Offseason Suggestion: Don't Stand Pat

I disagree. We don't really need any serious moves. We just need some health and some stability to add some chemistry. Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley, and Eddie Griffin is a good nucleus. We need to get a servicable small forward, nothing too spectacular. A player such as Bruce Bowen would be nice, even though he is tied up with the Spurs. The Rockets can be a talented team. Patience is just needed.

 

The LAST thing this team needs is lots of changes. Add a player or two along with the draft pick(s), keep some consistency, and things should be fine....

 

NO, there is no need for a complete revamp just yet. But there is a need for a little retooling. We definitely need to address the small forward situation and work on getting consistency out of the 5 spot. Lamar Odom? Okay, sure, bring him in - but don't be out there tearing this team up in order to make a move like that. I don't think we should have to disrupt much at all this offseason if we can manage to lure a 3 in with that BS draft pick. Oh, and one more thing - FORGET about another rookie, that's the last thing this Houston ballclub needs. USE A LITTLE INSIGHT WITH THAT PICK AND GET SOMETHING OUT OF IT THAT WE CAN REALLY USE!

 

If I had that attitude, I would of missed seeing the rise of the Rockets that culminated in our two championships. There were some rough days after Lucas, Loyd, and Wiggins went down because of what was going up their noses. We took the Celtics to six games in the Finals in '86. When disaster struck, I stuck with the team. I thought that was what you were supposed to do. Still do. I'm not going anywhere.

 

The Rockets just need a little tweaking. I think they need to trade their draft pick for a solid player (Odom, Lewis). I hope that Rudy will put Rice as the sixth man so he can get all the shots he wants while Mobley and Francis take a breather. He can be the instant offense this team needs off the bench. But I think that Rudy would rather eat mus than put Rice on the bench, just because he has a history of being loyal to his veterans (too loyal sometimes). But this team is by no means in need of an overhaul. Some solid bench pieces and a young small forward will be enough to ensure a solid spot next year since we'll be better than Utah and Seattle.

 

Rockets need to make any kind of moves, if it does not involve, Francis or Griffin.

One reason is to bring some excitement to the fans. Obviously, our attendance sucks. Perhaps bringing in some big names would help us come close to selling out?

 

• 
  no more street ball isolations
  no more dribble the floor away
  no more no defense
  no more leaping into four defenders for some asinine, off the wall, "are you kidding" shot
  show us some maturity, discipline, movement, intelligence
  Don't give big contracts to mediocre players
  Don't reward stupidity
  Bring professional basketball back to Houston.

Damn! That is intelligence!

 

1. Only one of our star players is in their 3rd year. Stevie is, EG is a rookie, Cuttino is in his 4th, and KT is not a star.

2. You want to quit on this team? Go ahead. Don't jump back on when things go well and Kobe/Shaq become a free agent.

 

That will be a long time from now...

 

I'm sure you'll be there when it happens though. I'll wait. I could care less what our record is. We may stink for another year or two, but when we win again, it'll be sweet. You'll be there though.

 

People, get real. Solid is dead on: Bring PROFESSIONAL basketball back to the city.

Right now, the Houston Comets are more of a BASKETBALL TEAM than the Rockets. They actually pass the ball while the Rockets run iso's 24-7.

This crap of iso left for Mobley, iso for kenny thomas, off-balance 1 on 5 shooting with ball movement regarded as a sin has just GOT to go. That is what is hindering this team more than anything else. If Rudy insists on using this ludicrous "offense" his butt needs to get shipped out of town ASAP. People are deluding themselves if they think this team is good when healthy. It's at best mediocre even with Steve healthy and the style of bball is just horrendous.

 

I don't know about major retooling, but healthy or not this team is .500 at best. The talent is not as good as it seems because of the glut at a couple of spot with mediocre or raw undeveloped players. I really hope they make a strong push for Odom to free up our offense. I'm not saying he's the messiah, but with him on the court it would give our team a whole new dimension offensively. I'm not saying break the team up, but the glut at the 4 and the 3 has to be resolve. Its nice to have a lot of talented players, but to have a bunch of mediocre ones is not good.

 

I pretty much agree with kr8's comment.

Anyone who thinks the Rockets don't need to make changes should consider the following four things:

1) How awful the Rocks were in Steve's absence. There is a serious talent deficit here and I don't see Mo T and Glen Rice riding into town on white horses to save the day.

2) The glut we have at SF (and PF to a lesser degree). And yes, I know that Walt & Langhi have expiring contracts.

