Yeah we can dream..but for once wouldn't you like to do more than just dream? Rashard for MLE was a long shot only possible if we signed him for one year for MLE and then resigned him for more. Carter is actually the guy I believe is the "star" we have a chance at. Do we really need him? Not really? Could he be valuable to us later in a package? Sure. Carter is an unbelievable talent that will not destroy the basketball philosophy on our team so much that it outwieghs the potential gain he can entail for us. You are correct in bringing up Dallas (as well you should bring up Detroit, Pho, Spurs and any elite team that is spending more than we will next year). They failed not because the idea failed, but the investment failed. That happens in business. But Tmac isn't Dirk, and I believe great things can happen through sheer will power and a mastery of rhetoric. Howard Head Vspan for Lewis... no... Howard (whom New Jersey likes), Battier, a resigned Wells, future pick and Sura's contract for Carter...maybe...dreaming maybe all we have...but the Rockets front office can at least call...I ask...nay implore the Rockets management to look hard into dealing this summer. -V
Vivid ask Minnesota how the one year deal and then resign for a larger amount worked out for them... ?Joe Smith? Synder = No value Vspan = No value Novak = No value Juwon = No value - NJ was interested in him 2 years ago. not now, too much of a falloff. His contract will be the only value he has and that won't make a difference until A trade for a significant figure will not happen. We don't have any tradable assets other than Battier, our 26th pick, and maybe a little from Head. Vince Carter is overrated. He will not take a back seat to Yao and Mac. Back on subject: Deshawn Stevenson for 4 yr - 3.5 million max raises Ime Udoka for 4 yr - 2 million max raises
I'm not settling for mediocrity, I just don't want a headcase and a potential disaster like Artest. You can have headaches, just not ones as extreme as Artest. I'd be fine with the Rox bringing in a guy like Stackhouse to provide scoring off the bench and who is a bit of a personality but he's not the exteme 'go to jail and be suspended guy' like Artest. I'm not holding the company line, my previous posts have stated that I would like to see them get Mo Williams to replace Rafer and/or go after McDyess/Kurt Thomas to take minutes from Howard and Hayes. I just don't think a starting five of stars can or will work. You keep talking about this like it's a business, it's a team. Just because the parts you're putting on the team look good doesn't mean they'll work well together. You have to have role players and chemistry, a starting five of stars will not work, their egos will clash, they'll have no chemistry, and they won't mesh. That being said, the Rox need better role players, i.e. Mo Williams to replace Rafer, Stackhouse, and McDyess/K. Thomas to replace Howard That Mavs team we've talked about got beat by a Kings team that we all remember played very well together as a unit and a team. Also, we remember when the team with role players (Wallace/Prince) and better chemistry (Pistons) beat the star-laden Lakers in 5 games in the Finals a couple of years ago.
I never understood the "Pistons had a bunch of team first role players and the Lakers had too many stars" argument...I mean Billups played that playoffs at a caliber on par with Kobe...Wallace was a stud defender against Shaq and an old Malone and Payton couldn't keep up with Billups and Wallace...Walace who was previously an allstar... and chemistry is great... but you have to take risk when building around Yao and Tmac...if the company has a solid foundation than that allows for creative expansion...personally I think adding Williams would be great... if we got Franics for the Vet than I would probablyy go for Nocioni, pesky defender with good range... That Lakers team made it further than we did... That Kings team had tons of talent which was acquired over the years...Bibby Webber Peja plus Miller and Jackson...I'm saying if you can get talent than go get it... I would rather have a chance at a Lewis and that fail than going with a "Ryan Bowen" hustle team player... I think because of Artest's drama last season...he could be had for cheap...Wells was bad chemistry but that never effected the team...a good team knows how to distance bad eggs...but we gave Wells a try...same low risk high pay gamble... I honestly would rather have Artest's contract rather than Howards, who makes the same...Artest's is in the final year...we could always dump him for cap space... the team isn't stupid...they won't play him if he hurts the team... but he is a solid player...and last year he broke down and said sorry to the NBA and to his family.... I didn't know Artest could cry!!! maybe it's worth it....Stackhouse isn't much of a gamble...you sign him for the MLE and can't sign Williams or Nocioni...you take on shady characters w/o ever spending much...that's the trick...if they work out...you get Detroit (which you mentioned as a good chemistry team) who took on a proven previous headcase (who was never much of a team player) with Wallace for some expiring contract...he goes in there and bites them in the ass then they lose the gamble...but they don't lose much....that's the trick...I agree Artest is infinitely worse...but maybe...look, I think we are in agreement...we want our team to improve and compete well next year... -V
I don't disagree Deuce, but don't you think there's an outside chance that T-Mac sees an injured Hill in his nightmares? I just can't see this happening, although if Hill feels loyalty to Orlando, he might feel he might owe T-Mac something too...
If it was me personally I would screw MLE all together go after somebody like Gerald Wallace, and move Battier to a 6th man type role or Micheal Bibby But I think we can get some decent players from the crop FA this year. J.Magloire: Don't know how much he is asking, he did have down year and he would be good on the front line with Yao. I could defend the likes of Duncan, Nowitzki, Boozer, and Garnett...to take pressure off Yao. J.Kapono: Good shooter, but he may not get a pt here, because we already have T-Mac, Battier, Snyder, and maybe Bonzi. Earl Boykins: he'd be great for us off the bench. He is slightly better than both Rafer and Head, but he's passing might not be quite as good as Alston's.
Use whatever is needed from the MLE to steal Blake away from Denver. We would finally have an intelligent PG with a shot and the ability to get the ball to the open man. Draft a tall PF -- at #26 I'd take my chances with Sean Williams, a hometown kid who went to Boston College.
We also tried splitting the MLE up for depth on Bob Sura and Charlie Ward the year before we signed Stromile and again this year when we signed Lucas, Spanoulis, Hayes and Bonzi Wells. Guess what? That failed too.
There is a better chance than I originally thought of getting Mo Williams. Exactly what we need a young guy who can attack the hoop and play the mid range game. He is quicker than just about anyone and he dishes wonderfully. If we get him our future at PG would be set with a guy who is only 24 and does just about everything we could ask of him. He might fall to MLE teams because only 4 teams this year have Max contract money. One of them is Milwalkee and they have been rumored to go after Billups.
