Although Odom is a solid player, I'm not sure his acquisition would be a good thing (someone play some Jailblazer music). Assuming for the moment we acquired Odom with our draft picks, the Rocket would compound their glut of starters at two positions (Griffin vs Taylor vs Thomas at PF and Odom vs Rice vs Willams vs Morris at SF). IMO, we need to strengthen the CENTER position despite Cato's dramatically improved play. Like the Blazers, we possibiy would have too many starter-quality players (I know, that sounds absurd) who would get frustrated without enough minutes. We need to combine the picks and an expendable player and grab another player like the Griffin!
If Odom came to the rocks. Popeye becomes the happiest man in Clutchcity as Walt is guaranteed to be gone this postseason. Morris may be a starter quality player in the future, but being a second rd pick is humbling. If Rice becomes a Maxwell, oh well. Let him ride the pine for two years or get "injured". I'd like a center too. I see us trading for Odom at about the same chance as the rocks getting a center.
leebigez, it's not about starting. it's about minutes. You can't bury Glen Rice off the bench. I'd rather have Odom late in the game. Taylor always gives us a huge boost in the first quarter. The 4th Q line-up will probably incluse Odom, Griffin, and Taylor. You're forgetting the big picture. We won't have a glut of forwards either, because Walt's contract is finishing, Langhi is gone because he's practically free and might as well try over there, and KT is gone in the trade to backup Brand. francis3, it's not all about hops. Dooling has been very dissapointing to the Clippers organization so far. They expected a lot more. Personally, I'd rather not keep a better, more expensive Mooch and get a less expensive, not as good Dooling. Why? Because players will likely get more minutes behind Mcinnis than Steve Francis, don't you think? I think Dooling can gradually improve as Steve's backup. But Mcinnis takes too many nights off, and their next option right now is Earl Boykins. KT, Mooch, and 2 first rounders is way too much for just Odom. Thrown in Dooling a future second rounder, and a cap filler of their choice, and we'll thrown in Langhi for $$ purposes, and we've got a deal. I know you guys don't want to see Rice playing big minutes so late in his career. I'm sure Odom wo't complain about the starting role because he's just not that type of person. he's a team player. it is true that Odom has not improved significantly over 3 seasons, but I'm positive that this is because of being on the Clipps the first two seaosns, and being injured this season. I'm positive his production will go up on a team like ours which features more scorers which take pressure off him, so he doesn't force his shots. Plus, he can focus on other aspects of his game. Rotation: Cato(28)/Griffin(12)/Taylor(5)/Odom(5) Taylor(25)/Griffin(18)/Odom(5) Rice(28)/Odom(20) Mobley(35)/Torres(13) Francis(30)/Dooling(18) Starting is not important,it's just important to find the right mix, for the right times. Griffin and Odom will play big, important minutes, they just won't be named starters. I'm sure that if Mobley didn't mind coming off the bench, those 2 won't either. That is a contender. Francis is a passer. Mobley used to play the point. Odom is a passer. Big frontcourt, great interior defense. Shotblocking galore. Rebounding is the last of our problems. Imagine us up against the Lakers(late in the game): Griffin - Shaq Mo T - Walker Odom - Fox Mobley - Kobe Francis - Fisher We also have Cato, Dooling and Rice off the bench. Can anyone honestly say we don't have as good a chance as ANY team in the league at beating the Lakers in a 7-game playoff?
I forgot to add that, the difference between us and the Blazers is: We have the following players who can play C effectively: Cato (true C, plays big minutes, hopefully efectively from now on) Willis (VERY adequate backup) Griffin (Depending on matchups, can be very useful here) Taylor (Played many productive games here last year) If push comes to shove, Collier (Like I said, IF) If Rudy goes crazy, we go REALLY small, Odom (Again, IF) Blazers: Davis (biggest minutes here, and not a true C) Wallace (refuses to play C) Dudley Bountje Boumtje
Thats why were trying to trade Thomas, hes the odd man out who has good trade value right now. Williams is gone next season, and Morris still needs time (If we got Odom he'll replace Langhi's spot). Why do we need to strengthen the CENTER position? We have Cato, Griffin and maybe Willis for next season. There is nobody in this year's draft that is as young and talented as Griffin. Cato/Griffin/Collier Taylor/Griffin Odom/Rice/Morris Mobley/Torres Francis/Brown Now this is a team that can compete with the west.
Sane- If somehow we were able to get Odom or Lewis, why not bury Rice, Walt or whoever else on the bench at the 3 spot? Odom would be a major upgrade over anyone we have at the 3 spot. He's struggling this yr shooting mainly due to the bad wrist, but he's still avg 6 asst and 6rebs plus he's 21. Glen Rice wouldn't be anything more than a relief man playing about 12mins per behind Odom. Moochies minutes would b down because then Rudy wouldn't use Mobley at the 3 spot and Steve at the 2 as much. Odom is very unselfish, something this team needs, plus he's a good big player also a need for this team. Thats one of the problems we have is that we don't have many good big players 6'6 and up. A player that no matter what can get a good shot over a player his height or equal. Francis and Mobley are good players, but its easier to defense them with taller longer players late in games. Remember that stretch when Al Harrington and Russell were defending Cat at the end and had him shooting fall away 20fters? Thats what I mean about not having many good big players. Rice in his career now is pretty much like Dell Curry, a designated long range shooter only good in limited chances. Odom would help elevate us into Dallas,Minn range as far as being contenders and not too far behind LA. I'm not saying that he's the next Magic or anything like that, I'm just saying Odom Francis,Cat and Griffin could form a bond that could put us into elite company. Odom could relieve Francis of ball handling duties while maintaining matchup responsibilities ie.. Francis pg,Mobley sg etc.... The small ball game would be only a novelty and not a means to compete which would make us 2nd round or conf finals material instead of maybe first round fodder.
