David Aldridge predicts Steve Francis for Ray Allen

Ray Allen is a very good shooter. I think he's probably better than Allan Houston. Look at Reggie Miller. Old NBA players who can shoot well have a place in the NBA. Ray Allen doesn't even look that old anyway, so he might take good care of himself. Rockets need as many great shooters as possible to take advantage of the passing from the low post.

As far as a power forward goes, Maurice Taylor is going to average around $9 million until the 2006-2007 season. That's a lot of money. If the Rockets get another power forward, that takes away a lot of minutes from Mo. That's money down the drain.

 

I think Rudy T was the central figure in the Rashard Lewis debacle. CD is just a guy who rubberstamps the decisions. Van Gundy is a new coach. Rashard would be happy to come back to Houston. Wouldn't you if you had an opportunity to go back home after a few years of living in another state? Seattle is going to trade either Radmanovic or Rashard Lewis since both play the small forward position. I believe Rashard might go just due to the financial picture. Radman makes much less due to the rookie contract, but I think he will also get a lesser contract upon resigning with the Sonics.

 

That would be a lineup to compete for the Western Conference.

 

Thanks Charvo. I agree too. I guess that would be my dream off season scenario. But with so many variables involved, I dont see it all coming together.

The idea is to surround your best player with complimentary players that augment your Star's game . Barry, Allen, Wallace are players I feel would improve Yao's came via passing and forcing teams to pay for doubling down on Yao. We would have a very leathal combination of inside and outside scoring. Add that to JVG's defensive system and we would be in business.

 

Do people really think Seattle will part with RAllen? I just dont see it... RAllen is their best player unless they decide to build the team around RLewis.

SF3 is starting to become expendable because Yao is usurping him as the leading scorer and best player.. but it doesnt diminish SF3's value to the team.

I think having 2 knuckleheads starting in the backcourt causes all our TO's, if we can move JJ to the 2 and have Cat come off the bench we would be alot better off.

We would still need a solid 3 hopefully we can find one during the offseason or cross our fingers that Pike regains his shooting touch (or Boki) to the point where they can start.

*im an optimist i know.

J

 

Chad Ford said on ESPN Insider at this link: http://insider.espn.go.com/insider/story?id=1731529


He was questioning Portland's motives for the Atlanta trade and suggested this:

Houston gains:
Randolph, Woods, Patterson from Portland
Snow from Philly

Portland gains:
Francis, Piatkowski from Houston
Robinson and McKie from Philly

Philly gains:
Davis and Stoudamire from Portland


Ford's an idiot, but he gets paid to be an idiot. Basically said Philly would be clearing cap space, Houston wouldnt have to start Cato at the 4, Portland would clear out trouble makers and said that SF is the prize of the trade and the perfect superstar to lead their team.


Sorry, I cant copy/paste [insider inhibits it]

 

Your right about that Ford is a damn fool

 

I don't think Seattle management would be stupid enough to trade Ray Allen for Steve Francis. Even if Steve were worth the trade, you'd have former-Houston-resident and pissed-off Steve on the same team with should-have-been-a-Rocket Rashard Lewis.

No, no. Not a two-team trade. But Ray Allen is a stud player and if his health is OK he is worth the risk, definitely.

I still think it would be much more likely that we trade Steve Francis eastward and make the trade through a third team.

Steve Francis and Kelvin Cato and Adrian Griffin to Washington.

Gilbert Arenas and Kwame Brown and Jarvis Hayes and Brevin Knight to Seattle.

Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis and One of Seattle's fifteen crappy backup centers to Houston.

I don't know if it's lopsided, because people tend to underestimate Gilbert Arenas, but the guy is an 18ppg scorer whose contract just started, and Seattle tried in the offseason to acquire Kwame, and Brevin Knight's contract will expire, and Hayes is gonna be a league semi-stud.

Washington gets a solid center and more importantly the hometown boy.

Houston gets a tall hometown 3 and Ray Allen. Enough said?

But again, much would depend on Kwame Brown and his willingness to work, etc etc.

Houston lineup:

1. Cat, JJ, Mark J
2. Ray Allen, Pike, Cat
3. Rashard, Boki
4. Mo Taylor, Clarence W
5. Yao, Crappy Former Seattle Backup Center (James, Booth, Potapenko)

 

I very much like Steve Francis, but if we are able to get a player like Ray Allen, then we do it.

Ray Allen (Born July '75) is only 28 years old vs. 26 years old for Steve Francis.

The guy is a money shooter and is probably one of the best guards in the league. He is a great shooter from all over the court and is a very strong passer as well. He passes well out of double teams and takes quick shots unlike Francis. He would be a perfect compliment to Yao Ming with his shooting ability and slashing ability. He is a career 44% shooter and 40% from 3 pt land and would punish double teams. He's never been a great defender, but can't be worse than francis. He is also a good citizen who has never really caused problems anywhere he's been. Though he missed some games this year, he has been virtually injury free in the 7 seasons he's been in the NBA.

