The Rockets are best suited to letting Olajuwon leave and take his money from Tor, NY or Indy... The Rockets need to still re-sign Bullard, Moochie, and Mo Taylor, and possibly Shandon... As most of you know, this cannot happen until Olajuwon stops jerking the Rockets chain... The last thing the Rockets need is Olajuwon to come back only to b**** and moan about not getting the ball... Does he expect to get the ball in Tor? NY? It's evident that Olajuwon is using Tor and NY for some kind of leverage... On the court, Olajuwon is in the same situation as he is in Hou if he goes to NY or Tor... His contradictions make me wonder what the hell he is thinking about right now... I say let Olajuwon walk, free up the 24 million to re-sign Bullard, Mooch and Mo... Sign Marc Jackson for around 5 million... ------------------ "Awesome baby!" Dick Vitale
The biggest mistake the Rockets could make is trade Hakeem now. They were correct in acquiring Clyde Drexler. They were wrong they traded for Barkley and Pippen. Hakeem just had a lackluster year, and Rudy T. is jumping the trading gun? Not the right move. They had better talk to Hakeem first, and ask him what he really wants to happen. This might be the worst summer in Rockets' history, except for acquiring Eddie Griffin. Still, I'll say this, Rudy T., whatever you do, if Hakeem walks, it's the biggest mistake you'll be making. ------------------
Hell, we lose Hakeem. He's 38 and getting older. Two years from now you newbies will be talking about Steve V Kobe battles in the WCF. Everyone will. No big loss. Get over it. Move On. ------------------
No big loss? The departure of Hakeem Olajuwon puts KELVIN #%#%@$@$%@! CATO into the starting lineup and puts Jason Collier one Cato "injury" away from being the starter. Unless the Rockets can sign Mark Jackson, Hakeem is a huge huge loss. ------------------ Get Cato out of there...
I'm tired of hearing about Hakeem having a bad year, or being finished. He plays the best defense on the team, no matter what his offensive numbers are. The whole team plays better defense when Hakeem is there to stop the constant opposition drives to the basket. Defense is at least half of the game, if not more since it can lead to easy transition baskets on offense. If Hakeem scored zero points, he would help fill our teams biggest weakness. ------------------
I agree. Let him go or S&T him. He has the Rockets by the balls and he knows it. Where is the return loyalty there??? If he was 1/2 the person that the rockets are treating him as, he would let the Rockets make their offer and say "yes" or "no" and be done with it. I say, renounce his rights, S&T him and just move on. We aren't winning the west with or without him!!! ------------------ [This message has been edited by NJRocket (edited July 23, 2001).]
" ... Rudy T. is jumping the trading gun ... " Excuse me. Did I miss something here? RT does not want to trade Hakeem. CD has suggested that a sign and trade MAY not even be an option as far as the Rockets go. RT wants Hakeem signed now. * Hakeem has been offered a two year deal. He will make more than double what Patrick will make. Despite playing in less than 60% of the scheduled games in the last two years. * He has had no less than four seperate diagnoses in the same period all related to seperate illness and maladies. * He will be asked to contribute to a TEAM EFFORT, with a team he has played with for 16 previous years. That unfortunately for Hakeem, means a team committed to a different, and I might say predictable youth oriented "controlled run and gun" future. Unfortuantely Hakeem has requested more. (a) More money. (b) More (Longer) contract. (c) More touches (ball posession. (d) More input into the gameplan. Seems to me Hakeem has decided what he wants and where he wants to play. I say give to him. Renounce him. It is what he wants. ------------------ [This message has been edited by oeilpere (edited July 23, 2001).]
