kato perhaps but kandi man is a notorious underachiever and no great rebounder we dun need him to score but......just another dumb big body.....no bball iq.. difficult
How we forget after getting Barkley we got to game 6 in the WCF instead of being swept in the semis the year before. Barkley helped get us closer to a title, but in the end having Maloney and change at the PG position versus elite PGs was too big a gap to overcome no matter what we got from Hakeem, Charles and Clyde. Now I do agree with this. We do want shooters around Yao and Tmac, absolutely. It is why if Rafer or Snyder don't shoot well they should be replaced, and one of the reasons I like Battier to start at the 4. We want to be maximally athletic and be able to shoot the ball all around our 5 spot. Also, I am fine having Deke and Howard share the back-up 5 duty, and having Battier start at the 4 facillitates this. Basically we give some minutes to Hayes at the 4, and have Howard split between back-up 4 & 5 for his minutes. Howard can also shoot pretty well for a 4 and great for a back-up C.
You're crazy if you think that works in today's NBA...you better to faster and more mobile that the players that you mentioned...unless you SHOOT 50%, BUT WHO DOES THAT ANYMORE...WE GET EXCITED ABOUT PLAYERS THAT SHOOT 40%
I loved Barkley and approved of the trade ...unlike many folks here. That said, hindsight 20/20 the offense always looked awkward with Barkley. If you posted up Dream then Barkley went out to the 3pt line and visa versa. It was weird. If you get a chance to get a guy like Barkley, you take it!!!! My point is, that team was composed similarly to this one. Dream-Yao and Drexler/TMac. Having Barkley and not many great shooters wasn't a good formula. I am too. Many here are paniced about our lack of a backup PF/C. In an injury free season, I think we're fine. But if you can pick up Cato or Kandi for dirt cheap and bury them on the bench in the event we have an injury, I'd feel a little better.
This "New NBA" argument is mostly crap crap crap!!!! Please name me TWO teams that have won a championship using a "New NBA" roster? <crickets chirping> Detroit a couple years ago ...MAYBE. But Miami last season worked just as it could for the Rockets this year. If you have Yao Ming, you don't need "new NBA." You need a couple guys to matchup defensively, maybe, but after that, those teams will be trying to match up with us ...not the other way around ...assuming we have guys that can hit open shots to keep double teams honest.
I agree we need shooters. Murphy would be ideal (except maybe for 70mil, but his type). However, Barkley helped 'welcome' the crash not because he clogged the middle but because he was the straw that stirred the drink - and it was shaken, not...you get the idea.
A cheap, viable option for frontcourt depth remains Santiago. He would be fine with me in a support role. Ely would be better, albeit more expensive.
I'm all for signing Cato, JVG really inspired him to play outstanding and I have no doubt he could do it again. The only reason we gave Cato up in the trade is because we had to, not because we wanted to like Swift
I like Cato as well. He has a high basketball I.Q and brings a tremendous amount of toughness that this team lacks. It hurt to have to make him apart of the Francis for T-Mac trade. Deke will retire after this season so it's important to find a viable replacement.
I'm all for bringing Cato home. Let's not forget that Yao can pick up fouls in bunches, and Deke is 103 years old. Plus, both missed significant time with injuries last year. That being said, maybe the staff believes that Cato won't respond to being a 10th man type player. On Bonzi and Kandi, JVG wouldn't touch either. And is Van Horn that much better than Novak?