That's where you're wrong leebigez. Why bury him on the bench when he CAN give us 25 good minutes when healthy? That's wasting capspace, talent, experience, whatever. odom will still play the same minutes as when he starts, understand that. But starting will give Rice confidence that Odom doesn't need at this point. Why you're arguing I don't know, because starting is just a title. We can use it to our advantage. BTW, I'm assuming Walt is not even in the rotation, because honestly, next year he's gone, and injuries have caused him to be buried on the bench for now, and probably a while until MAYBE he gets hot late season. BTW, Rice is a much better player than Dell Curry is. We can use his post-up game VERY much. Plus, we both know it still takes experience to win in this league.
How about Odom and Kandi? I want them both. I'm greedy. Kandi is gone (final year) and Odom is trade bait ($$ coming in Brand's max yr, glut), anyway. They're both cheap in $$, on rookie contracts. I think we can make the package, esp with picks. I rather like Cato?/Kandi Griffin/Taylor Odom/Rice Cat?/Torres Francis/Mooch?/defensive backup pg La needs expiring contracts (Walt), a center (Willis?), help up front for Brand (KT?), a backup or better-than-McInnis starting pg (Mooch?, first rd pick?). They don't need a shooting guard or sf (breathe easy, Cat fans). This looks like a great opportunity. That's a very good team. Please please, don't tell me you prefer the pick, walt, mooch, kt, and kevin. They can have Collier, Langhi, Tmo, and Brown, too . I'd rather have roster spots for another super-overlooked-free-agent-find like Torres. The Rockets are pretty good at finding those guys in the cba and overseas. That team can fly, pass, shoot, block, help. Cato can be the 6 foul shot blocking enforcer. Kandi can run, catch and dunk. Kandi can catch and throw the outlet. Lamar can slide over and funnel players into Griff's blocks or Cato's mugging like they used to do with Hakeem. The team can play with anybody.
Ok Sane, I guess Glen could play 12min behind Odom and 12 behind Mobley, does that make you happy. Its not about wasting cap space because from now until his contract expires thats what he'll be doing anyway. He's the same player as walt williams and nothing more. Odom is a upgrade over him to the fullest, but since you still think this is Glen Rice of 99 or even Glen Rice his first yr with LA, then go ahead, but you're setting yourself up for dissappointment.
Can anyone elaborate on this? I'm excited by the idea of getting Odom, and even more excited that doing so might not be that far-fetched, but I wouldn't go for it, if there's a significant chance particular injuries will continually hamper his game. How serious is the wrist problem, and how likely is it to heal completely and not become a recurring problem?
One thing in particular about trading for anyone, to me, is simply the logjam of players at particular spots. Rudy likes his mismatches, and sometimes so do I, but those mismatches would serve us well against the Dallases and the Eastern Conference teams (i.e., no dominant big men) rather than against Western Conference opponents. Mo, EG, and KT are power forwards who can slide over to other frontcourt spots...but they're still power forwards, and all of them want to start, and could make an argument for doing so. Still, who knows what a lineup of Steve/Cat/Rice/EG/Mo-T would do? Certainly not us; we have yet to see what we have. Nevertheless, I don't know if I like a lineup with Steve, Cat, Mooch, and KT (at least, not all on the floor together). Too much small ball, too many isolations. To be fair, Steve and Cat probably have felt the need to shoulder more of the scoring load with injuries decimating the lineup, but this merely gives them an excuse to fall back into old habits: i.e., street ball. Moochie has to stay as insurance for Steve's migraines. Probably. The reason I like the possibility of going after Lamar Odom is his versatility. He would grow on this team. As long as Mo doesn't teach him too many tricks ("OK, inhale....hold it, hold it....careful, don't gag...OK, let it out...isn't that s### cool, see what I mean?") Odom could flourish. He can play anywhere on the floor. Do we really want more rookies on this team? Those picks should be signed and traded...UNLESS we get a chance for Yao Ming. But getting Ming means jumping through a lot of hoops, not to mention landing, at worst, the #2 pick in the draft. Of course, Odom would want a big extension next year. How much does he get? Can we get Chicago involved in a 3-way so that we can unburden ourselves of some salaries? Etc. etc. And how many max or almost-max contracts (Steve, Lamar, EG) can we hand out? I hope the next poster has less circular arguments than me.
