Swift is not a good rebounder, and not half the rebounder as the above mentioned players. I think he could become a good rebounder, but Jerry West, who says he needs rebounding more than anything, is basically willing to let him walk. That should tell us something.
Perhaps he's just not the type of rebounder that Memphis needs. It doesn't mean he's a bad rebounder. Memphis is a team that has all the athleticism in the world, but has absolutely no muscle or size. Swift doesn't really help them out much. They need a Kurt Thomas or Erick Dampier type of big man that can push people around and get rebounds. The Rockets are a completely different story. We don't need a big, strong, slow rebounder. We need athleticism. Someone who can get the athletic rebounds so that athletic teams like Dallas and Pheonix don't beat us to every loose ball. So what if Swift will probably never average +10 rebounds a game. If you were to look at Robert Horry's rebounding numbers throughout his career, you would think he's the worse rebounding 4 in the NBA. Numbers can be deceiving.
Swift makes the most sense of the guys available with Chris Anderson being added as a backup and as Deke's replacement after next season. CA is an ideal backup 4/5, not a starter 4. I would think that the Rockets would be interested in Webber because of his skills if he became available. He would help our rebounding a little bit, and would be good in the offensive scheme. But he's not a long term solution, too old, too many physical problems. But I'd take him if he would come here for the minimum and give him 20 mpg.
Have you seen Swift play? He's not much of a rebounder at all. And it's not like other people on his team are beating him to the ball, he just doesn't put his athleticism to good use. Does use it to get great shot blocks, though. He doesn't even try to keep the ball alive like his smarter, but softy teammate Pau Gasol. He just flat out doesn't go for the rebound unless it's right there, like for a putback or something. Horry may not have gotten the rebound himself, but he made sure the other team didn't get it. Meanwhile, Chris Andersen IS that kind of rebounder. He really goes for it, even when he shouldn't. He'll chase balls down and fight for it in the air, even against teammates sometimes. That's why he's deservedly labeled as a dumb player. But he really is pure hustle. He gets good rebounding numbers even behind PJ Brown and Jamaal Magloire, who are guys who clean up the boards. He's not a starting PF, but neither is Swift and Anderson will be much cheaper. As for SAR, what can I say? He's just a better rebounder than you think. Fast enough to play SF, and still rebounds at a better clip than Swift even at that position. And he's consistent.
The point is he has the tools to be the exact type of rebounder the Rockets need. Not necessarily a player who is going to put up big rebounding numbers, but someone who is at least capable of getting those rebounds that the Rockets always missed out on last season because the opposing team was so much more athletic than we were. No question, he could play with more desire, but I think finally getting a chance to start and playing under coach like Van Gundy will light a fire under him. Look at what Van Gundy was able to do to the careers of Marcus Camby and Kelvin Cato. Both underachievers that were known to be soft and lazy before Van Gundy.
Willis What do you think of SAR? Haven't seen him much since he was with Mem. I remember he used to give us fits back then.
If you want to hand Swift a $7-8 mil long-term contract and starter's position based on potential, I can understand. I just don't agree. I don't think JVG can just snap his fingers and motivate Swift to be a great PF. Cato worked harder, but didn't get much better. I just want our PF to be a proven, consistent rebounder. I don't care how he gets em, athletically or not, just get them.
I never thought I'd say this, but Kurt Thomas would have been a good pickup. Now, I'm holding out for SAR and Anderson. One is proven the other won't cost enough for us to feel like we're taking a risk. Both are better rebounders than Swift, who has never proven a thing and is looking to get paid. I will say it loud and say it proud: Swift is not a starting 4 in this league, and probably never will be. Why give him starter's money? Potential is not potential after 4 years of average basketball. The guy is obviously not what people thought he was.
don't let a fact like that get in the way of saying van gundy can magically turn anyone and everyone around. it's like if the guy is a hardworking, defensive guy, he's a jvg guy. if he's soft and lazy, that's perfect too because jvg will motivate him. if he can shoot, that fits in with jvg's offense. if he can't but hustles, he fits in with jvg. if he's erratic and turnover prone, jvg will calm him down. apparently there's nothing he can't do and no one he can't make great, but for some reason we keep making trades. if y'all think jvg will make swift a badass rebounder, y'all hold onto that hope, but swift probably is what he is. and it would probably be most accurate to say the arrival of yao lit cato's fire. all of a sudden playing time wasn't a given and he actually started playing like it and then he even seemed to start caring. i have to say he seemed to get lazier as the year went on in orlando, since no one there could threaten his PT at the center position.
He showed improvement during Rudy's final year. A nice bench player that would bring energy once in a while, but not really a player that the team depended on to win games. It was not until Van Gundy came here and moved him into the starting lineup that he started to play consistently well and became a player that the team actually depended on. Just look at how much our defense suffered when Cato was out of the lineup that season. We went from being one of the top defensive teams in the league to a team that gave up nearly 100 points a game. I would expect similar results from Swift. Right now he's a nice bench player that is hungry for a chance to start. If he can come here and do what Cato used to do for us, plus contribute a little more on offense, he would be well worth the $7-8 mil a year.
