1. Welcome! Please take a few seconds to create your free account to post threads, make some friends, remove a few ads while surfing and much more. ClutchFans has been bringing fans together to talk Houston Sports since 1996. Join us!

How Many Players Away Are We from Being a .500+ Team again?

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by SageHare6, Dec 6, 2005.

Tags:
?

How many players away are we?

  1. 1 Point Guard away

    16 vote(s)
    36.4%

  2. 1 Power Forward away

    7 vote(s)
    15.9%

  3. 1 PG and 1 PF away

    7 vote(s)
    15.9%

  4. 3+ Players and while we're at it, let's blow up the bench too

    14 vote(s)
    31.8%
  1. SageHare6

    SageHare6 Member

    Joined:
    Dec 4, 2002
    Messages:
    1,567
    Likes Received:
    184
    For all the talk about changing our personnel - from trading so-and-so to blowing up the entire team - I thought I'd poll people's thoughts on how many players away are we from actually being competitive again?

    While it's true that Stromile hasn't shown the consistency and greatness we hoped from him, but that still doesn't explain our weak opening record. (By my memory, it's JHoward who has been starting the majority of our games with Bowen sharing some quality minutes too at the 4.) But what exactly has been our problems?

    1. Poor passing... which encourages
    2. Poor shot selection... which contributes to
    3. Q4 breakdowns on the defensive and offensive end

    Which is why...

    Personally, I think we're only one point guard away from getting back to snuf again. That was the glue that Sura was to this team and that is the single glaringly significant difference IMHO between this year's team and last. It's unfortunate that the Rockets put all their eggs in one basket in signing Alston only when word of Sura's lengthy recovery period became apparent... but IMHO the Rox never should have let things get to that position in the first place. With Sura out and Alston out, and with Mooch a third stringer whether the organization wants to admit it or not, there really wasn't sufficient and "real" backup PG to being with when we started off this season. Yet alternatively, I think this simplifies a lot of things for the Rox...

    Find a legit PG with a little gumption who can start games and defend and maybe, just maybe, our problems will quickly be solved!

    With a true starting PG, a lot of the aforementioned problems can be cured IMHO and the offense can go back to being a little less dysfunctional.

    my two cents.

    :cool:

    theSAGE
     
    #1 SageHare6, Dec 6, 2005
  2. pasox2

    pasox2 Member
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Dec 31, 2001
    Messages:
    4,251
    Likes Received:
    47
    Howard is less effective than he was last year. Swift is clueless. We have no point guards. Our two guards can't shoot, dribble, move or make decisions.

    Yao and Tmac seem to be playing pretty good. Luther Head is a nice surprise, but I'm not sure what position he plays - probably sixth man scorer, ideally.

    Other than those three, and old men Deke and Barry, all the rest can go, with JVG in the lead car out of town.

    If we can turn any of those guys into a player by trade, great. We're going to need to draft some talent too, because we don't have a lot of money to pay contracts. Maybe we should trade for picks, and hope we get lucky, like San Antonio did with Parker and Ginobili.

    I don't think one guy is going to "fix" things, no. Kirk Heinrich is like the only guy I can think of that would make things suddenly "click" for our stars and this cast. I don't think we're getting Kirk.
     
    #2 pasox2, Dec 6, 2005
  3. solid

    solid Member

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2001
    Messages:
    21,230
    Likes Received:
    9,071
    We still need a Power Forward who can rebound and score, consistently a la Karl Malone type (Boozer?)

    We need a Point Guard that can drive, shoot accurately, and pass consistently.

    Both need to shoot in the mid-40's and get 15 rebounds a game between them a la Sura.

    If they can defend fairly well, the Rocks are back in the hunt.

    I think a lineup of Ming, TMac, Head, X-PG, and X-PF would be formitable. I think that is what the Rocks thought they had in Swift and Alston, wrong.
     
