I look back two years ago, and the Rockets were an exciting, up and coming young team with a championship coach that had just lucked up on the first pick in the draft. In not even two full years, we have gone to a team at a mojor crossroads. We have a coach that is alienating members of the entire organization Our best player publicly butting heads with the coach. A group of confused players. Fans that hate all of the players except one. A team that is stuck and going no where. I ask myself - how the hell did we get here? Now we are a team at a crossroads. What do we do? Do we blow up the whole team and start over? Or do we try to fix it? Some things we have learned so far this season: Steve can't flourish in the traditional point guard role. So we either move him to the two, get a two that is a better passer, or trade him. Recent events have lowered his trade value. What could the team get in return? What players can we bring in to compliment him? Yao is not a dominant center. The whole idea of having our other players sacrifice part of their games was based on Yao becoming a dominant low post threat. Hasn't happened. In fact, probably isn't going to happen. I think the Rockets are starting to realize it, and I'm certain the rest of the league is realizing it. Unless he has a major turnaround, he'll finish his second year not much better than his first. His trade value is dropping as we speak, but he still has high value because of his height. Do we trade him? What kind of players do we bring in to compliment him? Mobely can play consistently better and more structured ball than we thought. He has really changed his game. He still takes bad shots but has reigned his game in some. Is he better suited to the bench? Do we trade him? What can we get in return? MoT has returned to form. Mo has become instant offense for the team and is trying harder on defense and rebounding. He also has a large contract. Do we trade him? Do we start him? Cato is a decent rebounding, defensive center. He also has a huge contract but he's mobile, athletic, and 6'11. Do we trade him? Do we start him? Do we move him to the bench? I for one don't think we need to trade any of the core members. I do think JVG is probably the worst coach for this team. He has to understand that you can't just ride a guy without offering some praise too. Parcells rides his team, but when you become one of his guys, he has your back no matter what. I see the Rockets being like the Bad Boys pistons teams. Playing great D. Getting the bulk of their scoring from the backcourt with Yao playing a Bill Laimbeer kind of role - hitting outside shots, rebounding, and clogging the lane. What do you think
"i'll see you at the crossroads where you won't be lonely......at the crossroads..crossroads...." haha.. bone thugz.
With all your hate for Yao, Juugie, you never say who you'd like to trade him FOR. Why don't you tell us? Who do you think would help us more than Yao would right now...THAT WE COULD GET. I'm all ears.
Hey Einstien, Didn't you read where I said I think we keep our core intact? I would trade Yao if the right deal came along just like I would SF or anyone else. I don't hate Yao, but I don't put him on a pedestal either - unlike some others.
Wonder who created that "crossroad".....Gundy. With all the coaches available in the off season, we had to get this chump. Way to go Les.
Einstien? LOL. BTW, nice way to avoid the question. And yes you DO hate Yao, you have before he was even a Rocket so cut the BS. You've said in MANY other posts that you don't like Yao, and that he should be traded. I'm asking YOU for who? If you don't have a clue(which I suspect you don't) then tell me you don't. Sorry if I'm not following the little 'rules' for your thread, Einstein.
man, that post was depressing. The Rockets are a complete failure from top to bottom. Yao has a lot of power that he doesn't realize yet. You know the Rockets would trade anybody on the team if Yao wanted them too. Heck, he could probably get Van Gundy fired tomorrow if he spoke his mind
I've never said I don't like Yao. I've said he is overrated. I've said he's not dominant. But I have never said I don't like himand I challenge you to find a single post of mine where I said I din't like him. There are lots of people I would trade Yao for but it's not going to happen. I would trade Yao for and Weatherspoon for Dirk. I would trade Yao and something for Zach Randolph and Derek Anderson I would trade Yao for LeBron I would trade Yao and MoT for Jermaine O'Neal And that doesn even take into consideration any deal for Duncan, KG, Shaq, or Kobe. But that is NOT where I wanted this thread to go. I'm just answering your question.
Thats exactly why I said, "for people we could get". You want to trade Yao, a guy in his second year and steadily improving, and get back established 20/10 vets? Cmon Juugie, thats not very realistic. Besides, none of those dudes(Dirk,Zach,Lebron,O'neal...the other 4 guys are obviously out of our reach) will give you the defensive presence that Yao will. So you'd give up points in the paint for more offense? Isn't it defense that wins championships? If you want to know what happened to the Rockets its simple. Steve Francis. It started early. Steve's first game as a pro...he's new to the league, trying to show what kind of player he is, playing along side 2 hall of fame low post guys, Barkley and Dream...what does he do? He and Cat go 10-27 from the field, while Dream and Barkley 'strangely' can't get enough shots and only go 9-15. Oh BTW, we lost that game with Sammy Cassell burning Steve and his horrible D for 35 and 11 dimes. We were blinded by Steve with all his flash his first couple of years and thought of all the 'potential' and hope he'd 'get it' someday...now fast forward to today, you see some similarities? Steve freakin Francis guys. He's the reason. LOL. Wasn't a nickname for him "The Reason" at one time? How fitting.
