Rocket fans, please get to the point! Wink is a problem.

crispee, i have to ask. how do you know so much about yao ming? is there a China Basketball League Pass that you subscribe to? how can you be so sure he's going to "change the game" or "start a dynasty." I'm really curious.

 

I seriously doubt Steve is <i>forcing</i> him, as you put it. You'd rather see the 3-guard lineup I guess.

 

I got a Fortune Cookie last week that said

"Ming Dynasty returns, give you fun"

DCkid, seriously, I don't know anything first hand. I have never seen him play. However, Doc Rocket is all over Ming, in two threads. And Gasol made me a believer of international scouts who I have been reading. And Sabonis made me a believer of his hype, too. And 7'5" cannot be taught. There is something absolute about 7'5". Something comforting. Something natural, yet unnatural. Something Yao.

DCkid, the Princeton Offense and the famed UCLA Cut, and much of Bobby Knights Passing Game is predicated on a center in the high post who can pass and hit long jumpers. You cannot play those offenses without one. These guys allow you to play offenses that Rockets fans can only point at and dream of.

These guys change the game.

These guys change your team instantly like Tim Duncan.

These guys are what dreams are made of.

 

are you kidding me. Dude <i>forced</i> Vancouver to trade him, because they had Bibby playing PG and an empty spot at SG. What more evidence do you want. Mobley would still be a Vinnie off the bench, like he was 1 1/2 years backing up Shandon.

No, I'd rather trade Steve for Yao and Jamal Crawford. Did I not make that clear.

 

Okay, obviously is height is the main reason he's sought after, so I understand the hype. And from what I've heard he's more skilled than some of the other 7-foot-6ers who played the game, so that doesn't make me as skeptical as I otherwise would be. But still, alot of people probably thought Shawn Bradley was going to be a force in the NBA because of his height. The last REALLY tall center I remember who was even considered a definite starter was Rik Smits, and he was by no means a truly dominant player. I wish they would televise one of Ming's games pretty soon on ESPN2 or something.

 

So in other words, you have absolutely no idea if Ming can play or not.

And the '7-5 can't be taught...' logic sounds just like the '7-3 can't be taught, plus he shoots 3s!' logic the Rocks tried to spin in justifying the selection of one Serge Zwikker.

Now, I'm even more skeptical of Ming.

 

30 points
19 rebounds
4.5 blocks


per game. i don't care if that's agaisnt high schoolers. nuff said.

 

Well, eventhough I can't agree with this until I see Ming play, the point is we don't have either of those two players. In Vancouver they already had a starting point guard, which is probably the only reason they were going to play Steve at shooting guard. The only other point guards the Rockets have had over the last couple of years are Drew and Moochie. Thus, by you saying Steve is forcing Rudy to play him at point guard, you are implying that Rudy has other options, which he doesn't. Basically, I think Rudy WANTS to play Steve at point guard, so how could Francis be forcing him.

And if you think Mobley should come off the bench that's fine, but I seriously disagree. You don't have your second best player come off the bench.

 

Once Steve gets his confidence back, I think some of you guys will start to realize again, just how much Steve brings to this team. For someone to say that Steve is incapable of changing the way the game is played from his position, ( point guard ) is pure poo.

 

verse,

I don't doubt Ming may have some talent, and his height makes him intriguing, but ya'll make it sound like the guy is going to revolutionize the game and will guarantee at least 8 championships to whomever drafts him. Please!

Honestly, considering his 'potential' and the talent level at C in the NBA, I can see Ming making a bit of an impact from the start. Supposedly he has a nice shot, good athleticism, and yes, you can't teach size.

But then again, there was a poster in the College Forum who wrote that in China Wang Zhizhi was considered a better player than Ming. Zhizhi is a bit older, however, so Ming probably has the better upside.

