Could the Rockets' desired PF come from within the team?

The only contribution we will get from Vin Baker is his $3.9 million contract coming off the books at the end of the season, if we don't trade him in February. We can't stand pat at PF and rely on VB.

You know the news this Summer is slow when we start talking about VB making a contribution. His career is over; he's mailed it in. The guy has obviously decided he has enough money in the bank and his competitive fire to become NBA fit is long gone.

 

man you could have saved yourself 5 minutes of typing and just stopped here.

 

Vin Baker is done... he's off right now gettin' fat and counting his money.

You think this guy has the same desire to play the game at his age and at this point in his career??? Think he's off working out, getting ready for the next season???

Yeah... right. This guy is laughing all the way to the bank. What does he have to prove, he's rich, gettin' old, and doesn't care what the Rockets or the city of Houston thinks.

 

I'd love for us to get production out of a player everybody has written off, but I just can't say I have any optimism left in me in regards to Vin Baker. I'll be thrilled if I'm wrong about this, but I think his career is as good as over.

 

We can get production from him. Trade him and the TE to Portland for D. Miles.

 

Vin Baker = ManBoobs II

 

Vin Baker...? ehhhhhhhhh Again even if he were to get some of his scoring touch back the guy is too old to keep up with the younger legs. As I recall many on this board were really looking forward to getting younger. We need the money coming off his salary to extend Yao's contract.

 

No, we don't. We need his expiring to add a player. He's only $4 million. That's not gonna break Les, or put him in Lux Tax land. We need a player.

 

If we were talking about a lawyer, a CPA, a engineer of course we could see him come back to full strenght. But here we are talking about an NBA athlete.

Baker hit the bottle hard and it took it's toll on his body. It aged him far and above his age. And one thing, as good a shape as NBA athletes are in, they almost all start going down hill by 34. Vin Baker wasted his opportunity to be great. You can't fight age.

It's a nice story that he has fought his addiction and wants to be a good player again. It warms my heart, and I'm sure it would warm a lot of people heart. But cold hard fact is he wasted prime years of his life in his drinking and that opportunity has passed him.

Baker can help this team, by being traded and getting another player here!

 

Is Vin working out (hard) this summer? If so, then he is really trying to come back, otherwise he is just waiting to retire.

By the way, I just realized that vin means wine in French. What a coincidence!

 

-_-

Hard to say, anything can happen lol...

 

I bet he doesn't even get a chance to come back. We'll buy him out and tell him to go back home. Why devote a roster spot to him? A player option can be bought out can't it? I know he announced he was coming back, but that doesn't make it so.

 

Now that's just being mean!

 

I dont know ..

we are not expecting Vin to become an All Star forward or even a starting PF.

what if he could be a contributer off the bench to spell Yao and our starting PF some minutes?

I can see the following scenarios.

Deke retires and stays on as Yao's big man coach.
We trade JHoward for a starting PF (maybe SAR) and VBaker is his backup.

you know he is not that old and can get himself back in shape (hopefully)

J

 

With Ewing leaving, Vin will be Yao's next big influence

 

Padgett and Spoon are better players than Baker and much better backups than Baker will be.

 

but Vin is bigger/taller and way better rebounder (once he gets in shape)

(again hopefully)

J

 

Rockets should give Baker a try. He is a talented player as proved by his history. Dawson can focus on finding a point guard to replace Sura who does not deserve a starter.