Then we agree with each other on that. Yes, there were multiple factors why we lost but if we had JHow at his best...or AW or 3/4ths of his best...then we win that series. I'll disagree with you on that. If SAR or AW are not available, then Finley would be the 3rd best FA available. The problem with Finley is at this age he'll be most effective as a 3. Unfortunately, TMac is also most effective there. So who will play out of position? If you recall, JJ was traded because he was too slow to guard 2s so TMac had to step up. Do you really want to put extra burden's on TMac when it isn't really necessary? I take SAR or AW before Finley.
As bad as this may sound, why go for a mediocre 4 this year that could weigh us down for up to 5 years (kind of like weatherspoon has). Instead go for a decent 2 guard and then when we have all those expiring contracts next season go out and get a really good 4 that we could afford. I'm not saying throw the next season, but we have more money to spend next year and could rebuild the parts of this team in a way that could make us strong at all out positions. I don't want to see them patch a hole and tie their hands when t-mac and yao are in their primes. Just a thought...
Except the free agent crops of 4s (dig back in this thread if you want) is much crappier than this year. Relative to most years, there is a glut of decent 4s (and not really many 1s or 2s) and not many teams with anything other than the MLE in play for them. The time to secure our PF spot for the next few years (this player + JH) is now. If we can do a S&T for our PF great, then we can consider another guard for the MLE now. But if we use all our MLE for a PF (and need to save the MLE until it is settled), we can look for bargain guards via the LLE, or next year we can add a higher level player via the MLE or cap room if we have it.
If we don't do well next season, we'll be far less attractive as a FA destination. The only PF FA I would want next year is Tyson Chandler, and that's assuming he doesn't sign some offer sheet this year. There are enough good players in this free agency to help us win a championship now, not years from now. If the Lakers can win three straight championships (and destroy the spurs) by surrounding two superstars with role players, so can we. Their bench was anemic, ours is good. They had a good coach, but so do we. We don't need to wait for the "perfect" free agents; the ones now are very talented. Let's win now.
its great that you want to win NOW, and we may have a chance, but there are some glaring holes to fill. we still dont know what to expect from the point guard, shooting guard, and power forward positions yet. the rockets can do very well next season by just acquiring a shooting guard this year. with yao and tmac still very young and yet in their primes, i dont see why we wouldnt be a FA hot spot for years to come. I would love for the rockets to win it all next year, but its hard to imagine us winning it all while putting so many new pieces together.
Did anyone hear that smart lad on 610 extolling the greatness of this site and the prospect of picking up Antoine Walker??
I heard you!!!! I knew it was a CC.net reader before you even mentioned CC.net. You copied a bunch of stats from this very thread. BTW, I disagree. AW would be the wrong move. We need a non ball hogging, bad shot taking PF. No decent SG will come here to be the 4th option.
Amen to that. And although there are glaring problems...Pf seems more important to me IMHO. Aside from JuwHo, who else is our PF? Baker? Spoon? Pshhhh you gotta be kidding. Those jokers shouldn't even have 1 minute of PT. Get an athletic, if not rebounding 4 to help out Yao. That's our only way to win the West. To have a decent PF. TD, Garnett, Nowitzki, Stoudemire are the top PF's WE have to defend ourselves against. As much as I think we need an upgrade on our 2, the BIGGEST problem is at the 4. We were that good without Juwan in the playoffs, we can be SO much better with him AND a new PF. ...those are my two cents.
NIKEstrad, I really respect your opinion and I share your desire to see this team become a championship contender. But a reach is a reach and getting Walker would be a BIG reach. Our opinions diverge here because I look at Walker's game and attitude for what it is now today and what it has been throughout his career not for what he COULD be if he just makes a few "changes". No matter how anyone presents this "move", it is a major reach and I simply can't accept making yet another reach for a guy who will HAVE to fundamentally change in order to fit in here. If the Rockets have a hole at the PF position it is because they REACHED in the past. As someone posted earlier in this thread, this is an approach that is virtually doomed to fail. Furthermore, to believe that JVG can somehow (or someway) enforce this change is simply not being realistic. JVG has enough to deal with without being tasked with the remaking a veteran player's game. It may not be the most pleasant thing to do but I really feel that some patience is required here. The smart move is to address the other problem areas on the team since the pickings are so very slim in the FA market for PFs. I don't see them contending for the conference title next year anyway because they have too much chaff to move from this team in order to clear up CAP room. They simply are not one player away from contender status and even if they were, I just don't believe Walker to be that player.
