I'm not that familiar with Ollie....pros/cons? I do know that Piatkowski is supposed to be a good shooter(especially from outside)..and we certainly could use some of those...
Rockets2K, it's not a bad thing, I'm just not a big fan of them. They wouldn't make big impacts on our team IMO. If I were to pick one, I would go with Ollie. Better defensive player than Piatkowski, and we already have shooters in Rice and Nachbar.
Imagine that, the Rockets actually know what they're doing! All that time, thinking CD was incompetent... Ollie, IMO, is exactly what we need as a backup PG. He plays rock solid D, but just as importantly, he takes care of the ball- his career AST/TO is just a shade under 4. Francis hasn't even had a season where he's been over 2. A consistent PG like Ollie is the type of guy to bring off the bench on a team with Yao, every time the PG makes a mistake that's a FG opportunity missed. Piatkowski is what he is; he's a shooter. I think it may be saying something that we're interested in him. With Rice and Boki, we do have a couple of "shooter" types, and assuming we bring back Posey, we're pretty solid in terms of swingman depth behind Cuttino. I don't expect we'll get both of these guys; if we do, I could see another move being made. Also worth noting that this is for our backcourt- makes you wonder about these Griffin trade proposals.
God be praised, might this signal the possible end to the Moochie Norris era in Houston Roskets history?
What do you think we would do with Moochie? Cut him or let him ride the bench? I don't think there is a team dumb enough to take Moochie off our hands.
Cut him, considering the money spent of Cato and Mo, his salary with him OFF the team would be the best money spent by the rockets in a long time, we need players, not a court jester cheerleader who goes to toilet during the game on the bench
This is great news! I have been wanting the Rockets to get Piatkowski for the past three years. He is one of the most underrated players in the league. He's one of the premier outside shooters in the league, but he has been largely overlooked because he plays for the Clippers. Actually, he holds the notorious distinction as being the LOSINGEST active player in the NBA, but that only shows his loyalty to a crappy franchise. Hopefully, he can come to the Rockets for either the veteran minimum or part of the MLE. His 3-pt shooting would really help spread the defense, and "Pike" would be the perfect complement on the floor to Yao (a la a healthy Glen Rice). Kevin Ollie is another potentially great addition to the Rockets. He led the league in assist-to-turnover ratio last year (~4:1). He is a very good defender, obviously takes care of the ball well (a perfect contrast to Francis), and Rudy has experience with him (coached him in the 1998 World Championships). I am so glad to hear that the Rockets have set their sights on realistically available free agents, rather than wasting their time going after costly and hopeless attempts to get all-stars.
I remember thinking the same thing when we got Brent Price. Not that we're doomed to the same fate as the Brent Price deal but... Actually they both sound like good additions, they seem like players who could play within themselves and within a system.
Both of these guys would be great additions for this team, they are the perfect players to back up Steve and Cat, a PG who takes care of the ball, and a 2 that can bomb from downtown.
From what I have read since my first post.. If we can realistically only get one (debatable).. I would go with Ollie also..we need some definite PG help. Having a competent 1 to back up Francis would have an impact by itself. If we were to get both(and they both perform to expectations), I would call *that* a big impact. I dont really want to have to depend on Rice all season...and would be receptive to a move involving him.(not that its my call) and one last.. God, I really hope Boki can shoot...tho, most people say he's really more of a slasher...but adding Pike AND Boki proving to be a good shooter would really be special.. Here's to some good luck for the Rox...
Another interesting stat (that, unfortunately, I do not have ) about Ollie is the differential in scoring while he was on the floor. While Ollie himself is not a great offensive player, he is a major difference-maker on the floor. His team(s) last year (Bucks and Sonics) did significantly better against the competition while Ollie was on the floor. I even remember Cassell b****ing to George Karl about fourth quarter playing time at the point because Karl didn't want to take Ollie out of the game when it was on the line. Hopefully, Ollie could do the same for the Rockets!
