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Orlando Sentinel: mentions the Rox trading SF for TM

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Raven, May 10, 2004.

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  1. Raven

    Raven Member

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    NBA CONFIDENTIAL
    Hill patiently waits for another shot as boss
    By Tim Povtak
    Sentinel Staff Writer

    May 10, 2004

    When fledgling assistant Lawrence Frank became head coach of the New Jersey Nets early this season, one of the first people he hired was Brian Hill, for whom Frank had been an assistant with the Vancouver Grizzlies.

    They proceeded to win their first 13 games together, giving Frank a wonderful start to a budding career.

    Frank leaned on Hill's wealth of experience. While Frank never had been a head coach before, Hill already had been through both the highs (Orlando Magic) and lows (Vancouver) the NBA could offer.

    It's one reason why the Nets may lose Hill when their playoff season comes to a close.

    Hill is part of the merry-go-round that is NBA coaching. And he is expected to change horses again. Both the New Orleans Hornets and the Atlanta Hawks will be giving him strong consideration as a head coach in the coming days.

    Although his stint with Grizzlies was short and woeful (31-123 in a little more than two seasons), his run as the head coach of the Magic is what many people still remember, which is why he remains an attractive candidate. He has been where everyone wants to go.

    With 23-year-old Penny Hardaway and 22-year-old Shaquille O'Neal -- both still young and foolish -- Hill coached the Magic all the way to the 1995 NBA Finals. The Hawks make sense for Hill because they will completely rebuild this summer. And he knows what that's all about. They are expected to be a major player in the free-agent market with $20 million under the salary cap. They also will have a very high first-round draft pick. Hill started his NBA coaching career in Atlanta as an assistant under Mike Fratello in 1986.

    New Orleans also would fit well because he was an assistant with the Hornets under Paul Silas for two seasons, leaving when Silas was fired after last season and replaced by Tim Floyd. Hill already has a good relationship with Hornets star Baron Davis.

    GM Bob Bass retired after the season and when Hornets owner George Shinn fired Floyd shortly afterward, Shinn said he wanted "someone who has succeeded in the NBA, a person who can manage egos and the personalities."

    During his time in Orlando, Hill did both with O'Neal and Hardaway. When contacted Friday afternoon before Game 2 of the Nets/Detroit series, Hill declined to comment on the openings in Atlanta or New Orleans.

    "Right now, we're just trying to find a way to beat the Pistons," Hill said from his hotel room. "That's all I'm focusing on now."

    Coaching Carousel

    Job security is not something NBA head coaches really worry about. Taking a new job is like asking to be fired. The routine is almost comical now.

    Bernie Bickerstaff in Charlotte, without having coached a single game yet, already has the sixth-longest tenure in the Eastern Conference. When next season starts under realignment, Bickerstaff will be the second-longest tenured coach in the new Southeast Division, trailing only Eddie Jordan in Washington.

    Trading down

    You can be sure that teams around the league will pounce quickly if the Magic land the No. 1 draft pick in the lottery later this month. It's well known they will be looking to trade it for immediate veteran help.

    One of the more interesting trade scenarios that already has grown legs is with Dallas. The Mavs would send a combination package involving forward Antoine Walker in exchange for that pick and taking the contract of injured Grant Hill.

    T-Mac watch

    The talk last month about trading Tracy McGrady if he doesn't assure the Magic he will re-sign after becoming a free agent in 2005 really won't intensify until later this summer -- after the draft and the free-agent signings.

    But that hasn't kept the initial inquiries and rumors from flying and floating. They are a good indication, though, that Magic never will get equal value if they made the awful decision to trade him.

    Phoenix, for example, is ready to send Shawn Marion, Joe Johnson and Jake Voskuhl to Orlando for McGrady. There is talk about an Al Harrington/Jonathan Bender combination for McGrady. Houston would give up an unhappy Steve Francis (right) and just about anyone else on the roster except Yao Ming for McGrady.

    But 20 good players don't add up in value to one great one in the NBA. It's a game won by superstars, not wannabes.
     
    #1 Raven, May 10, 2004
  2. NJRocket

    NJRocket Member

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    If they would take Stevie and Cato for TMac think that is a deal that is a no brainer....and they get a signed Stevie and don't have to worry about T Mac leaving. I wonder if a deal like that would work. Hell, like the article says, I'd give them Stevie and pretty much anyone but Yao for T Mac
     
    #2 NJRocket, May 10, 2004
  3. thumbs

    thumbs Member

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    Ouch! Did he just call Steve Francis a "wannabe?"
     
    #3 thumbs, May 10, 2004
  4. PhiSlammaJamma

    PhiSlammaJamma Member

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    Tracy McGrady was braintyped as michael jordan (yeah, I watch my cold pizza).
     
    #4 PhiSlammaJamma, May 10, 2004
  5. xiki

    xiki Member

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    No way Dallas gets that deal done. NO WAY.

    No way the Rox could match either Phoenix or Indy, if those deals are 'real', without Yao. NO WAY. And it would be without Yao.

    This is just silly speculation on his part, IMO.
     
    #5 xiki, May 10, 2004
  6. droxford

    droxford Member

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    Much as we all (including me) like the idea of having T-Mac on our team, we should remember something:

    Teams have been playing off of T-Mac. They figure that they can let T-Mac have his 40+ points, but if they can contain the rest of the Magic (which is easily done), they can win. And it works. If T-Mac were to join the Rockets, he would start getting double-teams, and his numbers would probably drop dramatically.

    Just food for thought. (I'd still like to have him on the team)

    -- droxford
     
    #6 droxford, May 10, 2004
  7. Howyalikemenow

    Howyalikemenow Member

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    Funny ...

