.............................................. If you think Brooks-Martin-Ariza-Bosh-Yao is just a first round team, I can't help you. Why the f not? By 80% certain, I am referring to Yao getting injured the way he did two years ago - I will guarantee he will play 55 games, the amount he played back then, and I am 80% certain he will play significantly more, albeit reduced minutes towards the beginning as he readjusts and possibly to keep him in shape. Vlade averaged 30 minutes on the Kings, and I bet Yao can handle that much. You, on the other hand, act like Yao won't be playing again this season, which is just as much ridiculous as to assume Yao can carry a full load again. Let me ask you this question then - how many games do you think Yao will play? Furthermore, would you support blowing the team up at this point? If we're not winning with Chris, we won't win with Scola. Therefore, we are a perennial first round exit team according to your analysis, and have no means of improvement. Am I correct?
absolutely right. from everything i read, bosh will play major minutes at 5 before yao can take over if we do get bosh. i have a problem with fans here. they are thinking about getting bosh is a sure thing. they forgot what happen to rashard lewis. they listed tons of reasons rashard would come to houston. morey realized the possibility that we may not get what we want so he said even just with yao back from injury this team is good enough to in playoff.
i am 100% sure yao will play all games and will stay healthy for a few more years and his playing level will be increased as the season goes. however, when i saw majority of rox fans and all other ppl following NBA have no confidence on yao whether he will ever play at the level he used to be or whether he will get injury again or how long he can stay healthy. i have no choice but to tell myself bosh most likely is one of them. i don't blame him since he is human being, no difference from other ppl. so using yao as selling point doesn't make sense to me. you can't tell bosh with this lineup plus him and yao it is a championship team. it's kind like you ask an investor to work with you on some projects since you are going to win a lottery.
Absolutely agree. Scola is a must have, they cannot afford to lose a player like Scola, who in my opinion, is the heart of the team. The effort he gives every night, no matter what the score is, simply is infectious. Not to mention, he's gotten better and better now. Can't give him up, would be the biggest mistake ever. Battier, well, would like to keep him for chemistry purposes. But the guy is just awkward to watch on offense.
The Rockets may not land Bosh, and most of us will be disappointed, us fans don't need a plan B, but I assure you the wizard has a plan B if Bosh falls through. Be that moving up in the draft, or making a move completely off the radar, he has a fallback plan. The Rockets are in win now mode.
Agreed, although "moving up in the draft" cannot, by definition, be a Plan B, since the draft will have come and gone before the Rockets can even BEGIN talking to Bosh. That said, they'll probably try to trade up IF it can help the team. That move would possibly be independent of any pursuit of Bosh, although the Rockets' "asset bank" will be somewhat depleted in that event heading into free agency (unless you think they'd trade up for a player to trade to Toronto). But barring a significant move up in the draft and/or getting Bosh, Morey and the Rockets probably have some things up their collective sleeve that we may never have seen coming. Al Jefferson being only one example that we could imagine, there are several other high quality players who could be had this summer for the young/future assets held by the Rockets.
Regardless of what happens, the acquisition of anyone worthy will surely result in a similar feeling to the departure of Landry, whether that be via Scola, Battier, Brooks, etc.. There will be a huge moment of celebration followed quickly by a subtle "damn it" for the loss of a fan favorite. Inevitable.
Not necessarily. Actually, not even likely. The only way Scola or Lowry aren't brought back is if another team offers one of them crazy money that is just not worth matching. While that would suck (perhaps being a "damn it" moment), fans would more likely be grateful taht the team didn't "overspend" to keep them. They will most likely NOT be included in any trade, since they would have to consent to any trade, and there would likely be Base Year Compensation issues involved with each of them. Brooks likely isn't going anywhere either. Morey won't give him up in a Bosh sign-and-trade, since Toronto will not be able to demand THAT much. Jordan Hill and picks would more likely be the "good part" of the package coming the Raptors' way. The only way Brooks is dealt will be in a legit TRADE (not a sign-and-trade) where the Rockets get back a high quality PG. Possibly if Minnesota wanted to trade Rubio's draft rights, but I don't see that deal as a likelihood by any stretch. If Ariza is dealt, I don't think there will be any mourning going on on this BBS, although I will be a little saddened if we can never see him mesh with Yao. The only guy I see being dealt who will cause lament on this BBS will be Shane. He's my favorite player, and I would hate to see him go. But if Morey deals him, it will DEFINITELY be for a significant player. Otherwise, Morey will want to hold onto him, especially since his value to the Rockets is greater than his market value around the league, apparently.
Not only does DM have a Plan B, but a Plan C: what is the next step after getting Bosh. And, Yao will play 55 games, but hopefully be healthy for the playoffs.
The tax rate was already mentioned, so, just to add: Non-American (Euro, Argentine, Asian) athletes would have less of a problem with Toronto. It's a very cosmopolitan/international city. This doesn't hold the same appeal for American athletes. Maybe some Americans would love it there, certainly they wouldn't dog out the city in and of itself, but they might feel a little isolated. How about the weather? If I may paraphrase a quote from Chris Rock when referring to the cold weather when he was filming his forthcoming movie, "We had to film, pretending it was summer, wearing shorts outside, but it was forty degrees out. I'm a decent actor, but come on! My people come from the heat."
