letter to CD: i remember the crappy olajuwon years...

Over the short term? No.

Over the long term? It depends on how many more games he misses.

 

I will also throw in Alston. While not a great PG, he is solid and knows how and when to get Ming the ball down low. That's really all the Rockets want from their starting PG.

 

You can probably get Garnett + pick for Yao + garbage right now.

TMac for KG? Minny won't do it. Case closed.

 

That depends on their options.

The conventional wisdom is that Garnett is gone this offseason.

What offers are likely to be on the table? Thus far the two players most frequently mentioned are New York and Jersey.

Tracy McGrady vs. Channing Frye, Stephon Marbury, or Vince Carter.

Which one would you take?

no-brainer. If you're going to move Garnett - McGrady is the high end of value you're going to get the way it looks right now. Garnett's value is also at a low ebb, rightfully or wrongfully so.

 

McGrady's back wouldn't be a concern to you Sam if you were Minnesota?

 

Firstly we must remember that Professional Basketball is ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESSand as such everything about our team revolves about investment and return for the shareholders, mainly Les Alexander!
Secondly can Tracy McGrady's back be healed? If not, does this mean that he will have a continuously interupted career. If this is going to be the case, the quicker the Rockets Management trades him the better. It might not even be possible to trade him as he might be damaged goods.I might add that this is not what I want to see happen. But if he is damaged goods and cant be traded he might need to change the was he plays inorder to keep himself on the court for most of each season.

 

Interesting.

I certainly don't want to move Mac since he is a great player and Yao obviously also likes him.

BTW, do you think the Rockets is willing to deal Yao if Spurs offers Duncan, or Yao is untouchable right now? Is Lebron the only one that the Rockets is willing to trade for Yao?

 

Right now TODAY I don't think they'd trade him for anybody including LeBron given the last month or so of his (Yao's) play.

 

My observation of Garnett in the All Star Game and at our recent match up , tells me that Garnett is no longer the Player that he once was , infact I would say that he has declined this season and possibly is not the building block that we need but possibly might be uplifted once again if he was playing with another super star..

 

If Paul Pierce is offered, I'll listen. But honestly, we should give it another offseason at least.

 

I don't like the idea of trading TMac, but we do have to be concerned with health issues. If TMac continues to have on-again off-again back problems that cannot be solved for the long term, we would be fools not to consider trading him.

What would we wat for him? I would think at least two all-star level players or a superstar plus filler. Since it is unlikely that the Lakers will trade Kobe and nearly as unlikely that we will get Garnett (I doubt Minny would trade a big for a small) or Brand (for the same reason), I would say we would need to concentrate our efforts on two all-star level players. Specifically, we need good shooters to put on the perimeter to make teams pay when they double and triple the post.

Which is the reason I thought of Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. Ray Allen is the best shooter in the league, IMO, and Lewis can fill it up as well. If we traded TMac and Swift for Allen and Lewis, we would be a hot PF away from having what could be the best starting five in basketball.

I am not saying that we definitely do it, but a lineup of Yao, Howard, Lewis, Allen, and Alston would look pretty good to me.

 

I love T-Mac, but if Yao continues this tear for the rest of the season, I'd probably pull the trigger on that trade (were I CD and the offer was on the table). Allen and Lewis are the kind of shooters we need around Yao Diesel! Not to mention they're both great athletes. Maybe I'm just too nervous about T-Mac's back, but I'd do it.

 

does any fan actually write to cd? does he respond to fan mail if the answer is "yes"?

 

According to RealGM it works...

Houston Trade Breakdown
Outgoing

Tracy McGrady
6-8 SF from Mount Zion Christian Academy (HS)
24.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 4.9 apg in 37.5 minutes

Stromile Swift
6-9 PF from Louisiana State
9.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 0.4 apg in 21.8 minutes
Incoming

Ray Allen
6-5 SG from Connecticut
24.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.4 apg in 39.0 minutes

Rashard Lewis
6-10 SF from Alief Elsik (HS)
21.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.4 apg in 37.4 minutes
Change in team outlook: +11.9 ppg, -2.0 rpg, and +0.5 apg.

Seattle Trade Breakdown
Outgoing

Ray Allen
6-5 SG from Connecticut
24.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.4 apg in 39.0 minutes

Rashard Lewis
6-10 SF from Alief Elsik (HS)
21.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.4 apg in 37.4 minutes
Incoming

Tracy McGrady
6-8 SF from Mount Zion Christian Academy (HS)
24.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 4.9 apg in 37.5 minutes

Stromile Swift
6-9 PF from Louisiana State
9.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 0.4 apg in 21.8 minutes
Change in team outlook: -11.9 ppg, +2.0 rpg, and -0.5 apg.


Successful Scenario
Due to Houston and Seattle being over the cap, the 25% trade rule is invoked. Houston and Seattle had to be no more than 125% plus $100,000 of the salary given out for the trade to be accepted, which did happen here. This trade satisfies the provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

 

Will Peja be a FA this summer? Can we try to get him since he is willing to be Yao's bi*ch?

 

The problem with trading TMac is not knowing what his real prognosis is. He has been through this before and rebounded. To trade him and see him dominate the league for the next ten years would be a real bummer. Plus, if you get another "superstar" the team is right back in the situation it is in now; two legit starters and bunch of bench players. The Rockets need at least three or four "real" starters, preferably five like SA and Detroit.

 

The post was goin great so far, then I stop reading after suggestting that T-Mac should be moved in one way or another to accomodate Yao. How idiotic can people get here? Its one bad season guys...lets wait until next year and see where he stand. He had chronic back problem through out his career and he was still able to acheive great things in Orlando. He over-work himself in the off season, but unfortunately he hurt his back in the process. Let him rest a full off season and I'm sure he will come back as the old T-Mac comes November.

 

While I don't know if it would work chemistry-wise, Garnett for TMac would certainly be interesting.

Twin Towers redux. Can you imagine how hard it would be to score inside against us?

Personally, I think that such a move would stunt Yao's development towards domination. I'd like to keep with the inside and outside approach - I'm just worried (obviously) about TMac's back.

 

He is listed as a FA at RealGM, but we couldn't afford him without a sign and trade deal. He is going to want close to max money.

 

has a player ever recovered from chronic back problems?