Mutombo likely to return, Our off-season is likely over?

it think we'll probably see some mid-season trades happening... with so much player movement recently, I'm sure there'll be a few useful players that don't fit in on their respective teams, and we can get'em for cheap...

 

No. We won't have great D this year. I don't think Adelman teaches much help D, and we were had very good one-on-one defenders since the days of Maxwell, maybe Mobley.

 

Offcourse we do. i was being sarcastic. i was just pointing out that he can mold a good defensive team with a bunch defense allergic like divac, webber, peja and miller.

 

Cough, cough Shane battier anyone?

 

also, does it seem like people think that as soon as JVG left, the rockets had mass amnesia and forgot all of his coaching.

staying in front, reading offenses, playing passing lanes, help defense, switching, defending picking rolls, charges, gritty 1 on 1, active hands.

sure some things might suffer, like sticking around for some offensive rebounds will affect our transition D. but i dont buy this whole notion that as soon as JVG steps off and Adelman steps on, our Team's D is going to magically evaporate.

Mike James and Steve Francis have also put in some good b-ball hours under JVG's philosophy of D. you don't learn how to get up to a coach's standard of pro D and then just un-learn it as soon as he leaves the room.

oh and speaking of D, how about Deke? veteran, elder, cookie monster of defensive knowledge. hayes, deke, yao, battier, tmac...and dare i say stevie who wouldnt be abused by deron williams like alston. at least on 1 on 1 isolations, francis can keep quick PGs out in front of him.

 

Considering Alston and the Rockets contained Deron a heck of a lot better than the Spurs or Warriors, I dare say Francis wouldn't have fared better.

 

Yeah 5-10 would be nice. Does anyone think Scola will every play any center? I have a feeling that Adelman will find a way to get him some minutes against some weak centers. I would also like to try Battier out at PF again with Yao playing at the same time. If you have Bonzi at SF and Tmac at SG and Francis at PG that team could help Battier with rebounds and be pretty active. I would like to see Adelman match up with teams and use our versatility rather than have it used against us. I hope he experiments with some lineups in the preseason. Even Brooks could see some action if Scola can find a way to play some center or Battier at PF. This is one of the best ways to get everyone solid minutes but it remains to be seen if it is effective.

 

6 9, 230, not super athletic. I am concerned enough with him physically handling PFs, let alone bigger and stronger centers. I don't see it.

Deke coming back is great.

Got to start thinning now. Unless he seems inclined to sign in Europe, trade the rights to Landry for a future 2nd. Buy out JL3, Novak, Reed, etc, unless they moved for something. Alston or Head + filler for a vet PF would be a larger one, but might take time.

 

So at this point we can probably look at the totality of Rockets players and make simple cuts to arrive at our final 15, and 12 active:

Guaranteed (8): T-Mac, Yao, Battier, Scola, Hayes, Mutombo, Mike James, Steve Francis

Most Likely In (3): Bonzi, Aaron Brooks, Luther Head

On the bubble (4): Kirk Snyder, Jackie Butler, Rafer Alston, Steve Novak

Out for all intensive purposes (3): Reed, Harris, Landry, JL3, "Sura's expiring contract"

So, if they cut Reed and JL3 and forbid Landry from entering training camp, they can keep all their blue chips and still have Alston on the roster until some East coast team needs him mid-season (*cough* Danny Ainge *cough*). All the bubble players would be in, but Butler, Novak, and probably Brooks for the first half of the season would be on the inactive list. As injuries arise or players get shipped out, I expect Brooks to be the first to get a shot, unless of course Yao or Dikembe go down.

 

The key right now is roster management. There are decent players unsigned elsewhere, so only way to pare roster is to cut or take someone else's cap headaches.

The Rox MUST protect their ability to do a deadline deal for stretch run help, to put them over-the-top. Alston/Sura/Snyder fit this equation IMO. However, this means Landry needs to be sent 'overseasoning', and roster spots need be held for the others.

Training camp injuries could make some or at least someone movable - Lil Luke?

