think most of us really want Brandon Roy because we know he is a future all star. If he's available for us, we should go after him. But if he's not, we've got to construct this team so that we have our shooting and defense, with players that have a mixed bag of skills, just like every other team in the league. Our short list for this draft should be: Roy, Brewer, Shelden, Redick followed Carney and Ager.
I am sort of intrigued by Brewer because of his size but his inability to shoot the basketball scares me. While he'd (finally) allow the Rockets to have the ability to create mismatches with their backcourt, he could just as easily wind up as a taller version of Rafer Alston. And that would REALLY suck...
Agreed. The last player DD was this sure about was Dan Langhi. I love these can't-miss prospects. Really though, when's the last time the Rockets drafted someone they were talking up? Even when they drafted Yao with the #1, they were hush-hush.
Memory is a little fuzzy, but I believe it was common knowledge that they were high on Boki, and they did nab him. Unfortunately. \ But usually they are pretty hush hush on everybody, now even more so than in the past.
Who says you are sacrificing any of this by drafting Redick? Yes, I have been wrong, I thought Langhi would do well, but he certainly flamed out, of course, I also thought Yao Ming would do well, and he has done ok..... I just think Redick is underated, and will be a huge win for any team that gets him....is he the fastest, tallest, most athletic player? No. However he is tall enough, fast enough and athletic enough, and has a special ability that most NBA players do not have, and that is to shoot the ball, and not just shoot it, but shoot it incredibly well with incredible range. Yeah, I should not be calling other people's posts stupid as clearly everyone is just saying their opinion. Personally, I feel if Redick is there and we pass him up, we will be regretting it for years to come, he is going to be a very good pro player, and he compliments our 2 superstars better than most in this draft. DD
You are exactly right there are many pure shooters that thats all they can do but they are certainly not worth an 8 pick on the other hand Carney can shoot slash and play 10 times better D against Nba players. Redick may have taken his own shot about twice per game ever thing else was catch and shoot or him dribbling around the 3 ball line and finding one! Carney Gay or Brewer for the draft!
Did you see the list of players taken at number 8 in the last 10 years? Redick is better than pretty much all of them.....number 8 players are not usually can't miss products, there is risk involved. And, if the Rockets are going to take a risk on someone, I hope they do it on someone who is more of a known commodity (can shoot) then someone they hope can develop. DD
JUST about everyone else besides you just because you say he doesnt sacrafice anything it doesnt make it true. Redick=Lattener
Yeah, I know. I have the same reservation about his shooting despite the supposed 18 for 25 3 point drill he threw up in our workout. But I think every other part of his game is sound. His defensive skills and ball handling look really good. I don't remember Pippen as being that great of a long range bomber although he was adequate. Chicago always stuck a very good spot up shooter at essentially the point guard position in Paxson, Kerr, Armstrong and they essentially let Pippen initiate the offense. I really like Brewer in this role and if combined with McGrady and another great shooter at the other guard spot like Mike James........or Redick, I think he will be a very good player where his shooting is not front and center as the primary need. A 6'7" Rafer is a lot different than a 6'2" Rafer. A 6'7" Rafer can bring the ball up and back down his defender for the great post up look and force the defense to have to adjust.
I'm jumping on the DaDa bandwagon. ( ) While I'm not promoting Redick to be our pick, I wouldn't be upset if we did draft him. Personally, I'd rather have an exciting player (Carney), but that's just because I like seeing highlights. Dakota is right though, Redick is defintely a big-time player. He's got the pure stroke to nail the catch-and-shoot kick outs, and also has the ability to hit the jumper off the dribble. Some people think he won't amount to anything just because the "defenders won't leave him". JJ was the best player on Duke, and still averaged an incredible PPG even though defenses were geared to stop him from shooting. He utilizes screens, much like Rip does. The poster who said Yao shouldn't be setting screens for anyone besides McGrady is just a flat out idiot, IMO. Add that to the fact that most open looks off threes come from swinging the ball around the arc, with the defense rotating. Redick will be open in the Rockets offense. And he will make the most of it. Besides his physical ability, JJ is just a smart, tough-minded player who knows how to compete. This is starting to become evident in his workouts. The Rockets and JVG want people who will hustle and compete - thats why scrub Bowen gets minutes. So DaDa, there's a first time for everything, but I agree with you.
Yao setting screens for Reddick? You must be having something illegal in your system. I can understand if these were plays set at crucial times where we need a high percentage shot. For the record the highest percentage shooter on this team is YAO- so you want a high percentage shot you would have to go with him- it is not opinion these are the facts. Making a 7 foot 6 Center who is a dominant threat inside- and asking him to set picks ALL the Time ( as you put it)- is just not smart. Our investment in Yao is too much and he is too important to set picks for Red Dick! If he is good he should be able to get his shot regardess. Redick would not even be discussed if he was not from DUKE. Due respects to players like Grant Hill, Laettner, Battier etc, You are comparing college ball to NBA- I could not care which college team you pick- they will not cut it against the worst NBA team- NBA is about talent and Power- sure there are exceptions but you are too much in love with the name- look at the numbers. There are far better shooters in the draft, especially 3 point shooters that will come cheaper ( meaning lower picks)- did you compare Novak's 3 point percentage with Redick's? That dude missed something like 18 free throws- that's it.
I'm not a big fan of using past drafts to come to a conclusion of what quality of player you should end up getting with what pick(every draft is different, look at the KMart draft for instance), but if you really want to do that you need to include the pool of players after the number 8 pick as well, since they are what is available at that point to draft. I'd say most of those players that you listed are better than what I think Redick will be, and if you listed the players that were available after 8, there would be an even more substantial amount of players I would prefer rather than him.
DD- Redick is known as being not a very good defender. He was an average defender at best in college, I don't expect him to do any better against NBA SGs. Besides scoring, Redick averaged 2rpg and 2apg, like I said, if Redick isn't scoring, he isn't a type of player that can contribute in other ways. DD- To be completely honest, your posts on JJ make is sound like you think JJ is a can't miss prospect, which is contrary to your post. Saying Redick is better than #8 players taken in the past is a very bold comment, and trying not to be rude, but baseless as well. You also have to look at players that were taken at #9 or #10 since they were players that could have been taken at #8. 2005: Channing Frye 2004: Araujo, #9 Iguodala 2003: TJ Ford 2002: Wilcox, #9 Stoudamire 2001: Diop, #10 Joe Johnson 2000: Jamal Crawford 1999: Andre Miller, #9 Shawn Marion I would say the only player that Redick MIGHT better is Diop and Araujo.
Yao should only be setting screens for TMac on the pick and roll. The rest of the time he should be down low posting up and our PF should be setting the screens for the perimeter guys and then diving to the rim for the dunk (in Stro's case) or fading off for the little jump shot (since Juwan CANNOT get to the rim even when Mike Bibby is stuck on him).