I'm a big Dirk Nowitzki fan, but if he's not winning championships with Steve Nash and Michael Finley, do you seriously believe he can win one with steve and cat? Zach Randolph... there we go! Let's trade for an undersized power forward! Great idea! I bet our defense (our only saving grace) improves instantly! Yao for LeBron... okay... even I'd do that one, but does that make us a contender? Yao Ming is much better than Jermaine O'Neal. Yao impacts the game in many more ways. If Yao got as many shots as Jermaine O'Neal, he would have much higher averages. I'm pretty sure Indiana would do this trade in a instant. And then O'Neal would be exposed in the west. The only way that the Rockets can trade Yao and become better is for Shaq or Duncan. And that's not happening.
Lots of conflicts were created by imagination. Who said who should sacrifice whose game for who? Every winning team has to have their full squad flourishing to success. NONE of them, please note None of them, not just a certain player, is allowed to do WHATEVER they want to. Every single player has to play in the system in order to success. I don't see Kobe sacrifice himself for Shaq, or vice versa. Their game complement each other. Yes, Kobe's instinct might be holding the ball all the time, and try to shoot or drive on his own. But he understands it's just not possible to win that way. It's a team sport. Because of Shaq's dominance in the paint, they have open looks outside; because of Kobe's incredible speed and skills, opponents can't just put everybody on Shaq; because of the threat of outsider jumpers like Fisher, Fox etc, opponents can not just leave them open. What's the result? Because you are capable to attack from every corner and angle, you can actually have the chance to attack from everywhere to win the game. Look back at those great teams like Rockets and Bulls, every piece of the puzzle works and they work together, that is what a winning team is about. It is just nonsence to sacrifice one's game to fit another's game. Great players have the ability to adjust based on the situation, including their own perception. Who says Yao's passing out would limit his threat in the paint? When he passes out, double team is loose or becomes single coverage, when he gets the ball back, he would have a even better position and mismatch. Who says Steve's feeding inside would make his game suffer? When he feeeds the post, yao get double teamed, that opens up the lane for drive, and open looks for jump shot, if he gets the ball back, wouldn't that be easier? Why is it not working right now? Because Rockets is not a winning team, not yet. Two major pieces are not working properly together. What do we do? Throw them both out? Hell NO, they both need to improve to follow the game plan, and the rest of the team will just follow. Then, only by then, Rockets will become a true force. Just hope it happen sooner.
I think you need to take a little of your own advice for JVG. Let's see, you bashed the coach. You bashed the team as a whole. You bashed our 2 best players. Sure, sometimes the Rockets play like trash, but I enjoy watching them compete. Hell, with the exception of the Miami & Phoenix games I even enjoyed watching our losses. I support Steve as he tries to grow as a floor general. I support Yao as he tries to become more dominant in the post. I support JVG as he tries to turn this group of misfits into a championship contender. Sure the Rockets aren't perfect. If they were, what would be the point of actually watching the games? What would be the point of playing the games. The NBA is competitive. The Rockets can compete with any team in the league. Why can't you at least try to enjoy it instead of b!tch b!tch b!tch?
For what its worth, Cato's yearly salary is above market for a backup center (although Cato is better than your average backup Center and plays more) ....but it's not really that huge anymore as it doesn't have that many years left. As far as I'm concerned, he's earned his money this year and last year.
????????????????? Jermaine O'Neal - 20.4 points 10.3 reb 2.69 blocks 2 assists 36 minutes a game Yao Ming - 16.1 points 9.1 reb 1.77 blocks 1.4 assists 32 minutes a game And Indiana would not do this trade. In the NBA, what ever you are at the end of year two, that's who you are. People were calling Kwame Brown a bust after two years and hell, he's way younger than Yao. Yao's not a bust but he's not a great player either. And there are way more signs pointing to good player than there are to great player.
Yao has the potential to be better than Jermaine O'Neal, but he's not. O'Neal is far more consistent at this point. Yao can take as many shots as he wants....it's not a matter of touches, it's that he passes or turns it over way too much IMO.
Juugie, he said shots not time. You still have a point, O'neal at this point of his carrear (5th year?) is better. But, have you actually looked at what would happen to Yao's stats if he attempted the same amount of shots as O'neal? Also, star vs good is very subjective. By one measure Yao is already a star. He is a two time all-star, opposing Teams gameplan to stop him, and he is a foundation for playing the type of defense we do. When I hear you say good player I think solid role player. Other teams generally don't scheme to stop a role player. They scheme to stop the stars.
First things first: the Rockets will NEVER trade Yao. Win or lose, that guy is a cash machine. The only way he isn't a Rocket in the near future is if he leaves via free agency. This team is at a crossroads because Van Gundy is one of the toughest coaches in the league, and the players on this team are the softest in the league. That makes for a mediocre club going nowhere. The Rockets just don't have the sack to succeed. They have proven that every season since 1999-2000.
at least yao ming is improving (fg %, pts., reb.) he is adjusting to the nba still. he will dominant one day just not as much as your hoping for.
