GOOD DEAL, IMO. Here's how our stats change (based on last season's stats)... -----------PPG RPG APG Jim Jackson 7.7 4.2 1.9 John Amaechi 2.0 1.5 0.4 for Glen Rice 9.0 2.5 1.0 Net Change: +0.7 +3.2 +0.3 OK, not stellar, but keep in mind... 1) Jim Jackson had a low stat season last year, although he still played really well as the 3rd option on the deepest team in the league. If he starts with us, watch his stats jump up again. 2) John Amaechi played well in Orlando, but got the shaft last season cause Sloan hated his guts. He'll play better with us. 3) Glen Rice is old and besides his streaky 3pt shooting, he's a defensive liability. What veteran leadership we lost with him we gained in Jackson. Plus JJ is an all-around player, while GR is very one-dimensional. Also, we picked up Pike, which makes the 3pt issue a wash. 4) 6.5 Mill in trade exception! Now we can do a big move if we so choose to do it, whereas we were stuck in the mud before this transaction. Plus, less of a luxury tax hit (JJ + JA salaries < GR salary), which again means more flexibility. GOOD DEAL.
If CD's not able to use this 6.5million exception + ?? to get an all-star PF/SF, this is a bad trade. If CD uses the trade exception and whoever to trade for Atoine Walker, this is a horrible trade.
We needed who? The chump that is barely better than Oscar Torres...We dont need some Tim Duncan coat-tail rider on the Rockets. Steve Jackson is an NBA/CBA/D-League player that should have been good, but never amounted to his hype. JJ is all pro baby. You cant trade 11 years of NBA experience versus 1 year on champ's coat tail. So understand that I'm not against you, but saying he is worth more than Jimmy to the team is an insult to the BBS, Mr. Markell.
Don't get me wrong, I'm excited about this... (I guess) But I do have a few Q's I need you experts to answer. 1. If JJ did so well in Sactown and was "one of the best FA's left," why was he only now signed?? (One day before training camp) How could he be passed over all summer. 2. JJ seems to be hella strong! He should be more athletic/phyical than Rice was right? Does anyone have an injury history update on JJ they could give me?
The only injury that i have known Jim Jackson to really have is his ankle injury in 94-95 where he missed about 30 games but came back the next year and played all 82 games in Dallas. After that he basically played at least 70 games then went down to about 50 games a season when he was on the bench. 92-93 DAL 28 93-94 DAL 82 94-95 DAL 51 95-96 DAL 82 96-97 DAL 46 96-97 NJN 31 96-97 -- 77 97-98 PHI 48 97-98 GSW 31 97-98 -- 79 98-99 POR 49 99-00 ATL 79 00-01 ATL 17 00-01 CLE 39 00-01 -- 56 01-02 MIA 55 02-03 SAC 63
If we avoided the luxury tax through this trade, then we saved money, regardless of how much cash we sent to Utah. Remember the true cost of the luxury tax isn't just about how much of a penalty that you have to pay. We would have been just over the threshold, so the penalty amount wasn't that significant. The bigger issue is that if we're over the tax threshold (by any amount), we lose our share of the tax money from the other teams. That's a pretty large chunk of money. If we have a deal on the table that makes us significantly better, then I'm guessing that they'll pull the trigger and give up their share of the luxury tax money. But, what they won't do is to give up their share of the tax money for a Glen Rice or Jim Jackson. It's all about getting value for your money. If they get enough value, then I think they'll spend the money. If they can't get a player that will make a major impact, then they'd be foolish to give up that kind of money.
So the best strategy might be to trade one or more of our "good" players for, let's say, a "very good" PF at a higher salary but just below the tax threshold because crossing the threshold would would not only cost us tax but tax sharing revenue. This sort of narrows the gate for using the full value of the trade exception. You got your work cut out for you, CD. Maybe JVG will hammer CD like the rest of the team
I hope we can get some more pro support at shooting guard and power forward now... Can we get Steven Jackson for a bargain since no NBA team is knocking his door down? And can we get a Troy Murphy type player, some kind of rebounding mmonster for a cheap price.
NO CRAP!!! Toyota realizes how much money they're going to make off the naming rights so you can be sure they offered much more money than any American company epsecially given our economy. Unless Alexander is going to name the stadium himself, I don't see why anyone would be upset about us selling the rights to an Asian company. Maybe he won't be as frugal as McClane in the future regarding the luxury tax considering he signed a fat deal with Toyota. And about the trade, as long as they end up using that trade exception they acquired, it will be a great deal; if they don't, it won't be that bad- Amaechi isn't as bad as everyone makes him out to be and we really needed Jim Jackson, especially this year, if we're going to the playoffs.
cliff provision? you being a capologist, maybe i'm missing something with how it works but isn't that what the cliff provision is for, not losing your entire share of the tax money for going 1 dollar over the LT? the cliff provision is like a few million over the LT. if you go over the cliff, you lose all of your share. between the LT and the cliff level, you simply lose a prorated amount of your share. so going 1 million over the LT will cost you, but not your whole share. you have to go 4 or 5M over to lose it all.
