I thought it was very nice to see our rookies actually noticed in the NBA world •Luis Scola, Rockets forward -- The committee rarely considers rookies but Scola's extensive European career puts him in a different category. He's not the ideal running mate for Yao Ming -- or Shane Battier, for that matter -- because he's neither swift nor particularly agile. But he makes up for all that by being relentless and showing the kind of total team commitment we've come to expect from Argentines. His presence improves the Rockets' mental toughness and intelligence, both essential for making the most of coach Rick Adelman's system. Teammate Carl Landry was a late entry but it's too difficult to tell if he can sustain his recent contributions. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dime-080213
i think hes the perfect running mate for yao. athletic? we've had athletic and we all know how that turned out (stromile). he can shoot midrange and post up opposite yao. and he can give yao rest. he and landry will become a strong one two punch at pf.
Who would be the perfect running mate for Yao? In an ideal universe, which existing power forward would people like to have on the team? Let's make it interesting and not include current or former all-stars.
exactly right. he's fast enough to make up for yaos lack of foot speed. and he gives the rockets exactly what they need at the 4. he hits the mid range J, he gives the team a post option when yaos out, and he's a good rebounder. ditto for landry, who is also very athletic.
Honestly, Otis Thorpe. He did the dirty work alongside Hakeem and was a pretty reliable scorer. Basically, if Landry was like 2-3 inches taller, he'd be the ideal PF next to Yao.
I'd take Emeka Okafor. Glad to see ESPN noticing the Rockets. They usually don't give any kind of props to our team.
Okafur is more of a center ... I think an ideal PF would have more of a mid-range game and be able to cover ground more quickly and be more versatile defensively. I'm actually having a tough time thinking of some PFs would fit in better than what we have right now who haven't been all-stars.
LaMarcus Aldridge. That's kind of cheating since he is so young, he probably WILL be an Allstar someday. Let me think on that one a little more.
carl landry by the begining of next year hopefully he will become like the second round pick of clevland (carlos boozer)
LOL, espn wrong again. Being athletic isn't the requirement to be Yao's perfect mate. Just think about Swift, he's athletic, but so what? Scola is skillful, hardwork and smart, that's enough to be Yao's mate. Actually I think the two are a good duo. Anyone agree?
Very definitely agree. And I don't think Scola lacks that much in atheleticism, when you consider what he's able to do around the basket on offense, and his rebounding, which has to have a lot of people surprised, especially his offensive rebounding. Scola also gets up the court very quickly on the break and on defense. It might take a moment to get himself in gear, but at least his motor is always running. And the guy is really 6'10" in shoes, easily. He does an adequate job at the 5 spot when Yao needs a rest and Landry is in. Landry? Can you imagine how he'll be next season, with a full off-season to train with the staff? The guy is in amazing shape now. I think he can add some pounds of muscle and not lose a thing with his quickness and jumping ability. Why would we want to trade either one? We're set for the future at the 4, one of our weakest positions for years.
Gotta take exception to this. Swift? Maybe not. But — Agile? Take a look at some of his twisting, threading post moves, look closely at his footwork, and tell me he does not show agility. I honestly don't know how the guy makes some of those moves without travelling, but he does it beautifully. Thank goodness for my DVR.
It's good to see Scola up tere top five and Landry and AB are top 20 also. Congrats to them and I hope his Scola pts and rebound will increase. Landry PER is just beyond belief.
Chuck Hayes? Seriously, the only weakness in Scola's game that won't improve with some experience is shotblocking. I can't think of any player that blocks shots better than him AND has all of the other things he brings. He's a nice fit.
Denver was about to trade Kleiza for John Lucas III last year but won't include him in a deal for Artest this season??
