[ClutchFans] BimaThug: Sit Tight and Play the Hand

An excellent read on this fine morning.

 

Can we petition to have BimaThug take over Jerome Solomon's column in the Chronicle. PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

The team has no choice, Yao is under contract, so 2011 was always the year for change of direction, if there was to be one.

Obviously, I loved the article.

:grin:

I think Bima's breakdown is well done, has a nice beat and is fun to dance to, I give it a 92.

DD

 

Morey is the guy at the other end of the poker table who is quietly accumulating poker chips on small pots and folding every time the rest of the table goes "all in" on a pair of sixes.

Eventually he will find himself with pocket aces and send everyone else home.

 

Not a championship contender, but a playoff contender?

We are a lock for the playoffs and fighting for the second seed easy.

 

Miami just flopped a boat.

 

Another great ClutchFans article by Bima. I love reading them and hope we'll see more columns from Bima and some of the other excellent writers inhabiting the BBS, a resource our best writer, Clutch, should take full advantage of, being a madly busy person, I'm sure, dealing with all of us lunatics, while running a business, taking care of a family, and all that other stuff some of us have to deal with. Things that, even if we knew how, would never allow us to keep a place like ClutchFans humming along. I don't know how you do it, head honcho!

 

good stuff, but i still think this team is a conference final team, possibly getting into the finals with the right matchup in the conference final.

 

Nice read...

Yessiree!

 

Very very nice article bima. I agree with everything you pointed out, spot on. With all the assets we possess, it would almost be inevitable that we get that star/closer we need to be a title contender.

Lakers? Heat? Celtics? I could care less. Win or lose, i will live and die bleeding rocket red.

 

Articles like this are why I love Clutchfans.

But when is JCDenton and Brian Chapman going to get to write an article for the site? :grin:

 

Exactly what I was thinking. I have high hopes for Hill, but depending on him for 25-30 minutes a night seems risky at best.

But maybe Morey would rather try it than overspend in the offseason. We could always make a deal later.

Nice article, Bima!

 

Analytically correct!
Great article Bima......

 

Very good read, thanks Bima.

Thinking in next summer, signing a MAX player only would be possible with Yao's previous departure. (Hopefully he can come back at his highest level and we resign him).

Chase Budinger --- $884,293
Jermaine Taylor --- $884,293
Kevin Martin --- $11,519,840
Trevor Ariza --- $6,790,640
Jordan Hill --- $2,855,760 (team option)
Kyle Lowry --- $4-5
Luis Scola --- $7-10
Aaron Brooks --- $6.05 (cap hold)
_________________

TOTAL ----------- $41-43 million

In this situation we could sign a MAX contract. With Yao's cap hold (the max?) we would be -almost- over the limit. So if we want a Melo/Granger, it's either via trade involving our expirings (Jeffries-Shane) or "thanks" to Yao's retirement. I don't see the Rockets trading Shane (nor Scola/Martin) in February if we are fighting for homecourt advantage, so I still see like very unlikely the possibility of bringing a Melo/Paul/Granger. Maybe sooner more likely?

 

Yes it was a great article. I see the rockets standing pat as well and eventually adding a backup center. The summer league play should add much more confindence to the team going into the regular season.

 

What I have trrouble with is that it takes a well written article to point what is glaringly obvious for you all to accept it.

 

Summary: Were stuck out.

 

(Sorry if this seems out of place in this thread, but these are my thoughts after the dust has begun to settle from the big-name free agent drama we've just witnessed.)

I have been a proponent of standing pat since last season... but for different reasons.

I grew up with high character meaning something. After hearing about (I did not watch) James decision, last night, to go to Miami, it only reinforced in my mind that this perspective is definitely worth something. Worth? That can be monetary and it can also be things that you can't really put a value on -- like character.

If the only thing one cares about is whether or not you can hang a championship banner in your arena's rafters, then by all means, it makes the most sense to spend whatever is needed, or trade as many players as needed to try to get that elusive "mix" of players that can lead to that goal. But sometimes there is another way.

A few months ago I watched a show on ESPN about Emmit Smith and his breaking of the all-time rushing record held by Walter Payton. If any of you have seen this you will recall how choked up Smith became when he talked about being injured in a game (must have been against Chicago). He had landed on his head/neck and had no feeling on either one or both sides. He was afraid. He was taken to the locker room and guess who came to see him? Walter Payton. He consoled Smith and told him he would be there for him. When recounting this Smith had so much trouble telling it because he wanted to break down crying every time he began. These are the true highlights of human activity, whether it be sports or any other arena in life. There is a similar incident in a recent film shown on HBO about the relationship between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Watch that video and tell me it's all about just winning.

I have stated in several posts that I like this Rockets team because there are no malcontents, no divas... just hard-working guys who seem to exude character. I've gone over the list in my mind and I think Daryl Morey has placed a lot of a player's value on his character as well as his skills.

When Scola got sucker-punched (well it wasn't exactly a punch but it was definitely a sucker giving it) in the playoffs last season by Derek Fisher how did he respond? He was probably dazed, but he did keep his cool and didn't go after Fisher. By contrast, a younger Artest would have probably been all over Fisher as soon as he could get up. And I needn't remind fans of Kobe's shot to Artest's throat.

Revisit that series in your mind. Would you rather have a banner that way LA got it? It's definitely a win at all costs attitude. For me, I'd rather watch a team like the Rockets and have to someday say, "To bad they never won a championship", than to look back on a team with players like Bosh and James who only seem to care about a ring. I saw the article in the Chronicle this morning about the bitterness James has left in Cleveland. Would all here, who adore and respect Hakeem, feel the same about him if he had left to go to another team "in search of a championship" before he got one here?" I don't think so. One of the reasons we all think so highly of Hakeem is his character.

There are plenty of players around the NBA who have character. I felt that about Portland when we played them in the first round. Teams like that are real winners in the best sense. They may get a championship banner... or maybe not. But it won't diminish them in my eyes.

Relish the team we have. It may indeed get changed by the trade deadline. Just hope that we don't trade "star power" for character. They can both come in the same package. But I, for one, am glad we got none of the big names this summer. No doubt, what James and Bosh chose to do is according to the rules of the NBA. But I think it circumvents the spirit and intent of the lottery and reveals a side of players that isn't flattering.

I know there are fans here who think this is too idealistic and naive. Maybe so. Or maybe in time you'll agree that there are higher values in life than banners and rings. If they come in addition, great. But they really have much less meaning without them.

 

I think Morey will try to pick up Jamison at the trade deadline. Cavs will realize its over and will try to rebuild for young assets.
Enter Daryl.

 

great article. i would love danny granger at some point in the future

the smartest thing to do right now is have a quiet offseason...at least wait to see how good the 2nd coming of Yao is.