Considering Houston's personnel, what they need is a high level power forward who can shoot the 15 footer, finish at the rim, and block shots. Asik is pedestrian on the offensive end--unless he's 1 foot from the basket, but he is elite at protecting interior. We need that Power forward to be able to reinforce that front line and give Asik some back up. If we can acquire this type of player, either through years of developing one of those rooks, or by a signing, Houston will be ready to climb that mountain with all the tools that they need. It's just a matter of where this player will come from.
I doubt Howard would turn down the Rockets offer, the money wouldn't be much different when you consider the tax differences and the Rockets could offer him being on a championship contender every year of his deal, the Lakers couldn't. If the Rockets want Howard, they'll get him. IMO they are set at the PF position between DMo and Robinson, they have no need to pick up another PF.
Chris Paul is the best Quarter backing PG we have in this league, but Tony Parker is his equal. The only way i can see Chris Paul leaving is if they get bounced in the 2nd round again. in this case, i could see him trying to find the next best team to pair with, and i think Houston is in that conversation. The Superstar effect, yo
how are they set? these guys aren't even proven. That makes absolutely no sense. As of right now, they are rotation players, just fill ins. Can they be more? maybe, but maybe not.
You have a top 5 draft pick in Robinson that has all of the physical tools that you would get from a Josh Howard or a Kenneth Faried kind of PF and you have DMo who is an extremely young 7 footer with great post moves.....IMO those are your guys for the future, there is no reason to kill their development by overspending on a guy like Josh Smith who is a defensive specialist with a bad habit of volume shooting. I'd consider going after a SF before picking up a 6th PF.
No The Lakers can give Howard 30 million dollars more than anyone else can. That is a huge difference. Also the Lakers are one of the most highly desirable teams to play for. The Lakers can and will do what it takes to get complementary players and assure continued Championship contenders. Houston can't do this. Howards sponsorship money is way more than he can garner with Houston by being a Laker. Howard is a Laker for the duration get used to it.
Complete agreement here. DMo has shown talent and possible but he has to the end of the year to show we don't need a Howard or a Josh Smith. That goes for Robinson and any other Rocket contender. Does anyone think in the next 25 games that any of these potentials will show that level? Morey said at the beginning of the year that it was possible that we didn't need to go outside if a top PF emerged. Has one yet?
Yes Agree. Why would he leave if he can go deep into the playoffs. He turned down their huge offer already. He wants max though or a Champiosnhip. Preferably both. What to do with Lin?
OK You have potential studs or flops. No one has a crystal ball to know for sure. Sure I like a couple of them and HOPE they turn out good but have been around long enough to know that the odds are low that a Star will emerge from any of them. We can always hope though.
Let's back up a bit, we need another starter before we need a back up. We have our Pg, Sg, Sf, and Center penciled in as bonafide starters. Josh Smith is more than just a defensive specialist, he can actually play off the ball and finish at the rim. Even equally, or even more importantly, he can protect the rim, and that's exactly what Houston needs to pair with Asik. Teams are scoring on Houston with ease because they are playing at a frenetic pace, and because they lack a power forward who can help Asik on the weak side. We don't need just any PF, we need a PF who can do a little bit of everything, but most importantly, defend that freaking paint with Asik. There aren't many PF's out there with that capability.
You try to deal Lin if you could land Paul. The problem with Lin's deal is that 15 million 3rd year. i don't know if teams are willing to take on Lin at that price.
Yeah he would need to put up CP3 numbers to be worth that price. He could be a great back up though. Unless his feelings get hurt.
Josh Smith would automatically lift Houston into the top 4 seed in the Western conference. Taking into account the age of Houston's core, they will steadily get better and better each year. the Spurs aren't getting much younger and i don't see them with any young pieces which make me believe that they will improve any more than they are. The Clippers are handcuffed because of that DeAndre Jordan deal, and Blake Griffin looks more like a young A'mare Stoudemire, but he can't command a double team. Chris Paul can only do so much. The only team who i see who will continue to improve is OKC, they have 2 Freaks of Nature in Durant and Westbrook. Losing Harden could end up biting them in the behind, since Harden has emerged as a superstar in his own right. IF Houston adds a legitimate All-star level calibur PF, such as Smith, i think it puts them in that conversation and OKC and Houston will be duking it out for the top seed in the west for years to come.
i like Lin, i like this core. We just need one more piece at the power forward position to take the next step forward. We can do a wait and see approach with our rooks and wait 2-3 seasons before they evolve into what we hope they could be, or we pick up a player that's proven and able to turn this team into one of the truly, elite.
Yes I agree but to go deep they need a deep bench. Asik needs a competent back up. He come out and the basket becomes wide open. Greg Smith is not cutting it as the back up to Asik. DMo should become the designated back up to Asik. Let the other studs fight for the 4 spot the rest of the year. We need to see which will make the best trade bait anyway.
OK I like Lin also. He has become solid. Need a competent back up to him and looks like we bit the bullet and found one in Beverley but will be cautiously optimistic on that still. Douglas sucked. Solid starters in all positions except the 4. They all look like only to improve.
This leads me to another point, this style of play is killing the stamina of our only big man. We either need to get an All-star calibur PF like Josh Smith to help him protect the paint in transition, or we need to scrap this whole system in general. If we do change this to a half court system, then we need a conventional PF, this would make Josh Smith's skill set less valuable to Houston. If we go this route, we'd need a all star level PF who could stretch the floor and pass out of the high post to complement Asik's game. Kevin Love or Lamarcus Aldridge would be ideal if we decide to go that route. And those guys are definitely commanding Max dollars.
Or Or if one of our potential prospects between now and the end of the year emerges into a star 4. Could just get a real good veteran that is cheap to hold the rotation while the stud grows into the star. Use the extra cash to grab good role players and shore up the bench. I am positive that Morey and Alexander wants a star though. They will get a high level star in the off season.
did someone say small forward? Morey should find a way to get the bobcats pick:grin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=qzBNsMe9Tqg