I think Finley wants most of the MLE..half is too little..or is it? If he wants to come here, yes definitely try to get him. And Horry would be awesome..but Howard and heart problems doesn't seem good. We need a starter at power forward. Sign and trade for Walker! Yao/Deke Walker/Horry Tmac Finley/Barry Sura or Wesley?/Head
JVG's structured offense and team defense will rein in Walker's worst tendencies in both areas. Does anyone remember the following story about the Grizzlies team bus hitting a bump in the road? Not good. http://www.cantstopthebleeding.com/index.php?p=1358 In trying to figure out which was more embarrassing – Swift (above) missing his 13th game last Sunday because of a moderately sprained left ankle or sitting in a uniform not prepared to play – one had to wonder what really is on the fifth-year forward’s mind. Pau Gasol rushed back from a stress reaction in his left foot. Shane Battier played two games with a 101-degree temperature that should have rendered him bedridden. Jason Williams rolled his ankle and performed after two games. Earl Watson has a busted left hand, a tender shoulder and would have missing teeth if not for cosmetic surgery. Yet the 6-1 reserve guard is, yep, playing. So where is Stromile Swift? He’s back, all right. He’s back to being the butt of a joke heard during the Grizzlies’ inaugural season in Memphis. Whenever the team bus hit a bump in the road and players were slightly discharged from their seats, a teammate would sarcastically check on Swift. The remarks would go something like this: Somebody check on Stro. He may have separated his shoulder. Right now it appears Swift’s view on his future is separated from reality. Sure, he played well when Gasol first went down because of an injury. Sure, Swift can jump to Pluto if he wants, and he operates as the team’s only legitimate shot-blocker. But those credits he earned with fine performances before the Feb. 16 ankle injury at Boston have been spent on unexcused time off. Swift has been cleared by doctors to play for more than two weeks. This is a guy fighting for a contract beyond this season, and he has shown no recuperative powers and little professional pride. For a team battling for a playoff berth, the Grizzlies are right to plan on excelling without Swift.
I totally agree with your post. A perfect example is Steve Francis. Although stevie changed his game somewhat he NEVER totally bought into JVG's style. JVG cant magically change someones mentality.
If you look at his stats it would prove otherwise especially from the mid level exception. Everyone talks about Walkers shot selection how about talking about the coaching and the teams that he has been on that has allowed him to take those shots 19 points per 9 rebounds and roughly a steal and a block not to mention his passing ability and his overall shooting percentage of 42. Comparible to Swift and SAR in every catagory except Freethrow shooting, but for the MLE this is a bargain even in a sign and trade maybe get more young talent from the roster this is a really good deal because most of all he willing to take a pay cut to come here.
Ive been saying for about 5 years now....what we need out of a power forwards is an angry young man that hates the world, someone that doesnt care about stats, someone that takes the success of other power forwards as a personal insult and someone who wakes up at night screaming at nightmares that another players has beaten them to a rebound. Now, we're not likely to find THAT player, but if we can get a guy that can play good defence and rebound....thats all we need.
WOw.. this is for sure the best GARM thread off the offseason, great stuff in here.. After reading all 8 pages today I now agree that Swift could look more like Mo than what we really want out of him.. I would much rather see Walker here than Swift now.. I would have never thought those words would come out of my mouth...
Call me crazy but I'd like to see us get a PF in this order: Marshall - Old, yes but he can play and give us most of what we need at that position. SAR - He too can play and I think playing on a winning team will give him a new attitude. Walker - I can't believe I'd even want him on the Rockets, but you all have talked him up to moving above... Swift - If you are still using the "P"otential word after all these years, the "B"ust word can't be too far behind. Hey I'm no scout and I was gladly proven wrong on Deke but I was unfortunately right about Ward.
I cringe at the thought of Antoine Walker being a Rocket. Low percentage / high volume shooter - Career: .415% High turnovers / one of the league leaders in turnovers. Positives are very good rebounder for his size but he is a very poor shot blocker - at a career .6 per game. I just can't see what he brings to the table except a lower scoring offense than we already have.
Hey what's the deal with Reggie Evans. He's gotten no mention in this thread but I remember in other threads he was mentioned as "obtainable". I know nothing about his situation except he has been referred to as a 'rebounding beast' I like the sound of that.
The problem is, that's about all he does. He gets to the FT line, but he doesn't make them very well. He has ZERO shooting range, and no post up game. He's not like Ben Wallace, as he's not even remotely a shot blocker (for SuperKev, try Evans' .1 shot blocks/game for his career), and really not a terribly good defender. He's also extremely foul prone, which I wouldn't want next to Yao. He's good how Seattle used him - as a rotational PF getting around 20 minutes a game. His foul trouble and game deficiencies prevent him from being any more than that. Tack that on to being a restricted free agent, meaning we'd have to overpay in order to avoid Seattle matching, and that's why he hasn't gotten much run.
