[Philly Inquirer] 76ers have to knock over Rockets with young talent (UPDATE: 1/13)

It impacts the bottom line.

Even though the Rockets have bought Draft Picks in recent years, they have been cautious in regards to the Luxury Tax.

Wasn't there some type of analysis that determined the Rockets still came out ahead financially by packaging Second Round Picks with unwanted contracts during the Season to stay within Luxury Tax boundaries, yet they would buy Draft Picks just months later during the NBA Draft?

 

Yeah, Bima knows his stuff but no one really knows what Les will or won't do. I interpreted Les being willing to pay the luxury tax for the right player as meaning he's willing to pay the luxury tax for a championship contender. A great player like Chris Paul can make you a championship contender but having a collection of really good, all star caliber ones does the trick as well.

 

I've seen this "second or third tier FA this summer" in many of your posts. My question is, WHO is out there? What if we don't sign anybody then? These trade talks are getting frustrating.

 

Please don't compare Tracy running up and down the court with Yao running up and down the court. It's not even close with that one.

 

Knote, I agree Les would pay the tax, but I would think it would be more for a star player. I would like to have Iguodala, but adding him and sam in their eyes may not be reason enough to do so at the moment. We may have a long wait to see what is going to happen if anything. Thanks for the green the other day, much appreciated

 

You are missing the point. They are going to run regardless. Yao doesn't have to make it down the floor quickly, he can trail the play and be there to set up the offense if the break is not there. What I was saying is when tracy came in this year, I saw him calling for the ball but the guys were already off and running. It's not really a knock on Tracy, just stating the obvious. I don't think Yao being in the game is going to really slow the team down, but that's just me

 

Oh okay, I misunderstood what you said. I agree then.

 

Here is a list of some of those so called 2nd tier FA's coming this summer:

Joe Smith(Atl), Tony Allen and Eddie House(Bos), Raymond Felton(Char), Brad Miller(Chi), Shaq(Cle), Tim Thomas and Drew Gooden(Dall), Ben Wallace(Det), Derek Fischer(LAL), Udonis Haslem(Mia), Luke Ridnour and Hakim Warrick(Mil), Rafer Alston(NJ), Al Harrington,Chris Duhon,Larry Hughes(NYK), Desmond Mason(Sac), Matt Harpring(UT), Mike Miller(Wash).


Any of those blow you away as opposed to trying to get AI from Philly?

 

Yuck. Andre Iguodala >> everyone on that FA list.

I can see a maybe for Al Harrington and a maybe for Mike Miller. Brad Miller as well, but no one on that list would help this team more than an AI would.

 

Come on Ariza is still trying to adapt to his role!!!!

If any one goes to the bench is Battier, the Dude is 32 yrs old (oldest player on the team), let Ariza(24 yrs old) continue to develop, and the same thing with Budinger(21 yrs old); and send Father Time(Battier) to the bench.....

--RB

 

if the goal is to win a championship..

at some point you must trade assets and future cap flexibility and move to "win now" mode

im sure morey has a "win now" to future assets risk ratio threshold on all the moves he makes

does iggy/dalambert qualify as enough "win now", versus the risk of possibility losing scola/lowry next year and luxury tax?

 

I don't mind losing Scola and Lowry... if we can get Iggy/Dalembert who will be a backup to injury prone Yao. Stop viewing Dalembert as a starter and view him against the west 2nd team centers. He would dominate. He can dominate most WC centers. So we are basically trading Iggy/Dalembert for Tmac, Scola, and Lowry. We get younger and better. Put in work DM

 

Please don't stop pointing this out to the folks around here. I may go off on a tangent myself from time to time, and people like you and a handful of others, including Mango, help keep me grounded.

 

No team with Battier and Ariza on the wings is going to seriously contend for a title.


2010 Free agency does not look good for the Rockets... Slimpickens...

 

You missed several decent names including David Lee, Ray Allen, Marquis Daniels, Kelena Azubuike, Marcus Camby, Jermain O'Neal(okay, he sucks), Micheal Redd(ETO but if he and Milwaukee have had it with each other...), Al Harrington, Matt Barnes, Travis Outlaw, Ime Udoka, Manu Ginobili, Carlos Boozer, Mike Miller.

Also, this is one of those rare years where I think it's possible you can steal some decent players off the restricted FA list by making an offer early. Take NJ for instance - they want to make a run at a big name free agent but have Chris Douglas-Roberts as a restricted FA. I think it behooves a team not after a marquee FA(like Houston) to make an offer early to a team like NJ and force their hand - either stay in the market for the big FA, or sign their young talent at the detriment of how much they can offer a new FA.

 

Yeah I absolutely wasn't telling Bima to stop putting in the work. It's just like beating your head against the wall with some people though. There is just so much more to consider than what most want to believe.

 

What makes you think we are in a 'WIN NOW' mode ? I think we are past that mental condition as it never brought us any success. Morey seems to be building a Championship Contender and seems to be working well down the road with his picks & moves. If it was a Win Now situation thay would have worked Tracy McGrady back into shape. Adelman had to make a reasonable showing this year as it is his contract year and didn't wan't to bother with all the work necessary to fit McGrady back into a team which was showing potential. Also once Tracy got into game shape Morey's darling Trevor Ariza would have been religated to the bench, which is not what they were planning. There is alot more about this situation still to be told.

 

I agree with this completely. I also think it's worth noting that Ariza will be far better as a Tonto than a Lone Ranger - he's a guy who is going to be far better complementing another star's game. Right now we are asking him to do too much which he can do at times, but for the long term he is just a really good #3 guy or maybe a decent #2. He's only an occasional #1 guy...

 

Kelena Azubuike
Marcus Camby
Travis Outlaw
Manu Ginobili


That is one ugly list...

Go ahead and cross off all the PF's. We need zero help at that position...

Ray Allen is a Celtic for life. Michael Redd will not turn down money after surgery. Daniels, Barnes and Udoka would never even see the court. Mike Miller is a solid 3, but that is the last thing we need with CBud developing into a young Mike Miller. Cross off these players...

Ugh...Yuck...

 

That is just false. Do you really think McGrady would have made this team better? I disagree If so.

Trading McGrady PROVED we are in Win Now mode...

Winning now does not mean we can't win in the future as well.