[Denver Post] Rockets Still interested in Wells...

From MSNBC.com

Bad News Bonzi

 

And have you forgotten that all the guards we've acquired pretty much, for lack of a better term, suck? People talk about this glut in our backcourt, but it's only a glut when there's actual substantial talent. As it stands, we have hands down the worst backcourt in the NBA. Coupled with the fact that we have unarguably the worst starting power forward in the NBA, that doesn't spell too well for our "win now" championship aspirations. We don't have a single proven commodity in our backcourt. Snyder I think will be a pleasant surprise, but at this point in time, he's basically just a player that two teams have given away for nothing. V-Span likely won't see the time of day, and Alston is pretty underwhelming as a starting point guard.

Bonzi, while he doesn't seem to fit, atleast gives us a foundation in the backcourt.

Lastly, to the few earlier in this thread that addressed a sentiment that they didn't want Bonzi because he will leave after this year....are you kidding me? We're one of only 6 teams in the entire NBA to not have gotten out of the first round in over a decade. We just traded away perhaps the top talent in the draft for a mediocre garbageman. We're not exactly in a position to be turning down talent due to the "future". We need results now and the fans damn well should expect results NOW. After the way this front office has bungled just about everything its touched since the championship years, anything less than immediate success is a complete and utter failure.

 

Assuming we do a S&T for Bonzi with the $4.2 TE and the contract is for $4.3 with the opt out clauses, how many years can we re-sign him for if we do the 20% raise and assuming he is agreeable so as not to take away our MLE next offseason?

That contract would start at $5.16 million and escalate. What would be the total difference in that contract at max years and the MLE contract?

This may be the moment that we have to mortgage the future by going out the most years and making that committment to Bonzi, even though he will probably be ready for retirement in 3 years. We are getting a bargain with Shane. If we could actually move Juwan and Head for either expirings or one more quality 4/5 player with either defensive or shooting skills, we should be in line for at least a couple championships with good health especially if Span turns out the way we hope he does. I am convinced that Snyder is going to be good for us and should give us great depth at the 2,3 as the primary 3rd player there behind TMac and Bonzi if inded we sign Bonzi. We would either need to dump Juwan for expirings to keep us under the lux tax or possibly get rid of him and Head for an upgrade at the 4.

I for one am actually hoping we keep Luther and give him minutes at the point when McGrady is initiating the offense. He can shoot and play very good defense. He's probably our best defender at the point. And a half court offensive unit with Head, Bonzi, McGrady, Battier, and Yao has plenty of great shooting and low post game. They would be very, very difficult to defend with Head, and Battier spreading the floor while McGrady operated up top with Yao and Bonzi cutting around the basket or posting up weak side.

I'd actually like to see Head develop into a sort of B.J. Armstrong role and then VSpan develop as the starting point guard and then be able to move Rafer to somebody that needs a point and will hand us an expiring contract to wash out his salary. That would be ideal. Either that or sign Bonzi and then move Juwan,Luther, and Rybo for a 4/5 that can shoot the ball from distance and defend the post (hint: Raef).

 

I like how the writer failed to mention that Tmac and Yao were did not play together for a lot of the season. Hmmmm, when our top 2 go to guys are out that MIGHT effect our scoring.

 

One interesting part of this whole scenario has been the absence of comment from McGrady. It's not like he hasn't been available for comment or to help with the recruiting of Bonzi. Wonder what that tells us?

Do I recall McGrady and Bonzi having a run-in several years back while McGrady was in Orlando or am I just thinking about Bobby Jax????

Anyway, it's interesting no comments from McGrady. I would think if we were really going after Bonzi hard that we would have heard from McGrady by now.

 

Damn now that is a great post giving insight on why Wells would be great in our system in the long run. However, I feel that Skip will be hard to trade for expiring contracts considering he's with us for like 3+ years. With his lack of shooting (at least this year) and if somewhat improves, it won't sore to 50% and be appealing to other trades. to sum it up, I don't think its possible to dump Rafer to any team. He's paid as a starting point but plays like a backup, plain and simple. But great post and man I wish we can go this route.

 

They signed Loren Woods to back up Brad Miller. We can also send up to $3 million in cash to cover salaries if they want to dump Bowen, etc. But you're right, it would probably take a pick, too.

 

No, I don't think Rafer can be moved now. And I wouldn't want to trade him now until VSpan proves he can play point. I'm talking about in a year or so when we are looking at another MLE and we need salary cap manuverability.

 

Good point. Small, quick backcourts have killed us. It would be nice to cause match-up problems for the other teams at times.

 

He was making a point about a lack of scoring opportunities for Bonzi in Houston. McGrady and Yao will take a ton of shots, and the Rockets play at a slow pace. It's unlikely Bonzi will score a lot in our system.

 

i think the report at the top of this page has already been posted.
im am pro bonzi!

 

Then he never should have used the fact we were "29th in scoring" in his argument. Talk about Yao and T-Macs % of shots compared to the rest of the team, and even so, how does that change now that Battier is on board, etc., etc. Detriot plays "at a slow pace" too, yet they rank 10 spots higher than us in scoring, why?

A poorly written article...

