Well, Billups was never cut, and everyone knew that he could play. He averaged 11ppg/4apg his first year and 14ppg/4apg his second year. It did take him a while to find a good fit, but it's a very different situation, IMO. A better comparison might be Mike James... Nobody knows if Baxter can play on the NBA level. Invite him to training camp, and if he looks good fine, if not cut him.
I'll second that. To be a little more specific. Vin Baker has lost the following: quickness speed Lift Explosion and Technique...as demonstrated by the fact that he averaged about 9 fouls per 48 minutes.
Here's Billups' career summary from the Piston website: 97-98 Boston 97-98 Toronto 97-98 - - 98-99 Denver 99-00 Denver 99-00 - - 00-01 Minnesota 01-02 Minnesota 02-03 Detroit ... I would think those dashes indicate being adrift as a FA. Whether outright cut or packaged in long-forgotten trades it indicates a career on the skids... until he got to Detroit. Maybe this isn't the real question, but how many of you think that Baker or Spoon would have put up Baxter's numbers in those same games? I don't.
Before I concur with those conclusions, I want to see what Vin Baker does in summer camp and perhaps even some pre-season games. I have seen nothing that indicates that he has been working his buns off this summer nor have I read anything that he hasn't. Hope still flickers because he is a wide body who, if he is even 50% of the All-Star VB, could be a real asset to the Rocks.
Who cares if Baxter is better than Vin Baker or Spoon? Baxter is also better than my mother-in-law but that doesn't mean he's good enough to make the team. Baker and Spoon are only on the team because they have guaranteed money coming their way. Otherwise, neither would be playing in anyone's basketball league. Is there a Sumo league I don't know about?
So who's your candidate? Remember you can't just fabricate him. He has to be flesh and blood and eligible and not under contract with another club. Those are some serious limitations-- which limit us to simply getting the best guy available and affordable. Nobody is nominating him for HOF yet.
If he performs well enough in training camp, I would like the Rockets to add Baxter to the roster and use amnesty to cut either Baker or Spoon.