3) A Cato/Collier tandem at the 5 (when both are healthy) is barely adequate to get us into the playoffs and we'll go out in the first round. Apologies if this seems negative, but if you disagree reread #1.

4) Assuming the Rocks don't resign Walt and Langhi, here's your preseason (seniority- based) depth chart:

C - Cato / Collier
PF - Mo T / KT / EG
SF - Rice / EG / TMo
SG - Cat / Steve / Torres
PG - Steve / Moochie

Realistically, how good is this lineup and how much does a draft pick, the MCE & opting to resign Willis, Walt, or Langhi improve this?

 

The Rockets could stand pat and that would be just fine. Experience is going to improve them more than making changes will. Once you have a nucleus in place, it just needs time to develop. Unfortunately fair-weather fans don't have that kind of patience. The only trade I could really get excited about would be trading Francis and/or getting a new franchise player (Ming?). Francis doesn't have best-player-in-the-league potential, in my opinion. I'm realizing that now. Outside of that, maybe getting Mike Dunleavy would excite me. Barring those moves, I'm content in watching the current team develop.

Who's watching now? Nobody's been watching for two years -- dead last in attendance. It can't get any worse. MANY others will not stop watching, because MANY aren't watching to begin with.

 

I guess no one else in the west is going to get any better. You have to improve quicker than your opponets or you will be in the lottery again. Not only are the Rockets faced with the other 8 teams in the power west, now the clippers have hit the horn and sped by and with the the two super rookies in memphis there is a bit uneasiness about being status quo.

The rockets could wait out the collapse of SA and Utah after next season or the never ending cycle of implosion done by Donald Sterling every yr or they can really begin to challenge not only for a 7th or 8th playoff spot, but a 4th or 5th spot. One move made by the rockets can not only help them change gears and become serious players in the 02-03 while seriosly crippling one of they're competitors. Addition by subtraction.

Adding a players such as Odom,Marion, or Lewis would not only make the Rockets a much better team, but also make the team they took them from weaker. each one brings a unique quality to this team that we don't have at the 3 position.

Odom: The 6'10 point forward has had his problems with injuries and suspensions, but his already proven but untapped talent is undeniable. He would be just as happy getting 16pts 8rebs and 6asst as oppossed to having to carry the scoring load every night. Very skilled, very polished, but hasn't even scratched the surface at 22 y.o.a.

Marion:Another 23yr old polished athelete. One of the quickest jumpers in the league and is getting better every yr. At the 3 spot is a good defender,a strong finisher, good mid range shooter, and a great rebounder as evident by the 10 rebs per game the past 2 yrs . Only showing signs of getting better.

Lewisretty the same age as the Odom and Marion. The best shooter out of the 3 especially from 3 range. Handles the ball ok, good athelete, adequate defender and good rebounder from that spot at 7rpg. Should've been in a rockets uniform a few yrs ago. On the way up and far from a finished product.

In my opinion, one of these players are needed more than another player we have to wait a few yrs to develop. All 3 will probably cost about the same money wise its just a matter of what you want. Whatever the case, all 3 are much,much better than anything we have at the 3 spot including a healthy Rice or a hybrid Thomas or a raw Morris. Odom would give you the option of taking the ball out of steve hands and freeing him up, Marion is the scorer/rebounder we've never had at the 3 spot and Lewis is the spot up atheletic player Rudy seems to cut for. The choices are there and we don't have to split the team up, but we might have to give up the most consistent Rocket in Thomas and maybe our draft pick. If thats the cost we have to pay to become winners with the big boys of the west, so be it.

 

The Rockets must do the following in the offseason if they want to be successful:

Fire Rudy. Great coaches should be able to take any team of warm bodies and go deep into the playoffs.

Trade Francis. He is really a 2 play a 1. Also he is not quite the superstar we want him to be. His presense in any game should gaurantee a win. Period.

Trade Mobley. He is too short to play effective D on the average NBA 2. He is only effective in the ISO which will not put fans in the seats. He is gotta go.

Trade Griffin. He is a 3 point shooter (boring) that is not quick enough to guard 3s and is not strong enough to guard 4s. A real superstar would have shown more by now.

Trade MoTay. He gets every rebound that comes right to him. He also does not give the Rocks in low post presence on O, that NBA 4s are expeted to.

Trade Rice or force him to retire.

Trade Cato. He does nothing well except cash his pay check.


The Rocks should be able to package the above players for 1-2 established REAL superstars and a higher first round pick that will yield another future superstar. The new team and the new coach should make the playoffs right away and win it all three years old, no problem.

 

lol!