First of all, this is the first thing I've written in a couple of months in here, as I've been going through a really rough time on a personal/medical level, and I'm glad to be back...hope you all missed me as much as I missed you, though I haven't seen any "where is Jag? "threads... Anyway, one thing that my tough stretch has afforded me is a different perspective. There have been several interesting developments while I've been away, both with the team, and within this very site, and I was hoping to give my somewhat removed perspective, for what it's worth... 1) Steve Francis, his game, his popularity, and his future with the team...A few months back, just as an excercise in speculation, I posted a thread asking whether Francis had greater value as a trade commodity, or as our pg...and the 1st 10-15 respondents blasted me for even asking the question. Later, of course, several even-keeled posters came on board and addressed the question, and Jeff even made a post admonishing that kind of knee jerk reactionism, but the point is, even speculating on Francis' trade value inspired a lot of derision/animosity...I was not then, nor am now, an advocate of trading Stevie, but one of the 1st things I noticed upon checking back in here is the incredible profusion of "Trade Francis!" type threads...and it makes me wonder what a difference a month or two makes...He's been battling various medical difficulties, etc., but those were in play when I asked the question back then...so what, might I ask, has happened to inspire such a turn-around of opinion? He came back when the season was all but lost anyways, realistically, as any playoff prognastication would have relied as heavily on another team's collapse as our own Francis-lead resurgence...Ok, it didn't happen...but are we so short sighted that the failure of that miracle has changed many an opinion on Steve's future? 2) Eddie Griffin... Ok, seriously, what has happened to him? Agreed, there is a rookie wall, but doesn't he deserve a chance to work through it? I have always maintained that one of Rudy's weaknesses is his very short fuse with rookies, that he only gives them significant pt when he is forced to by circumstance, and only great play keeps them in the lineup when circumstances change...That is an ok attitude if you're vying for homecourt advantage in the playoffs, but given our situation, what is the rationale? Walt Williams playing over Griffin, with us very lottery bound, smacks too much of a coach's inflexibility in his habits than a thought out long-term plan. 3) Rudy, the offense, etc... Rudy has his strengths and weaknesses, and one of the greatest of the latter, IMO, was stated above. That said, Tomjonovic apologists spent the 1st half of the season defending the stagnant offense by citing injuries, and that was a valid point...But what is the problem now? I have not completely flipped on Rudy, but I am confused by the continuing ineffectiveness of this team's offense. Are the players not running the system correctly, is the personel not appropriate to the design, or is it simply an outdated, easily defended O? Either way, Rudy must bear some responsibility... 4) To draft, or not to draft... With all the suggestions of trading the pick for an Odom, Lewis, etc., I have one question...Do either of these players address our primary deficiency, in terms of becoming a legit contender? I love Odom, always have, but let's say we get him for the pick...IF he and Steve stay healthy, drug-free, etc, AND re-sign, that still leaves us as a Western version of Milwaukee at best..and the Bucks have a great offensive-minded coach to run the latest attempt at a Donut ring...while we have Rudy. I don't see that as making us a legit contender, especially in the West. To me, the only player who has a chance to make us into a complete team, championship-wise, is Ming. Yes, he's a gamble, yes, he's a project...but he's also the only guy out there this year who might put us over the hump, instead of just farther up it. SF's are a lot easier to come by than centers, and the kind of sf we'd need with Ming, Francis, Mobley, and Griffin in the coming years would mostly be a defender/distributor, not a big-time scorer. This would be different if Griff were the dominant inside scorer that we need, but he's looking more like an all-arounder. I understand the loss of patience, and I know that Mobley's not getting any younger, but Francis and Griffin, our two real long-term cornerstones are still young enough to wait a year or 2 for Ming to develop, and Mobes has enough years left as a gunner to still fill that role, plus he's an easier kind to replace down the road.. Okay, those are my opinions, coming back in. I would appreciate answers, arguments, etc., as I have been away for a while... It's nice to be back.
Welcome back JAG! I have no agruements with your post and in fact alot of it is consistent with my position and my posts. I really have nothing to add, just to say that I am urging a serios look at Amare in this draft. I am not saying definitely pick him, but in the upcoming weeks we should really take a detailed look.
1) We are losing with him in the lineup, and he is our best player, so he is catching more and more flak. 2) He's been getting 25+ minutes, except when he was hurt. He's just playing bad. Obligatory 19 year old rookie qualification. 3) I don't think the offense has been adjusted well for the new rules. Hopefully, this can be done during the off-season, but that may be wishful thinking. Also, our total lack of anyone with a post-up game doesn't help. 4) Total agreement 5) You forgot to mention the unsightly horror that is our defense. Everybody worries too much about our offense, and not enough about the NBA's worst defense.
JAG, I was on the IL for awhile myself. Hope all is well. Welcome back. To say it has been a weird season is an understatement. There are probably as many reasons for the Rockets lack of success as there are posters at CC. I share your take on Odom. For my 2 cents, the biggest issues facing the Rockets are: 1) Defense... or lack of it. Some of it can be drafted/aquired. Much of it will have to be a team commitment. 2) More emphasis on efficiency and less on the spectacularly athletic. 3) A post up presence will be needed to make any progress in the post season. As an asute observer, you knew all of this anyway. And you remember the reason we are hampered in the FA market.
If we could get a center from this draft, that would be better than gettiing a SF, I agree, JAG. Besides, I think the Rockets plan on using Taylor at the 3, with Rice and TMo to back him up, and TMo backing up Griffin at the 4. Its a matter of availability, and the best use of the pick. IF we win the lottery and get #1 or #2, then I agree, Ming would be worth the pick. But we'll probably get #6 or #7, and if Dunleavy come out and is still there, or Wagner is still there to trade for Odom, that would be our better bet. I don't want us taking Borchardt, Marcus. Jennings, or Sampson with that first pick ... maybe the Toronto pick. Now if Odom doesn't get traded, and LAC still wants Wagner, and Dunleavy and Ming aren't on the board, and Toronto, Washington and Miami move ahead of them in thier playoff race, I'd be interested in trading LAC for theirs and the Atlanta pick, and then pick up Caron Butler, Amare Stoudamire, and perhaps Jamaal Sampson. If Wagner is still on the board when we draft, and LAC doesn't want to trade Odom, we need to take him. Then hope we can get some type of trade to Cleveland for either Mihm or Diop for Thomas and our Toronto pick, or even Mobely. That would fill the spots, as long as we had already signed Francis to a long term contract. Lets say Cleveland took the Thomas and pick for Diop. We'd have: Cato/Diop/Collier Griffin/Tmo Taylor/Rice/Torres Mobely/Wagner Francis/Norris PERSONNEL REBUILDING COMPLETE. Strong first team, strong and growing second team. Let the learning begin.
