Seriously I feel sorry for Chad Ford. He so much wants to belong to the elite group of journalists and legitimately earn the money ESPN pays him but he always falls short. I have gleened almost every NBA team's BBS and they all feel they same way about him - not good. He is probably the only journalist along with maybe Vecsey that enjoy unique "privilege". Hey Chad try this - keep it simple and humble. Stop trying too hard. It is not the end of the world if afterall you are not good enough. Start first by hinting your ESPN supervisors to get rid of the insider junk. Then try a few journalism refresher course at DeVry. Then go from there. All the best.
Gotta wonder if the Rockets will combine the expiring contracts of Baker and Weatherspoon and, say, a 1st round pick or two and go after a really solid power forward. That would be during the offseason, of course. That's how these sportsdudes get it wrong. The Taylor trade was for the future. Stromile? Elton Brand, even (the Clips have Wilcox). Gotta think big. Cheap owners make bad deals. And so it goes.
brand is there to stay wilcox on the other hand was reported to be upset with the lack of playing time in LA and wanted to be somewhere he can be a productive player for a team. the guy is a big athlete, good rebounder slasher still pretty raw in terms of his shooting. but he could be a possible answer but i dont see envision him here. i think a desperate team will throw him big money that la wont match and land him
ahh, elton brand. if the clippers weren't already way under the cap this next season (they only have $28M committed according to HH), maybe they'd consider getting rid of brand's huge contract since they aren't going that well anyway and sterling has always been a cheap b*stard at heart who hates owing money long term. but i still don't see anything we could give them except expiring contracts or low 1st round picks and that can't possibly be enough. although they did drop down from the 2nd pick to the 4th just to get rid of drobnjak's contract so who knows with them.
when i read the title of the article from the thread i was for sure the rockets were gonna be listed among the WINNERS but i kept on reading crap reasons justifying other teams' moves and eventually came across us under the losers...its ridiculous how badly CHAD FRAUD sucks as an analyst...i mean the guy thinks that we got mike james bc we were unhappy with suras PG play and wanna move him to the 2?? uhhh hello? did you not notice that sura will be out for 2 wks, and even so mike james is a solid player who will help our team greatly even with a healthy sura...this guy seriously needs to be fired for writing this kinda crap
This is not just dumb, but completely INCORRECT! I read on ESPN.com that, at some point down the road, KVH will be paid over 14 mil for 1 season. How's that not a bad contract. KVH = bad contract!
and how's that not a bad contract? It's like 2 mo taylors for the same production... maybe a bit more, but not much.
I had seen enough right there to know Ford was full of crap............just what the Mavs need another sweet shooting white guy who can't play D.............yeah getting another guy who emulates basically every good quality on your team, while also emulating every reason why our Rox are going to bounce your ass in round 1 of the playoffs is significant. The Mavs needed D, but got another scorer who can't play D...........real significant
Vin Baker was in Zeke's doghouse. We don't need him per say - just his shorter and cheaper contract. Same for mooch - but with Sura out he might actually see limited playing time for a bit. Once Sura's back (no pun intended) - expect the moocher to ride the pine (where he belongs IMO).
One thing he said does make sense: Depending on how James plays, we should seriously consider starting James and playing Sura at the 2 with Wesley coming off the bench. Wesley is really streaky and would be better suited for Vinnie Johnson-esque instant offense. Sura could start at 2 and when James is on the bench, move to the 1. These trades really give the Rockets a lot of flexibility in the back court.
Unless James can provide the perimeter defense that Wesley can, I would prefer to keep Wesley in starting lineup and have James be the first guard off the bench (he can sub for Wesley, and Sura would then move over to the 2 or even 3 spot).
James is a better One an one defender. wesley however is Primeter defender. i think Mikes role is to come off the bench creat a spark hit a couple of 3's and job well done.
As for Chad Ford's analysis.... Pretty good analysis. I think he UNDER plays the Rockets moves, mostly because he isnt very familiar with the team. Ric Bucher (Yao book) was on ESPNews last night and said he LOVED our moves, no surprise. Loved that we got James and the cap clearing with Mo. But he is VERY familar with the team. What actually surprises me is Ford really didnt hit on our Taylor move as it relates to our Cap situation. Normally Ford GUSHES over teams preparing themselves for expiring contracts. I dont think he realizes our cap structure for next year or else he would be more up for our Taylor move. Again reinforcing the fact that Ford is not very familiar with the Rockets. I think sometimes Ford sometimes he gets caught up in the "numbers" and flashy things (example KVH). Subtle moves that fill holes and help with chemistry someone get missed by him. To illustrate this, I do think he OVER valued the Mavs trade. I dont see the fit for KVH. Why does Dallas need MORE offense? I would say they need the opposite. While the Spurs were adding defensive big men the Mavs were getting offensive big men with little defense, basically the same thing with what they already have. I think this cements the fact that Cuban and Nellie just under value defensive role players and prefer offensive showy players. Until they realize the VALUE of good defensive role players they will never win a championship. Other than that, I think his analysis of these Trades is pretty spot on. Marc Stein hit it with his analysis. He took into account the Wesley and Barry moves along with James and made some good points! They arent "flashy headlining moves" but they are quality moves that augment Yao and Tmac. Overall, I think the best guy to judge the Rockets without a doubt is ESPN The Magazine's RIC BUCHER. The guy helped write the Yao book. He is VERY familar with the team and what we are trying to do and thereby he will offer the most intelligent analysis of our moves.
It must be something they teach at Baylor. After how to accuse your dead teammates of being drug dealers...
Terrible analysis. I agree with him on less than half the teams. THE WINNERS Philadelphia 76ers: I agree. Dallas Mavericks: He's on crack. Milwaukee Bucks: I'd say more of an in-between than a winner or loser. Probably closer to loser since I think re-signing Redd will doom them to mediocrity. Golden State Warriors: Would disagree. If Davis stops getting hurt, they make out like bandits. But, that seems unlikely. Huge gamble. Not a winner. San Antonio Spurs: Gotta agree with him here. The LOSERS New York Knicks: True, but BY is always a loser. New Orleans Hornets: Disagree. Not a winner, but injuries have decimated the team and they've been handcuffed by contracts. Blowing it up and starting over is a good idea. It may not be a great FA destination now, but if they draft intelligently and build the team the right way, it shouldn't be a problem. As much as I hate Shinn, the Hornets have been good at fielding competitive teams on the cheap. Minnesota Timberwolves: Yeah. Toronto Raptors: It's not that big a deal. Portland Trail Blazers: Ditto. SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN Boston Celtics: Ainge is on crack. This is a loser trade. They've conceded the division to Philly. Sacramento Kings: Gives Petrie too much credit. Sac will survive and still be a playoff team. It may even be good for chemistry. But, he should have been able to get more for Webber. Loser. Cleveland Cavaliers: Welsh is mostly a non-event. Not bad, not awe-inspiring. Atlanta Hawks: I agree, mediocre. Houston Rockets: What can I say? Ford's an idiot. Great trades. Denver Nuggets: This is a winner of a trade. The only downside is having once drafted Skita and White and having them suck on their team. At least they got something for them in the end.
