Do you throw away the first-round pick for Payton?

If we are going to trade away that pick I would rather see us get something better than Gary Payton at the end of his career.

 

After thinking about it, I no longer think the 1st round pick should be traded. The Rockets need a young forward (either small or power) to come onto the roster.

 

The success rate of late first round picks is abysmal. I'd trade one away for the right piece to the puzzle. I'm not sure Payton is that piece.

I'd make the trade if it were the TE and a pair of #2s.

 

I don't see how a SG/SF solves our current point guard problem. Let alone a minor league one.

It's the dropoff from Sura to anyone else on this team at the point guard slot. If we have Payton in there instead of Strickland and Barrett last night, we win. I don't think that's a stretch of the imagination.

 

OK- we have seen the potential of TMac and Yao with the right role players.

We need to look at next season.

TMac does not look to be 100%. He has lost his explosiveness.
I think he is injured and playing through it.

Strickland is horrible.

Barrett is fair. Barry did all right handling the ball.

Try to sign another back up guard or make a steal of a trade, but don't give up a #1 pick for a quick fix.

Too much against us right now to make a run this season.

 

Rockets need to sign the guy who got interviewed on the Jim Rome show (Hook Mitchell?).

 

The Rockets have had a terrible draft history, and we're not getting a Top 5; but given our delicate and aging roster, we need that draft pick, even if it is a prospect.

Just say no to Payton.

 

I'd take Payton or Cassell for our first rounder.....assuming Sura is done for a while.

I think its a blessing in disguise that this happened (Sura's injury) when it did....2 days before the trade deadline.

 

The Rockets need to hold onto to their pick. With so many high schoolers and foreigners entering the draft, a lot of good college players are falling to the late first round. We may not even be late in the first round anymore. With Sura out, we could could have a higher pick.

Last night showed how badly we need energy players like Sura on this team. The Rockets didn't play with the same aggression and energy that they usually do. That's why the Sonic got so many more rebounds and free throws. We can find that energy player through the draft. Young, athletic, hungry players are what this team desperately needs. Not more aging players that have accomplished everything already.

Wesley and Barry can handle the point for the rest of the season.

 

The real gifts Sura brings are: tenacity, rebounding, ball protection, and
chemistry. I'm not sure you can trade for 'heart'. That having been said:

Mike James - MAYBE FOR TE

Gary Payton - NOPE, TOO RISKY TO TEAM CHEMISTRY

Rafer Alston - BEST VALUE AVAIL; GIVE #1 AND TE

Eric Snow - BEST RENT-A-GUARD

Sam Cassell -WHY IMPORT DISCONTENT ?

Troy Hudson -SECOND BEST RENT-A-GUARD

Damon Stoudemire - UP IN SMOKE

Nick Van Exel -PROVEN RENT-A-PLAYER

Derek Anderson -WOULD BE NICE IN GUARD ROTATION, BUT WHO GETS NUDGED WHEN SURA RETURNS ?

Derek Fisher -FOR TE ONLY

Sorry, I don't know how any of this works out with cap/Real GM formulae.

1. We only lost by a bucket last night, and by all reports the refs were
hallucinating. Let's trade with clear head/vision, not reactively.
2. Harmony/chemistry/passion (cardinal factor in winning mode) must be
protected/enhanced in any trade/acquisition moves.
3. It seems as if there are FA/2nd round/Euro guards every year that slip through our grasp in the draft and even during the season (Damon, we hardly knew ye...). Who is evaluating our backcourt talent ?
4. Damaged goods: Ward, Strickland, Taylor, Barrett. That's a lot of
cap n' roster space, Carroll !
5. How bad IS Reece Gaines that he's not in this conversation ?

 

A first round pick is too much, I mean have any of you guys been paying attention to college basketball this year? There are TONS of talented point guards out there, CD and JVG seem to be a great talent evalutating team, they'll draft a good one.

With that said, if there's any way to get GP in a Rocket uniform without giving up that first rounder, they have to do it. With the way the West is stacked this season a small setback can let the Lakers, Wolves or even the Nuggets catch up, can't let that happen.

 

At this point, the closest thing to Bob Sura is Jon Barry. I'd send him out there as the point and I would trade for Gary Payton as backup as long as Gary Payton was willing to accept that role.
.

 

The answer is YES, only because JVG isnt going to give a rookie playing time anyway. If that first round pick is going to ride the pine for at least 2-3 years before he sees any playing time, what good is it???

First round picks are nothing but trade fodder to JVG.

 

We HAVE to do something. Strickland is HORRIBLE - when undrafted Barrett and hustle-scrub Bowen came in last night for Strickland and Tracy frickin McGrady, we went on a run. Think about that for a second.


Mike James - ok

Gary Payton - NEVER!!!! He ranks up there w/ Malone and Kobe as players I hate.

Rafer Alston - No way. Rox will choke on that contract.

Eric Snow - better than Strickland

Sam Cassell - for MoT I'd do it, but do we need to hurt the chemistry?

Troy Hudson - better than Strickland

Damon Stoudemire - mmmm...ok for the right price

Nick Van Exel - he wants to play in TX, will Portland part w/ him?

Derek Anderson - A little overrated on the board lately IMHO, but the best value (wrt what we'd give up) if we could do it for MoT and 2nd rounder

Derek Fisher - No! See Alston, Rafer

 

Its a no brainer, I would trade that 1st round pick for Payton who is a pure point guard. Sura brings you hustle and incredible rebounding, but Payton is a pure point guard who I think would make the rocket players better especially on defense. Having two former defensive players of the year on your team would be awesome. Any of the skills Payton has lost over the years , most current players don't even have those skills anyway. We can always buy a late 1st round pick come draft time cause most teams late in the draft want veterans and don't want to commit to giving a kid 3 to 4 yr contract ala Reece Gaines.

 

Don't rememeber Van Gundy ever having a rookie good enough to play heavy minutes, do you?

Talk to some college basketball heads and they'll tell you that point guard play has been outstanding this year, highest it's been in years, there has to be some PGs out there good enough to earn some minutes on his rotation. Now if he just refuses to play rookies no matter how good they are, then maybe they should trade it, but not for 30+ games of GP.

 

I'd rather give up the 1st rounder for NVE or Stoudemire, they at least have sizable expiring contracts.

But the Rockets definitely need to make a move. The production our PGs gave us last night is what they will do every night, crap. IF we send Strickland/Barrett out there everynight, we will be in a lot of trouble.

 

No way. We're still in building mode, not contending just yet. We aren't going to win the title this year, Payton or no Payton (does anyone really want to picture Mitten vs Parker a year later?), but we are going to need to continue to add pieces to the team after this year (Payton or no Payton).

Trading our #1 for GP would be analogous to a young couple blowing some downpayment savings for a vacation. Be smart.

Evan

 

Yeah, because if a guy like Frederic Weis, the highest draft pick ever under JVG (not his selection, btw), can't get playing time under Jeff Van Gundy, then no rookie ever will - because Van Gundy obviously HATES rookies no matter how skilled, like Weis.

 

Mike James anyone??

I am not sure what it would take, but I would love for us to try to make another run at the Bucks Mike James. We tried to get him earlier in the year for Nachbar but they turned us down. BTW James is making 3M per.

I think if we were able to get someone like James he would be sufficient to keep this team going. And would easily be a quality backup when Sura returns. James is a good penetrator and good defender.

TE, Barrett, Gaines, 2nd rounder? Anything like that for James?

I dont think I would give up a 1st rounder though.

Derrick Anderson or Mike James...either one would be solid for this team.