This minor trade won't affect the rotation. So, Luther isn't being traded, and we aren't getting a backup center. At this time.
Exactly. Any move before pre-season is entirely related to financial flexibility and has nothing to do with rotational level players. Morey is targeting (fixated) on BJax at the trade deadline and short contracts to be a "player" in the Summer of LeBron FA Market.
It's funny how our need still hasn't changed that much for a third scorer and a real point guard. We've been in need of those since T-Mac came here. The only things we've really addressed are the bad contracts, adding youth to the team, and the PF position.
I am not sure the Rockets need a 3rd scorer as much as people think we do, here are some of our major competitors.....looks like we stack up, fairly well. Celtics: Paul Pierce - 19.6 ppg Kevin Garnett - 18.8 Ray Allen - 17.4 Rajon Rondo - 10.6 total - 66.4 Spurs: Manu Ginobili - 19.5 ppg Tim Duncan - 19.3 Tony Parker - 18.8 Michael Finley - 10.1 total - 67.7 Pistons: Richard Hamilton - 17.3 ppg Chauncey Billups - 17.0 Tayshaun Prince - 13.2 Rasheed Wallace - 12.7 total - 60.2 Rockets: Yao Ming - 22.0 Tracy McGrady - 21.6 Rafer Alston - 13.1 Luis Scola - 10.3 total - 67 And Scola averaged more than 13ppg as a starter after January.... IMO, the most important thing the Rockets need is health, followed by a PG. Of course if we can get a 3rd scorer free like the Lakers...by all means..... As for the topic, I think the team is going to dump a player for a pick or TE. DD
And I'll say it again... The difference would be that when Yao or Tracy is injured or just not producing, those other teams have players (Ray Allen, Rasheed Wallace, Tony Parker) who have regularly stepped up to carry a team throughout their careers. Those guys pick up the slack and score 30 and it's not a huge deal. Any game where Rafer or Luis even breaks 20 it's considered an amazing performance. 30 is/would be the game of their life. I'm sure you'll try to discount this, even though everything I just said is true. Period.
True. I think most people missed that morey said this is a "roster management move," which is to say, getting rid of players to clear spots for the people who actually might be useful for our team. I choose option d, which is "a 2nd round pick, a trade exception, or a can of baked beans."
and on top of that...other combos like Duncan/Ginobli and Pierce/KG are either on the same level or arguably better and they score less. That tells me that our duo is forced to take more shots, even bad ones at times, because there isn't anyone there capable enough to make their jobs easier.
I won't discount what you are saying, but IMO, you can not plan for injuries, you go in assuming everyone will be healthy. You are correct a lot of them have been leaders of their teams before, but most of them are getting fairly long in the tooth and are no longer capable of leading their teams and getting that 30 points you speak of.... To me, this is the time of Tmac, Yao, Scola and the rest..... As I said if you can get a 3rd scorer for peanuts..then great......but don't break up the team's chemistry, this team won 55 games, was top 6 in the entire league all while missing their best player. Give them some time to play under Adelman, let Luis develop and I believe they are championship competitors. Now if you can aquire Mike Miller, or Vince Carter, or Andre Miller......sure you do it.....any chance to improve the team. But, it is not necessary....the team will win 60 games just by being healthy. DD
U can win 60 games and get the #1 seed and face a bad matchup and get knocked out like Seattle 94, Dallas 07.
Give me a break. Ray Allen averaged a career high 26.4 points in '06-'07. He didn't suddenly regress to a 17 ppg scorer because he got a year older. He went to a team with 2 other hall of famers and took 8 less shots per game. Rasheed has spent virtually his entire career in Detroit and Portland, both stacked teams who didn't require dominant individual scorers. But anyone who thinks that Rasheed wouldn't be capable of stepping in to the Rockets lineup and being a viable 3rd scorer in comparison to Scola or Rafer, is off their rocker. If nothing else, it's the experience of becoming "the guy" when your team needs you to take over. Regardless of age, Allen and Rasheed know how to get to that place mentally, and be fully confident about it. Rafer and Luis, and anyone else on the roster, do not. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Outside of Yao and Tracy, there has to be at least one other player, who may not score a ton of points when deferring to a healthy Yao and Tracy, but who is capable of taking on a heavy scoring load when they're required. We simply don't have that. The 22 game winning streak was nice, but I wouldn't have to list half the teams from that stretch before you remember just how few playoff teams were involved in it. The Lakers didn't even have Gasol or Bynum when we played them, and it was a hell of a close game on our home court. Boston toyed with us. If Yao or Tracy get hurt around playoff time and this team doesn't have a 3rd pillar to support it, this team is going to crash and burn yet again. Expecting injuries is one thing, but planning for them is another. It's smart.
