How many of you think Hakeem should play this last year?

Really?

Well, I guess he won't get high numbers next year either with Francis, Anderson and Cat running the break while Hakeem stands at the other end of the court holding onto the net.
Sorry kid, I don't think Hakeem can wreck shop like he use to. Besides, it's a new offense and I believe that if he does return, (I hope to God) Rudy will NOT go back to the post up game.

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RAWW
Paid for by the Frudy T. Gin and Juice Daquari Factory.


[This message has been edited by raww (edited April 28, 2000).]

 

It is painful to watch our sports heroes grow old, but it invariably happens. Hakeem Olajuwon has represented the city of Houston for close to twenty years at the collegiate and proffesional levels. The city won two championships on his back and for that he deserves to finish his career in style. If the Dream wants to play a final season, we should let him do just that. A lot of people think that his salary hurts the teams effort to get better (younger) players, but treating a player with the respect that they deserve is a great reputation for a franchise to have and will help to bring in players down the road

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If he can play at an NBA level then yes I want him to play.
If he is only playing to have a farewell tour and to pick up some junk minutes, or worse less to play significant minutes and not be effective then I would say no.
I would think it would be a shame to have a legend go on a farewell tour where he wasn't effective. I want people to see Dream as an effective player not justr a body.
So if he can play effectively than bring him back for his tour.

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Mango -- of all the posters here, I expected at least you to catch my sarcasm. Read the last sentence of the opening post, then read mine. It's a response to being told what and what not to post.

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"Okay KG, next time down, you give Cousin Billy his turn, then he'll give Uncle Joe his turn, then we'll give Shaq a turn."

-Rudy T, in the Dream Team 2000 huddle

 

TheFreak,

Sure, I caught that, the way you aped him and the intentional use of the double negative.

I was just bored and found a thread you were active in.

Mango



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TheFreak,

Actually, neither of us are welcomed by Rockeem in this thread. Not that it is going to stop us from posting here.


Mango

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[This message has been edited by Mango (edited April 28, 2000).]

 

Hakeem deserves to play if he wants to. It's the natural way to end things. We won our titles doing it the natural way by building a team, letting it grow, and taking a championship. Now it's time to let it die naturally and begin anew. It will have calming effect that you can't measure. Francis and Mobley will learn a lot by having Hakeem around for one more season.


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humble, but hungry.

 

It has already begun anew.

Mango

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Hey, guys, I've had Hakeem's problem. It's not asthma, and it can be cured with rest, but not with medicine.

It really sucks. I used to run in 8 mile races and all of a sudden running a quarter mile would bring me down. It was like breathing fire and my lungs felt like they had filled with fluid. The worst is you can't get enough oxygen and you become extremely winded. It took me half a year to get over it, and that was through a Chicago winter (hate the Bulls).

The fact that he was able to play at all told me he didn't have it as badly as I did, but it was debilitating. He does need rest. It could be that it was stress induced--mine was (marriage on the rocks, and all that).

So, if he can get his wind back, I see him definitely contributing with his defense, outlet passes off of rebounds and blocks, AND dunks. I still remember how fluid a player he was in his prime.

The other question is, if we don't have him, who can we get in the middle? Will we rely on Cato?

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Gene Peterson on the highpoint of the Rox' 14 victory season in the 80's...

 

Hakeem will be getting 16 million next year?
Wow. Well, he is worth about half that I would say. Anyway, Hakeem should play one
more year with us, have a farewell tour,
go out with dignity.

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We still have more titles than UTAH!!!!!

 

This may sound crazy, but I think Dream will cure his asthma problems, play well next year, and we'll want him to come back for a couple more. Then he'll retire, and we'll wonder, if ...

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the more I know, the more I know I don't know...

 

I want him back next year. Even if he's worse than this last season.

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Rockeem- just a friendly note here since you're relatively new: Don't start a thread asking for our opinion, and then make a stipulation that if we have an opinion that doesn't agree with yours, don't post. Not cool.

On the subject:

If Hakeem does recover from the respiratory problem (which is possible with rest this summer) and if he can accept not being The Man with limited time and jump-shooting rather than posting-up, he would be a fantastic addition to the team. Think about it. Our late season surge was due in no small part to the resurgence of Walt and his jumper. His shooting touch made him a mid-long range threat that opened up the floor for the slashers. Hakeem is perfect for this role. He can hit jumpers from anywhere beneath the 3pt line. Having a center who can hit from anywhere on the floor adds a whole new dimension to our already blooming offense. Having him pull out the opposing big man as a mid-range threat could do wonders for opening up the lane even more for the guards. He could do wonders for our spacing on offense. And although he won't be running for the fast break, how many times do you see a five-man fast break? Usually two or three, sometimes four. Just let him throw his excellent outlet passes and let the boys run it home.

If he can give us medium performance without getting winded, I would welcome him back with open arms.

[This message has been edited by Nolen (edited April 28, 2000).]

 

Mark my words. Hakeem will come back next season and make us wish we never thought ill of him again.

Predicted PPG-17.5
Predicted RBS.-10.1
Predicted Assists-5.1

And I'm being nice.

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"Let the dream begin"

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You're asking for a headcount, yet you prohibit any negative counts with "If you believe that Hakeem still got game and is worth the 16 mil then reply otherwise DO NOT POST YOUR REPLY IN THIS TOPIC."

