Horry + 27 for Croshere and 14? Doesn't make sense. Croshere is younger and better (not by much) and Horry's biggest asset is his clutch shooting, of which Indiana has little need for as they aren't gonna make it to the big games and have Miller to shoot that shot anyways. So why trade down to get the worse player?
Does Prince remind anyone else of Horry? long, rangy, good outside shot, has mental lapses in games . . . (but Prince is supposed to be able to handle the ball) I'm personally against using 15 on Prince, but mebbe Rudy sees Horry II. I've been on record saying/praying that butler will be available somewhere after the Clips at 8. For what its worth, the mock draft in the Chron by M. Murphy reflects that. if so, the Rox absolutely have to get him. ABSOFREAKINLUTELY. No 15, 37 and Rice and KT for No. 9 and Hardaway. I don't know if the salary issue would work, but yes, I'd take the nickel in order to get Butler.
Croshere better than Horry? Ouch, my sides actually split from laughing. I kid, I kid. They have the same scoring avg, but Horry gets more boards, more assists, more blocks, and shoots better from the 3. Still, it's just a stupid trade if they are looking to build a contender. They have a nice team with Tinsley, Miller, Artest, O'neal, and Miller. They also have Mercer to back up and maybe take over form Reggie when he retires. Bender and Harrington are good players as well. If I were the Pacers, one, I wouldn't want to help the Lakers start rebuilding Before Shaq retires, and two, I take the most talented guy available with my pick, hopefully someone who can contribute now.
Welsch and Nachbar are defensive studs then? At least, Woods has the base skills that could be developed into a great defensive player.
We have to make our decision on who we draft based on our needs and based on getting to the playoffs next year and in the years following - not two or three years from now. Woods will probably one of the best in this whole draft in a few years. He's definitly got the potential. However, the Rockets don't need his style of play. We need more of a Nachbar or Welsch type to complement what we allready have.
The last thing this team needs is Qyntel Woods, another "high potential" player that is going to take atleast another 2 years to develop. If the Rockets are going to take a small forward, they need someone who can shoot the ball and step in immediately. I am hoping Nachbar falls to #15 though it seems unlikely at this point.
If the L.A., Indiana deal goes through, we don't have to worry about Woods falling to #15. If Woods was the only one available at #15, I'd probably take him if I thought Rice was going to break out this year. Even if we don't keep him, we could probably get a very good player in exchange for him down the line.
I would love to see a Laker trade to upgrade (Sacramento is knocking on their door) but management most likely won't due to one factor: loyalty.
If he drops to 15? Word is he could drop to 20 or lower. Who needs someone that can't even spell defense.
If Ming is 2-3 years away from really being good, why not? This team is a playoff caliber team right now. For these young guys, what is best is some playoff experience and then in 2-3 years, when they are really going good, we might be challenging for the championship. GMs think longterm and coaches think short term. I think we are very fortunate in Houston that we have three guys who work so well together and who all think both short and long term, IMO. These guys will get us there in what they deem is the best way to get there for the longest period of time. If you take Woods, Ming, Woods and Griffin will all be on the same appx development curve. When they are ready, franchise will be a grizzled veteran and you need that type of maturity out of your point guard.
If Amare is still on the board when the 15th pick rolls around I think Houston has to take him. The man is a defensive freak. He thinks shot blocking and rebounding first. Which would go a long way on this team since there will be more than enough balls to go around with Steve, Cat, Ming, Rice, Mo T etc. I can't think of a better way to improve the front line better than picking up Amare and Yao. This would cause a log jam up front but people could be moved. But the chances of Amare slipping to 15 are pretty remote. I believe that Miami has some great interest in him since the situation with Zo in the middle is a question. Amare would most probably be drafted by Miami as insurance. But hopefully they go with Jeffries. But if he were taken if Im Houston I try and trade the pick and someone up front to get him in Houston because this guy is for real. I believe its time the Rockets started thinking about defense.
