Rockets management want to see a Mac Yao Adelman playoff series first. After this year, he'll be an MASSIVE expiring so they're even more likely to hold on to him. Don't expect him to go anywhere.
Top 3 PG? He was before but not anymore. Paul, DWill, Nash, Parker, Davis, etc. He still is a solid PG and could help us but not at the expense of Tmac even if Prince is included.
Its amazing how many people are under the impression that he's double and triple teamed out on the perimeter.
Top 3 point guards are 1) Paul, 2) Billups, and 3) Nash. Paul being a very distant 1st of course. Davis is grossly overrated. I could see the argument for Deron and Parker but I still would rather have Billups.
KevC is entirely correct. The vivacious T-Mac from his Magic years or even a couple of seasons ago with us doesn't exist anymore, and this preconception that if we're healthy with both Yao and T-Mac, we'll be one of the league's top teams, is erroneous. Sure, we have a little more depth now than we had in that infamous Mavs series a few years back, but the scoring burden overall hasn't shifted from Yao and T-Mac. We are essentially the same team, and we have to realize that we are old and injury-prone and waiting for a healthy season is a recipe for disaster. The Pistons, behind specifically Rip and Billups, have been arguably the second most consistent team (behind the Spurs) in terms of accomplishment since 2000. Bringing that health, experience, and achievement here will take us over that edge. We would be sick.
For now, yes. Obviously not for the future but Deron is grossly overrated. He is not on Billups' level yet.
KevC is not correct, T-Mac draws more doubles than Kobe does simply because of the fact that he had much less help (speaking from last season's perspective) which is why his numbers aren't as efficient. If we all listened to KevC we'd be signing Landry to a max contract because of his 'efficiency' aka being spoon-fed dunks from T-Mac. It's amusing that you think that Detroit would be as consistent in the West when they're in a much weaker conference over all. Do you really think the Rockets wouldn't sweep or at most win in 6 against Washington, Atlanta, Toronto or Cleveland? Detroit is JUST AS OLD IF NOT OLDER than Houston, why in the world would you trade old for old? If you trade T-Mac away you gotta get Rip and Billups or it's not worth it. Screw Prince, Battier is just as effective in the scheme of things.
Billups shoots better and turns the ball over significantly less while using the same amount of possessions. Before stupid people go "OMFG DERON SHOOTS 50% WHILE BILLUPS SHOOTS 45%!", Billups shoots a huge part of his shots as 3 pointers (which would better for the Rockets anyways). When you adjust for that and free throw %, Billups' TS% is .619 while Deron's is .595.
I have yet to see any empirical evidence that T-Mac draws so many double teams. I have seen almost every Rockets game since T-Mac's been here and he rarely ever gets double-teamed on the perimeter. He only gets doubled when he's posting up or he drives to the rim but the same could be said about any big guard with good handles...
I would disagree. How is he not on Billups' level yet? He doesn't have a ring? Williams out-played Billups in the playoffs. He played better during the regular season. What's he supposed to do to be a better player? Have more upside? Be younger? Oh, wait...
He only slightly outplayed Billups in the post season but was way behind in the regular season for the reasons I posted earlier.
You obviously weren't watching the playoffs this year where Utah was constantly rotating 2 defenders off T-Mac every time he touched the ball. They (Boozer & Williams) even said this was their strategy to beat the rockets from the get go. Watch closer I guess?
Hate to break it to you, but kevc is right. Tmac was not doubled nearly as much as you make it seem. IMO he only saw doubles when he penetrated or very briefly during the pick and roll. If memory serves, even the commentators were talking about the effective single-coverage defense the jazz were playing.
The most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. There is a reason why the Rockets have a winning percentage of well over 60% when he has played on the Rockets the last 4 years, and a record WELL below .500 when he misses time due to injury. This season they were a little above .500 without him, but the year before they were 2-10, we all remember the horrible 2005-2006 season, and in 2004-2005 he didn't miss many games but they still had a losing record. We went something like 21-10 without Yao...does that mean we won in spite of Yao the first 57 games of the season? T-Mac's impact goes far beyond stats (which were severely warped last season...deep into March he had a FG % of over 44%, the highest it has ever been as a Rocket and about where Billups' highest career FG % was at). His yearly 23/6/5 averages are still something that only 3-4 other players in the league can accomplish as often as T-Mac does. He still commands as much defensive attention as any player in the league. The double teams he attracts off the pick and roll is what gives our offense so many open looks....as we saw at the beginning of the season when Adelman used T-Mac almost exclusively in the iso on the wing when T-Mac was scoring as well as he has since the 2004-2005 season, the rest of the offense died because no one can create their own shot. They NEED the double teams that T-Mac attracts to operate. And of course in the playoffs, while he has never won a series, he is one of the most dominant players in the league.
eh... I watched the first video I could find and it looked like he was double teamed from 15 ft in on nearly every possession, the only times he wasn't really getting double teamed was when he was settling for contested 3s which I doubt the Jazz cared much about. Not to mention half of these double teams are fouls not getting called. <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/I3DnQvr-jzg&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/I3DnQvr-jzg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
What are you talking about? Are we watching the same video? Do you know what a double team is? You're thinking of the defense collapsing on the penetrator as double-teaming.
