[Chron] Scola's NBA dream now a reality after trade

champio...

champions...

championshhhh...

nevermind. not ready.

 

i'm glad we are getting rid of garbage time lucas, the guy is useless, and now that we have brooks we have absolute no need for lucas, the guy should go back to the nbdl as thats the only place he's gonna get time.

 

Having Mike James and Alston is great. Are you kidding. They are like Ying/Yang. WHEN Mike James has an off shooting night, at least we know we've got a guy that can reliably bring the ball down the court.

 

Apparently, nobody really wants JLIII. So Morey is putting it out in the press, that he is up for trade to see who will call him. This is a good strategy, but don't expect another Scola from JLII.

 

fixed

 

won't that be brooks

 

Warm, friendly, culturely diverse, very little racial tension, no state taxes and huge houses. And did I mention the nudie bars.

 

Next Kevin McHale?

 

It is sounding better and better. All I have wanted is Yao and TMac to be surrounded by legit NBA starters and a reasonable bench. The team won 52 games without those two factors in place. Unfortunately, TMac and Yao were running on fumes by playoff time. Folks, you can not have two offensive threats in a starting lineup and require them to play the highest level of defense. That is a prescription for low shooting percentages.

I am not saying this is your 07-08 starting lineup, but as it stands now, the Rockets "could" put five scorers on the floor at one time: Yao, TMac, Scola, James, and Brooks. All offensive threats. When has that potential existed before?

 

Thank you geeez...have some fun guys...maybe not championship this year but def WCF..

 

While I would still like a longer, more athletic defender to protect Yao a bit more in the paint, this team is shaping up rather well. I like the Alston/James tandem at the point. Rafer feeds the post, sets up the half-court offense, and pushes the ball up the court, while James defenders, shoots from the arc, and gets to the basket better. I like Rafer in the game when either Yao or McGrady are out and James in the game with both Yao and McGrady.

Battier is a solid defender who can hit his perimeter shots, while a healthy and fit Bonzi Wells gives us a little scoring punch and perimeter toughness when McGrady and Battier are on the bench.

I haven't seen Scola play much but have been reading everything I can on him and he sounds like a pretty scrappy player who can give you something on the offensive end. Combine him with Hayes, who I think will contribute more offensively when Yao plays the high post, and the only thing you're missing is some shotblocking and length at the four.

With Head, Snyder's expiring deal, and Butler's expiring deal, there is enough to meet that need should it prove a problem down the road. We'll see what happens, but this team can be competitive with Dallas, Phoenix, and San Antonio. We may not get past them in the playoffs, but we will be competitive with them again in the regular season and we will have a shot in the postseason should our rotations at the one and the four work effectively.

 

Could it be that that's because there is no State Income Tax in TX?

 

Yeah and when Mike James is having an off shooting night we always have Alston who can light it up.

LMAO!

 

Founds this on the Spurs fourm, it seems that Manu posted on his website about this whole deal:

 

are you kidding? I know Scola is good, but he's just a Rookie.

 

Yes, those are Ginobili's words.

 

Exactly.

 

You know, I have been wondering if Manu and Oberto being Scola's teammates on Team Argentina as well as his friends didn't work in our favor. Here the Spurs have pissed Scola off so much that his agent was talking that prisoner crap and he had apparently sworn to never play for them - all the while Manu and Oberto are on the Spurs. That can't be good for morale. I'd have to guess this, on some level, factored into trading Scola into a situation that would be good for him. And the two teams they apparently tried to ship him to were the Rockets and the Cavaliers. Those are both very good situations for him.

 

You know who else was once just a rookie on the Rockets? Robert Horry. We did pretty well that year with him starting at the three. Sam Cassell was also just a rookie who helped us to a championship.

Scola doesn't have to be an All-Star to help us win a championship. He just has to be a solid contributor who plays hard night in and night out. At 27, I think that's more than possible.

Incidentally, I'm not ready to say our team is better than the Spurs, Suns or Mavs, but I think we should be much improved this year and I'm excited to see how we do match up with those guys. And I definitely don't want to rule out the chance of a championship.

 

I think you are on to something. Reading Manu's words suggested that the Spurs did right by their friend, quite possibly for the reasons you're suggesting. Good Point!