Yao/Mutombo/Woods Scola/Landry/Hayes Battier Tmac/Head Alston/Jackson/Brooks Is Mutombo staying? I definitely think this team is great, as long as everyone's healthy. Our tandem of power forwards is great. Brooks can possibly develop further while we still have BJax (i think he'll be here, right?) We might need someone at the 2 or 3, and I wouldn't mind getting a better player at any position. Overall, I like our roster
I think it's also important to note that two of the major contenders in the West have sacrificed their rosters and chemistry for quick fixes....Phoenix and Dallas. After both of their mid season deals, those teams will NOT be as strong in the conference next year. We'll get stronger while others fade.
Mavs just ruined their immediate future with the Kidd trade; I think they are throwing away 08 and 10' 1st round picks. Imo, for next year, keep the roster about the same. Get a PG upgrade. Yao (C) + TMac (SG/Semi-PG) + Scolandry (PF) + Battier (SF) + Some kind pass before shoot PG who is great/above average = Good year.
Trade Rafer/ Head/ Scola/BJAX and #1 pick for SHAWN MARION !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yao Tmac Marion Landry Brooks or new pg
Morey doesn't strike me as a panic move kind of guy. I am not sure about the possible free agent crop coming up after McGrady's contract expires, or how much money they would have freed up by then, but I suspect the Rockets would rather build around Yao that way rather than by taking back players. We could use a shooting guard, or more athleticism on the wings, but with a healthy Yao the main thing we need is an NBA all-star who can create his own shot and plays every night. Would we get that in a McGrady trade at this point? I think that if we can find a few more parts from the outside we can use McGrady like the Spurs use Ginobli and limit his minutes and keep him fresher.
i really like mike miller as a shooter. Since memphis is dumping salary, rockets can try to see if they can land mike miller. Not only can mike miller shoot the ball, he can also create his own shot and he is way better than kyle korver
If T-Mac gets traded after his contract expires you won't see me here anymore. I strongly believe Yao and T-Mac should be keeps. The ones around them need to be upgraded.
My big question about Yao is how much the Beijing Olympics and his injury will affect his NBA season. There's no question he'll be going all out for the National team this summer. So how will that impact his stamina and shape over a grueling NBA schedule? Will his playing in Beijing have an effect on his injury in the long run? And even without the Olympics, it's obvious the big fella needs some frontcourt help to keep him from burning out by the playoffs. With their Yao-less experience under their belts, Scola and Landry have proven they can be a huge boost, but I'd be happy to see one more impact frontcourt player being brought in. Maybe a guy who can play both forward positions. Artest would be ideal, but I know that's a dream.
Insanity = Keep doing the same sh** again and again expecting different results. Yao is an injury waiting to happen. If Yao is healthy, OK, great, we'd be a championship caliber team with a healthy Tracy and a real third-scoring option like Miller, preferably Artest (I'll keep dreaming). Shane and Carl and Scola provide hope. But Rafer as starting PG? Luther Head, Aaron 5'9" Brooks, Bobby 1-10 Jax, Dikembe 54-year-old Mutombo? Morey will address many team needs this offseason, but I wonder if we're in a jam, doomed to rub our lucky rabbit's feet and not walk under ladders and such, hoping for the health of our two main guys. Every year that passes sees TMac's heart shrink that much more----not that his heart is always in it.
You're over-worrying. Did the 2004 Olympics or the 2006 World Championship affected his competitive form and shape much in the NBA regular season? And one thing to clarify was as he said in the latest Jonathan Feigen's article about his injury, those were non-recurring ones so far. It was just unlucky/freak accidents for him to get injuries, every time in a new place for the past 3 years.
Doesn't TMac have two years left on his contract. By that time, TMac may want to retire. If his contract is expired, he would be a free agent.