 

yeah, that article had some poor arguments.

but i think there is plenty of room for bonzi to showcase his stuff. Yao and tmac will get their 50 or so a night. Basically the only scoring threats outside of those two are battier, howard, head. If bonzi is on the team he will easily have a chance to get 15 or so a game. But i also think people need to realize that i dont think bonzi is going to be avging 20 ppg on anyteam he plays on.

 

With all these different opinions, maybe there should be a poll of where we think he will end up - Rockets, Nuggets, Heat, or the Bobcats; I'm sure like me, most of us are pro Bonzi; but that doesn't guarantee he will end up here.

 

Good point, I'm not sure if you can start one yet since you are a rookie, so I'll give it a shot, I am curious too what people are thinking...

 

From what I am getting in the article the writer is thinking Denver is the best option for Wells if he cannot get a S&T deal going between the Rockets and the Kings. Its odd that a top free agent like Wells is being shopped around two weeks before training camp when most teams have already spent money on other free agents.

 

Bonzi gambled on the Kings giving him a better deal than the one he first received. His agent, at the time, told him that the Kings would have to do a SnT with another team if they didn't up their offer.

Once John Salmons backed out of his verbal obligation to signing with Raptors, the Kings jumped at his services to replace Wells, they called his bluff and ended up with a younger, cheaper replacement.

Once his (now former) agent was told that a SnT was not going down with the Kings with any other team because of the King's luxury tax situation, it left Bonzi with his pants down due to the number of quality FAs that were already signed during the weeks that this was all transpiring. Teams ran out of money, and rightfully so, since no team realistically thought they had a shot at him to begin with. Until now, as teams such as the Rockets, Heat, etc. have swooped in like vultures with whatever they have left (TEs, MLEs, cap space) to get in on the carion, which in this case/point, should be considered "prime rib."

 

I'm not sure where this idea started that Bonzi could do a 1yr SnT, but that is against the rules of the CBA. SnTs must be for 3yrs, and none of those can be option yrs. An option yr would be a 4th yr, at the earliest.

 

Ok you and PGabriel are now the two guys I am most looking forward to seeing eat a massive crow.

Personally, I hope Battier comes in here and blows people away with how much better he is able to make this team. For his sake, for the team's sake, and especially for the sake of shutting up obnoxious people who want to belittle and trivialize the guy without ever even seeing him in a Rox uni or seeing his actual contribution to the team.

Battier is a Rocket now. It's time to come down off the ledge. If you support the team, then you need to start supporting him too. After all, if he is successful, plays well, and helps the team, then that translates into greater team success as well. Isn't that what you want? It's as if some of you people are hoping for Battier to fail.

At least have the good grace to allow him the opportunity to succeed or fail before you pass judgement.


Now regarding Bonzi: one of the nice things about having very strong, solid veterans is that it allows the ability to try to integrate young players into the mix without too much risk. With TMac, Yao, BAttier and/or Howard on the floor, those players will take a lot of pressure off of young players such as JL3, Snyder and the rest, because they simply will not have to carry much of a load. Instead of having to try to make large contributions, they will merely be required not to become a net negative. In such a situation, young players can grow and become more confident fairly quickly, which is a good thing. Our superstars will make it easier overall for them.

For that reason, I am more excited this upcoming season about seeing what the young guys can do than anything else. We know what TMac can do, we know what Yao and Howard can do. We know some of what Battier will do, but not everything. But we really have very little idea of what VSpan, Snyder, Novak, JL3, or any of these other young guys will be able to do. Heck we don't really even know exactly what Rafer will be able to contribute in on the floor with a healthy Yao and TMac for a whole season.

So adding a temp like Bonzi, no matter how good he may be, kind of scares me a bit, because I have this really nagging sensation that having him here could very well end up being a net negative for this team in the long run, because of taking away from the development of younger guys who will be here longer, as well as potentially ruining team chmistry for years to come. Probably wouldn't be thinking like that if the guy had not already proven himself to be a me-first knucklehead, but it's too late, he already did that. Not all that sure I want to add him into this mix we have now. No question he would be an upgrade in talent, but I just think that he comes with enough red flags to be genuinely concerned.

I doubt we get him anyway, but I definitely will not be crying about it if he ends up in Miami or Charlotte. Denver, meh. But if we somehow do end up with him, man I am going to be saying little prayers every day that we come out of the experience unscathed.

 

HP -
Check Coon more closely. The SnT must be for 3 years but only the 1st year must be guaranteed. It's right there in black and white.

Bonzi certainly wouldn't agree to letting the Rox have the option years and he's not likely to excercise year 2 off a $4.3M start. Vis-a-vis it's a one year deal.

UPDATE: From Coon #76 -

A sign-and-trade deal can be made even with players who have been renounced, but cannot be made when the player is signed using the Mid-Level, Bi-Annual or Disabled Player exceptions. Sign-and-trade contracts must be for three years or longer, but only the first season of the contract must be guaranteed. The three year minimum (even though the last two seasons may be non-guaranteed) ensures that the new team will not acquire Bird rights to the player any sooner than if they had signed him directly, because if they want to give him a new contract using Bird rights then they have to waive him first, which resets the Bird clock.