The penalty was deserved because of the Wolves stupidity. Why would they make a secret deal so official? And after they did it they somehow managed to get caught. They also deserved it for cheating, but they never should've let this happen. ------------------
Dr. NoogyBooger beat me to it. Yes, losing 5 first round draft picks could and will hurt, but it's not as horrific as everyone makes it seem like for the very reason he said. What I'd be more worried about is losing Joe Smith, the $3.5 mill fine, and losing McHale, and most important of all, possibly losing Kevin Garnett or what kind of public relations nightmare their relationship may turn into. ------------------ We Want LANGHI!
Damn so if this would have happend last year we would have had the 8th pick and we could have drafted Jamal Crawford DAMNIT !!!
DrN- Who have the Rockets got from the draft in the last 5 years that is a major building block for this team? Cuttino Mobley. Othella Harrington and Dickerson got us the Franchise. The Timberwolves have been robbed of their ability to compete, and to rebuild. This is just too much. Not five 1st rounders.
I don't think the Heat have been awarded that medical exception just yet, but I'm pretty sure they'll get it soon. ------------------
According to Manimal, "Stern is only the reason the league is so successful, and the money machine it is today." If Manimal actually believes this then I'm afraid he is even more clueless then I had previously suspected, when he was only tauting Collier's great potential. Then again, if all NBA players were of Collier's superior level, just imagine what financial wizardry Stern could yield upon the sports markets. 350 Colliers + Stern would surely = $10 - $20 Billion in revenue. ------------------
I'm guessing that our "future picks just got a little better" because you expect us to finish ahead of Minnesota this year. cool...one down...and the year hasn't even begun. Now we just need Malone to break his elbow on Collier's face, and we'd pass Utah this year as well.
I don't expect the Rockets to finish ahead of Minnesota this year, but in future years perhaps. Also for the next 5 years all our second round picks will be one selection higher. In the 1999 draft the Rockets consider using their first round pick to select Lee Nailon but didn't. He fell to the second round at #43 overall. Houston had the #44 pick that year.
If this coming season Milwaukee makes it to the playoff with a better record than Minnesota, Houston will get Milwaukee first round pick one selection higher. And yes, I do expect this to happen.
You and the other Dr. are wrong here. . Nearly every player we didn't get via free agency was through the draft. No Othella and Michael means no Stevie. 3.5 million fine shouldn't be a big deal to Taylor. If Joe Smith were the difference for the Wolves, then they were in trouble anyway. Wolves may make playoffs this year, but 2 years from now, they may be lotto-bound, if not sooner. ------------------ "I know how hard it is to put food on your family." George W. Bush
The Rockets draft would not have gone up 2 the 8 slot last year cause the Wolves were still in the playoffs. I personally thought the Wolves wouldn't make the playoffs b4 all this stuff now I think with or without Garnett they won't make the playoffs this year or the next 7 years. The 7 years thing is if they trade Garnett and get some stuff set up well for the future. If they keep him for the next 5 years or so he'll leave them high and dry without playoff hopes for like a decade. ------------------ ***Elie... we don't need no stinkin Elie Mobley's takin over ROCKETS IN 2000 BABY***
But you're making your statement like "a trade for Steve" trades come along every year or something. We also have drafted a long string of duds-to-average players in the draft as well. Just look at the duds that are drafted every year in the first round. There are more average-to-dud players drafted in the first round than good-to-great ones (spouting off the top of my head without actually looking there, but I believe it's true). There are several threads that go into this, so I won't start another one here. Joe Smith is the "difference" because Joe Smith and Kevin Garnett have a relationship much like Cuttino and Steve do. The reason Joe Smith was getting the money he is/was going to get is because they knew how tight Garnett and Smith are. Remember the comments Steve made about how bad it'd be to lose Cuttino? Like losing a brother? Replace those two with Smith and Garnett and you'll get what I mean by why losing him is a big deal. I'm not sure what they'd be offered, but they can get a star player or two and replace some of the future draft picks in a trade involving Garnett. That's why losing the 5 first round picks isn't as huge as everyone is making it out to be. It's losing Garnett that kicks them in the arse. There's no telling what they're going to get in return for him, but I would think they could get at least 2-3 of those first rounders back in any trade for him. ------------------ We Want LANGHI!
I just got back in town from Minnesota, and, let me tell you, these guys are BENT. That's all I heard about on the news, from people out in public, everything. They're calling for Stern's head. I say let them have it..... But I agree, a point had to be made. They did a poll among Minnesota residents on whether or not the punishment was fair, and a staggering 91% said it was not. Pretty surprising, from a state full of T-Wolve fans. Just passing along... ------------------ Jazzkiller
Do the TPups have any first round picks in the future that they received from other teams? Were those stripped away? ------------------ In the end there will be no judges...only witnesses to my greatness.
What are their options on abitrating the ruling and the possibilities of getting reductions in any of the penalties assessed against them? ------------------
"If Manimal actually believes this then I'm afraid he is even more clueless then I had previously suspected, when he was only tauting Collier's great potential. Then again, if all NBA players were of Collier's superior level, just imagine what financial wizardry Stern could yield upon the sports markets. 350 Colliers + Stern would surely = $10 - $20 Billion in revenue." Huh? You make no sense, go learn about NBA history and what the league was like before and after Stern took over. Educate yourself before you look even more stupid and irrational than you already are. ------------------ Check out the Best Source for Draft Info Draftsource.net
add rhodes to that list of good playerswe have drafted. I feel sorry for the guy. He had a nice career with us. When hakeem, barkley, and even clyde were out for games that season, he was our main weapon even though we had vets elie, willis, bullard, etc and our young guys othella harrington and matt maloney. I rembemer a game I went to jazz vs. houston. Lineups- Ostertag Willis Malone Harrington Russel Rhodes horny Elie Stock Maloney If you cant tell already... we were KILLED. But rhodes had a nice game. if I ever needed a tough sg/sf with nice dtive and excellent defense i would sign him in a second.
MManal, you don't worry about it. Pip is so eager to dismiss the validity of your insight that he is posting gibberish. Although I don't necessarily believe that Stern had everything to do with the success of the NBA, I think he is in large part responsible. But he still gives off a rather shady aura, to me anyways. I'll stop now before I ramble too much. ------------------ There are 3 kinds of lies: lies, lies, and heypeeisms. -DrofDunkingDonuts