Watching how well guys like Jason Terry and Josh Howard are playing with the Mavs, it makes me wonder what it would be like if the Rockets could have 2 guys like that added to their roster to go with Yao/Tmac. Perhaps they can. Draft Ronnie Brewer and sign Mike James to a 3-4yr full MLE deal. Brewer is your defensive swingman, James is your 3rd scorer. In today's NBA, it is all about quickness and versitility. If you add a guy like Brewer to the lineup, the guy could in theory play 4 positions on the floor including an interesting quick lineup that could including Alston, James, Tmac, Brewer and Yao. That would give the Rockets a lineup with Yao plus 4 guys that can attack the basket. Just look at what the Mavs are doing with Dirk playing C and guys like Stackhouse/Howard at the 3/4 spots. With Brewer, the Rockets would get a guy that has long arms, can defend any team's best swingman (leaving Tmac time to rest a bit on defense). Brewer is a good passer so he would be another guy that would be good in "post entry passing" to Yao. With Brewer, you could have him start the offense with guys like Tmac/James on the wings and Yao in the post. Lots of options! If the Rockets added James, then they get a guy that can hit the 3pt shot, break down the defense with his penetration and get a guy that knows the system and has a bulldog personality. The Rockets would still have a #32 pick to draft a range shooting PF and their 4.2M Trade Exception to perhaps pick up another PG. PG: James / Alston SG: Brewer / Head SF: Tmac / Bogans PF: Howard / Swift / Hayes / #32 pick C: Yao / Mutombo The Rockets would have a lot of versitility with that team. You could mix and match a number of lineups there. There is size and speed. The Rockets would have added guys that can create off the dribble without just throwing the ball to Yao and Tmac and have a bunch of guys just standing around.
the more I consider Brewer, the more I think I like what he brings to the team as a swing player. Length, speed, defense, passing, not a ball hog. My initial reaction was hey, another shooting guard who can't shoot! But the majority of todays players shoot in the low to mid 40% range. And Brewer would be a third option, not the first option. He seems like a player with great intangibles who would work hard on his game year after year, and not just eat cheetos and play video games. He seems like a good fit with a scoring combo point guard like a Mike James.
I agree with your suggestion. I have been on the Brewer bandwagon for a while. With the 32nd pick we can draft someone like Mike Gansey, Steve Novak , P.J Tucker or Dee Brown.
At #32, any of those guys would be solid for the Rockets, especially Novak. On the Rockets roster, the Rockets have a great #1 and #2 in Yao and Tmac. They have a decent bench group from #7 on down. The Rockets just need to find quality "starters", guys #3 through #6. If the Rockets could obtain Brewer and James that would be two guys that could fill in those holes.
See, the fatal flaw in this strategy is that the Mavs do not have a 7'6" man giant clogging the lane. Got to build AROUND Yao.......Brewer is a good athlete, but if he can't hit the long ball consistently he won't fit it. We don't have to play like the Mavs to beat em. DD
I am not saying we have to play the like the Mavs to beat them. But having the ability, versitility to put a different type team on the floor with Yao certainly is nice. It's not just about 4 guys standing on the perimeter and Yao in the post. It's not the old days of Hakeem. The team needs to exploit the way the NBA officials are calling the game today, and that's with attacking the basket and quickness on the perimeter. Maybe Brewer wouldnt be as money as Redick from the outside, but Brewer could also drive and colapse the defense, perhaps then in effect getting Yao an easy shot off of a pass. I agree that shooting is also key, and that's why I also mentioned James, someone that does have a decent 3pt shot. I also want to say with James and Brewer..... Both can put the ball on the floor and penetrate. And both can be quality DEFENDERS. Versitility.
Yet the Mavericks BARELY beat the San Antonio Spurs who do run the offense the Rockets use. Tmac and Alston(or other starting PG) should penetrate, we need a 4 and a 2 that can stretch the defense, and move without the ball. I would be ok with Brewer, but I feel that Redick is far and away the best pick. DD
No question that Mavs/Spurs series was a coinflip. Duncan was still dominant and that's why the Yao advantage is huge. But also keep this in mind, the Spurs "to keep up" with the Mavs used Duncan at C and moved down at PF with either Bowen or Finley (even Horry wasnt used!) It almost worked. Sound similar to what I suggested above with Brewer at the 4? I agree that the 4 and 2 should stretch the defense. If you have Alston and James at the guards you can do that. And both can matcup with Dallas' guards. You can play BIG with James/Brewer/Tmac/Swift(Howard)/Yao. Or you can play smaller with Alston/James/Tmac/Brewer/Yao. Or perhaps something in between. Versitility.
To be fair, Nachbar was awesome in his workout as well. And look how that turned out. It's one thing to hit shots in a workout and another to hit them against NBA competition. I think that's why the Rockets liked Luther Head, he hit shots against big time competition in the NCAA tournament. With Brewer the shooting shows he has the range, and can hit the shot. So he is not a complete liability from the 3pt line. But also he brings so much more to the table. The skillset is much more varied.
It's all about team versatility in today's NBA. This combination of bringing in James through FA and adding Brewer with the #8 has really got me excited about the match up possibilities. Having the ability to dominate in the half court, as well as having a team to match up full court would really give us a true advantage in the western conference.