At least this is a big change from years back when this organization lurched along without a plan...or a clue. Part of the reason for this lies with their pathetic draft history. When you look at the makeup of this team what stands out more than anything is the absence of young athletic players in their 3rd or 4th years with this team. ESPN was running a telltale graphic on draft night that showed Yao Ming as the only first round pick still with the team. The prime reason for this goes back 4 years when they flushed away 3 no. 1 draft picks only to end up with nothing to show for that draft. The next year brought them Yao and Nachbar and Nachbar ended up being traded away after failing to produce. Faced with this inability to find and grow their own players, the Rockets have resorted to trades and picking through the free agent scrap pile. The end result has found them shuffling bodies in and out for the past 5 years. Now if you look at the teams that they are trying to catch, you will notice that unlike the Rockets, they have young players on their team that were drafted who are making solid contributions. That puts the Rockets at a huge disadvantage - one that I'm not sure they can overcome. That's why I am sort of lukewarm to the Head pick. On one hand, he is a physical upgrade at his position but he is basically the same kind of player that is alreday on the team. His selection does not radically address the problem with this team that you pointed out. On the other hand, he is not the impact player that they desperately need to add to their starting rotation as he looks to be more of a bench or role player. That's why I was intrigued with the Maxiell kid that Detroit picked up becuase he met the requirements you laid out. He is a bit undersized but last time I looked, Ben Wallace is undersized as well but that does not stop him from making an impact with his athleticism and physical play. Maxiell is a beast who would have given a physical dimension to the 4 spot that this team does not currently have.
And if he got an attitude adjustment and contribute more on offense, Kwame Brown would be well worth the 7-8 mil. And if he weren't so r****ded and inconsistent, Drew Gooden would be worth 7-8 mil. And if he didn't suck so much Chris Wilcox would be worth 7-8 mil. There's a lot of "if's" around Swift. There's no guarantee that he'll remotely do anything better. You expect similar results to Cato based on...nothing. Nothing except unrealized potential, that is. Meanwhile, you're passing on other guys that have consistently rebounded well for more than one team (SAR, Andersen, Marshall). You're passing on guys that might be cheaper, have much better attitudes, and bring something better on offense. You're passing on guys that are truly JVG players. If you wanted potential, you could get it cheaper in the draft. Oh and FYI, we didn't lose the Dallas series because we didn't have an athletic power foward. We lost because we didn't have a power foward at all. Also, we didn't have any athletic guards to get those long rebounds or stop dribble penetration either. And what was the last championship team that had an athletic freak at the PF? Lakers? Spurs? Pistons have a freakishly athletic center, but he doesn't go for long rebounds. Again, I have to ask if you've seen Swift play. Because I've seen a lot of him and Andersen, with just a little of SAR. And he's the worst of the bunch, by far.
New Jack, very often I agree with you. But on Swift, I don't see it. Swift doesn't match up with Cato at all. Cato is a "versatile" 4 or 5 who could play defense and rebound while Swift is locked in as a soft 4 who offers speed and quick leaping ability. The main thing they have in common is neither can shoot at all. If JVG can light a fire under him and get him to play well enough to earn 30-35 minutes a game, maybe. I see Swift becoming another Cato in the sense of never panning out to what we expect and need. I'm not a Swift hater, and if we get him I want to be wrong. Maybe he will move here and work very hard all summer and come to camp an improved player. JVG has shown an ability to connect with some players other coaches couldn't reach. I'm sure his buddy Fratello has given him the real story.
knicks might trade sweetney for kwame and are allegedly trying to shop rose, mot, and jerome williams while houston and penny will be waived. provided the knicks get kwame brown how about trade spoon/+TE for jerome williams and david lee? knicks save 6+ million in salary the following year while rox get useable depth in the pf dept. a tandem of jho/williams/lee could possibly emulate or work out well like what seattle had going with evans/fortson/collison. knicks marbury, crawford, q-rich, kwame, frye robinson, q-rich, t.thomas, rose/mot/spoon, sundov rockets sura, tracy, f.a., jho, yao james/head, wesley, rybo, williams/lee, deke
There is absolutely no reason not to expect similar results. He's already better than Cato is right now. Swift was probably the Grizzlies best defensive player last season. He is a better shotblocker than Cato. He is a more versatile defender than Cato that has the quickness to guard faster 4's as well as the length to guard guard taller 4's. His offense is definitely more polished than Cato's has ever been. Of all the free agents out there, he's just flat out the best fit next to Yao. He's the only one who's offensive game meshes with Yao. He's capable of getting points through putbacks, through alley oops, jump shots. He doesn't need the ball in his hands to be effective like some of the other free agents (SAR, Walker). He has some offensive skill unlike Chris Anderson. And he's not as one dimensional as Marshall. Defensively he's better than all of them. The only aspect of his game that can improve is his rebounding, but the Rockets don't necessarily need for it to improve that drastically. We don't need a monster rebounder. We already have Yao and Mcgrady (who's a very good rebounder). The only rebounds Swift needs to get are the ones Yao can't get to because of his lack of mobility. It's not like Cato averaged huge rebounding numbers. Has it ever crossed your mind that the Rockets would be a better rebounding team if they had a second shotblocker on floor. How many times last season did Yao alter a shot only to have the other team pick up the offensive rebound. With Swift here, he can be the one who alters shots, and Yao can the be the one who grabs those defensive rebounds.
