Depends upon what else he develops...he should have his speed at least until 31...so you got time.... And if we are going to play young and fast, he fits perfectly in that role..... Let him inflate his numbers get some team overvaluing him and trade him then. Right now.....his value is not as good as it will be in a year or two....if we go the rebuild rate. He will be like a 22 and 7 guy .....and look like a superstar to some GM....that is when you strike. I am not against trading AB, I am against all the suggestions so far......Cousins is not even close enough to get AB.....they would have to toss in picks....AB is a 20ppg NBA player....Cousins is a 19 year old with an attitude problem..... GMs that make that trade lose their jobs. DD
Well, the thing is that is a flawed strategy. I think we've seen that with our lack of success. We're not going to get a superstar via trade. We're going to get one via draft. That needs to be the mantra. So unless you're talking about flipping Brooks for a top 10 pick (don't think he has that value, but I guess it depends on draft quality), I don't think your strategy will work. We should be dismantling down to nothing and building it back up via the draft. Think back about the last few GMs that have been considered geniuses: Pritchard -- drafted Roy, Aldridge, Batum, Oden.. once considered the next great team before injuries derailed them. Presti -- drafted Durant, Westbrook, Green, Ibaka.. considered the next great team You know which team is next on this future watch list? The Clippers, believe it or not. With Gordon, Griffin, Aminu and Bledsoe, they are going to be a dangerous team in a few years. Those three teams landed their stars by drafting them -- there is no quick shortcut route via trade. I don't know what else to tell you but that you're wrong. Maybe if you were the GM. In reality, you would need Brooks + to get Cousins. I know you don't value potential, but a heck of a lot of other people do it. Cousins attitude problems has probably brought down his price from untouchable to attainable.. but don't think that means they're going to add draft picks just to get rid of him for someone like AB. Cousins has the potential to be a star. Brooks, if you squint your eyes just right, looks like one on offense only.
If w are going to rebuild the first to go are 1. Yao (due to injuries and age) 2. Scola (age) AB should be one of the last to be traded if we are in rebuild mode.
I agree but it's not going to happen that way. Yao is too much of a cash cow for this team. I just hope Les does right by the fans decides not to move forward with him if he can't come back from these injuries. Scola has value in the NBA. I'm not sure what team would trade for him and give up picks and a expiring contract. Teams that have trade exceptions don't need Scola.
I'd would love to have knucklehead in my team. A team needs every kinda player; a superstar, a defensive specialist, an atheletic freak etc. etc. etc. Also needs a Tim Duncan-esk ice cold player & a Jason Kidd-like floor leader & a Dennis Rodman. So I don't wanna watch this lethargic, slacker Rockets team anymore. I want that clutch city spirit back. I don't care if it's come with AB or CD.
Picks I doubt but if an expiring contract would do it... Scola for Troy Murphy, we know the Nets where going to sign him for a similar deal in the offseason and Murphy is not happy in Jersey. My sig tells you what other deal I'd like to do, moving Scola.
Scola for Murphy would of been a good deal if the Nets didn't have Favors already in place unless they make a move for Melo.
You don't need all that, you just need a group of guys who are efficient on both sides of the ball. The rockets were on their way to being that team but they traded away the glue for a bench player.
Well they had him and where going to sign Scola anyway, this summer. Saying that, I still think Melo will either be in Jersey or NY so that may work out for them anyway.
The thing about those two teams is they were both in a situation where scrapping everything and rebuilding would have no effect on thier fan base. No one was going to the jailblazers games anymore, and Seattle was on the verge of moving. In other words they had the green light to sacrafice a couple years for the long term benefit. The Clippers have consistently gotten high draft picks and wasted them. They could be good, but history is not in thier favor. Danny Ainge and Pat Riley would probably disagree with you. Actually, Riley may tell you get back with him later. I don't think you could really do a one for one deal like this. You can't really trade a solid player for a big risk like that. Besides, it leaves us with a whole at PG and too many bigs. We currently have 7 bigs...which is about 2 too many. Not sure that Sacremento would be interested in a big, so it would probably need to involve another team. I really don't see the point of doing a trade like this right now. We really don't know what we have in patterson and hill, and we don't know what kind of team we can have once Brooks comes back (I hesitate to add Yao to that).
look at the teams who've had success. they're teams who rebuilt quickly through vets. teams like the celtics, lakers, suns. okc, blazers, etc... haven't had any real success. they look to/could in the future, but it hasn't happened yet, same old story. reminds me of a discussion simmons had with morey where they both agreed too young and teams don't win. rockets were one of the younger teams last season. this time they've added more youth.
I'm not sure what you're getting at. Are you saying Houston can't afford to rebuild because they'll lose their fan base? That seems ludicrous, don't you think? If anything, Houston fans are tired of seeing a mediocre loser. Tear it down and build them the team they deserve. They've certainly had their share of failed picks. But as I said, Gordon, Bledsoe, Aminu and Griffin are all good-to-great young players. It isn't a matter of IF for them anymore, it's a matter of when. Pat Riley is irrelevant. That was free agency and a special situation where three best friends all decided to play together. And, Riley didn't really "trade" for them -- he just used his cap space. Which, gasp, involved dealing players with big contracts to make room for. So you've got one example of a team who traded young talent for a star in the past decade. Not the strongest argument against my presumption. And KG was acquired because of Al Jefferson -- who was more valuable than any trade piece we have. Pierce was already on that team as well -- how did they get him again? Oh yes, the draft. Would Boston have won titles without Pierce? Absolutely not. You couldn't do a one-for-one deal and I wasn't necessarily promoting it; just explaining that there is NO chance you trade Brooks for Cousins +. It's the other way around.. Brooks + for Cousins. And I could care less about our roster balance -- we're rebuilding. Most of the guys on the roster will be gone in due time as it is. Maybe you don't know what we have in Patterson or Hill, but I'd venture to say the Rockets brass has a pretty good idea. In fact, I'll say that I know what we have in Jordan Hill. He's a good, solid player who will get better, but he's not a star. Still, I'd take him on my roster. Patterson is dropping 15 points a game in Rio Grande. Forgive me for believing he's not a star. He may grow into Carl Landry.. but Carl Landry isn't that great either. Brooks coming back will make us a better team -- but we're not a contender even with him and Yao. We'll be fighting for the playoffs when we should be worried about the draft and finding our future franchise player. The Celtics and Lakers had their superstars in place before adding "vets". That's why they're so damn good. We don't have ANY superstars. Let's get one first before we start retooling and adding vets. It should be obvious that's it a whole lot easier to rebuild a team starting with Pierce or Kobe than it is with Aaron Brooks making $10M/year.
I agree, Rox should look to get young but not super young. There are no Durants or Westbrooks in this years draft so moving the pick for a productive ESTABLISHED young player might be the move.
It's a good thing basketball is a 5 on 5 game and not a 1 on 1 game... that's how AB makes up for it. His speed wreaks havoc on defenses. Good team defense (interior shot blocking and proper rotations... something we can't seem to get this year) would make up for AB's defense. So you have 2 flawed PGs. AB can't play D and Lowry is a poor shooter. Both are more than capable at leading a team deep into the playoffs (AB killed the Lakers in the 2nd round series). The PG position is not our problem position, it's a scoring wing that creates his own shot, a C that can block shots and rebounds, and a PF/SF that is a good weakside defender. I think we address our wing position needs in the draft over the next 2 years. If Yao comes back and can play 30 minutes a game that shores up the C position. Hill and/or PatPat can end up being our good weakside defender (when was the last time you saw Scola come from the weakside to block a shot?)
