.......now that we added the "last piece of the puzzle" in Battier. Too bad we're about 9 big pieces short, which is one more than we were this time yesterday. Last night was the most disappointed I have been since the 2000 draft when all we had to show for a lottery pick was 14 feet of outside shooting in Collier & Langhi. In retrospect, that wasn't such a big deal as the entire 2000 draft was pretty much a garbage dump. Hopefully this one will end up the same way. I am done defending JVG, CD & shockingly, Morey. They have made it too difficult. The last time I gave up hope was 2005, I hope they turn it around and prove me wrong again, but I doubt it. The last two non-salary dump trades we have made, this and Mike James, we have gotten absolutely fleeced. Shameful.
I beg to differ, the last time we got fleeced is when we traded 3 for 1 to New Jersey for Eddie "great potential" Griffin. How did that work out for us? Shane Battier is like a Rick Fox type of player. Not going to carry your team but with great players around him he is a solid role player with good bball IQ and solid jump shot.
We need more than a solid role player like Rick Fox. We are miles away from being a contender. We have the worst depth in the league, and a dearth of young players. Battier, at the cost of Gay and Swift, is not what we need now.
I like Battier, I hate how much we gave up for him. At the very least we should have gotten either the 24th pick (memphis' current pick) or their next year #1 overall pick. Either way, you can blame JVG 100% for this. He coaches/manages this team like he is about to keel over and die at any second. Win now, screw the future, etc. If he keeps scorching the earth I shudder to think what we'll be like in 5-6 years.
Actually if everyone is healthy, we'll be in the same spot 2 years ago- losing in the 1st or if we're really lucky, 2nd round of the playoffs. In the chronicle, they said Battier might play some PF. Awesome. Shane Battier at PF guarding Tim Duncan or Dirk Nowitzki or Shawn Marion or Amare Stoudamire - Shaq and Dwayne Wade = Yao and TMac Shane Battier > Udonis Haslem, Antoine Walker, Gary Payton, Alonzo Mouring Jason Williams, James Posey. And that Miami team barely beat Dallas. Shane Battier - better than all of the Dallas, SA, Phoenix, and Miami role players combined.
Right on Sam! How true! We just became a laughing stock around the league, especially our division! I see Gay averaging 20 pts against us! Hopefully not! The LOGO just did his Jedi mind trick on CD & JVG!
lance z on 610 said the rockets are trying to get back to where they were two seasons ago. didn't they lose in the 1st round that year? the sad part is that's exactly the mentality going on in that organiztion right now.
i think some people are overestimating Shane Battiers ability. The guy came from a team that hasnt won a single playoff game in its existence, and he took part in all those playoffs. Shane is a scrub plain and simple, lets not sugarcoat it, its a boneheaded play on the Rockets part. They will be kicking themselves in the ass soon enough. I am not surprised though, Draft days are always a huge disappointment when the rockets pick. Unless we pick top 3, its boring.
I guess stuff like this didn't work out all that well for Miami now did it? We are not that far away from contending, IF Yao and Tmac are healthy. We just upgraded our team, THIS YEAR. Swift is never going to get it, players don't magically get it in their 7th year in the league, he is what he is, a guy who will get you highlite reel dunks, but get burned on defense by being in the wrong spot time and time again. Gay- could be great, or he could bust. Is he Dwayne Wade, or Caron Butler? Either way, it would take at least 3 years for us to find out, and by then Tmac may be done. The Rockets are going for it now, and I applaud them for it. The Rockets rosters is better now, and with a large TE and our MLE, I suspect they are not done for the year. If they get Mike James with the TE, and then acquire Wilcox or Radmonivich, they will be right there. We have 2 superstar players...TWO !!! Now we need complimentary players...... DD
I blame this all on Miami winning the championship. I knew it would completely screw up how the Rockets approach this offseason. The less talented team with a bunch of veteran players (Miami) beat the more talented team with a lot of young players (Dallas). That gave Van Gundy all the ammunition he needed to convince management that veteran leadership and getting players that “fit” is more important than talent. The Rockets have failed to realize that the less talented team that won in the finals is still a whole lot more talented than this team.
