I watched nearly every game last year, and Langhi did nothing to impress me. However, I still say we should keep him, because of his potential. If you saw the Rocky Mountain Review game last year then you know what I am talking about. The guy played the whole game, gained confidence, and really got it going. He suprised be with his athleticism and his slight cockyness(sp?). The reason he never did anything during the regular season last year was he never got into the flow of the game because he wasn't given the PT. When he did get in he was playing scared not to lose what little PT he had. He never looked comfortable. Some people need a little reassurance that if they mess up that they will not be benched. I say keep him on the team and give him more minutes than last year. If he doesn't produce after a while start taking them away and giving more to Morris. I sure hope he puts on some weight this summer though. Those two dunks he had blocked last year where he got put on his back were BAD. ------------------
oh...woops. My fault. I didnt know what the exact heyp bet was either??? ------------------ I hope, when they die, cartoon characters have to answer for their sins.
Remember after Griffin was drafted Rudy T had mentioned that Griffin could play anywhere from the 3 to some 5. Imagine a team like the Mavs trying to go small against Houston. We could counter with Francis, Cat, Langhi, Morris and Griffin. Small, super athletic and with Morris and Griffin inside we would have good Shot blocking and reboundin. I believe this is a lineup that Rudy T will use from time to time depending on the situation. In conclusion I think Rudy T has plans for Danforth. ------------------
I agree rudy will bring tmo along slowly, unless t-mo really earns it (which is possible, since I know he is ANGRY about not getting picked in the first round, so hopefully he'll feel like he has something prove). But--T-mo's spot-up mid-range jumper only improved at md, and I think you'll find it's as good as anyone playing his position. He lost his three and some of his post-up/hook shot accuracy after his junior year (the % went down b/w soph. & jun. because defenses were all over him). re griffin:unless at least two out of anderson/taylor/wiz/langhi are gone, don't look for him to get huge minutes this year either. his stats look nice and he'll probably be an all-star one day, but you have to keep in mind that he was on a team that did not even MAKE the ncaas (like wiz when he played at Maryland, 29ppg one year). He is not a polished player. ------------------
I've seen him play and I have to take exception to your "he moves pretty well" In my opinion, Langhi's defence was horrible - worse even than Williams. He is too slow to guard a 3 with any sort of pace. He plays so far off his opponent to avoid getting blown by, that he gives up easy shots, negating his height advantage. Traditionally in the NBA, players fit a mould and play certain positions depending on their physical attributes. Coaches try and break them but invariably they revert to the tried and tested formula. There are exceptions like Kevin Garnett and Magic Johnson, and to a lesser degree Dirk Nowitski, but for the most part, the in-between" players who don't fit the mould fall by the wayside. I think Dan will be one that falls by the wayside. I just don't see him exploiting any of his natural advantages. That being said, I think the Rockets will try and find a roster spot for him, mainly because he is cheap. However, if it comes to a choice between Langhi and Bullard, I say they go with Bullard. I also don't see them giving him "developmental" minutes. He will have to prove his case in trash time and any chances he is given coming off the injury list. This is after all, the NBA. ------------------ God help me, ...I was only nineteen. Current Rocket's Salary & Contract Info
Langhi is slow? Langhi can't defend? You haven't seen enough of him to judge. Rudy knows what he's doing...Langhi's got game. Watch what he does with some playing time. His sophomore year at Vandy he was waaay down the bench, averaging 6.3 points a game in mostly mopup duty. His junior year he got twice the playing time and upped his scoring average from 6.3 to 17.7 ppg. His senior year he led the SEC in scoring. Granted, it was versus college players, but here are some notable quotes from those who watched him play his senior year at Vandy: "He's got a lot of skills," said Bob Zuffelato, director of basketball operations for the Toronto Raptors, who scouted Langhi when he rallied Vandy past Tennessee. Added Zuffelato, "He doesn't really have a power type game, although he's not afraid to go inside -- he's got those little post moves. He's got really good footwork and he's a terrific shooter. He can shoot mid-range and he can shoot from three. He's a guy that can shoot, has skills, works hard on defense" "I got to play them last year at Rhode Island, and I couldn't believe Langhi. He's smooth. He's sweet. He's a very smart player. He is very, very good, maybe the best I've ever seen." - Georgia coach Jim Harrick "You're not going to shut him down because he's able to score in too many different ways." Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury "Dan Langhi is the best player in this league. He's consistent. He's a good shooter and a good passer. He's the most valuable player in this conference." Mississippi coach Rod Barnes "The best way to stop Langhi is to pray." - South Carolina coach Eddie Fogler "You put a big defender on him, and he takes him outside. You put a small defender on him, and he takes him inside. He's as complete a player as I've seen." - Tennessee coach Jerry Green "It's very, very impressive what he's done (this season) because everybody's trying to stop him. He's a great player." - Florida coach Billy Donovan GIVE LANGHI A CHANCE!!!!! (quotes from www.vucommodores.com) ------------------
You guys are forgetting that Langhi is a great passer. If you want to drop the ball down low, Langhi will "fool" opposing players into thinking that he is taking the shot. He then shoots it so that the ball will fall about three feet short of the rim, allowing a big man to catch the ball and put it in. How could the Rockets give up such a good passer?? ------------------ Protrolls.com! "I want to be like Olajon." -Sagana Diop has the right idea... Keep the ???? alive!