Bonzi would be a solid addition and I would have no hesitation to play him as starting PF. Bonzi is scrappy and plays larger than he is, grabbing 9 boards a game last season. With TMac, Battier, and Bonzi, we have three exceptional defenders that can hold down both the perimeter and the post in any combination of positions. For as long as Ive known TMac, he has always been the primary ball-handler. In Orlando and in Houston, TMac never really had a true PG next to him to handle the ball. Darrell Armstrong was never much of a distributor and Rafer isn't steady enough to run the point full-time. TMac needs shooters next to him more than anything. Too bad Bonzi isn't a shooter, but at least he can help spacing and defense in the post while playing PF. Battier and Luther Head should start next to TMac. Both are solid defenders and clutch shooters. I hate that fans are writing of Luther Head. I remember a game where we were down by 2... Luther Head inbounding Yao from the right, Yao is standing at the elbow with his hands high, TMac flashes across and in towards the baseline, like a magnet the defenders drew to TMac thinking Yao would dump it baseline any second when he flips it back out to Luther who stands alone at the top of the arc, nails the three and wins the game. I was shocked that Van Gundy drew up a play to win instead of tie, but it was so fluid it had to have been a set play. PG: Luther Head | Rafer Alston | JL III SG: Tracy McGrady | Kirk Snyder | Vassili Spanoulis SF: Shane Battier | Steve Novak | Bobby Sura PF: Bonzi Wells | Juwan Howard | Chuck Hayes CN: Yao Ming | Juwan Howard | Dikembe Mutombo
Bonzi is 6'5" and <200lbs. I don't think Bonzi as our starting PF is too brite an idea ...but that's just me.
Solid or not, once Bonzi gets a new contract he'll be the sluggish, malcontent, headcase he's always been. And, you want to play a 6'5 2-guard at PF? Grabbing 9 rebounds from the guard position doesn't make you a good rebounder in the paint. The reason the Rockets went out to get Rafer, is to have that primary ball handler and, while TMac played, he did a nice job of it. Rafer is not the problem on this team. Contradiction? How is he going to space the floor when he can't shoot? Plus, while I don't think we need a "super-defender" at the 4, you really think Bonzi can defend againt any other players at the position? Hell, I would be scared if he was guarding any of the new "renaissance" PFs around the league that are more guard-like. I haven't seen anyone writing off Luther. But, I think most of us are in realization that it sure looks like he has lost his minutes with all the guards they have added, especially a certain combo-guard from Greece they are very high on. Luther proved that he can not play the point. That alone clearly cut a rotation spot for him he could have filled. plus, he probably has the best trade value on the team outside of Yao and TMac. And again, you say you want a pure-PG next to TMac but advocate Luther starting at the 1? I'd stay FAR AWAY from Bonzi. As I stated above, he'll be his usual headcase self once he signs somewhere. Not surprising we didn't hear any problems with him last season which coincides in a contract year. I have a feeling some team will get semi-desperate and offer him a 2 year deal during training camp. As for the big men, I'm in the camp that believes we need to shore up the front court more than anything else. Everyone advocates/believes Battier will be the starting 4. I don't know why. He has stated on a couple occasions that his role will be to defend the other team's best PERIMETER scorer and JVG talked recently about acquiring another 4 that could space the floor more at the position. Nothing I have seen shows that he is looked to fill that spot. Play spot minutes that the position every game like he has always done? Yes. Starting? No. I think Ely would be a good pickup but not for the full TE. He would at least give you a guy that could play either the 4 or 5. But, with the way JVG talked, it seems they have another type of player in mind. God, I hope the hell it's not Van Horn!! I'm assuming there will be some sort of deal in training camp that will bring in that player they are looking for.
I would deal our trade exception + protected first for Bonzi in a 3 year contract(4th team option), starting at 4.2 mil with increases, obviously.
I feel a bit uncomfortable having Howard as our Backup 5, I think I dont need to explain why. We definitely need someone like Cato as our Backup 5, if not, lets hope chucky is still growing Regarding BOnzi, I say Lets Get him IF we cant get someone who is better I dont mind getting as much players for training camp as possible and then see what works and what doesnt work, so by the end of the preseason, we have the optimal team. You can never have too much flexibility.
Man, I cannot believe how undervalued Bonzi is in reference to our team. He would instantly be our second best perimeter scorer by miles. I have hope for Snyder, but Bogans was hyped as well, and he ended up being a rental.
What makes you think Bonzi is a perimeter scorer? When has he ever been a perimeter scorer? That's not his game and you can't make him into something he isn't.
