[Done Deal] Rockets dealing Juwan Howard for Mike James

Chron article with Alston and Adelman quotes and insight into what may be coming :

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/4891998.html


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June 14, 2007, 10:56PM
Trade for Howard brings capable guard back to town
Alston will vie with childhood pal for starting job at the point

By CHRIS ELLIOTT
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

New Rockets coach Rick Adelman wants a guard who can push the ball and create scoring opportunities, neither of which has been a problem for Mike James.

That's why Rockets general manager Daryl Morey didn't hesitate to trade Juwan Howard, a consistent role player and locker-room leader, to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday for James and forward Justin Reed.

"I think one of the things the team does need is somebody that can break people down and get to the basket," said Adelman, who replaced Jeff Van Gundy on May 23. "We're going to create opportunities for that, because (James') history is doing that."

James, who averaged 10.1 points and 3.6 assists last season, made it known he is ready to compete with incumbent Rafer Alston for the Rockets' starting job at point guard.

"I'm no good sitting on the bench," said James, a Rockets starter toward the end of the 2004-05 season.

Adelman likely will give both players a chance to make a case for playing the point during preseason, but he likes what the addition of James means for the depth of his backcourt.

"The whole key to building a team that's going to compete is to keep adding pieces that are going to make you a better team," Adelman said

Alston, who averaged 10.1 points and five assists last season, said he's at the point in his career where winning matters most.

"No one's called me and said where this leaves me or what direction the team is trying to go by having two starting point guards," said Alston, a childhood friend of James'. "I'll be 31. Mike will be 32. At this point in your career, you're (trying) to win a title."

The loss of Howard leaves the Rockets thin at the power forward position. Adelman knows it, and it's something he and Morey plan to address.

"I think we need to add people, there's no doubt," Adelman said.

 

That sounds very bitter to me...Alston -> out?

 

Bye bye Juan. It's official!!!

The curse is gone. I am so happy.

We also got Mike James back! I am so doubly happy.

 

I agree. I just expected him to be a little more emotional. He was obviously passionate about our team.

 

Ha!...was waiting for you to show up on this

 

hahahah Rafer is mad......knock down some OPEN shots and you wont have this problem

 

wow i didn't expect that at all from rafer...that "two starting point guards" was nice.

so two guys who both fully expect to start? a trade with rafer looks mighty possible.

 

James and Alston were childhood buddies?

 

Somewhere I read that they were on the same AAU Team, supposedly.

 

Alston said it last offseason wen he was a reporter 4 a day or something for channel 2 i saw it on youtube

 

so what can justin reed do besides being completely invisible?

 

If we could only put his mindset in bonzi. Then everything will be solved!

 

Oh man! Please tell me he didn't say something as silly and as meaningless as that. Unlike yourself, I not quite onboard with Morey especially after the JVG fiasco and I take his saying something like this as a sign that we have yet another guy running the organization who has trouble accepting reality.

 

Yeah. Looks like MJ's ego won out.

 

Not a fan of Hayes and I think they are smart enough not to over pay...maybe...but....

Early Bird contracts range fron 2 to 5 years with the max amount being the greater of 175% of prior contract or the league average (MLE). I'm guessing the fact that Rockets can pay him up to the MLE got confused along the way with using the MLE.

 

Hey! Why bring me into your argument? As I've said before it's not that I'm against the trading of Howard for James because I wasn't all that enthused with Howard anyway - it's just that this whole process of trading him away-trying to resign him-trading for him again has left me scratching my head about this organization. I also have some serious doubts about how much of a difference James can make given that he's not exactly the type of PG that has been successful in the West. That's why I'm underwhelmed by this move. But if you like it and really believe in it then cool. We all can have different takes on the current state of the Rockets.

I'm puzzled by this statement because if it takes something like this to "force" them to address the PF issue, then where have they been for the past 4 years since this has been a weakness ever since Cato left town.

 

I have said it in a previous post, but I'll repeat again:

JHO's 7.8(?)M salary is not within MJ's 5.6M * 125%+100k range. In other words, the one on one trade (with or without trade kicker) is illegal without another minimum salary to balance it out. It just appears that Reed is the other minimum salary we wanted.

Reed is not a salary dump Minny forced into our hands. He is a part of the minimum salary needed to make the swap work.

-- of course, I could be wrong on the salary figures, but I stand on to be corrected on that belief for now.

 

Hillboy- not intended in any way to be a personal shot. In my business, I guess you'd be saying -- "Objection, vague and ambiguous." What I was trying to say was that, regardless if you're high on rockets mgmt and current direction of the team, or low on those issues, as you appear to be, this trade, viewed alone as a single decision/transaction, is a good one. Clutch said it well, it is low risk (losing Jho) with good upside potential.

I get that one cannot evaluate management on this singe decision, and I'm not doing so. However, each decision merits its own analysis and management's track record is a culmination of all the decisions made, big or small. So, if one hates their track record but views this as a slightly positive or good move, that won't move the overall evaluation much, but it's a small step in the right direction.

As for my latter comment, I've been around management enough to know that sometimes, you need a vaccuum to create action. It's not one of the top ten paradigms of management, but it's reality. And I'm not saying that it's a good reason or any reason to make the Howard/James trade, but it is a good by product IMO. If we didn't make the trade, it is possible that management would address the PG situation in lieu of the PF situation. In a single offseason, it's not always possible to address all needs, particularly with limited assets.

To summarize, this single decision can only be reasonably viewed as a small step in the right direction, or a substantial upgrade with close to no downside.
I'd have a hard time understanding anyone that disagreed.

 

Thanks for an excellent post Rileydog-I am happy about the trade - with little downside. In the overall scheme of things- the trade kicker seems insignificant. After all- we paid Charlie Ward over 2 mil per season to "coach".

In my job - we have clients who will paint themselves in a corner-delay a decision until it is critical something be done - so the decision is easy - sink or swim and easy to justify - not explain. Not the best management- but it happens.

With this move the Mangement has done something good. Onward and upward-I'm not going to worry now about the past-why we made the deal to get Glen Rice, pass on Rashard, or sign Matt Maloney.

Go Rockets!!!!!