 

how many players in the history of the nba have done what you are proposing ("changint the way the game is played from (the point guard) position)?

magic.
isaiah.
cousy.
west.
archibald.
robertson.
who else?

notice that all those players had an extremely high basketball IQ. can you say the same about steve?

i didn't think so. this is the same steve that won't do the one thing most fundamental to a point guard: run with the damn ball.

i understand your hopes. i had them, too. then i realized that steve is a short shooting guard that wants to play point.

 

you play for the rockets?

 

Rudy still plays for the rockets?

 

All I know is that Steve has as much talent as any of those players you metioned.
He might not have the basketball IQ yet, but he most certainly has the talent to match.
Next question please

 

next question:


how many nba players have had the talent to be succesful, yet never did fulfull those lofty expectations of "revolutionizing their position?"

let me give you a head start:

derrick coleman
harold minor
kenny anderson
stanley roberts
ralph sampson
michael ray richardson
roy tarpley
allen iverson (*supposed to rev. the pg spot...till they discovered he's a short sg)
david robinson


see if you can add to the list.

my point is that when you are talking about "changing the way a position is played" you are talking about very, very select company in the history of the game. and the # of players that were supposed to do it but didn't is much higher than the # of players that were supposed to do it and actually did it.

 

that poster was wrong, Ming was always considered the better player than Wang. Ming doubled the stats of wang if I am not mistaken, thats probably why he was taken in the second round. although wang is developing into a decent player. I am pretty sure of Wang being the lesser of the two players, there was an article in ESPN the mag about Ming stating the same.

 

Hey, this has been a busted year... Stevie has grown, but been frustrated, and it is true, he and Cuttino have had to adjust to the zone changes, and in my opinion done pretty well. But he IS a franchise player, and those are VERY hard to come by. Discussions of trading him are rather ridiculous, in my opinion.

In terms of rebuilding and staying power, this "busted" year is a blessing in disguise. We'll get another lottery pick, star player (Odom, Brown, or Lewis) or depth from this summer. This is the final piece of the rebuilding puzzle, although we need to add a veteran or two to the mix. Perhaps Rice can fill that void somewhat...

I think the most encouraging thing that happened this year, besides the emergence of Griffin, is Cato developing into a legitimate consistent center. I'd like another 5, perhaps Ming, if we get lucky with the ping pong balls and nab a #1 or #2 pick, or even trade with Cleveland for Diop or Mihm. But at the beginning of the year, this was our biggest unknown, and it's turned out OK.

With Taylor injured, KT, Griffin and TMO have emerged. This is good. And somehow we picked up Torres outside of the draft, and then stashed him. And even the Rice injury is not necessarily that bad. He has been nursing this injury for the last few years, and this was one year we could afford to just let him heal. He has always been a tough player, playing through pain, but you can only do so well injured. Maybe he won't ever get his legs back, but I'm optimistic that he can get his shooting touch back and contribute in a valuable way.

In terms of rebuilding, this year went great. We'll get another lottery pick, players developed, players healed, players learned...

In terms of having to watch the team, it was frustrating, though...

 

verse,
I would rather not add to your list of burn outs, but if I had to metion someone I would probably go with Cato, as a player who may never reach their potential, but Cato along with most of those people on your list were all lacking something. HEART.
Steve Fancis has that.
Now may I please get back to my dreamcasting.

 

I think I already said that.

Allow me to requote your quote of mine...

Guys, I don't know anything first hand. MManal is my main man and he hasn't seen him either. I will NOT do this trade unless the Rockets scouts report back that he is indeed a 7'5" Walton/Sabonis-esque passer with a Wang jumper. That is ALL I need to know, absolutely.

Doc Rocket did say the Rockets are most interested in Yao. Now does that mean it is worth trading Francis for Jamal as the kicker. My answer is YES emphatically, if the scouting reports are true. Without them, I know nothing and am not trading my most valuable commodity.

But understand, if they are true...dude is a DYNASTY...and many NBA teams will be offering anything to get that pick. Trading Mobley and KT is not going to cut it.