I agree. Yao is a freak of nature in the sense that he's a 7-6 300lb. guy who can be this active for so much of the year. I can't believe he's got the heart to play a full NBA season (or whenever he's not injured) and then go play (with the same dedication, if not more) for China's team. It's ridiculous. However, accidents happen and they will continue. The more Yao puts himself at this risk, the more 'accidents' or 'freak accidents' will happen. Now whether he wants to play more for the NBA or for China is a completely different story but I think that you can see Pruyen, all this running and activity is finally taking a toll on his body. No matter how freak the accident is, they are happening every season for the past three. Is it Yao's fault? Absolutely not. He's out there busting his ass off when he can and he's working at his game even when he's not out on the court or in practice. Yao will get injured again and again at this rate. He is very injury-liable with his build. He needs to slow down. Whether that means take time off from China (which he won't do, understandably) or take time off and play less hard in the NBA (which he won't allow himself to do), something needs to be done. I feel bad for him. So much pressure. He handles it so well though. His body cannot possibly be made for this much punishment. It's amazing how he goes through it all.
I think the best thing we can do is trade for someone good on a bad team, someone frustrated ready to fight to win, i think tmac needs to be a 3rd option, that way he can be more effective and we can keep him healthy longer. does anyone know why his hand is wrapped and whats wrong with his knees?
To be honest the only reason I mentioned him trading Battier was because of last offseasons rumors. Les on the other hand definitely is a panic move owner. Which is better than most owners, but has me uneasy at the moment.
... unfortunately, I think the opportunity for that is gone, unless Morey, who is old friends with their GM, did the BJax trade, just so we COULD do some type of deal for Miller. Our primary opportunity for upgrading, probably won't be through FA's, since signing Landry could use up the whole MLE. With how he's playing, I'm sure he'll get some good offers. This isn't that good a draft, but hopefully Morey pulls someone good out of it. So, our primary opportunity will come through trading. So, I assume Miller, Artest, Gordon, Hinrich, Duhon, Ellis, Biedrins, Pietrus, O'Bryant, Belinelli, Calderon, Ford, Andre Miller, Watson, Fernandez, Foster, Redd, Crawford, Maggette, Childress, Outlaw, Villanueva, Boki, C.Simmons, Sefolosha, Szerbiak, E.Thomas, D. Marshall, Crittenton, Navarro, and others I'm sure, will be examined as trade options. I assume that BJax, Head, Hayes, Alston, Novak, perhaps even Battier, and even TMac, if the price was right, will be considered as trade bait. But, teams will have to want them first ... ... so, guys step up in the playoffs and drive up your trade value ... lol
i believe that BJax, head, hayes, must go. we will be fine without hayes becasue of our great rookie PF's. head absolutely sucks ass and should have been traded last year adn since francsis will be back that is a huge upgrade even if he is still not playing well. as for BJAX he is just to old and his salary is to large to keep him. also wouldnt mind getting rid of battier if we can get travis outlaw and rudy fernandez from the blazers. im not saying that i wnaa get rid of battier because i dont but if it brings a bigger and more offensively talented SF and a scola type deal in fernandez that would help us a lot. and we could also try and get blake from them as well for the back up behind rafer. Andre miller is the best option for upgrading the point but at 10M a yr that is steep and he is like 32. if at all possible i want to pry sean williams from the nets for whatever it costs us becasue he will be outstanding behind yao. adn just add to our young gunz when we make him a superstar. i could go on and on but thats just a few ideas i have for the off season. and they deff dont solve all of our problems but some would be a big help to get there
I'm not overly concerned, nor am I opposed to his playing for his national team: that's his choice. Nevertheless, his stamina and the quality of his play is something I'd be watching for next season. In the past years, we've seen Yao get a little worn out by the end of the regular season. Most of it can be attributed to the wear and tear of an NBA schedule, particularly given how much physical punishment he's taken in the low post. But I don't think you can completely dismiss his involvement in international play during the off-season, either. And as ShadyMcGrady pointed out, the more Yao plays in the off-season, the more chances there are of him sustaining those little injuries. Regardless, if I were the Rockets management, I'd be making sure that Yao gets enough frontcourt support to keep him as fresh as possible until the playoffs.
