The article also said that only Chicago, LA Clippers, and Orlando have enough money to sign him outright where Seattle could not match the offer I don't think that is a completely accurate statement. Here's an example: Indiana was approximately $20M over the cap this year. Let's say Indy isn't competitive in the Eastern Conference Finals. If Rik Smits retires as he's been threatening, then the Indy management might just decide that the current team isn't going to get it done and just go young (Bender, Harrington, Best,Croshere and Rose). They could free up around $27M by renouncing their rights to Smits, Reggie Miller, Mark Jackson and Sam Perkins. If that happened then Indy could definetely outbid Seattle for Lewis. I don't know if the Pacer management would do something so bold, but it is possible cap wise. ------------------
High School kids are impressionable and at times will get all tangled up in their head. It was Rashards word Vs. the Rockets word, and watching how the Rockets have handled affairs I think it is more of a case of Rashard misunderstanding something. Not to mention he had every draft expert, media member, and agent telling him he will be a Rocket. Maybe he took it as hey the Rockets have made it clear to these people that they are going to take him. On Eddie Johnson, it was a reward for his previous 2 years. Had the Rockets not gave him the contract he might have retired a year earlier. ------------------
My thoughts: 1. I do not know who is on or who is off the Rashard Lewis crusade, but IMHO there is absolutely no way Lewis be in a Rocket Uniform next year. For any number of a great deal of reasons, most of which have been mentioned here. 2. Lewis was indeed "promised" an early Houston pick. At least according to Rashard, his family and his business associates. They were visibly shocked and VERY upset when the picks came and went. CD did say shortly after the pick (the same day, in an interview) that they had Rashard's name there, but when it came time to make picks they were surprised with two or three players that were rated much, much higher than Lewis. "We had to go with that, and hope he would be available a little later." He wasn't. CD: "He's a great player and we sure liked him. He will make it here(in the NBA)." Well,duh CD. 3. The Houston picks of T.Washington and Venson Hamilton will go down has a pure waste of a pick, especially with the talent that was still there, including Lewis and Todd McCulloch. There really are thin excuses for these guys, as: Lewis was in ourt backyard and we had an opportunity to watch his every move for a year, and Todd McC was a Canadian center who made the Canada Olympic team purcolate. Rudy had reports up his ying yang about each of the teams and players he would be facing in the olympic trials.(Okay he never actually coached the team, but he had many informatuional sessions and was privy to these reports.) My point is both of these guys did not fall out of the sky on draft day, and picking two centers with the final two second-rounders had to be telling someone that "hey, we better get two cause both are not exceptional and we'll just keep the best guy". This actually may have some validity as RT said near the first comple of sessions that (I am paraphrasing here): "both these guys (VH and TW) will have to work hard to break into the roster." Anyway that's my perspective on the Rashard Lewis thing.
The Houston picks of T.Washington and Venson Hamilton will go down has a pure waste of a pick, especially with the talent that was still there, including Lewis and Todd McCulloch Huh? Wasn't Lewis picked before both Washington and Hamilton? How is Lewis relevant to those two guys? He was already off the board when we made those choices. ------------------
Here's a couple of points: I seriously doubt that we ever guarenteed Rashard Lewis that we would pick him. Did we say we really liked him or that we'd like to have him on the team or that we hoped he was there when we picked? Possibly. But, I can't believe that Houston would out and out tell Lewis that we were going to pick him. As far as Eddie Johnson, how did we screw him? He got paid $1m in '98-99 for doing nothing more than practicing and this year he got paid another $1M for being retired. I'd take that deal anyday. ------------------
That sure doesn´t sound bad, but I still think he deserved to play a farewell game. If someone is willing to pay me $2 million for doing nothing, why can´t they grant me one final game? ------------------ What do you expect from someone who beats up his fiancee?
