We have no space and we have no players... We got nothing were gonna have nothing except a lottery pick again next year, which we can trade to another average player that could be gotten on the cheap... Empty hearts = empty seats Another Houston has screwed the fans again... Who cares anymore...
They need another point. A vet like Rafer to mentor Deron would be good. They've picked up Dee Brown as a 2nd rounder in the draft whether he makes it past SL or not... Deron Williams lost them a few games playing crazy in the 4th quarter. IMO he didn't improve that much by the end of the season.
You know the problem with FA is that most want or can demand greater than MLE and a good lot of them will be resigned with their current teams (even those that are not restricted). Thus, throwing our best offer at Ely which is our MLE is far from a sure thing.
First of all how much money do Houston have? MLE and what else? I go believe they still have that trade exception but thats not a lot guys... The only PFs that I liked were the unrestricted ones like Rodmanovic at 4 and hate to say it but if Van Horn will come cheap him at 4. Both can spread the defense out for Yao and TMac to operate. The best option is Drew Gooden but he's going to want starter money where those others probably won't start ahead of Howard. What I'm looking for is an athletic big man that can shoot the ball. SOrry to say Van Horn fits that as does Rodmanovic. Sure I'd love to get an enforcer at the PF position but after looking around and FAs and then just an overall look at enforcers at PF. There are none in the NBA. You could put Detroit's Ben Wallace there but thats about it, not even Duncan is an enforcer at PF when he plays there. Well Brand may be another enforcer. Point is we need a big man that can defend or stay in between the opponent and basket plus can score somehow shooting/on the block whatever. The above 3 are those players... None are great rebounders but at this point with someone like Battier at the 3 he will help inside rebounding. I hope Gooden would come just for his size and athletic ability plus he can score.
To contend the Rockets need a third scorer. Most champions for the last 30 years has had a third scorer that they could go to if one of their stars was on the bench or wasn't performing. Miami - A. Walker, San Antonio - Ginobli or Parker, Detroit - anyone of the starting five except B. Wallace, Lakers - G. Rice, Bulls - Kukoc. THey got their intangibles guy in Battier. Now they need a scorer. In the free agency its either M. James or Bonzi Wells. I'ld rather have Wells because we already have Head on the bench. If they can also get a servicable back up big man for the min or with the TE then this Rockets team could be a contender.
so we can't combine the TE and Head's salary to boost the dollars available to James? I thought not, but wanted to clarify. IMO, James is a pipe dream then, unless there's a crappy contract that TOR wants to unload on us.
here is some more stuff to consider TE targets who are under contract for next season - all would fit under our $4.1M TE: PF's Z.Pachulia O.Harrington E.Najera M.Doleac C.Robinson M.Jackson P.Garrity S.Hunter J.Jeffries - if he doesn't opt out. PG's B.Knight D.Jones S.Jasikevicius J.Mcinnis M.Norris K.Dooling K.Ollie M.James - if he doesn't opt out. Trades for Jho - players that work cap-wise for a Jho swap, from teams that might be willing to add him: J.Smith J.Tinsley T.Hudson M.Jaric Ja.Collins D.Fortson
If Steven Hunter is available for the Min, I'd jump on him. I wanted him last year ahead of Swift. Deke's not getting any younger and Hunter does the same thing as him. When he was in Phoenix, the Suns were always best when he was on the floor.
Who in their right mind would want JHo on their team? The only way we trade JHo is in a dead cow swap, ie trade JHo for a player that the other team 100% do not want on their team like KMart or Miles.
We need a couple of players like Mike James , ones with energy and a will to win ! Everyone know this , well I bet you are going to be disappointed! I expect that JVG will scuttle everything. I wonder what excuse they will give as to why they can't sign Mike James .Although I only want the best for our Rockets I already have a dreadful feeling that the Rockets will be only mediocre again this upcoming season.Which in the long run might lead to the departure of JVg!!!
Man, it's hard to believe that we gave up all that for a 6th man, especially since he is such a glue piece. I would think we would want our 6th man to be able to come off the bench throwing bombs so that we could rest McGrady. I would think that the #1 priority in our 6 man would be the ability to score the ball. The Boozer trade with Utah would be interesting. We could move Juwan plus either Rafer or Sura's contract but I think we'd have to throw in Luther Head to make the deal work for them. And it would have to be a bigger deal if we are wanting to acquire Harpring. They'd have to cooperate with us on a S&T of some sort. Maybe a 3 way deal with the Lakers somehow with the Lakers sending back Kwame (yuck, but a one year contract savings), McKie, and Cook or Turiaf.
Oh please! Look, if you want to buy this garbage that the Rockets are selling that's your perogative but I find what they did on Wednesday this simply too much take. There is a talent problem on this team specifically a lack of talent at key positions: PG, SG & PF. And let's not look at the bench. There are many reasons for this being so but the major reason is that they (Rockets) have consistently gone after so-called veteran players instead of getting younger players with talent who can be allowed to develop. That's what the teams ahead of the Rockets have been doing for years now. I'm fed up with watching Dawson, Lindsay, JVG, Les, Clutch the Bear - all of them continue to screw up draft after draft in the name of "we have to win now". So this now makes them a "winning" team. OK, I'll bite. Perhaps you can explain how getting Shane Battier makes this so because I just don't see it. If by "winning" you mean they win 43-53 games, slip into the playoffs and lose in the 1st round again then yes, it will be mission accomplished. I'm sorry, I thought the goal was to build a championship team around Yao & TMac and contend for the title but if the bar has been lowered to merely making the playoffs then I'm afraid that I missed that memo. Honestly, I really want to understand how this makes us competative because I somehow missed the where it was written that Battier was the key player to get us over the top and that he was worth the 8th pick in the draft + Swift (not that I'm crying over losing Swift). I also would like for you to please explain why you continue to believe that the folks that gave us Derek Anderson & Stromile Swift last year will somehow, someway get things right this year especially considering that they have "no trade assets". Finally, what really steams me about watching the Mavericks is how they continue to draft solid young players: Harris, Howard and now Auger while these bozos botch draft after draft along all the while making blunder after blunder in their other personnel decisions. I'm beyond fed up with watching this team stand still while watching Dallas, Memphis and Denver pass them by. It's just so, how did you put it? Frustrating.
I agree, with Battier, Harpring could be off the map. In fact the more I think about it, Battier fits a spot they really wanted. I still believe they are going to pursue a SG and a PG.
what is luther's value? i was against drafting redick, but now we've got battier, he'd make sense on the roster.
Boozer wants out and they want him out. They'd take Juwan as salary relief along with a player like Luther Head I believe just to get out from underneath Boozer. We may not want Boozer here but I would think the Lakers would be willing to give up Kwame for him along with a young player or two. If we got Kwame and got rid of Juwan, that is a one year shorter contract. Kwame expires in 2008.
Now you are throwing out PG. So, they have to be after James and possibly Flip Murray. Those 2 would seem to make the most sense for offense. Still, if the majority of Battier's minutes are at the swing position (and I think we agree that is probably where he gets the most minutes), then we still need another 4.