Jeez... But for the question: I don't think it's worth a buyout: buyouts make sense in the 1st-2nd year of a contract, but NEVER THE LAST!!!!!!!!!!!

Especially when you're talking about an icon. Personally I think he ought to go for the team, but if he doesn't, it's no sweat.

Say you do a buyout, what do you gain immediately? Injury roster space! Nothing more!!!

A buyout would NOT alleviate the cap situation this year. All you'd end up doing would be sending off an old NBA hero a year early.

Tho I think the Rox would be better off continuing their current game plan (which doesn't include Hakeem at all), I don't see any real harm in keeping Dream on the roster for another year, even if he only plays token minutes. As anyone who knows Dream knows, a 30-12-3 night is NEVER out of the question...

I think that while he can no longer be relied upon by the team to carry the night to victory, he can still contribute. In his current (weakened) state, he's still a little better than average in most regards - as long as his breath holds...

Point being, tho, that if we buy out his contract and send him packing, we gain nothing financially, and we lose potentially good minutes at C - something the Rox can't afford to squander.

As for a sign & trade, HELL NO. HAKEEM WILL FINISH HIS CAREER IN HOUSTON, PERIOD.

So, I dunno. Flip a coin, Dream.

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Sory about that last one. Don't flip a coin. Some fools around here have been talking about a BC trade, and I think that's just foolish: trade a $16mil/1yr veteran (who is frankly nearing the ultimate recycling plant) for a $65mil/6yr bust of a center... And some here talk about US throwing in? (Walt, Bryce - I wouldn't even throw in Bryce on this deal))

Hakeem, 1-on-1 on a bad night, would remind Big Country of how much of a lame ****** worthless excuse for a center he was. Even with the breathing problems.

To this deal I can only say: No Thank You.

Keep Hakeem for a year, let some of our scrubs go, and in 1-1/2 years we've got over $20mil to play with.

If anyone feels like starting a "No Trade" Vancouver-Houston Club, I'll run for VP...

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Earlier This Year (in the 1999-2000) season, Hakeem had some pretty solid games against Sacramento, San Antonio etc. I am a die-hard Hakeem Fan, but a realist as well. What we need is minimal post scoring, rebounding, blocked shots and a big man that can make the medium range jumper. Hakeem fits that perfectly. Now whether his pride will allow him to be the second option is another story. He said earlier this year that this was the best team he'd ever been on, that shows how his game has declined due to injuries. But during the offseason he has shown a commitment to strength training with track coaches etc. With his breathing problem gone, he has the physical tools and skills to be one of the top 5 centers in the league (at least). Yes, he may not be worth 16 million, but he was worth a lot more than that when he was playing for chump change in the Early 90's and late 80's so don't complain about him not earning his paycheck.
Next year I see him playing 25-30 minutes a game and starting and finishing the game. Even after the breathing problem goes away, he won't be able to run small-ball for 40 minutes a night. This will allow Kelvin Cato time to Develop as well. Imagine a front line of Hakeem, Cato and Rashard Lewis....Scary... Hakeem plays at his best in the post when he has a tough post defender-rebounder next to him..like when he had Otis Thorpe or Kevin Willis, this gave him the ability to jump out to block shots because he had someone to cover the post and get defensive boards. I think Brian Grant could fill that position and allow both Hakeem and Kelvin room to manuver and block shots. We'll see....I am really excited about next year...My projected Lineup:
Hakeem Cato
B.Grant K.Thomas
W.Will S. And
S.Ander C.Mob
S.Franc M.Norris

I figure we can get at LEAST Brian Grant or Rashard Lewis and something in the draft.

HAKEEM Back in the day: "Gimme da bol"

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"If you believe that Hakeem still got game and is worth the 16 mil then reply otherwise DO NOT POST YOUR REPLY IN THIS TOPIC."

What is the point of that?


Anyhow, I want Hakeem to retire UNLESS he is 110% healthy and ready to play 25-30 minutes a game. I'll also settle for 15-16 and 8-10 a game. If he can come back and contribute to this team in a starting role(supposing we do not obtain another center of worth) and can play competitively on both offense and defense, then I am all for Hakeem finishing his career with a bang.

We aren't turning our backs on Hakeem because we want what MAY be best for the Rockets! I just don't think I can stand seeing him struggle and limp through another season. We all want more than anything for Hakeem to come back and play like the Hakeem of old. We just want him, as DoD put it, to be remembered for being one of the great centers of the NBA, not how he flamed out at the end of his career. I also, think he can do it...damn I KNOW he can...even Karl Malone knows he can!! Hakeem just has to find that desire and "heart of a champion" to want to win.

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We're going to miss you Chuck! Thanks for all the memories!

[This message has been edited by RocketsPimp (edited May 01, 2000).]

 

JT, its actually been a $30 million cap hit for [2] seasons.

Loyalty is great, but this is a business about winning and I'd rather see Hakeem retire than see him play like this past season. I DO NOT want his contract bought out though. Thats a punk move on the Rockets org if they do that.

Haven, I would be ecstatic if Hakeem could play a role such as Ewing is playing!!

Rockeem, FYI, Hakeem scored 23 points and grabbed 9 boards Barkley's first year and scored 16 points and grabbed 10 boards the second year. Not too shabby considering Barkley was also in the post.

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We're going to miss you Chuck! Thanks for all the memories!