Solid or not, once Bonzi gets a new contract he'll be the sluggish, malcontent, headcase he's always been. And, you want to play a 6'5 2-guard at PF? Grabbing 9 rebounds from the guard position doesn't make you a good rebounder in the paint. If in fact we offer a 1 year deal, it would still be a contract year for Bonzi, and considering how he had a great year and still failed to field lucrative offers, one should expect Bonzi to perform better. I would venture as far as saying that Bonzie is stronger and boards better than Battier, making him the better option to play PF. We play post defense by committe, meaning Yao is the real post defense and likely the only post defense we need. The reason the Rockets went out to get Rafer, is to have that primary ball handler and, while TMac played, he did a nice job of it. Rafer is not the problem on this team. Yeah we got a primary ball handler and that didnt work given that Rafer couldnt hit the broadside of a barn with a beachball from three-point range. This past season revealed how valuable volume trey shooters are to a core of TMac and Yao. If not, then how do you explain our offseason scramble to sign Mike James? Contradiction? How is he going to space the floor when he can't shoot? Plus, while I don't think we need a "super-defender" at the 4, you really think Bonzi can defend againt any other players at the position? Hell, I would be scared if he was guarding any of the new "renaissance" PFs around the league that are more guard-like. Bonzi has enough range to draw players out as does Juwan Howard. He is quick enough to take players off the dribble, so playing face up would be his advantage on slower PFs. In order to do such, he would have to venture out farther out from the post. I think Bonzi is very capable playing PF next to Yao. If not, we have Shane Battier, Juwan Howard and Chuck Hayes to rotate into the position. The argument should be Bonzi's utility on the team, his time at PF is an entirely different subject. I haven't seen anyone writing off Luther. But, I think most of us are in realization that it sure looks like he has lost his minutes with all the guards they have added, especially a certain combo-guard from Greece they are very high on. Luther proved that he can not play the point. That alone clearly cut a rotation spot for him he could have filled. plus, he probably has the best trade value on the team outside of Yao and TMac. The fact that we mention his trade value is enough to warrant a write-off. Not to mention our incliniation to play Snyder, JLIII and VSpan over Head? And again, you say you want a pure-PG next to TMac but advocate Luther starting at the 1? Dont mis-quote me. Where do I say I want a pure-PG? Read carefully and you notice I ask for a shooter over a ballhandler because TMac is our point of offense, even JVG admits TMac is one of the best point-guards in the league. I'd stay FAR AWAY from Bonzi. As I stated above, he'll be his usual headcase self once he signs somewhere. Not surprising we didn't hear any problems with him last season which coincides in a contract year. I have a feeling some team will get semi-desperate and offer him a 2 year deal during training camp. Were assuming he takes a 1 year deal, perhaps in a snt for our TE. It would still be a contract year for him, with even more to prove. As for the big men, I'm in the camp that believes we need to shore up the front court more than anything else. Everyone advocates/believes Battier will be the starting 4. I don't know why. He has stated on a couple occasions that his role will be to defend the other team's best PERIMETER scorer and JVG talked recently about acquiring another 4 that could space the floor more at the position. Nothing I have seen shows that he is looked to fill that spot. Play spot minutes that the position every game like he has always done? Yes. Starting? No. First and foremost, we had to address our problems with shooting. By acquiring Battier, we addressed our primary need. We all realize that we now need to shore up the PF spot in terms of rebounding and such. But JVG, a true advocate of a team effort (as is every other coach) believes in action by committee. Having Yao and three larger wing players could do reasonably well in terms of rebounding. We werent horrible at rebounding last season. If you're referring to post defense, Yao is enough reason to stay out of the post, but having three other hawks prowling the post, any team would be crazy to think scoring in the paint would be a walk through the park. I think Ely would be a good pickup but not for the full TE. He would at least give you a guy that could play either the 4 or 5. But, with the way JVG talked, it seems they have another type of player in mind. God, I hope the hell it's not Van Horn!! I'm assuming there will be some sort of deal in training camp that will bring in that player they are looking for. Youre quick to point fingers at Bonzi for being a headcase, but fact is Ely isnt a girlscout himself. Ely is reputed to have similar negative effects in the locker room but Bonzi has more to prove. At any rate, I dont disagree about Ely... Ely would be a solid addition. [/QUOTE]
