My Quick Reference on FA's

Couple of things:

Most of us have had this discussion before, but I will run it by summa ya'll again. In brief fashion.

* Nazr and Shandon are free agents. They are in the drivers seat. Frankly Nazr will probably command a better contract than Shandon right now, if for no other reason than experienced pivot men are in a great demand.

* Lopsided contracts with upside-down equity in a player's salary are common. Vin Baker, Big Country, etc... are all examples. Having Cato at only $6Million in comparison to some of the upside-downs out there is moot. Getting Cato traded has not been the problem as yet, getting something that will not harm our roster has been the problem.

* Admittedly Dermarr, Mobes, Morris, Griff, Langhi, etc... all bunched up at the 2-3 spots is a problem that is a short one player trade away from solving. Most GM's dream of "problems" this simple to solve. CD/RT would be smiling all the way if that were the case.

* The nature of the latest CBA when it comes to trades has shown us that Free Agency isn't as wild and crazy as it once was. Also, it has become axiomatic that involving third parties in a trade has great benefit for all concerned. I guess what I am saying is .... if a trade involved Cato/Shandon/Plus from the Rockets and the Hawks lost Nazr and Dermar .... well equating the two teams benefits doesn't make sense because in most cases these are not the only players or teams involved. (As I said I have no idea where these talks are at the moment. I suspect nowhere, as CD/Lindsey/RT/ etc are concentrating on Dream and MoTay. He is the key. Dream. Timewise.)


* Just for the record, I do not sell or represent medical supply companies,etc. I am in the medical field and have been for a number of years. Presently, I am a medical-legal consultant and travel quite a bit. I have been involved in sports for a number of years. I know and speak frequently with sports-related people including sports med specialists, trainers, orthopedic surgeons as well as a couple of legal and personal agents who I have known for over twenty years.


Cheers.

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Well, I like that Chicago connection also. A much better longterm thing and, maybe more importantly it does not cause ANY problems with our present roster.

On another thought .....

Actually, I heard over the weekend where Loren Woods MAY be available in a move with Minnesota. They have a roster that perenially looks real good on paper but it will never improve unless they are willing to move some key people. Woods will not improve their team this year, or even next. They have some blatantly conflicting spots on that roster.

Last year they played as good as they will ever be able to play with the personnel they carry. They need some changes. Everyone knows Croshere is available and we have been playing that tune with them for a while, although I think Rocket involvenment to acquire Croshere has been eliminated with our recent draft.

More importantly, Loren Woods coupled with other FA moves could be a useful roster addition for us. Minnesota needs some inside weight. Jermaine O'N is not enough rotation after rotation.

We will require only three pivots on this roster. Collier, Cato, with .... Hakeem? Nazr?, Robinson?, Jackson?, Todd McCulloch?, A Davis?, ..... Mmmmmmmmm .........

I could live with Hakeem (a veteran with a plethora of offensive and defensive aspects, although a health liability IMHO), with Jackson (legs like all get out and a great defensive game and an emerging offensive threat under the basket, he does not need touches), and with Woods ( offensive drive and set shot, below average defender and longterm upside coupled with a unsubtantiated health risk). I could live with that triple threat at the five.
[Alternative: Nazr with a defensive bend in the middle, or retaining Collier's offense and his anticipated improved defensive presence would not hurt our overall production either.)

All in all, these combos give the Rockets a nice blend of talent at the five spot. I could live with that.



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Swopa:

I'll stand by my assessment. He runs all night long. Not super fast but he does not lag either. He has great legs in the third and fourth quarter. Despite any reporter's opinion.

On the "doesn't need touches" thing was meant that we would nopt have to do anything other than our present gameplan to get him his touches. Nothing that he hasn't already been getting. He does not need to be fed all night long. He doesn't get first option in Golden State and he still gets 13+ppg. (He knows his role, which is basically what your quote emphasizes.) I could watch him slam it and make ~5-6 ppg out of his 13+ ppg by offensive put-backs. Another couple playing the weakside rush when they cover MoTay, or when they side press to stop Mobley or take the ball out of Steve's hands.

He would not need to change his game to play our game.

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They will never sign Hakeem to $9-10 million for two years which is what he wants. If he steadfastly held us up, and would not budge CD may consider Robinson and I agree signing him may be a better move, especially if it was a limited contract(3-4 years) for Robinson. But they would never do it. I just can't see it. Not unless the public were thoroughly convinced that the talks were at a standstill and Hakeem was thye one holding up the future success of the franchise. It may still be a PR nightmare and they would not chance it IMHO.

Spurs would not want Cato IMHO, but t6hat doesn't mean he could not be inc;luded somewhere. They do like Shandon and SA could do some duty as per the S. Elliot/D. Anderson spots. The intensity will pick up if D.Anderson decides to get serious looks elsewhere(which he is getting). Then Shandon becomes a very viable option. Samaki won't be back and they could use some help there. Personally if anything came about between the Spurs and the Rockets it would include another team and most assuredly include someone other than our favorite whipping boys (Cato and Walt with the proverbial "others").

