Next question is, can Ward be had for the vet minimum? There may well be other teams that would like to sign Ward. Would we have to offer something more than the minimum? Do we have any exceptions left to do it with? Is it worth it if we have to spend more than the minimum?
N kidding, What is the fascination with Charlie Ward. The only reason he's popular is because of another sport. He's an average to BELOW average backup who's overpaid. We just got rid of a guy like that. What is Ward going to bring to the team? He's not a starter. We have our backup PG. Move on folks.
what does he bring? exactly what this team is currently lacking...a pass-first, defensive-minded point guard who plays with poise under pressure. This is not to say he will replace stevie in any way, but he can show him how to handle himself under pressure situations.
When was the last time the Knicks were in pressure situations? The guy is a below average poing guard with a nice jumper. No reason to replace Wilks from what've seen.
Well.... what are the pros and cons of signing Ward? We do have an open roster spot, do we not? Pros: Ward could bring that same kind of 'Veteran Leadership' (perhaps even just the fabled 'Veteran Locker Room Presence') that JJ has brought.. Not much will surprise him, being a 10 year veteran.. unlike Wilks, who, being young as he is, if the season were to come down to a 'crunch time', as it were, and for some unforeseen reason MW was having to be PG for the Rockets instead of SF (temp game injury, relapse of migraines, whatever) some savvy coach will be licking his chops at being able to coach against a young inexperienced guy in Wilks.. would not be the same with Ward, who has been around the block more than a few times.. He's an improvement defensively over both Mooch and, supposedly, over Wilks as well.. I don't see how he could NOT be a better offensive option than the Mooch, and the jury is clearly still out on Wilks.. He knows JVG-style ball, and JVG obviously knows him very well. Whether or not JVG trusts Ward enough to take a flyer on him, that is probably the more apropro question for the time being, until we see something happen one way or the other by Jan 10.. Cons: He plays basketball, instead of football. He has never even sniffed an all-star team, and if he has won any all-anything awards, then this would be a good time for someone to speak up. IOW, he is not a 'great' player, but merely 'serviceable'. Is this really what we need? Are the Rockets more likely to win the game with Ward contributing 10-15 minutes per game, or with Wilks? That is the 2-dollar question. He ain't no spring chicken. He has played 10 years with the same team. Could be very hard to change. (however, this could also be a factor in the Rockets' favor, since he would be returning to a past coach, possibly making his transition to a new team more smooth.. don't know yet.) If we are all sitting here debating this issue, you can bet there are numerous teams out there debating the issue as well. How many other teams out there may have a more pressing backup (or even STARTING) PG need than us? We are not exactly crying with Wilks in there instead of Mooch. But I would bet you a Krispy Kreme that there will be more than a few teams interested enough in his services that his price will go up signifigantly above the mere vet minimum. Therefore, we have to consider just how much a 'flyer' on Ward would really be worth.. Kind of like the flyer on Ford.. he's just keeping the pine warm, he's not contributing on the court, and nobody seems to mind much, since he is not costing us much either.. if Ward's price tag goes up much at all, then I think the Rox take a pass.
I'm surprised at those who want to stand pat with Wilks. If anyone is a below-average backup point guard here, it is Wilks. He's a training camp scrub hanging on to a roster spot by the skin of his teeth. He's getting minutes with us because the Rockets didn't get a replacement for Moochie over the summer. Even with Moochie slumping as badly or worse than last year, Wilks still couldn't get off the pine while Mooch was available. If the Rockets didn't employ him, he'd be in the NBDL. Now, Ward is available -- who is better than both Mooch and Wilks -- and you're not interested? Ward is a vet who has maintained backup minutes throughout his career and posted modest but respectable numbers. He's a solid defender, a good 3-pt shooter and a decent assist man. He has experience, including playoff experience. Some day, Wilks might be as good as Ward is now, if fortune smiles on him. We didn't get rid of a guy like Ward. The guy we got rid of had a long contract for respectable money. We're talking about Ward at a vet minimum in a short contract. Plus, Ward is actually performing well, something Mooch wasn't doing for us. I like Wilks speed too, btw, but he isn't going to turnaround the Rockets' transition game when he's playing 8 minutes a game.
ricerocket, the way I see it is that the addition of Ward would allow the Rockets to play Francis at the 2 and possibly trade Mobley for a solid 4.
One thing that concerns me about Wilks is that I haven't seen him be able to a wide open jump shot consistenly. I love all the other things he brings but teams will leave him wide open like Cato, daring him too shoot.
Wilks didn't get a chance back then when Mooch was still here, but now that Mooch is in NY, he is given an opportunity to prove himself, and he's doing a mighty good job!
Where in the world are people getting this? I haven't seen where this is some "going to happen" thing.
Conspiracy theory: The Rockets KNEW the Knicks-Suns trade would go down beforehand (or the Knicks told them during THEIR negotiations), so they went forth with the Moochie trade, thereby freeing up a roster space for the possibility of obtaining Ward. Van Gundy/Carroll Dawson, you ARE diabolical.
Wilks is doing well because the expectations on him are much lower. If you stuck his stat line next to Norris' name, everyone would be crying for a trade (moreso). In the 2 games he's played since Moochie's trade, he's played 17 minutes, shot 0-4, scored 2 points (in 1 game, matching his season-high), had 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 foul. That's not to say that I'm unhappy with his play. He's coming along fine for a 3rd-string PG. He's getting a chance to prove himself now because while Moochie was here, as bad as Mooch was playing, he was still better than Wilks.
We need to try to get Penny right now. He's one of the handful of players that will help Steve reach his potential. He's perfect, he's been healthy all season, and he even said that he doesn't feel pain anymore. Although I don't trust that 100%, I think it's encouraging, and I think he can be the guy to take this team over the hump. Maybe the Knicks would be interested in MoT? Since Kurt Thomas and Othella Harrington are their only remaining PF's. Don't know what else we could possibly throw in though. I don't think we'd want to give Mobley up.....or do we?
mooch aint better than wilks in my opinion. Mooch is garbage. If u been watching the games u would notice that wilks stats are not that good but everytime he comes in the leads in game goes up. Remember when we had mooch the leads would go down when he came in. OVERALL MOOCH IS CRAP AND EVERYONE KNOWS IT!!!
This would have been Mooch's 5 season with us [7 seasons total for him] while this is Wilks' first real season appearance with us [3 seasons total]. He's not yet used to playing with his fellow teammates in a real game. But from the 17 mins he has played, he has proven himself to be a better pg than Mooch. The 3 assists doesn't tell the whole story. When he is in the game, he's active and looks for the open man or passes the ball until the open man gets it. With Mooch, he would run down the clock and by the time someone gets it, there is no time to pass it to anyone else when that someone is doubleteamed because there is no time left.
