Eddie would be the perfect PF for us. Rebounding, shoots well, blocks shots, not a bad passer, but we had our chance with him. It is just funny how bad we need a power forward and if we wouldve just stuck with him and helped him out a little more.....then we would have one.
Deuce, I'm not defending the Rockets because they've admittedly made their fair share of blunders, but it's tough for an NBA team to just up and get rid of a player they covet so much. Iverson - are you going to cut him for skipping practices and backlashing at the coach? Kobe - outlasted Shaq and Jackson even though everybody knows he's nothing but a whiny spoiled brat who cheated on his wife... oh but yeah, he's probably one of the 3 or 4 best players in the league. EG wasn't in their class, but he was heralded as a stud player, so if you gave up on him early you risk the chance of him being the next Jermaine O'Neal or something. The Rockets had high hopes for this kid and probably thought they could turn him around or probably gave him umpteen chances - who knows. Did they wait too long? Probably. But knowing what you potentially had on your hands and what you gave up to get it, would you have done any different? I don't know... I have no idea what the Rockets were thinking or what all happened behind the scenes. My guess is that when it came down to the guns firing, they said "whoa, this isn't us and we don't want anyone else, fans or otherwise, thinking this is what the Rockets are about or condone." I think the gun fire erupting was just the final straw where they finally said "we waited too long".
D.o.D, I agree, my whole point is that we gave up too early. I feel you have to treat the players as an Asset and cutting an asset and getting nothing in return, IMHO, is just stupid. DD
Eddie will probably play really well against us when the wolves coming into town. Just like Kenny Thomas, or Steve Francis or Cutino Mobley.
LOL, I guess you have not read some of the other posts in this thread (or only the ones you "want" to read) or you would see that we gave him more than a 2nd chance but like a 3rd, 4th, and maybe even a 5th chance. Seriously, this "we didn't give this kid a chance" crap needs to stop. If Griffin felt he didn't have a problem back then, how in the hell were the Rockets going to help him?
my gripe isnt that we didnt keep Eddie but why didnt management have the foresight to trade him or for us to at least get something back. i mean, the eddie situation overall was about as BAD as it couldve been - we traded 3 1st round picks - we waived him, got nothing for it - he is now playing well
Honestly, I think we can all debate this issue until the cows come home. I think the "bigger picture" here isnt so much Eddie Griffin, but Eddie Griffin "the asset" that is lost. And this is just a symptom of a greater problem here and that is this team hasnt done a good job of amassing talent. Props to them for stinking and getting the #1 pick to get Yao. And props for making the Tmac trade work. Props for finding Jim Jackson. All positives. But other than that this team is woeful interms of talent/assets. Despite his big contract, James Posey on this team would look pretty good right now. We all moaned (I admit I did too) about his large 4 year 24M contract but you know what? If we had matched the Grizzlies and kept Posey, I bet Posey would be right behind Yao and Tmac as a desireable or at least "tradable" asset. Is he overpaid? Probably, but he plays hard and teams wouldn't mind having him on their roster. The same cant be said for Taylor, Spoon and Howard and their contracts. I am not sure what the Rockets "long range" plan is for putting talent around Yao and Tmac but hopefully they have a strategy. Right now I have no idea what it is! Perhaps this is best left for a new thread, but what is the strategy?
yep, it is good to be certain. Unfortunatly, I am not certain, I just remember Rudy talking about the team not really knowing what to do with a 19 year old kid his rookie year. That tells a TON of the story right there. Duece is right, I am more about the ASSET. Manny, no one has said the Rocks did not give him a chance or multiple chances, just that they could have been more proactive in dealing with a young troubled and talented man. DD
Well what's done is done. It would be nice to have him back. we really could use him. By the way, are Cato and Mobley free-agents at the end of the year. I can't believe i'm saying this, I do miss them a bit.
