Okay, here's your first test GM prodigies? Try to put these players in Rock Uni's...

Fizer is very athletic, and gets up and down the floor as well, if not better than Thomas. Fizer's rebounding problem was due to playing center, and having 2-3 guys on him constantly.

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The more lefties on your team, the better.
Collier is Seven Foot and Left Handed. How can you go wrong?
Trade or bench Kenny Thomas.

 

I'm not denying Fizer is a good offensive player, but the way I see it (and I could be wrong here!!) - the rockets have a defensive problem in that they give up way too many ppg and opponents shoot a good FG%. Part of that comes down to the PF spot. We blocked 5.7 shots per game last season which is quite poor.... doesn't really provide an intimidating presence inside and doesn't encourage the opposition to shoot from the outside, rather to take it to the hole! And at PF with KT standing 6'7 we struggled because opponents would whack their big PF's down low, give them the ball and let them throw up weak hook shots which were not turned back.
This is where I don't really see Fizer helping us at all! Taht plus his weak rebounding won't really help.... sure I know NIKE said that he rebounds poorly because he played center and there were 2 or 3 guys on him, but good rebounders get to the boards. You think that when Dennis Rodman played people didn't make sure they kept an eye on him? Still he snared board after board after board. And Thomas also played center for New Mex and was their only real rebounding threat, but he still managed to pull in 10 a game. Now if an undersized PF who pulled in 10/ game rebounds poorly in the NBA how will an undersized Pf who pulled in 7/game fare??

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Having a Collier, Cato, W.Williams frontcourt is already a bad defensive frontcourt. Having a Collier, Fizer, W.Williams frontcourt would probably make our frontcourt the worse defensive frontcourt in the league.

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You ain't gotta like me, you just mad cause I tell it how it is, and you tell it how it might be.

 

Hawkin makes 4.2 million this year, and he's a free agent. If we used our exception and player(s) to get him (with Fizer of course), we'd have no cap problems with that at all. The trade exception counts against the cap for the year if not used. Hawkins is a free agent, $$/cap wise, there's next to no difference at all.

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The more lefties on your team, the better.
Collier is Seven Foot and Left Handed. How can you go wrong?
Trade or bench Kenny Thomas.

 

I really dont want to take VIn Baker from Seattle, but I was thinking Seattle might want to throw him and his many problems into the deal. I'm saying if that is the case, then I would still go ahead with the deal. He can ride the bench behind FIzer or start the first month or two. If he doesnt like his role we can just go ahead and trade him after we get him (I know nobody want him though!)

As far as clogging the lane. It is really interesting to see how many people in here start talking stratedy and whatnot when Rudy comes out with something. We draft Collier because as Rudy says, he fits well with our system and can hit the outside jumper and get out of the way of our guards. Click!! Lights go on in someones head because all of a sudden every argument is of the sort..."Well, I understand he is good, but he just wouldnt fit well with our system. We need someone who can get out of the way for our guys to drive." Rudy knows what hes doing, trust me. When we got COllier it was because we felt at that pick we needed to choose a system player. Eventually we will REQUIRE a strong POST player, a big man who doesnt get out of the way when someone drives the lane, but comes crashing hard, ready for a pass or a rebound. We will need a player, who in the halfcourt game, when Steve Francis or the Cat cant drive by a good defender, who can take advantage on the inside, a banger who can score or require a double team. Marcus Fizer is that sort of player, but he just wasnt on the board when we picked. Everybody was falling in love with Stromile Swift about a month ago, but he is certainly not a player you want to get out of the way when Steve drives the lane. At least I wouldnt count on his outside shot. The funny part is, that while Fizer is that inside banger, he is also athletic enough to get outside and hit the open shot, much more than KT is. I mean Jerry Krause likes to play mind games, but nobody is going to pick a player who can solely play PF and try and make them play SF. Krause might be left with FIzer, and if thats the cae, the boy can play some SF. He does fit in beautifully with our system offensively.

