The reason I ask is that he is wanting a full 5 year MLE deal and the Rockets are reportedly offering only a 3 year deal. Chances are that he will not be the same player after the age of 34, so do the Rockets bite the bullet and give in to his 5 year demands, or do we let him walk to Dallas or Minnesota? And, do we actually need him? It would seem that our starting lineup is pretty darned good without MJ, and personally I would rather use the money to get a PF upgrade if possible. Bring in JL3 as the backup PG to change the flow of the game, and have an 8 man rotation of : Starters Alston Tmac Battier Howard Ming Bench Novak Hayes JL3 That team would be pretty darned competitive, and you could bring over V-Span and let him start getting acustomed to the NBA game, maybe pry that PF away from the Spurs as well Sciola etc. So, are we desperate or do we need Mike James to compete? I feel a poll coming on.... DD
Also, please explain your reasoning as well. Personally, I think it is worth the risk, as he will be good for at least 3 of those years, maybe all of them. However quickness starts to dissapate around the age of 33 or 34, so.... DD
I voted yes. He seems very durable. He's extremely effective right now. James is a complete bargain right now for the MLE. Will he continue to be? Only time can tell. Sam Cassell is still going strong and he's ancient. I think age takes a backseat to durability.
If your depth is dependent on the production of those three players off the bench, we would be in no way a contender in this conference. I think what MJ provides that this team sorely needs is 1) an ability to create his own shot 2) a fiery personality and high level of competitiveness that the team sorely missed last year 3) a high three point percentage and a willingness and ability to become a thirs scorer next to our two stars. To think that JL3 would be a viable replacement or a good second option is absurd at this point.
We don't HAVE to have him, but we HAVE to improve, and he presents our best chance to do so. I'm not worried about the $$$. He's gotten better every year he's been in the league and he's still in the prime of his career. He should be fine for the first 3 years, and in year 4 he'll have an expiring contract. James will help us. We need help.
DD, you should have added, "Do you think he's worth the 4 year MLE?" I think that's what he'll end up with, and from the Rockets. I think 5 years would be nuts, but I'm not the GM. The pickin's are slim, but I'm not sure James deserves quite the frantic attention he's getting right now. I think being freeaked out about the Gay trade may have a little to do with the, "For god's sake, don't let him get away!!!" posts we've been seeing. Oh, I almost forgot... for god's sake, don't let him get away!!!
I voted no, but I think he's a better bet than an overpaid PF. We need a third option and Shane's not gonna be that option night in and night out. Mike does the trick on the energy level and with the points. If he can spell Ellie with heart and determination he will be part of the glue that holds us together; however, talent wise, we don't need him. He is what we can afford and end the end makes the team better. BUT WE STILL DONT NEED HIM TO COMPETE. He certainly will not be a difference maker like a solid 4/5 off the bench. I'd like to see a young swing player and another big body on this team before i'm gonna get pumped up about mike james. In my mind, the biggest hole on the Rockets is a back up Center. We will get eaten alive every time Yao sits. We can try to play small ball all you want, but we will get beat at small ball 7 times out of 10 (with or without mike james).
If Sam Cassell at 36+years can still be getting good money for another two years, I don't see why we can't take a risk on Mike James. He will still be young 36 then.
Mike James played his first game as a Rocket on 02.27.2005 against the Jazz. The Rockets were 32-21 at the time. The Rockets were 19-7 from there on which translates into a 57.7 win season. This was done with Clarence Weatherspoon as the starting PF for 2/3 of those games and with Ryan Bowen in the rotation. One of the losses was with Yao a DNP so you could techically say that James was 19-6 with Yao and TMac...59.9 win rate. Most of those wins were against playoff bound teams. Bottomline...pay him and don't go cheap. Battier was $2M cheaper than Stro + Gay.
How many players have career years in their 30's? Not only that but James has continuously improved every year he's been in the league. Now that's not to say MJ will average 25 points a game as Rocket or anything crazy like that but he's durable and dependable. I have no problem giving him a contract lasting longer than three years simply because I think he has the engine and basketball lifespan to earn every dime of the contract we give him.
You can sort of argue that James doesn't have the same wear on him a typical player of his age would have because he spent yrs. overseas and all, in any case injuries haven't really ever been an issue. I don't see why we wouldn't split the difference and give him 4yrs., I sure he'll remain a quality player and he's show he can deal with his role either as a starter or off the bench. And on another note the "apes" that man and current monkeys and apes evolved from are extinct, the current "models" are just those that were best at adapting. Try a natural history museum or a highschool level biology class someday.
Look at our bench, we would have absolutely zero depth. You forgot to add Head, but a rookie and 2 undrafted players who were on and off teams last season isn't good enough to be competitive in the West. Even if you bring over VSpan and Scola, those are still 2 Euro guys who haven't seen a minute on a NBA court. It's a decent starting lineup but you have to have a strong bench IMO. Spurs (last season)- Horry, Barry, Finley, Rasho Mavs- Stackhouse, Dampier, KVH, Daniels, Armstrong Heat- Payton, Zo, Posey The Pistons didn't have the depth they had when they won it all. Bringing in Mike James (if he started) would move either Alston or Battier to the bench, which would instantly make us a much deeper team. Starters: Mike James TMac Battier Howard Yao Bench: Alston Head Novak Hayes or Starters: Alston James TMac Howard Yao Bench: Battier Head Novak Hayes
I think we need to get James even if it means signing him to a 5-year deal. Nietzsche once said something to the effect that people usually do to much in the beginning and rush into a mistake so forcefully that it leads to a second mistake. Afterward, they do too little. Historically, we have already overpaid pg such as Moochie and Maloney. We definitely did too much there. Now, we can't be afraid and do too little. We probably still need some upgrade at pf though.
He’s the best option available to be the 3rd option for this team, but I don’t think the gap between him and Marcus Banks (plan B) is as huge as some believe, considering the age difference and the likelihood of Banks improving and James declining. I’m inclined to think that his production on a good playoff team will be roughly the same as it was here his first go around, about 12-14 points a game. Nothing special or irreplaceable. He’s good enough to be the main target for this team, but not good enough to be the ONLY target.
I would not give him 5 years. 3 years max and that is only because this team will be so bad after that stupid trade.
I like Mike James and I think he would make an excellent compliment on this team, but I wonder when I read people talking about how he is the missing piece or how he is so important to the team. I dunno, MJ has some skills, but if we are depending on him for our success, I'm not so sure we'll be all that successful.
