God forbid if we win the lottery...we would have to obviously pick Yao Ming...I am not at all high on him because I believe he is nothing but a better version of Rik Smits...I have a feeling he is going to be a big bust...Another problem is the Chinese Government as they are going to be a pain in the ass!! Also, if we land a top 4 pick...which I'm praying we dont...We will end up with Mike Dunleavy...I think Dunkleavy is a solid player maybe averaging 14 a game but he is NOT WORTH A TOP 5 PICK!!...The guy was not THAT impressive in the tournament as Caron Butler was. Dunleavy had JWill and even Boozer in the paint...who did Butler have...NONONE!! I think Butler is the real deal...maybe a Paul Pierce...Watching him in the tournamen showed me how he can completely take over a game I hope the Rockets end up staying where they are...the 5th slot PLEASE GOD...DONT LET THE ROCKETS WIN THE LOTTERY TODAY!!!
EgRiFf08: I don't think if he became a better version of Rik Smits he would be considered a bust. I think that's what the Rockets would be hoping for if they drafted him. If he became another Bradley then he would be a bust. I with you on the whole pain in the ass Chinese gov. thing. Too much of a headache for me so if we win I'm hoping we trade down or trade for another veteran player.
whoa, a better version of rik smits would be pretty darn good. especially considering the lack of centers nowadays, if he's even close to smits i'd take the gamble.
He could've had a much better career than he had if his feet weren't injured and if he was the main focus of his team.
With all the big PF's (Webber, Wallace etc) and Centers (Shaq, Duncan etc.) Ming will be killed!! Btw...Smits was the 2nd pick in his draft class...he is a SOLID player...but defintely NOT WORTH THE 1st PICK!!
I think we would be lucky to come away with a Smits level player. He was not great, but he did have a ten year career, and was a major cog (yes a not the) on a finals team. That team was clearly diminished when Smits could not play. If we come away with a Smits, and you are dissapointed, I think your expectations are way to high. Though I do appreciate your optimism.
I guess the high God David Stern has issued his commandments, of which the first is... "Thou shalt take Yao Ming with thy first pick." Seriously - there's nothing that says Ming has to be the first pick. There's nothing that says the pick can't be dealt. There's nothing that says the Rockets would take Dunleavy in the top 3, either. The best you can hope for is to move up and have more options.
Never heard him say it...and who is to say he would? Would the NBA even let the Rockets take him? Better to have options with that first pick than to have less options at a lower pick.
Man I hope we do get the #4 pick. If we do Were a lock to Draft Qyntel Woods man. Itll be Ming-Williams-Dunleavy-Woods. Maybe we can trade our #15 into the top 10 and pick up "Nene" Hilario
I'm with you, EgRiFf. I don't want Ming, and if we get the top pick, I think we would take him. Oddly enough, the best situation in my mind is this. Knicks get the top pick (they would take Ming, I think) and the Rockets get the 2 or 3. This ensures we wouldn't get Ming, and would put us in a good situation to choose nearly anyone else we wanted. What is funny about this is that it is the scenario that many of have claimed would convince them that the lottery is rigged. Well...I say, rig me up!
A better Rik Smits with healthy feet? I'd want him on my team any day of the week. Do any of you remember how good Smits had the potential of being? He had the ability to drop in a hook down low, shoot out to 20 feet, play defense, etc. Even with virtually no athleticism left, Smits was a very good player. Ming is bigger, light years ahead athletically, has more range on his jump shot, and is a better shotblocker. 7'5 players with his skill come across once or twice every generation. I'd do anything to have the first pick and take Ming. Wouldn't it then be easier for Butler to accumulate points and take the big shots, since he didn't have any star teammates to limit his touches? If Butler's as good as you think he is, the Rockets will see it in workouts and in game film, and if they got the top pick they could trade down and pick up Butler and something else. Like another poster said, there's no reason at all to not want the options.
If we win the lottery, there's so many more options than picking at say 5, 6, or 7. I wouldn't mind picking Ming, though the whole Chinese government thing is a real turnoff. We could trade down to draft a SF or post player or trade the pick for an established veteran. Picking at 5 or lower there's a lot less options. The pick won't be as valueable obviously and Dunleavy will likely be gone and so might Butler, Woods, Tsika, etc. Just hope for the best (somewhere in top 3) and if the Rox get #1, they can always trade down or not pick Ming.
I don't know about you guys but I think it's important to get to top ten pick. We can use a thru Center that will take this team to the next level. Die hard ROCKETS !
I would want the #1 pick if we didn't take Yao or JW. But, Dunleavy and Woods would be a reach here. I've read that if we got the #1, we're taking Yao.
I want the number one pick because it gives this team some serious options. Trade potential out the wazoo! Oh pls God give us a top 2 pick!