langhi had a severe case of "oh s**t, i'm in the nba"-itis. in 2001-02, that excuse won't fly. i say give him a chance if he earns it. everything else is just conjecture. ------------------
First off, This whole trade thing is not gonna happen. Why would any team want Langhi in a deal? As far as they're concerned, he's just a scrub picked in the second round who dint play at alll last year. I really doubt any team will specifically ask for Langhi, and I extremely doubt that Rudy would include Langhi in a trade to get rid of him. Langhi was given a promise that he would play more minutes this year. I seriously doubt Rudy would punk him by trading him away, and I doubt T-Mo would get the nod ahead of Langhi. "There is no way Langhi does not get his chance first, ahead of T-Mo: he is taller; he is a leaper; he had a pure shot in college. What is T-Mo: he is shorter; he is a leaper; he had a pure shot his sophmore year. What does T-Mo have that Langhi doesn't?!. Speed/Defense? Oh yeah, like Rudy is going to play another Shandon. If T-Mo doesn't find his shot, he won't play next year. case closed on that. " - ChrisPee That is pretty much correct. Why in the world would T-Mo be ahead of Danforth in the rotation? Not only did Langhi have a better college career (SEC PLAYA Of the Year over Stromile Swift btw) than T-Mo, he's also had 1 year of NBA experience. Add to this, T-mo's supposed confidence problems, and I think it's safe to assume Langhi will be first off the bench, if not starting. The only thing that bothers me is that Rudy even bothered to trade for T-mo, but as people have already pointed out, T-mo's or even Langhi's athletecism might allow either of them to play a little 2, therefore mixing up the lineup and leaving room at the 3. I talked to a Rocket ballboy a while back, and posted the conversation. I don't feel like digging through past threads, so I will tell you what he said about Langhi. I was like "So, what about Langhi?" And the ballboy was like "Man that dude can FLY." There's no reason to compare this guy to Bryce Drew or Maloney... they never had any athletecism. Langhi has some pretty damn good athletecism I'll have you know. You can easily understand this when he comes into the game, cuz he always flies in for an offensive rebound, not to mention Bill and Calvin are always complimenting Danforth's hops. Keep in mind, this is all before the summer workouts that he's been having. A Rocket official said on the radio that Langhi's been working hard in the offseason, so I would bet anything that Langhi is even quicker, faster, and most importantly stronger than before. And about the airballs...jerinrulz summed it up beautifully. This guy is a shooter, and any shooter will tell you that they need to get into a groove and into a rhythm. How can you expect him to get into any sort of rhythm sittin on the bench? Add to that, the fact that he knows he's not gonna get an opportunity to play for the next 10 games or so, and that will put extra pressure on him. The main thing here is that most people assume there is no room for Langhi cuz we got Griff and T-mo now. While I acknowledge that Griff will most likely get the nod over Langhi, T-mo most certainly will not. Rudy is a player's coach, and unless T-mo does some pretty crazy **** during training camp, Rudy will keep his promise to Langhi. Danforth has all the tools to make it well in this league. As someone already said, 6'11 pure shooters with athletecism dont come around too often. WE should at least give this boy a chance... he's been workin his ass off the entire season and also offseason. Even Steve Francis remarked on Danforth's incredible work ethic... against the sixers, Langhi came in the game and was thrown a lob essentially when the game was pretty much over. Larry Brown got pissed saying that the Rox were rubbing it in, but in the post game interview Steve said that Langhi works really hard in practice, and they just wanted to reward him with a few points in a game. So what am I trying to say? That Langhi has everything necessary to make it to the next level, and some people are crossing him out already. Give him a chance, and once he gets into a rhythm and shakes the butterflies, he will be a great contributor. I will be pissed if they trade Langhi btw. ------------------ its not the hours you put in your work that counts, it's the work you put in the hours - alaskansnowman [This message has been edited by alaskansnowman (edited July 05, 2001).] [This message has been edited by alaskansnowman (edited July 05, 2001).]