A trade of Ray Allen and Luke Ridnour for Steve Francis and change would be amazing. Seattle is entrenched with wing players with Allen, Flip Murray, Brent Barry, Rashard Lewis and Vladmir Radmonovic. They do not have a point except for Daniels and Ridnour. A point like Francis would THRIVE in their uptempo offense and having a backcourt mate like Barry would lessen his ballhandling load and give him ample shooters (Radman/Barry/Flip/Lewis) to kick out to.

With their huge payments to Potapenko/Jerome James/Calvin Booth, I doubt they would want to take on Cato anyway unless we took back one of these.

I'm not sure when Allen's contract expires but this is an amazing player that we should try to get if we can.

 

Ray Allen AND Ridnour for Francis. That would be damn nice, but...Ridnour thrives on an uptempo team. We're never going to be that w/ JVG and Yao. Plus he doesn't play great defense. I still like both those players alot.

Steve would suck as a PG regardless of style of play until he works on some things. Yeah he could finish with dunks, but someone else is going to have to pass him the ball since he can't run fast breaks.

 

Well, what about SF, Cat, MoT for Paul Pierce plus filler ? MoT can start in the east, 3 starters for 1 starter.

Danny gets the running team he wants in Boston and the team will be a perennial playoff contender in the east and might even sneak into the final from the east.

Houston gets a top-3 SG plus tons of cap space to sign a PF in the off season. With Pierce and Yao on board, PG position should not be that important.

Don't know how to make the trade work salarywise though.

 

Allen is going to be 29 while Pierce is 2 years younger.
Allen also had injury problems.

 

That's a Van Gundy look-a-like standing near the Rockets' bench yelling "go, go"? And Vlade and Brad Miller are how much faster than Yao? And Peja is how much faster than JJax? And Bibby and Christie are how much faster than Francis and Mobley?

The transition tempo is determined by Francis not Van Gundy.

 

exactly. running the break is, like defense, mostly want-to. you have to bust your arse to push the tempo. when sac or the nets get there break going they suffucate the other team as effectively as any good defense can.

 

Seriously, WHY would Seattle do this?? Houston, IMHO, would absolutely rob Seattle blind if this trade happened.

 

I also dont know why Seattle would trade Allen for Francis. It really doesnt solve any of their needs. Which is better? Allen + Ridnour or Francis + Murray?
I would take Allen + Ridnour which is their CURRENT backcourt of the future.

I think the only REAL way to get the Sonics to listen to Allen trades is to get them some low post help. Perhaps a 3 way trade. As mentioned above to get someone like Kwame Brown to the Sonics or something.

 

Actually, as much as Allen compliments Yao, the more I think of it, the more it's the wrong kind of move for us. If we are going to move Steve, we should move him to build our team for the future. Allen is too long in the tooth to be in the long term picture. I would rather move Steve for young, not yet proven assets like Darko, Hinrich/Crawford, etc. and/or high pikcs, all of which have a chance to be significant players at the same time as Yao, rather than one sun setting while the other is on the rise.

 

somebody check real quick. did my head just explode? b/c it sure felt like it.


one thing i haven't seen brought up (or at least since i started reading from my first post) is to get Ray we have to use the TE b/c of steve's BYC status right?

if so, that makes me a little bit softer on doing this trade simply b/c that now makes going after sheed a little tougher. whereas we used to have our TE vs everyone's MLE, it's our MLE vs their MLE or we have to give up talent to get sheed.

Deuce, if we still have the TE, cat and boki and a pick is WAY too much to give up for rasheed. from what i can tell, ATL is planning on letting wallace go for nothing for the capspace. if they got anything free out of it like a pick just to help facilitate a S&T, i think they would be happy to do it. at most, you throw in boki. plus, one of the reasons, supposedly, that rasheed would want to come here is b/c he's friends with mobley.

GATER, are you really telling me jvg likes to run? yeah, he always yells "go, go" but if he really meant it and if he's such a tough guy who gets what he wants, wouldn't we run it more? wouldn't the knicks have run more? especially when everyone was saying they should run more with all their smaller, fast guys. instead, they plodded up the court to run the offense through ewing just like we do with yao. jvg likes a nice, slow halfcourt game. he didn't run in nyk and we don't run either. the same way their offense sucked and our's does and the same way their D was great and our D is great. jvg is what he is. an uptempo coach he isn't, no matter his faux attempts to get us to push the ball. frankly, i think he just wants us to start running the offense earlier, not actually push it up for a quicker shot. he does it even when the other team is already past halfcourt and we just got control of the ball.

 

This would immediately make our team worse, I don't think Alexander wants our team to go back to the lottery anytime soon. He and the Rox fans are tired of losing, if you think Houston Fans are bad now I can't imagine them after a few more lotteries.

 

Better to take one step back so you can go all the way forward than stay on a treadmill forever. We need to be realistic. Nobody wants to lose anymore, but would you rather be good for now without much chance of getting great, or worse for now but with a chance to be great later?

I don't want to be the Cavs and Hawks of the 80's, do you?