Defensively, I am also lost on people who dont think he can play defense. COming out of college he seems to be one of the best defensive players drafted. You can harp about blocked shots and intimidation all you want, but defense is a lot more than that. Defense is being smart, reading plays, knowing exactly when to rotate and who to. IT is about being able to stay with your man during one on one situations. Kelvin Cato can block shots, I'll give you that. But the rest of the time he puts as much energy into defense as he does into the rest of his game, which is a sad sight indeed.

If Cato is really improving his game, and more importantly, his desire, than a trade for FIzer would become debateable. However, I'd rather have an undersized, strong, athletic, PF who really really wants to play and to show everyone that he is "tall enough" (kinda like that special player Barkley was) than a tall langy C who can block his fair share of shots but doesnt put any effort into improving upon that.

Just my take though.

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When I die I want to go peacefully like my grandfather. Not screaming like the passengers in the back seat!

 

Hey JayZ, don't you think you're getting a LITTLE bit excited there? Cato has been working hard all summer to be a 30-35 minute a game player - does that indicate desire to play? And you said Fizer would be like Barkley??? Surely you don't just call someone the "next Charles Barkley" without even seeing how they manage in the NBA? Wasn't Weatherspoon "the next Chuck" ?? Fizer's game isn't all that different to Spoons (or even Big Nasty) - why would he not be the next Spoon?



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oops

[This message has been edited by kissofdeath (edited July 07, 2000).]

 

I'm just trying to be somewhat realistic in making comparisons to CHarles Barkley's DESIRE to play the game. Surely, you don't want to simply say someone want be very good becuase of his "apparent" lack of enough height or the fact that he "apparently" doesn't have enough athelticism to "fit" on the team. Especially even before he plays an NBA game. The door swings both ways here. Comparisons to present or past players are made all the time. I remember Stackhouse being called the next Jordan and KG the next Kemp, etc, etc. Some are realistic, in the sense that those players do turn out great, but some, as in your Weatherspoon example, aren't so realistic. I am not saying Fizer will de the next Barkley and if you think I am then you didnt read what I wrote closely enough. I am saying that Fizer has that hunger to play and show everyone he can "run with the big boys", which is very similar to Charles' attitude coming out of college.

As far as Cato goes, working hard all summer is a good thing, but a true desire to play, we can't possibly tell until the actual seaosn gets here (not preseason either). Most players work "hard" on their game during the summer. Olajuwon used to constantly play ball with other NBA stars, and especially veterans, during the summer. Cato knows he's on the trading block so of course things are going to be leaked about him working hard, if for the least to get better trade value in return. Right now, though, without seeign if there is any improvement in Cato's attitude, FIzer looks to be the hungrier player.

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When I die I want to go peacefully like my grandfather. Not screaming like the passengers in the back seat!

[This message has been edited by JayZ750 (edited July 07, 2000).]

 

you guys really amaze me.

you're talking about getting the ONLY PLAYER IN THE DRAFT WHO COMMANDS A DOUBLE TEAM.

not only that, but he plays a position we are weak in. yes, he isn't the shot-blocker we want, but gee, i think we can find a defensive-minded shotblocker at the center spot (ala ervin johnson) in the next year or so. never mind next year's draft is laden with centers.

you're here arguing about whether he's 6'7" or 6'9"???? do you really think it matters that much? look, if you're worrying about his intensity on the court, you barking up the wrong tree. he has more controlled intensity than anyone on the rockets. and if you're worried strictly about his height, and it affecting his ability to play defense on the kg's, and sheed's, let me tell you that chuck nevitt couldn't stop these guys.

if you remember, one of our main problems last year was a complete lack of a post presence. like, none. on offense or defense.

imagine having a true post presence who can also stick the "j"? and you don't want him?

i'm seriously questioning your basketball intelligence....

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miles ahead of the rest