Davo...I don't think you can get worse than Bullard or Williams on defense. I think he can exceed the 0.4 SPG and 0.39 BPG the Wizard averaged last season. It was his first year out of college, give the guy a break. Offensively, Langhi moves well without the ball and gets open on offense for his shots. He also has hops and as others mentioned before good passing skills. He played well in preseason and really didn't get a chance to get comfortable during the regular season with the limited amount of PT. ------------------
Alasksnowman, great post... and your points are well supported. I'm a Vandy alum and followed Langhi's career closely. Given playing time and experience, I think he's got a chance to be very good. I don't think Rudy "invested" one year of Langhi's sitting on the bench just to jettison him without seeing what he can do given some minutes. And if TMo or others are better than he is, GREAT!!
Davo you've been watching too much football; where the one guy holds up the big 'D' and his drunk buddy holds up the piece of the garden fence he rip off from his mother's house. That's probably why you don't know too much about basketball. ------------------ consciousness is the awareness of awareness
Nice one Gene. And what exactly is your input to this argument? Holding a picket in each hand probably makes it hard to type ------------------ God help me, ...I was only nineteen. Current Rocket's Salary & Contract Info
That sounds like the "Cato Kiss of Death". Remember how hard everyone said Cato had been working in the offseason last year? ------------------ God help me, ...I was only nineteen. Current Rocket's Salary & Contract Info
The difference is Langhi's been doin that the entire year also. Also, another difference, Langhi has some game, unlike Cato. ------------------ its not the hours you put in your work that counts, it's the work you put in the hours - alaskansnowman
I am pro-Langhi and can easily live with an occassional air ball from a rookie. The following can NOT be disputed. In games where Dan Langhi played 10 minutes or more (8 games) he shot 25 of 44 from the field. That's 56.8%!!!! Let's give the kid more time...he only costs $465,850. How does freeing up that kind of money help anything? ------------------ Raef to Rocks in '01-'02!
Davo, sorry man, but your comment about Langhi's defense is ludicruth. He did play off his man a bit, but not to the point where he couldn't bother the shooter if he pulled up for a jumper. I saw some shots fall in that situation and many shots miss. He plays pretty good position defense. Virtually any good scoring SF in the NBA can get a good shot off about 90% of the time. There aren't very many SF defenders that can just shut out a good offensive SF. If you want to maintain credibility, don't over-exaggerate with a ridiculous statement like he's a worse defender than Walt. ------------------
ok, apperently plenty of people around here like to take full advantage of "cyberspace" but let me tell you, i have called no one any names here, so i expect some respect. if any of you little men want to throw around insults at me in public, i would love to meet you. email me and i will gladly let you call me names in person, but i doubt that any of you puss#es would have the sack. now, second, langhi can also be grouped with rhodrick roads as a washout. i watch all the rockets games, and i asses that he lacks the strong personality to make it in the nba. he throws up an airball (unlike colson, or moochie when he first got here i might add) and he looks like he is about to cry. he may be physically talented(might), but he needs to have a demeanor that he just does not have. he frequently looks lost, and overmatched. i do not even see him as a decent role player, for those same reasons stated before. you gotta have nuts, and i think langhi is lacking. you can argue that "well, he's a rookie, he just needs some confidence", well, i have seen many rookies come into games, and handle their ****. i would rather see t-mo get a chance to back up griff and wiz. that being said. nite ------------------
if any of you little men want to throw around insults at me in public, i would love to meet you. email me and i will gladly let you call me names in person, but i doubt that any of you puss#es would have the sack Yeah I'm sure that everyone would love to go around meeting strange men from the internet who they don't know. you gotta have nuts, and i think langhi is lacking. you can argue that "well, he's a rookie, he just needs some confidence", well, i have seen many rookies come into games, and handle their **** He has airballed a couple of times, but look at Gater's post above. It's not like Langhi airballs every single time or anything... he has hit shots before. I believe the airballs were isolated incidents... things of the past. ------------------ its not the hours you put in your work that counts, it's the work you put in the hours - alaskansnowman [This message has been edited by alaskansnowman (edited July 06, 2001).]
I think Sgt Hulka said it best: "Lighten up, Francis" (or Gram!) Just cause we dont agree with your opinion of Commodore Legend Dan Langhi does not mean we should start talking about violence. Besides, I'm a lover, not a fighter. ------------------