You've hit the nail on the head. DD thinks we're going to magically be healthy this year, and that's how we should go into the season. Not planning for injuries. When in reality, that's what Morey SHOULD be thinking about going into the season. Injuries, as, T-Mac and Yao has not stayed healthy. If and more likely WHEN one of them goes down, the Rockets will not have anybody reliable to put up 15-20PPG to make up for lost output. Hence, why, the Rockets should get a 3rd scorer. Every legit contender, has somebody who can step it up if somebody goes down. The Rockets don't have that.
And DD thinks the only way we should get a 3rd scorer is giving up peanuts. Reality check, any worthwhile trade for a 3rd option WILL include Shane. And depending on who we'd get back, it might just be worthwhile. REMEMBER, Morey was open to trading Shane for Outlaw/Webster and Rush in return. A trade like that, makes sense for the Rockets. Or a Shane for an Artest. That makes sense too. Of course though, DD thinks we're going to be healthy this year, win 60 games, and contend for a title. ....we have to get out of the first round, first, and the Rockets don't really have that much firepower going forward. "As long as the Rockets are healthy," as DD would say. We were healthy last year, in Game 4 or 5 or whatever in Utah, and managed to muster up like 67 points. Game 7 in Dallas a couple of years back, blown out. Reason being is, if T-Mac or Yao isn't on their game, or if one of them is injured, the Rockets are NOT EQUIPPED to contend. That, is fact.
I respectfully disagree. I think we have some quality 2nd tier guys in Alston, Scola, Landry, and Battier. I believe that it's flawed to assume that either Yao or Tracy will be hurt next year and then try to account for this supposed eventuality with a third superstar. For instance, I think it would be wrong to follow other gods "just in case" when Christ plainly says that He is "the way, the truth, and the life." - John 14:6. In other words, if either Tracy or Yao aren't playing at the end of the season, we're not making it to the finals.
Exactly, so why break up a good thing for that mythical 3rd scorer? There are loads of cases of teams with only 2 scorers winning it all, and some with 3.....and even some with 1.....there is no magical 3 scorer formula....it just doesn't exist. I am not saying....DON'T go get one if they are available, I am saying be real careful when looking......Mike Miller.....YES.......Ron Artest.....NO.... DD
Where did I say superstar? I said bring in a guy who can pick up the slack significantly when he's called upon. There are plenty of guys around the league who can do that, and aren't superstars. The problem is that none of them are on the Rockets. You might think it's wrong, but it might also be a good idea if your god is constantly showing signs that contradict what you're being told. Weak analogy. If they have a season ending injury, I think that's obvious. But what happens if, for example, the Rockets are the #3 seed when Tracy goes down with a severely sprained ankle 3 weeks before the playoffs begin. The doctors come back and say he needs a month to fully recover and get back on the court. So the team has to finish out the final 7 or 8 games of the season (crucial to playoff seeding in the competitive West) and then play the first 2, maybe 3 playoff games without him. If we've got that other guy that can step in and fill some of Tracy's role as a go to scorer, they could probably tread water long enough for Tracy to get back and then make a deep run. Without that guy? Get ready to see the same thing we saw in this year's playoffs.
Ok, I will play the what if game with you as well..... What if they are both healthy all year long? It is pointless to plan for an injury..... Improve the team if you can, but do it through the draft and prudent aquistions that do not destroy chemistry. Ginobli and Parker were allowed to grow into their roles....let Scola do the same. DD
Again, every legit contender has somebody who can create his own shot and score consistently. Outside of T-Mac, the Rockets have nobody. Unless the Rockets can pull off a move, it looks like, once again, the Rockets are going to go into the season relying on T-Mac to put this team on his back. Pun intended