If Hakeem would take a $6 Million figure, and live with Robinson making an $8-9Million figure it may be possible. But it is not likely. It would curtail a number of other moves or lack of moves. It would hurt some other signings .... but mmainly I do not think Hakeem would buy it. Robinson would aquiesce maybe, but, IMHO anyway, Hakeem is finding it harder and harder to play a team game. Certainly he has not consistently demonstrated to me a "team before individual" philoophy in the last two years.[/B][/QUOTE]

Sabonis has spoken to a couple of teams. I don't think he and the Rockets have as yet. Sabonis wpuld be a long shot, but RT would do it. I know he would. The money is minimal. Frankly Sabonis will never play for Portland again. Period. It just will not happen. He will either retire or an emerging(ready to make a mark) team or a young team, or a team that requires kind of "a filler" at a particular (and predictable) opponent matchup ... like the Rockets, Minnesota, Toronto, or Milwaukee
...will get him cheap. Don't be surprised if he takes $1-2Million especially if it is a successful (Lakers)or emerging team (Kings/Bucks) or a young team (Rockets).

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I think initially they thought he would retire. Regardless of that the direction the team is taking, appears to be opposed or direct opposition to Hakeem's role. RT/CD and Hakeem spoke several times just prior to the end of the season. CD was of the opinion Hakeem would NOT be here come 2001-2002 season. RT is pretty laid back and frankly I don't think he gave it much thought near the end. I think,my opinion only, that RT was surprised Hakeem chose to stay. RT would love to have Hakeem in our game plan though. But the reality is .... we cannot and will not pay him $10 million in a two year contract. Les will not do that. I know this. Unless something outrageously crazy happens like he sells the team, or has a heart fart, Les will not buy Hakeem 20 big ones over two years. Period. IMHO,if Hakeem gets a great deal elsewhere, and that team wants a sign and trade, he would do it. From watching Hakeem lately I would say he would not agree unless it was absolutely necessary to him getting his money.

Remember Hakeem's biggest hole card is not the contract itself but the bind it puts the Rockets in by dragging his feet. The longer he waits (Going to Middle East (his annual pilgrimage was rescheduled to include that first date of July 1), being "unavailable", having his agent "unavailable"), the harder it is for us to make other necessary moves.

Fred Hoiberg

We have more backup SG than we can shake a stick at. Francis,Mobes,Morris and they have Langhi playing SG in the summer leagues. Griff will even get some minutes there. Shandon has not been discarded yet, and as a matter of fact may be closer to a Rockets deal than pre draft. Should I mention who his agent is??????????


Etan Thomas -

I agree that they were greatly interested in him last year. But RT has a rule. Well, he has several, but this one is the most appropriate here ....

When you get a rotation spot, how you consistently play determines if you keep it, only you can lose it.

KT has done nothing to lose his back-up role. ET has not done nothing to earn one (even on the team he signed with). Unless it was a major trade and these two were added for filler, that is the only way I can see ET replacing KT.


Jerome Williams -

I would pee my pants if we were able to get him, but Toronto is likely to keep him. Everyone from Miami to San Antonio has talked to him. He is a swift, muscular PF/C who showcased himself with tons of effort in the playoffs.

I saw him listed at 6' 19" and 6'10" but who knows. The press kits on his introduction had him as 6'9". His "growth plates" (as you referred to them) is a recognizable demarcation at the ends of long bones. It shows the clear line between new growth and previous growth. It does not "need room" as you stated. Growth in atheletes is slightly different than others. Due to a number of factors, some athletes coontinue to grow taller after the median age for growth has been met. IMHO, most tall athletic, 18 - 20 year olds will grow another inch or two. So to answer your question = I don't know if he will get taller, but it is in all likelihood he could hit 6'10 or even 6'11 within a couple of years.




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pippen:

These are the things that bother me about Eddie Griffin.

1. We the fans start expecting a big team turn around (another 10 wins) singularly due to his signing. It will not happen. That amount of expectation centered on a single team member usually starts early criticism. I think he will contribute this first year, but he will not be as spectacular(team success-wise) as some surmise.

2. He is a bit sullen. Michael Dickerson was a little like that. KT remains as close-mouthed as ever. Cato usually has a scowl his face, especially if Cato has double pumped a slam and someone did not move out of his way,causing him to actually have to work for the FG. Glare,glare at the ref ...... ohhhhhh Cato's upset. Yawn. Eddie is a young guy and somewhere along the line he has got to start generating some fun and demonstrting that to the other guys and fans. A moot point, but I don't think I have yet learned to appreciate grimace faced multi-millionaire athletes on the Rockets. Especially one that has such high expectaions thrown at him by well-meaning fans and press.

3. The biggest hurdle a newbie NBA'er must get over is realizing he is NOT the center of attention (read that as "plays called for him as the first option"). Most athletes that begin an elevated career have had years of "first option" in everything from who sits where on the bus, to who gets to swing the rock with 5 seconds left in the game. I hope Griff can handle it.

4. The final thing is not about him as much as it is the staff. there is no doubt that we worked hard (and also with a little luck thrown in) parlayed our picks to get the cream or close to the cream of the draft. But it does not stop there. We still have to decide about Hakeem. We still have to decide about the PF position. We still have to sign Mooch. We have glaring holes that still need to be filled. How (and maybe more importantly when) we accomplish these tasks will point directlky at what kind of a season we can expect. As it stands right now we are lottery bound.


(BTW that is an ugly nick, did you lose a bet somewhere along the line? LOL)

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