Let me get this straight, you can start Roberts Horry on a team that won 55 games, but you can't start griffin on a team that won 45? You will pay Glen Rice, a player who basically was traded out of La for Horace Grant, but you would not pay the man that brought you 2 titles? I hear people say bring griffin along slowly, he is not a nfl qb and this is a team trying to build a playoff contender. When Kobe went to the Lakers, they were perenial power with Shaq,Eddie Jones, Van excel, and Campbell. That team was loaded that Kobe had to work his way in the lineup. Why couln't this guy start at small forward before you trade for Rice? Even if you trade for Rice, why couldn't he start in front of Taylor? No matter what level you play on, if you can block shots and rebound, you can block shot and rebound. Had Griffin started and given us 12pts 7reb 2blks, is that not a good rookie campaign? Those are the same numbers a guy named Joe Smith avg his rookie year. Is it not too much to ask griffin to put up those kind of numbers? I think bringing him along "slowly" will only force him into bad shots or attempt to rush things when he does enter the lineup. What they must not do is curb his aggressiveness and court insticts. To have him sit on the bench and watch, then go into the game at an unknown position will not help. I just hope everything turns out great, but as optimistic as i am, i dont see it.
I will hold a place for you on Rice's bandwagon. I think that you guys need to hold judgement until he actually gets to play for us. You do realize that he was benched the last couple of seasons with the Knicks/Lakers. He has the skills to start and should. I will be looking forward to his 3pt shooting and reliable shot. This should greatly up Steve's Assist #'s. Like someone already posted though, that is your opinion and this is mine. Either way we will make the playoffs and do some damage. Next Stop "Clutch City".
Actually Rice didn't force ANYBODY out JAG. When I said he was replacing Bullard, I meant Bullard's role as sharp shooter against the zone. Obviously he is an upgrade to Bullard. Rice isn't replacing Shandon, he just happened to be traded for Shandon. Shandon might well have walked, he made it clear he didn't want to be here and he didn't fit here. Thus, Shandon's role on this team is going to be filled by Langhi and Terrance Morris. So it isn't as simple as saying "Rice had to force somebody out", it's a case that trading for Rice filled one need, and developing players on this team filled other needs.
We started Horry cause we didn't have a choice. We have a choice this time. That's a nice option to have. And thanks for making my point re: Kobe. Lakers didn't start him immediately to "bring him along." I'd say that was pretty sucessful. Griff probably would have started soon for the Rocks w/out Rice. But now we aren't forced to do that to a 19 y/o kid. Bring him off the bench when you need some boards or blocks. Otherwise, MoTay and GRice will provide offensive options. Once Griff learns the NBA and the Rock's system, I'll sure he'll be an offensive force too. But I wouldn't want to depend on him at this stage in case he sputters...which will be inevitable. -krosfyah
Didnt I hear that Hakeem didn't want to be here ? Also, hasn't Hakeem been hurt on and off for the last 8 years ?
In that he both replaced someone on the roster, and filled out our cap space, I'd say it's pretty safe to say that his acquisition did indeed force someone out...If you choose to regard Shandon Anderson as a free agent who might well have walked, I would respond by saying that the Rockets might well have replaced hin with another free agent had he done so...Said free agent would certainly have been perceived as "replacing " SA, therefore Rice eliminated that player...In other words, by acquiring Rice, we have lost Bullard and Shandon Anderson, or , if you prefer, Bullard and whomever they would have signed had SA walked...
nice new look, guys... seems that Code Red was good for you! Am I alone in thinking that a guy who's 34 but plays like he's 40 will have a difficult time keeping up with Boldon, Bailey, Christie, ERR, Francis, Mobley, Norris and the rest of the track stars? it's one thing to have a 7' -er trailing the play every time down, but how's he supposed to check his guy when we're talking Bryant, Pierce, Carter, Finley, etc. as the matchup at the 3? This is EJ, plus the post-up presence, minus the chemistry- that's the best I can put it. Hardly your ideal of what the team should look like given the other behemoths in the West. Are there no serviceable big men among the ones the Rocks looked at in the summer leagues? IMO they'll be lucky to duplicate last season's W-L results.
I am so freaking tired of these "we gave up Hakeem for Glen Rice" posts. For gods, sake get it though your heads: WE DIDNT LOWBALL DREAM IN ORDER TO GET RICE!!!! Rice was due to Shandon's salary expectations, and as Jeff illustrates quite well in his article, the Rice option (3 years 20 mil) was much cheaper than the Shandon option (6 years 42 mil). Besides, I think with the Taylor/Rice/Griffin/Cato etc frontcourt, we will see so many varieties that Griffin will see playing time. We could see: C: Taylor PF: Griffin SF: Rice (smallball) C: Griffin PF: Taylor SF: Rice (Cato's snoozing) C: Cato PF: Taylor SF: Griffin (Taylor's hot, but we need boards) and so on...
No, in acquiring Rice, we upgraded Bullard's shooting and scoring, and we opened up a roster spot for the young players to play. If you want to accuse someone of forcing someone out, you would have to say that drafting Terrance Morris was the nail in the coffin for Shandon Anderson's stay in Houston, because if we had kept Bullard and Shandon, then Bullard likely would have gone to the IR to give Morris some playing time. It's not so much someone being forced out by Rice as Houston freeing up a roster spot for a young player. I guess you have to blame Morris or Rockets management, because Bullard would have been hard-pressed to get significant minutes behind Shandon, Griffin and Morris.
It would appear we're playing tag... Your point would be valid save for statements made AFTER the draft, by Matt Bullard on ESPN radio, CD about their original intentions to re-sign ALL their free agents until the Rice talks, begun during the Hakeem saga,resurfaced, etc..all which suggest that, prior to the trade, (possibly inspired in part by differing opinions re: Shandon's worth, I'll admit, but not by the drafting of Morris) the Rockets fully intended to re-sign ALL their free agents...