Why do people keep saying "in today's NBA."?? First, today's NBA includes the Heat, a team in the Finals, who may still win it all, that is as classical a big man post-up, SG dominant team there is. Second, the only really different team in "today's NBA" is the Suns, in that they really don't have all that many great players, are not very deep, yet run such a unique system it takes them far. But the Mavs - they're no different than champions of the past. They have a great player, and role players who are better than average and play their roles perfectly. That's no different than the Pistons, Spurs, Lakers, Bulls, Rockets, etc. At the end of the day, while it makes sense for the Rockets to add players whose styles compliment the current squad, if all they do is just add more talented players who can understand and play their role, the team style will work itself out, and they'll be a good team. My point is just that there are very few, if any, teams out there that have a lot of great talent and a deep bench yet still suck because they are running a bad style. Teams with better players, and more of them, win, regardless of style, or the way "today's" NBA is moving.
You are so right DD 'EVERY' move, selection or trade must bear this in mind . Not only do we need to sign JAMES but we need a tall athletic Power Forward, a back up Small Forward, a back up Center and a great shooting Guard. It might take two off seasons so all be patient.
While I agree that your line up is more versatile and intriguing than last years, I personally am not terribly interested in Brewer at #8. In fact with only 6 good prospects in this draft, I’m not terribly interested in the 8th pick for what we need. I’m still nauseas at the thought of winning the second to the last game of the season when I look at this draft class. While Brewer has versatility (to play 1 or 2), length, ball handling and defensive tenacity (that Van Gundy seems to crave); I cannot shake the image from last year of all those wide open shots clanging off the rim. We flat out need perimeter shooting to take pressure off Yao & T-Mac. Thus, I am scared of a 2 guard the knock on whom is he can’t shoot at #8. IMO, the Rockets starting 5 needs a complete and unselfish player who can do it all (offensively and defensively). I hate our line up where one guy can shoot but not block shots while another guy can block shots but doesn’t rebound and can’t shoot. Or where one guy can shoot but not handle the ball and another can handle it but not shoot (no one player on our current roster at the 4, 2 or 1 can do all that is needed). Thus, assuming that neither Rudy Gay or Brandon Roy are available at 8 (and I don't expect them to be) I hope to see us trade out of the #8 pick. If at all possible, I prefer to trade up with Atlanta or Minnesota (who needs a PG like Marcus Williams) to land either Rudy Gay or Brandon Roy. As we don’t have much to offer to trade up other than Stromile Swift, the #32 and next years #1 trading up seems very unlikely. If trading up is not possible, I’d rather see us trade down than take Brewer at #8. I would like to see us explore trading down with either Orlando (for #11 and their PF from last years draft Fran Vazquez) or with NOK to get their 12th & 15th picks. With the 11th or 12th pick there is still a shot at landing Brewer according to some mock drafts. With the #15 from NOK you could also draft the best available PF (maybe C. Simmons or A. Johnson from FSU who ESPN says has worked out very well). Use the #32 for someone like Novak to add shooting and some youth and you might have a decent draft. Further, in the event that #11 or #12 is a bust (and I’m not saying it would be but you know our draft record of late) hopefully F. Vazquez or the # 15 pans out. This is my preference to drafting Brewer at #8.
The Rockets have so many needs and so little depth that anyone can make a case for the person that they want the Rockets to draft. Brewer and James would be great additions to the Rockets as would Redick, Sheldon Williams or Marcus Williams. I think drafting any of these would be awesome but still leave us sizeable holes to fill through out the rest of the roster. So one question I have to ask myself is which holes are easier to fill outside of the draft. We have a potential point guard in VSpan if we can get him over here so if we draft Marcus Williams then I suggest trading his rights. Signing Mike James adds a legit 3rd scoring threat and a guy that can hit the 3 point shot so adding Redick's shooting might not be needed quite as much. Brewer actually seems like a very solid pick to me. Someone that will bring something to the game every night...even if his offensive game is not clicking. Sheldon Williams is another that would bring something to the game every single night. My ideal off season would have us: - signing Mike James by way of sign and trade and using the trade exception. - signing VSpan with the MLE - signing Scott Padgett for his outside shooting - trading down with Orlando for their 11th pick and Deshawn Stevenson - Picking either Sheldon Williams or Ronnie Brewer with the 11th pick..one of them should be their. - Drafting P.J. Tucker with the 2nd round pick We would come to camp with: Reafer Alston 6’2” pg Mike James 6’2” sg/pg Vspan 6’4” pg Deshawn Stevenson 6’5” sg P.J. Tucker 6’5” sg/sf Luther Head 6’3” sg/pg T-Mac 6’9” sg/sf/pf Scott Padgett 6’9 pf Yao Ming 7’5” c Sheldon Williams 6’9”pf/c or Ronnie Brewer 6’7” sg/sf Jhoward 6’9” pf Stro 6’9” pf/c Deke 7’2” c That is a lot of youth, athleticism, height and experience to go along with Yao and TMac. Lots of versatility with players that can thrive in the half court or run you out of the building. We have shooters and slashers. And there is a hell of a lot more talent on that team than we finished last season with.
Reacquiring Mike James is definitely the top thing on my offseason wishlist. I would be tremendously pleased if we got him. Lots of potential for next year if so. In that case, a good SF rookie would be welcome.
Rumor in Seattle's paper is that they are wanting to trade their #10 for a player. Maybe we send them Stromile for Fortson and #10. Now, we are sitting on 2 picks. We could definitely get both Brewer and Redick then. Stro is a lot to give up for an unproven pick however. CD and "Moneyball" would have to feel pretty optimistic about the player to do that deal.
