[Fox SW Sports] Reports Rox are close to signing another FA....

Yeah I remember that. That's why I kind of like him. But ... healthy?

 

Sign NVE now, its a no brainer. Alot of people here don't want him with the rockets, but do you really want to see him a Spurs or Mavericks uniform and be on the recieving end of one of his infamous hot streaks or last second shots. NVE is exactly what this team needs come playoff time. The rockets could be down by 15 pts with 8 minutes left in the 4th qtr. and you throw in a lineup of James, NVE, Barry, T-Mac and Swift. Some crazy things can happen.

 

For 1.7 mil, I would take him...

 

James and NVE are both very similar because they both are point guards that tend to dominate the ball. They both think score first. Yes, in the past NVE was much better at breaking down defenders and getting into the lane. However he has lost a step (or two) and currently I don't think he is any better than James at breaking down the defense and getting into the paint. They both shoot the three well and tend to look to score rather than distribute. This is why they are very similar.

 

At 1.7mill, I think it's a no brainer. Nobody's expecting NVE to come in and light up defenses for 15-20 ppg. At this point, he's good for 20 minutes a night, and spot starts. Bob Sura is still the starting PG, and don't expect him to play a full season without getting hurt. Luther Head is still unproven, and we all know how streaky David Wesley can be.

Last year's playoffs showed that this team can really get it done with a 3-guard lineup, i.e. James, Wesley, Barry, TMac, and Deke. So, it's not a bad idea to have a nice stable of guards.

 

From what I remember the last time Nick Van Exel had something to really play for he shined brightly and he carried the Mavericks through the season at times that year. I think its just a matter of him caring and being dedicated and motivated which he should not be an issue with him with him while playing for his hometown and this great team and coach. One thing to take a look at is Nick Van Exels game log. There came a time last season which started in mid december and ended in early march when Van Exel really seemed to care again and play like the Van Exel of old. He put together a streak of games for about a month that would have one thinking he was the best point guard in the game at the time. it started in january with a 28pt and 5 assist game in a win against philadelphia and lasted until around the 5th of febuary with a 23pt 8 assist performance in a win against sacramento.

jan 10 - 28 pts, 5 assist
jan 12 - 19 pts, 3 assist
jan 14 - 23 pts, 11 assit
jan 15 - 19 pts, 8 assist
jan 18 - 30 pts, 8 assist
jan 19 - 28 pts, 4 assist
jan 22 - 11 pts, 8 asst
jan 24 - 10 pts, 3 asst
jan 26 - 5 pts, 5 asst
jan 28 - 9 pts, 6 asst
feb 1 - 18 pts, 6 asst
feb 2 - 26 pts, 4 asst
feb 5 - 23 pts, 8 asst

my point is Van Exel can still turn it on when he wants to and when he catches fire from the outside he is still one of the best. what i find most interesting is his assist numbers. here's a guy who is playing off guard most of the time with Damon and Telfair running the point yet he still finds a way to rack up impressive assist stats. I hope this cats a Rocket next year.

 

NVE or DA for the LLE would be a great pickup. Sura's injury problems are troublesome, especially if you expect him to start and play an entire season. NVE can give a solid 20 minutes off the bench and can even start.

Signing LLE would also allow us to deal Mike James. As much as I love James, he's good trade bait and he will most likely be gone at the end of the season anyways.

 

We have Sura, Head, Moochie, and Ward. Moochie is Rockets cheerleader and Ward is good Knicks connection I guess.

We also have Mike James too. 3 pg's..and now we're gonna sign Nick Van Exel. We don't need four point guards. I hope Head gets playing time. NVE is still a decent player. I prefer some younger, athletic guys though.

 

I understand why some people are afraid of NVE, but at 1.7 mill, what are you afraid of? That might be the best value in the league right now. A proven 33 year old vet., who can still pass, as well as take over games. Of course he's a defensive liability (most guys age 33 are), but he is still a nice vet. guard to have in your rotation. He's a better shooter than Sura, and last year he shot better than Wesley. Barry, James, NVE, and Wesley give us 4 3pt threats (and that is assuming that Head is not productive). While I agree that we probably need to get rid of one of last year's guards, adding NVE for 1.7 mil can only be a good thing.