I would love to have Odom. If nothing else it is another guy that can have great chemistry with Cat. Since Cat is a vocal leader of this team, it can't hurt that three of the other starters would be: his best friend (Steve), his college teammate (Lamar), and a guy from his hometown (Eddie).
You guys are making me really excited. I hope the Rockets are actually contacting the Clips. When is the trading deadline? Wow. Imagine the first year we move in to the new arena...new jerseys, new, fresh outlook. Win the title with essentially these players: 1-Francis 2-Mobley 3-Odom 4-Griffin 5-Cato What a young, fast, high-flying, exciting team!
i was thinking if we were to land lewis or odom would moochie's minutes actually go down? i mean i could see odom sitting on the bench in crunch time while we play small ball and moochie dribbles out the clock.
The Rockets' brass has been very quiet lately concerning the trade deadline. CD is on record as saying that he highly doubts that the Rockets will make any moves during the trade deadline, because they believe that they still have yet to see what they can do. With Mo Taylor and Glen Rice out, Rudy T feels that the Rockets have not shown their full potential. So I highly doubt that they will make any moves at the trade deadline. However, if such a move were going to be made, it would be during the summer around the NBA Draft. Since the Rockets owe the Grizzlies a first-round pick, and the NBA prohibits a team from trading their first-rounder in consecutive years, the Rockets could contact the Clippers for instance and ask them what player they wanted. Then after the selection David Stern would walk up to the podium and announce the trade of the the rights of the player the Rockets picked plus what ever other players are going for Odom. I still say that the Rockets have a slim-to-none chance of getting Odom, but hell CD and Rudy T have pulled Francis and Griffin, so I can't rule any trade scenario out of the question. If they were to get Odom, it would take a package of two first-rounders, a second-rounder and a player or two. And to tell the truth I'd make that deal under the conditions that Odom knows what his role would be in Houston. Odom is worth the gamble, he is probably the player that could push the Rockets over the proverbial hump. The best part is that he is still young and would only grow with and help the young Rockets' nucleus. I'll be crossing my fingers and awaiting the Rockets magic that they pull every summer.
leebigez, i dont think he's the Rice of 99. I don't hallucinate. But if you think he's Walt Williams, then you think he's Rice of 2008. Rice has a great post up game, hich Walt doesn't. Has just as good accuracy from the 3. Experience on a championship team. Ability to score consistently once healthy. PLUS, he helps keep Cato motivated.
Yeah Sane, he whinned his way all the way off a championship team. When was the last time you seen that "great post up game" of Glen Rice? 98,99?. Whatever the arguments and facts are, Glen is done, Williams has been done and Langhi and Morris aren't ready which equals close to nothing at the 3 spot. We can play Thomas there, but how effective he can and will be is another story. Odom is a long shot to get, but definitely worth the look. Does anyone know if we can give Vancuver the pick we are owed by Toronto?
You mean Memphis? Yes if its a top-15 pick.... which it probably won't be. I just hope we get at least a top - 5 pick this year, so we can trade and receive a veteran player. We could be screwed if we start winning and end up with our pick becomes a 9-13 range and a toronto pick 17-21 range. We would have no trade leverage at all.... and we would be stuck with the same roster (because were over the cap) as we did this year, and possibly going into the draft lottery again in '03 but this time the top 5 pick goes to the grizzlies. Might be a long time till we see steve in the playoffs.
If Odom keeps getting hurt, maybe the Clips will just give him to the Rockets: http://www.latimes.com/sports/baske...b15.story?coll=la-headlines-sports-nba-clippe CLIPPER REPORT Odom Sprains Ankle After Dunk Just when you think Lamar Odom's season can't get any worse, it does. Having played only 29 games with the Clippers and scheduled to wear a cast on his sore right wrist for two more weeks, Odom dunked a basketball in Thursday's shoot-around, stepped on the ball, fell and sprained his right ankle. X-rays were negative, but the ankle was put in a soft cast. This injury is expected to keep him out for two to four weeks. "I'm sad," said Odom. "There's nothing I can do about it. It was a freak accident. I just want to do everything I can to get back as soon as possible."
Geez, if we could get Odom, I'd give them anyone on the team except Francis or Griffin... draft picks (ours and toronto's and 2nd rounders, if they want them), expiring contracts (Walt), backup role players (KT, etc.), whatever... we probably shouldn't give them Mobely, due to his relationship and chemistry with Stevie. But, if the Clippers stay true to form, and don't want to give out the big contracts, and feel he's replaceable (Miles/Magette), and want draft picks, salary off the books, and cheap players (like KT), then lets DO A DEAL! Actually, I believe that Morris is our future at the 3. But how can you pass up a player like Odom... I know if we keep losing, we could pick up a player like Amare Stoudamire, who would be a keeper. But he'll take so long to develop, like the rest of these HS guys. Its amazing that Griffin is doing so well at 19. But I'd rather trade our picks this year for someone around Francis' age, so the team can get another piece of the puzzle to make a run for the prize. And Odom or Lewis would be perfect... Other guys (centers) I'd like to see us try to get are LaFrentz, Clark, Diop, Mihm, Mohammed, Ratliff, Magliore, and even Stromile Swift. Oh, Cleveland, don't you want another lottery draft pick or something we've got?
