( Sonnnofa...totally messed up the thread title while watching TV...it should be "Morey Should Consider Drew Gooden" (My bad, brahs) Before you flame me like Michael Jackson in a Pepsi commercial, hear me out. I will admit that I have been a Drew Gooden fan for years. I have followed his career quite a bit because I have seen what he is capable of. The common question is, "Why has he bounced around so much?" Well, the anser is being lost in the numbers game. Not desire or lack of skill. He has just been on a bunch of teams with TOO many forwards. A common example is Jim Jackson. Dude was all over the NBA, even with our beloved Rockets. However, Jimmy was an efficient player that could score in a multitude of ways. Ever since we lost PatPat and Luis Scola, we haven't had a power forward that was able to set a decent pick and score efficiently with a simple jumper. -Greg Smith hasn't developed a jumper, but is improving in the post. -Terrance Jones has shown some ability, but he does not yet have the experience. -DMo has the best offensive variety of the group, but his shot is spotty, has a hitch and his selection can be down right terrible. His shooting percentage from a decent distance isn't great, either. If Omer plays PF, we immediately lose potential offense because his game is to clog the paint and not wait for the jumper after our guards penetrate the lane. We have the majority of our roster set, but we still lack a PF who can shoot. Let me be more specific: A power forward that can shoot from beyond three feet, with a quick release and the ability to score naturally. Do you remember how efficient Luis Scola was when setting a pick and rolling towards the rim or laterally? Our easy buckets came from everywhere. That may have been a product of Rick Adelman's offense, but with the Dwight signing, there isn't going to be enough room in the paint. We need a decent offensive forward who can score diversely. Enter Drew Gooden. Last year was a wash because Scott Skiles doesn't know how to employ more than a small rotation and recognize what he has on the bench. Drew was just amnestied, and he will get his nice " I don't want you anymore" check, but I'd bet he'd sign for cheap with us to get a ring. Why I'm down for it: -His career numbers are 12 points and 8 rebounds. (slightly rounded) -His shooting percentage is a solid 47 percent and more than half of his points come from contested and uncontested jumpers. -He can post up and face up. -He is underrated as a defender (Google former coaches) -He is only 31 years old -He does not have a history of injuries. -His abilities, age, salary-demands fit a Morey-esque low risk/high reward methodology. -He is well-liked by his teammates on every damn team he's been on. I forget which team it was, but he was co-captain and didn't even get consistent minutes. We need some objective voices if James/Dwight ever get too "comfortable." In my opinion, and of course, I'm assuming a great deal of you will disagree, Drew Gooden would fix a deficit that we have in our power forward rotation. We have too many players under contract, etc (I may be wrong--probably:grin, so someone would have to go. I feel like the signing of Dwight shows that we are in Win Now mode. Terrance Jones is not ready to be a starter and DMo has shown that his inexperience and ego have not helped his development. Mixing the youth of Dwight, James, Lin, Chandler, Omer and adding some vets like Cisco, Camby and, I'd hope, Gooden would help out championship ambitions. I know Morey doesn't read the BBS often, but I hope he considers Drew if Camby falls through. Love ya'll, even if you disagree, because you are my Rockets family. Okay, then, let the BBS textual assault begin. I will have tissues next to me as I read some, if any, of your responses. Thanks for reading. -Cod
What would Gooden's impact on our salary cap situation be? By the way, I'm sure Morey has already considered Gooden, just as he has considered every NBA player and thousands of even remote NBA prospects.
what's wrong with michael jackson in a pepsi commercial? that was the first time I saw carlton banks! =) having a pf that can set picks is a must in today's nba, had forgotten about drew gooden.
Please no. He's a 10 year veteran who still makes rookie mistakes on a regular basis. There's a reason he's been on seven different teams over the last six years.
Drew is the SOFTEST big man in the league. He gets pushed around all over the place, and gives the team nothing on defense. The only thing he would give this team is a decent mid-range shooter at PF.
Fair opinion. But, don't we need a "decent mid-range shooter at PF?" That's my point. To me, Chris Bosh is the softest big man in the league, but it's overshadowed by Dwade and LaBring.
Why is it messed up? We are looking at amnestied players (allegedly) like Mike Miller and Cambyman. What's "messed up" with fans looking at a potential signing in Drew Gooden? I agree LaMarcus Aldridge would be THE MISSING PIECE to everything, but if not, a team builds depth through a variety of players when it can no longer attain superstars. You can win with a star or two and some role-players. The Rockets have a rich, rich history of role players that impacted championships (Mad Max, Elie, Horry, etc...) All I'm doing is looking at a recently amnestied player that seems like a viable option if Camby falls through, or if Morey is looking to add depth. My bad for being a thoughtful fan.
For me personally, I'd rather not go after a guy that gives me nothing on defense simply because he has a decent mid-range jumper. I'd rather have somebody like DeJuan Blair... or Marcus Camby.
Eddie Griffin ****ed this guy up in one game I went to. Put like 35 and 18 on his head... Blocked like 10 shots.
For the vet min, I would be a fan of adding Drew Gooden, with the understanding that his playing time will be contingent on how well or poorly TJones and DMo play. Gooden was a starting caliber power forward the season before last. He would be a nice bit of insurance to have on the bench in case our young guys fail as starters.
It would depend on his asking price IMO. You definitely have to consider a talented vet at the 4 because of the youth we have there. At a minimum, he can teach something to the young guys about being in the league. Posters here like to complain about picking up vets, but there is a reason why a lot of good teams do this. They come in handy in certain situations.
So dmo's ego has not helped his development?? Where do people come up with stuff? Did he give the coach a funny look when he got taken out of the game?? Or are you just writing a story to make the OP more interesting?
