We don't need to ride it out for three years. We can set an ofseason where we want to be players in the market (say 2 years), and swap our bad contracts for contracts that all end in 2 years. At that point, we'll have Yao and your stud PF locked up, we'll have some pieces that we've picked up along the way, and the money to sign some strong role players. Basically, the San Antonio Spurs plan.
Just for example, we could trade for players like Penny, Brian Grant, Eddie Jones, etc... We could also try and go for one year by adding players like Antoine Walker and Shareef Abdurahim through trades that look unfavorable in the short-run.
You have to take the good with the bad man. Maggette is a superb defender, one of the best in the league when he puts his mind to it. Snow is someone I used to like, but I've seen how necessary good shooting is to Yao Ming, so I think I'd pass on him right now, unless we have 2 sweet shooting Forwards to spplement him.
My Blueprint: 1: Get Cat and Steve to get in Rasheed Wallace's ear and whisper sweet nothings about playing and winning in the real conference. Seriously, I dont think that Wallace wants to be a number one option anymore and would be content to be the second or third option behind Yao and maybe Steve. 2: Do whatever it takes to get a starting 3. I personally would be on the horn with Seattle offering anybody not named Francis or Yao for Lewis. Cato and filler for Lewis and Booth gives Seattle some wiggle room under the cap by relieving them of two big, long contracts. 3: Look for a veteran pg to back up Steve. A guy like Kenny Anderson or Rod Strickland would do fine for 12 mins a game. 4: Get JVG to design an offense that involves more than just one guy at a time. All of our plays require either Steve to set somebody up or Yao to control the paint. MOVEMENT!!! Francis/Anderson Jackson/Mobley Lewis/Nachbar Wallace/Taylor Yao/Booth
Good defender and can get to the rim. We need to get to the free throw line. The refs sure aren't gonna give it to us. The reason I mention Snow is because he defends, passes, and plays smart. Runs the break. Not a great shooter but you can't have it all. Elton Brand? 'Nuff said.
are you guys daft? rahseed wallace is the EXACT type of player that this squad needs. hell we can use as many ballsy players as we can get considering how our "franchise" center plays like a china doll.
Oh yeah, I'm so wrong about Cato. I'm sure that GM's are just ringing CD's office phone off the wall, looking to nab our star starting power forward, with his lean contract. And I'm so wrong about surrounding YM with a core group of players, roughly his age (or a bit older), so they can all reach the prime of their careers (late 20s, early 30s) at the same time. There's only three ways Cato will ever be traded. 1. we would take a bad contract in return 2. Cato would be in the last year of his contract 3. we package Cato with a more valuable player Both of you are in dreamland when it comes to Cato's value. His contract significantly reduces his trade value - period. Harsh, but true. Raven
Raven, you seem to forget one thing, Cato plays the position that everyteam in the league could use. Starting or backup. Another thing is that Cato's contract is very standard for NBA C's. And there a lot of teams that would rather have Cato then the Jerome James, Marc Jacksons, and the Googs of the NBA. Yes, you are right that a bad contract will come in return for Cato, but thats the rule. Salaries have to match up in trades, its part of the collective bargaining agreement. Riding out our bad contracts is something the Rox shouldn't do. If they're not here for the long haul, the Rox should trade them for someone that will be. We better be looking at how we can improve this year, not 3 years down the road. A Cat/Cato package could probably bring us a nice deal.
ROXTXIA, that team doesn't make the playoffs in the West next year. This team is not in the postion to upgrade one postion while downgrading two others, especially when both Snow and Maggette would be terrible fits in an offense centered around Yao.
We should, by all means, get Damon Jones (again). He has blossomed, but will not hold his previous release against us (hometown appeal). We will, however, have to pay him this time. Cato, by virtue of his ability to play both PF and C, is an asset you'd be slow to trade unless there were a killer deal out there. Mobes bought in to the system early and brings the energy JVG needs. JJ obviously is a bargain and was a key to any sustained success the team had this year. A stabilizing force with a nice all-around game. Yao could use a rest and an off-season conditioning program. These are not likely to happen because of his national team obligations (and by his nature/character he is not likely to drop this). The vague shadow of an overuse injury can be seen in the light of the above. Still, if his improvement curve is maintained, the next two or three years should be a glory. Franchise and Mo are the most problematic. As stated in so many ways before on this board, their games seem to be 'on fire' or 'flaming out' depending on the situation. The choice is to either move them for more congruent players in our system or to tweak the system to minimize their exposed weaknesses. Boki finally got VG's trust and played D. Significant minutes next year. 'Spoon is a reliable sub, a serviceable #8 or #9 in most games. Same with Padgett. Situational subs. Pike, Wilks, and Griffin should be 'expansion guys'. Jackson is retiring, methinks. There was (collectively) improvment. With luck and better finishing, this LA series is 3-2 today. That having been said, we are not much (if any) younger than San Antonio (QB'd by a VERY young PG). We have to remedy turnovers and diagnose late-game brainlock. The future is next year.
Trade 'em all and start over. Yao + shooters. Get the wing first, so there's an inside-outside game. Then pick up the set-up man, the boards man, the ball-movement man. Make the pieces fit. Upgrade talent later. Target # 1 - shooter on the wing that can pass - examples :Ray Allen, Vince Carter Target # 2 - rebounder that can work with and off Yao, hit midrange, play 2 man with shooting guard - ex - Donyell Marshall, Troy Murphy, Target # 3 - point guard that can shoot, distribute - ex - Brent Barry, Kirk Heinrich Target # 4 - small forward that can move the ball, shoot, board, defend - ex - Matt Harpring, Al Harrington. Players that can stay - Yao, JJ, Boki, maybe Padgett and Pike, if there's not better out there. IF there's a better cba guy, cut them. You can't get all those right guys in one year. Get the best you can. CBA talent can fill in well if your stars are working together. They just have to know for sure what to do and what's expected.
Eh, wrong! Our best option, is T-mac. Once again, I repeat myself. There's plenty of good reasons why T-mac would be the best player to go after and what he would bring to the team, what the team would bring to him, yadda yadda. They're all posted by me in other threads. *sighs*
I hate to be the one to tell you, but your constant T-mac pandering is getting annoying. One time is enough, WE GOT IT!
You're living about 3 years ago. Cato has 2 years left on his contract now. He's getting paid about the going rate for solid defensive big man specialists, and 2 years is hardly albatross level anymore.