I figure that this move paves the way or a Wesley or James trade.

 

Van Exel would provide veteran leadership at the point that would come in very handy in the playoffs. I think what hurt us a lot in the playoffs last season was the lack of playoff experience from our point guards. They looked frazzled and lost.

The truth is Sura and James are career backups that don't have a ton of playoff experience. They've never had the responsibility of running a team in the regular season. Let alone leading a team in the playoffs. Van Exel gives us someone that is a career starter. He knows how to run a team. He has playoff experience. I'm sure Van Gundy and Mcgrady would trust the ball in Van Exel's hands more than James or Sura.

But I would only pursue Van Exel if the Rockets move James and Wesley for a starting shooting guard.

 

I really hope that we at least look at AD before signing Van Exel. Van Exel is a talented point guard, but we have about 3 of those right now. AD has good size, speed, and shooting at the SG spot.

I'd rather have a line up of:
Yao
Swift
Tmac
AD
Sura

Than:
Yao
Swift
Tmac
Wesley
Van Exel

 

IF we sign him then it is a sure sign that there is a trade on the horizon. NVE shouldn't start, so i would guess that sura stays. we just signed JB so he will stay. james and wesley could be traded for a SG or a PG (moving sura to the 2).

after we resign deke we will cut moochie to make a little breathing room for in the backcourt.

yao-deke-baker
stro-jho-spoon
tmac-bowen
trade-jb-head
sura-nve-ward

we would have the oldest PG trio in the league, but they would get the job done.

 

I agree completely. I'm sure we will trade for a new SG next season and either MJ, Wesley or JH will be part of the trade. Sura doesn't have much trade value IMO. I would hesitate to trade JH unless the SG is a special fit for our team.

 

?! Stop dreamin, kid. Daniels already signed a 5-year contract with the Washington Wizards.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/02/AR2005080201403.html

 

The Wizards might have something to say about that.

 

Not so much frazzled and lost but more so afraid and/or incapable of doing anything else besides being spot up shooters. With NVE's knee problems resulting in his quickness and agility deteriorating, I couldn't see him doing anything else besides spot up shooting either in that Dallas series.

I agree with but I also think it's important to point out we were eliminated in the playoffs due to our own players doing things to shoot themselves in the foot (particularly in the 4th qtr) and our inability to stop...hell, even slow down Jason Terry. From that sense, NVE is a downgrade since he's a poor defender. Sure he can run an offense, which would have been very helpful, but my biggest gripe is how he's such a one-sided player.

I have a problem with dealing two solid players for the unknown. If this scenario played out, that would leave us with Sura, NVE and Head as our PG rotation. Let's see, that's:

1) Injury prone, natural SG-converted PG
2) Injury prone, washed up natural PG
3) Inexperienced rookie, natural SG-converted PG

James and Wesley may be playing out of position, respectively, but at least they are two, solid, dependable players that will play 80 games for you. I don't want durability issues on this team---we have enough of those already.

 

Didn't Dennis Lindsey also say something along the lines of the Head draft pick will make even more sense after the offseason?

Well, after a NVE signing, the Head draft pick won't make any sense at all. He'll be burried 4 deep on the bench without any shot at breaking the rotation.

 

Oops, i got my letters mixed around. I meant DA (Anderson).

 

I think the Rockets drafted Luther Head precisely to step in, in case of an injury. If Sura misses time due to injury, Van Exel can step in and take over as the starter and Head can gain some valuable experience as the backup point guard. Same thing if Van Exel goes down to injury.

To have the Rockets carry 4 point guards on the roster (Sura, Head, James, NVE) simply to cover themselves in case of an injury to Sura or Van Exel seems to be a bit extreme to me. I think 3 is plenty.

Of course, if durability is such a concern the Rockets could always trade Sura and keep James if they decide to sign Van Exel. I just think the glut in the backcourt would have to be cleared somehow someway first before we sign another guard like Van Exel. And seeing as Sura is the only big guard we have, I would prefer to keep him over James, even with the durability issues.