So what # do you think JJ will sport for the ROX?? He's had 22 in the past, but we all know that Clyde wore that #.
I think the rice/jackson moves works (theoretically) on many levels. 1) It give the option of size at the 2 2) It puts realistic presure on cat to adopt JVG system (inside-out) or be replaced. 3) It opens up the possiblity of moving Cat IF a good opportunity arises (not likely). 4) Jackson/Griffen SF combo brings serviceable ability, consistancy, durrability and depth to the position. 5) With Jason Collier gone, the Rox did need an emergency big man. peace
The only way I really like this deal is if the $7 million we picked up for the next year is actually used to bring in a solid, veteran, tough PF starter. Anything else makes this a waste, simply b/c I think the money we could have had when Rice left after this year could have been spent more wisely then than the money we saved now to get Jackson. Our most glaring need is a banger at PF to protect Yao, play D, and get tough boards, none of which is the strongest point of MoT's or Griff's game. However, IF we could possibly use Mobley and Griff/MoT in a package to get a BGrant/KurtThomas, I would be totally for it. Keeping Yao and Steve the same, the difference between the two would be: Mo/Rice/Mobley vs. Grant/Griffin/Jackson A definite upgrade.
This is a GREAT pickup- JJ brings tougness and defensive intensity, and he is another player who can shoot the ball...he's also a good passer and a proven scorer...great pickup for the Rockets
First off, Cato has never had a drug problem. Secondly, you're just swapping positions where you have a crappy backup from PG to C if you do something like that. Not too smart, especially if (and I hope it doesn't happen) Yao goes down for any time at all. Do you want Amechi to be our starter for any period of time? Getting a good backup PG would be nice, but would not automatically put us up there with the Lakers, Kings, etc. Lastly, Cato's contract is not too bad when you look at other backup centers around the league. He's effective when he's out there, and if Yao goes down I'm comfortable with him being our starter for a period of time.
I disagree that PF is most glaring need. Yoa weighs over 300 lbs. and Cato is listed at 275, that's two really big guys at center. They need to be our inside strength. It would be great to be able to find a 25 year old Otis Thorpe again, but who fits that discription? And...the game has changed. Look who the top PF are: Wallace, Webber, Garnet, Dirk, Duncan, these guys (with the exception of Duncan) are not classic low post players, they opperate anywhere from the three-point line in. In other words, a good PF must be mobile enough to guard poeple inside and outside. E Griffin does that very well for a player his age. The Rox greatest need was getting the 3 stop filled after losing Posey...which they have done a decent job of. Now the greatest need IMO is a consistent backup PG. Mark Jackson is still avaliable.....
Who gives a damn about a 1st round pick? Houston should be a playoff team after these moves and adding Van Gundy, so that pick will most likely be a crapshoot. And about Rice getting us more. All the other "better" deals had us sending another tradeable asset with Glen, like Griffin or Mobley. The team got what they could have hoped for with Glen by himself. And that trade exception is big. Sure, it's 2-2.5 mil less than Glen's deal, but when you add it plus a cheaply signed Jim Jackson, it's a fantastic move. We now have a legit player at the 3, a proven scorer and go to guy to boot. Yet some of you hate this move? Let me get this straight, you guys would have loved Rice, and Griffin or Mobley for another awkward fit in SAR, who happens to make 11 mil more than Jackson. BAut when the team gets a cheap upgrade at a weak position and keeps most of rice's value by acquiring a significant trade exception, you guys think its the end of the world? Some of you need a reality check, in that no team will always trade for superstars every time. You need role players to complement your stars. The Rockets have their stars in Francis and Yao. Now they have a lot of role players in Cato, Jackson, Mobley, Griffin, Griffin, and Piatkowski. The key now is getting everybody comfortable playing with each other, and I think Van Gundy will do a good job of that. Plus add in Van Gundy's rep as a defensive minded coach with this offensive firepower, and you have the makings of something special. This may have been a quiet offseason by Rockets standards, but its been a very good one if you ask me. This team's biggest weakness before was veteran leadership and toughness, and by hiring Van Gundy and signing three vets in Piatkowski, Griffin and Jackson, they addressed both. Just because these players weren't big name players doesn't mean they can't ball. And they can ball based on their track records. In my opinion this has been a A offseason for houston, and just because it hasn't produced the blockbuster that fans wanted, these moves have drastically improved the team. And guess what? That's all one can ask for.