    Yet a team like the Jazz made up of "good players" played exceedingly well, where a team surrounded around "one great one" couldn't raise it's team from being the laughing stock of the league.
     
    #7 Howyalikemenow, May 10, 2004
  8. FranchiseBlade

    FranchiseBlade Member
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    The main that would concern me about any trade for T-Mac, would be MacGrady himself.

    He didn't like sharing the spotlight with Carter in Toronto, so is there a reason that we thing he'd be willing to share it with Yao in Houston? I haven't been following to many of the trade scenarios prior to now, so I don't know if he's made any statements concerning a turn around or whatever. The guy has tons of talent, and being on a winning team, might do wonders for him. I just wonder if his priorities are still 'me first' or not.
     
    #8 FranchiseBlade, May 10, 2004
  9. nyquil82

    nyquil82 Member

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    if it happens, ill crap my pants (even though theres a broomstick in there from D&D). but im not going to cross my fingers. if i was orlando i'd do that deal with phoenix in a minute
     
    #9 nyquil82, May 10, 2004
  10. theDude

    theDude Member
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    And that would open things up for other players like JJ, Pike, Nachbar, and even Yao. While these players are often referred to in trade threads as "our garbage", they are better than what the Magic have.

    Having McGrady on the team and commanding double-teams really helps us even if his numbers go down.
     
    #10 theDude, May 10, 2004
  11. gucci888

    gucci888 Member

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    They also forgot to mention that Phoenix would also send their 1st round pick too. So if they draft Okafor w/ #1 pick and Ben Gordan with Phoenix's pick....

    Gordon-Lue
    Johnson-Stevenson
    Marion
    Howard
    Okafor

    That would be a nice lineup for the future, much better than the Rockets trade.
     
    #11 gucci888, May 10, 2004
  12. munco

    munco Member

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    I thought teams were double/triple teaming T-Mac more than ever this year because the other guys on his team couldn't do much of anything. Remember McGrady made statements about all the double/triple teams and zones teams were using and how it was making it really tough for him to score.
     
    #12 munco, May 10, 2004
  13. droxford

    droxford Member

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    Yao doesn't care about spotlight. Yao has no desire for it. As a matter of fact, Yao was happy that the spotlight turned to LeBron this year. So, for T-mac to get on the same team with Yao - the second best center in the NBA - and still have the spotlight should be pretty desireable to him. If he were to have any competition for attention, he would get it from Francis (assuming they were somehow both playing for the Rockets).

    I remember him saying that, but I don't buy it - the guys leads the league in scoring! How can he say he's had a hard time scoring when he gets 30+ points?!?!

    -- droxford
     
    #13 droxford, May 10, 2004
  14. meh

    meh Member

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    I'm kind of surprised that Phoenix wants to trade so much for T-Mac, especially if a #1 is involved. Didn't they just trade away an all-star player with a big contract this season? It seems that they're just trading Marbury and Marion for T-Mac. Looks more like a lateral move to me, rather than an upgrade. And the Indiana trade would leave Orlando without a "star".

    I think it's a decent shot that the Rockets can make this trade, provided McGrady actually wants to come here. I don't think the whole "spotlight" thing will be an issue. After all, he did sign with Orlando of all places, and was going to play 2nd fiddle to Grant Hill at the time of the signing.
     
    #14 meh, May 10, 2004
  15. BigRay

    BigRay Member

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    Funny you said that about Francis and Yao playing with T-Mac because I think it's possible to steal him from Orlando I really do the Suns are offering Marion, Johnson, Jake, thats all we could offer Mobley,Cato,Mo Taylor+our Trade Exception I really think that offer could get it done basically it's a better fit for Orlando they get a Center who could be a beast in the East in Cato, they get a power forward who can score with ease in the East and he could really flourish in the East( the only problem is Juwan Howard and Drew Gooden) but I'll take Mo over them anyday and finally they get Cat Mobley who is/could be a scoring machine and is a secondteir top sg in the NBA, and they get the TE which could allow them to trade Drew Gooden or Howard with the TE and get someone else, it opens things up with with the TE and Mo Taylor/Drew/Howard they could really package something to get a small forward.

    Marion>Mobley
    Johnson<Mo Taylor
    Jake<Cato
    thats 2 out of 3 players that are better than the suns offer with Mobley not being a far behind type of player + our TE:confused:

    Do you guys think we have a reasonable chance with that offer?
     
    #15 BigRay, May 10, 2004
  16. BigRay

    BigRay Member

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    Marion>Mobley
    Johnson<Taylor
    Jake<Cato

    thats what I meant with the 2 out of 3 ratio!
     
    #16 BigRay, May 10, 2004
  17. BigRay

    BigRay Member

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    I mean Cato is better is than Jake
    Mo Taylor is better than Johnson
    + our TE thats a better trade.
     
    #17 BigRay, May 10, 2004
  18. gucci888

    gucci888 Member

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    Jake is a servicable big man, just like Cato with a smaller contract.

    And MoT is not better than Joe Johnson, since Marbury left, he has been playing like an all-star, plus he comes a lot cheaper.

    If I was Orlando, I would do this deal.
     
    #18 gucci888, May 10, 2004
  19. Deuce

    Deuce Context & Nuance

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    Good to see there is some play in the Media for Francis +change for McGrady. The Phoenix rumor has been around for a few weeks. Interesting to see a Francis rumor brought out in print as well. The Rockets should pursue any McGrady deals.

    I will throw up my hands if Dallas trades Walker for the #1 pick (Okafor) in the draft plus Hill.
     
    #19 Deuce, May 10, 2004
  20. pople

    pople Member

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    Sentences are our friends!
     
    #20 pople, May 10, 2004
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