Back to Mount Mutombo - I am hopeful to see if Butler is a keeper. I'd like to 'spot' D and save him for May. And June.

 

listen to ThePrivate, who told you all last month that the rockets were going to use their bi-annual exception to sign deke.

when the regular season starts, the rockets are going to either trade or waive jl3, reed, harris, sura, and rafer "skip to your lou" outta here! the rockets are not trading them for haslem, gooden, or whatever your unrealistic trade proposals are. they are merely going to ask for 2nd round draft picks or expiring contracts.

guarandamntee it!

 

I wouldn't be surprised if Skip was traded before the season if management can dump him for a shorter contract but I like your reasoning.

 

That's why Aaron Brooks is here. He's younger and has more potential. The Rockets already have lots of point guards but AB is probably the only true point guard on the roster if RA leaves. JL3 should be waived or traded if possible.

 

Bonzi is in for sure no way he stays without knowing he would get playing time under adeleman, he could have made the same amount of money elsewhere for a year on a crappy team and bloaded his stats. I would say head is in too, the team will need shooters and he is the best shooter we have (that actually saw the floor last year)and i do believe we'll see more of his athleticism in play this year (i mean he had more crazy dunks in the rookie all-star game this past season than his entire nba career) also head put up a double digit ppg season last year off the bench which is not as easy to find as people believe i would say brooks will probably less PT than we all will hope this year. Novak will be a most likely in imo his shooting and size are all very valuable to the team even if (gulp) is used to showcase talent for a trade (i hope not) to me i see the entire roster more like:

francis/james/brooks/alston
tmac/snyder/head
battier/bonzi/novak
scola/hayes/butler
yao/butler/deke

i figure these 3 players to be "injured" a lot
alston,brooks,novak

reed being released,harris released, sura bought our or trade contract for a future pick, jl3 cut

so the final roster (barring any more moves) i think may shape out to:

francis/james/head
tmac/snyder/head/wells
battier/wells/snyder/tmac
scola/hayes/butler
yao/butler/deke

probably the most athletic and potent scoring lineup we will have had in years. cant the season start already and stop teasing me??

 

When Mutombo comes in for Yao. It's going to be nice seeing Mutombo and Scola together under the basket talking tough!!! Then Hayes comes in and Yao comes back in and you got the Yao and Hayes combo. Then Scola comes in and you got Yao and Scola... that's the starting 4 and 5 what a great season that is coming I can't wait.

 

Good thing to know he won't be signing the Roger Clemens contract.

 

This is great news! I actually hope that Butler gets a shot at backing up Yao, but even if Butler won that job over Deke, I'm just happy to see him on the team. That being said, lots of cuts have to be made. It seems everyone else has taken their shot so let me take mine:

PG: Francis/Alston/Brooks
SG: T-Mac/James/Head
SF: Battier/Wells/Snyder
PF: Scola/Hayes/Novak
C: Yao/Butler/Deke

Of those 15 I'd say Brooks, Snyder and Novak will start on the inactive list. I think Brooks will get playing time, but not until after Alston is shipped out. I think its unlikely to see Alston moved prior to training camp. Plus, they'll still want him to play if for no other reason but to showcase him for a trade. Personally I think Alston will do better coming off the bench anyway and I wouldn't be too upset if we held on to him (I know, I'm just asking for trouble)

Cut: Sura/Reed/Harris (sad because I like Harris)
Don't Sign Landry
Trade JLIII for whatever you can get

That being said if we had some kind of trade where Alston and Snyder could be traded for something better than a second round pick (maybe toss in Sura's contract), I'd be pretty happy with that too.

 

I can see him playing some center against about 20 teams. there are only about 10 starting centers that can out play him and out muscle him and he can play their backups

 

Why do so many people here like Snyder so much? Head can contribute much more. Luther can at least shoot, and he hit a ton of clutch shots last year (excluding playoffs). Snyder is just not that good. He cant shoot, defend, dribble. He can dunk, thats about it.