If Pau Gasol did not demand double teams then I do not know who did. Hellooo, Paul Gasol the all star? Common now Real Shady. I am coming around on the deal but lets not bend the facts.
They could not do that unless he approved of it, ever heard of ENRON. Any owner that would let his management team run the team into the ground is stupid and short sighted, I repeat. Your wonderful owner is not exactly what you think, I don't expect. PETA has publicly acknowledged Les's Foudation as the largest individual donor to their organization. He may also be a can-short-of-a-six-pack because he donated money to SWAC, "an organization whose tactics have included death threats, car bombings, and physical assaults. In 2005, six of SHAC’s U.S. leaders faced federal terrorism charges in New Jersey." http://www.activistcash.com/biography.cfm/bid/3580 He and his ex-wife Nanci founded the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida. And look at this: http://www.animalrights.net/archives/year/2003/000056.html Catch this: "Everything is becoming clear now. Animals have rights unless some animal rights activist needs to recoup his investment. Sounds like what PETA is really concerned about is that it keeps getting some of Alexander's money. Wouldn't want to put principles ahead of wealthy donors." http://www.animalrights.net/archives/year/2002/000296.html "GOOGLE" is a wonderful piece of software.
Let me let you in on a little secret. 5 years from now, McGrady's current contract will be expired and we're not going to re-sign by extending his last year of $23M. There is plenty of money to max Rudy Gay in 5 years. The decison had no monetary roots whatsoever.
Well, it sure is a whole lot better than the previous season, when we won 52 games and was the best team in the league over the last 27 games rotating Padgett, Bowen, and Weatherspoon. I guess you can pretend that McGrady can't play the two and that Battier at the three is not better than the combination of Wesley and Barry at the two that year, but you're not fooling anyone. And the five spot was plenty fine in 2005-2006 with Yao and Mutombo, as well. The same people who are upset with this deal are the same ones who thought Swift and Anderson would be stars and help this team win a champsionship. They want stats, not chemistry, intangibles, or balance.
I fail to see how this move gives us more balance. I’m sick of reading about Battier’s intangibles. This team was not lacking in players that provide intangibles last season. Howard, Wesley, Barry, Bowen, Hayes, and Bogans all provide intangibles. Luther Head was a big intangibles guy last year with key steals, key rebounds, and clutch shots. We don’t need any more players with intangibles. What we need is talent. Intangibles alone do not win championships. Balance wins championships. A mix of intangibles/talent, offense/defense, youth/veterans, athleticism/smarts, playmakers/spot-up shooters. This roster, as it stands, is very monotonous and unbalanced. It’s all intangibles, defense, veterans, smarts, and spot-up shooting. We had a chance to add more talent, offense, youth, athleticism, and playmaking with the draft, but instead opted to bring in a player that provides more of what we already have plenty of.
I am really hoping that you don't consider bowing out in the first round of the playoff's, including a 7th game blow-out, to be a successful season. If you do, then you will be probably enjoy the upcoming season. Putting a guy who is 6'8", 220 lbs, and slow does not blow my sox off at the 4. So I don't know where you are coming from. Motumbo did not play nearly as well last year as he did the year before. Therefore, I consider us to be weaker in the back-up 5 than last year since Stro was shipped out.
agree 100% Since the "spin team" is out in full force downgrading Gay to make Houston look better. I'll say that the more I think about the more Battier looks like a 6'8 David Wesley.
To be fair to Battier he is actually 6-9 in shoes, he's listed barefoot. So he's actually got enough height to probably play some at the 4 sparingly. The deal still sucks though as it stands now.
And that's the problem. Depsite having a piecemeal team and not putting a real four on the court, while starting off 6-11, the 2004-2005 team was the best team in the league down the stretch and, until game 7, had pretty much outplayed a younger, deeper, more balanced and athletic Mavs unit because our two stars played well and the surrounding parts fit in where necessary. I consider that succesful. But if every season is a failure without a ring, then the bar is already set at an unreasonable height. So, go back and watch your season highlight videos from 94 and 95. And of course Battier is not the one player who will put them over the top and I do not expect him to be our fulltime starter at the four, but if you somehow think a 19-year old wing with limited strength, handle, and consistency is going to be the difference, then best of luck. I could see throwing in the towel or being pessimistic if we were entering the season with our current lineup, but it's not even July yet and we have a ways to go in the offseason. But I also realize some people just like to complain and make life miserable for those who like to follow the team, so have at it.
I dont know, for a guy that is tagged as Mr Hustle/Mr Intangibles and getting only about 5 rpg on 35 mpg....I just hope that it is not hype as is this talk about him being a great defender - taking on the more tougher defensive assignments at the 2 and 3 so T-Mac does not have too... As he is a Rockets now, I am hoping not....
no way he backs up mcgrady. he will start at mutiple positions if injuries occur. he is a starter all the way.
ok guys. how about just be quiet and support our rockets I hated all these bashings about the Tmac trade, Yao trade.. even Stromile trade for God's sake.. and now that he's traded.. you guys are mad!??!?!?!? Dudes, just wait and see how it turns out.. stop bashing on Battier already.. shees.. every player is good and some only succeed in certain system.. don't judge a player by his stats/ history.. Gay might be good later and well be like "aww we screwed it up".. well.. whatever. too bad. who cares. life moves on. The thing you should think about is that THIS trade pretty much assures by the whole Rockets board that TMAC is fine and hes coming back strong. Think positive for once? yea?