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If Dream goes to NY, would you accept getting Kurt Thomas and/or Marcus Camby in return? I would do a sign and trade of Dream and Mo for Thomas/Camby in a heartbeat... ------------------ "Awesome baby!" Dick Vitale
Can the Rockets renounce Dream and resign him later? I'd like us to move forward our business (Taylor, Moochie, and Anderson), and then come back to Dream. ------------------ Give Cedric the damn ball
What's more original -- Kid Rock's music, or kidrock's threads? Tough call. ------------------ "I guess that's YOUR theory"
Dude, they traded for Barkley because the same Rockets team that dominated the Magic, got RIPPED by the sonics the next year (even while Hakeem was in his prime). The Pippen trade, even though Pippen is an idiot, was made to give us one last shot at a title. Rudy & Co even made the team better the next year (before Pippens request to be traded), we would of had this lineup: Hakeem, Barkley, Pippen, Anderson & Francis. ------------------
" .... I would do a sign and trade of Dream and Mo for Thomas/Camby in a heartbeat .... " Kurt Thomas amd Marcus Camby for Hakeem and Maurice Taylor? That silence you hear would be the absence of a pulse. Because you would be dead. That is, for the uninitiated, that heartbeat you are so frivolously offering for the above trade ..... would follow the direction of your brain. From my perspective, the statement above indicates your brain is already dead. ------------------
Pops- Do you honestly think it is more of a pride thing for Dream (more $, more touches, etc) or does he want to play for a possible contendor (Indiana, NY for example). I just get the feeling Dream wants to go out a winner and knows he can't do it this year (or probably even next year in Houston) and wants to find a way out to play for anotehr team with more legitimate hopes. Only other thing I see is Dream doesn't like deferring to the young guys. He didn't seem to mind deferring to CB4, but he started complaining only when Stevie/Cat started taking more shots. I could be dead wrong, but I have never saw Dream as a greedy person before. As I mentioned he did complain last year about minutes (which I don't understand some of RT's lineups either), touches, etc. But all in all I don't see him bickering over a couple million dollars unless there is another motive.
(a) More money. (b) More (Longer) contract. (c) More touches (ball posession. (d) More input into the gameplan. a. Which the Rockets can afford. b. 2 years isn't asking much. c. When Hakeem is a part of the offense, the Rockets win. d. Hakeem is a veteran, and could help lead this team to great things. Why shouldn't he be a part of the gameplan? ------------------ Protrolls.com! Keep the ???? alive! The ZRBucks!
Would you agree with me at this point that Thomas is better than Mo Taylor? Thomas instantly brings the Rockets some toughness and in some respects, an "enforcer" in the frontline... His rebounding skills are solid, as well as his low post defense... Offensively, he's ideal because he can score without having the ball in his hands for 10+ secs... Marcus Camby I think is a wash with Olajuwon at this stage in Olajuwon's career... You say Camby is injury-prone, which is true, but Olajuwon's not a spring chicken himself... Camby's rebounding and shot blocking skills are as good as Hakeem's, if not better... Yes, Camby can't shoot a lick, but he is what we all wish Cato could be... ------------------ "Awesome baby!" Dick Vitale
Would you agree with me at this point that Thomas is better than Mo Taylor? I don't think anyone would agree with you there. You have to consider a number of factors, such as team chemistry, playmaking, and desire. Kurt Thomas' defense isn't any better than Mo's, and offensively he isn't either. Mo is a better jump shooter, has more range, and has similar post moves. He's also a much better creator and playmaker. Mo's a better talent, he fits in team chemistry perfect, and he wants to be here. I don't think it's too debatable. ------------------ Draftsource.net-- the premier source for draft info. Profiles, rankings, mock drafts, and more! The Mo Taylor Fan Site
Shot blocking skills? Better than Hakeem's? No. ------------------ Protrolls.com! Keep the ???? alive! The ZRBucks!
I would agree that Mo's offensive game is more diverse than Thomas'... However, you need to consider that Taylor doesn't provide the Rockets with any rebounding whatsosver... As well as the fact that the Rockets need guys who can get cheap baskets... Mo is not capable of getting putbacks or cherry picking dunks... It's just not his game... Mo has potential, but not on the Rockets, as long as Mobley and Francis are here... ------------------ "Awesome baby!" Dick Vitale
ZRB-Explain to me how Olajuwon, at 38, has better shot blocking skills than Camby... Olajuwon is incapable of blocking his man's shot, but rather only the smaller forwards and guards... ------------------ "Awesome baby!" Dick Vitale