    #3 solid, Dec 6, 2005
  4. SageHare6

    SageHare6 Member

    Joined:
    Dec 4, 2002
    Messages:
    1,567
    Likes Received:
    184
    I like the idea of getting a Hinrich type of player. In fact, I couldn't agree more with the folks who were voting to get him during the off-season. As for a Parker type of player - keep in mind that Parker was literally hand-picked and spoon-fed under Pop's system when we was directly drafted from France. But for all the patience it took, look at Parker and the Spurs now! I don't know how to duplicate that kind of success w/in 1 to 2 years. At this point, I think it's more feasible to get a veteran PG instead.

    My two cents.

    :(

    theSAGE
     
    #4 SageHare6, Dec 6, 2005
  5. SageHare6

    SageHare6 Member

    Joined:
    Dec 4, 2002
    Messages:
    1,567
    Likes Received:
    184
    Agreed.

    Swift and Alston were framed as the "keystone" players to complete our starting 5. At best, I think they are second string caliber players - which coincidentally was how they were used on their former teams. Ironically, in following the continuing journey of Mobley, he wound up teamed with Cassell and Brand. As much as I like Mobley and Maggette, it's really Cassell and Brand who IMHO have helped turn that franchise around.

    theSAGE
     
    #5 SageHare6, Dec 6, 2005
  6. ubigred

    ubigred Member

    Joined:
    Nov 13, 2005
    Messages:
    7,363
    Likes Received:
    127
    Brand is the most underrated player in the league for the past 5 years.
     
    #6 ubigred, Dec 6, 2005
  7. stro4swift

    stro4swift Member

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2005
    Messages:
    325
    Likes Received:
    0
    yeah but he's still a 1st overall pick...he's playing like he should and the Clippers are finally able to blossom this year.
     
    #7 stro4swift, Dec 6, 2005
  8. tigermission1

    tigermission1 Member

    Joined:
    Aug 17, 2002
    Messages:
    15,557
    Likes Received:
    17
    We're a Jalen Rose away from competing for the ring this season, no, I am not kidding.
     
    #8 tigermission1, Dec 6, 2005
  9. Bullard4Life

    Bullard4Life Member

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2001
    Messages:
    1,470
    Likes Received:
    1
    Based on our improved play last night, I think we can be +.500 before the All Star Break. If Alston and Sura come back, we are right in this thing. I still wouldn't mind trying to pick someone up for an expiring (Wesley/Moochie) or picking up Latrell though...
     
    #9 Bullard4Life, Dec 6, 2005
  10. richirich

    richirich Member

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2003
    Messages:
    1,429
    Likes Received:
    1
    We need a real PF. Our most lopsided disadvantage position. I don't think baxter or hayes will be the answer.

    We need a decent backup 3, sorry Rybo but one that can shoot. I know DA fills in here but we need one about 6-9.

    We need Alston to live up to the hype, or get another productive PG, and/or have Sura come back healthy, and either trade DWes or push him back to 7/8/9 in the rotation and cut his minutes. DA is beginning to get into a groove - he needs to stay in that groove. Continue developing Head. Hope Barry's leg is good and he can play 15-20 min when needed.

    So we either need two plus someone to step up, or we need three.
     
    #10 richirich, Dec 6, 2005
  11. SageHare6

    SageHare6 Member

    Joined:
    Dec 4, 2002
    Messages:
    1,567
    Likes Received:
    184
    I think RYBO can be A-OK near-term. How many shots would you really want from this position anyway? Although ideally it would nice to get a better PF, I'm not sure if this is the critical piece right now. (Elton) Brand was an outstanding PF but he was never able to do much with the Clip until x-Rocket Cassell came along...

    I wish it never had to come this far with Alston. How it ever came down to "we need Alston to live up to the hype" is/should have already told us back when in Summer that Alston was a complete gamble on the part of the Rox. We need a legit PG. Nothing fancy. No streetball wizardry. Just a cookie cutter PG and I think we'll be OK. Heck even washed up veterans like GP could have served us well.

    Maybe big bro Stan can deliver GP to us.

    theSAGE
     
    #11 SageHare6, Dec 7, 2005
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)

Share This Page