from Desert Scar: Ugh, well I'd be sorry if Marshall was snapped up so quickly too, but I will eat humble pie and say I hope SAR enjoys Cleveland slightly more than W.C. Fields did.
The thing is that there is no way we can get Walker with MLE, while there is a chance to land SAR with that.
Is about four years younger, is a better finisher, has range to the 3 line, and can take care of the back-up SF spot (gives line-up flexibility). Outside of that, yeah, they are very similar.
I too have a strong dislike for Walker. I've seen him play more than I ever cared to while living in Boston for 4 years. That is not to say that I don't think he has unreal skills, he definately does. I hate his shot selection, and his ego, and the fact that he was out of shape for most of his career, but he does have passion for the game, he is an excellent rebounder, and has one of the best 15 to 18 footers in the NBA. The funny thing is that if he was really going to fit in with a team and a coach, I could see him fitting in with us. JVG simply won't let Walker start jacking up 3s, and playing next to Yao and T-Mac will definately put Walker in his place. I've always felt that he's at his worst when he trys to do too much, but as a third option, he will be deadly. Of the three players whose agents we contacted, Walker is the most realistic to be in a Rocket uniform next season. He has made plenty of money, and he definately wants a ring. The other two are simply out of our price range. Both Simmons and Swift will get more than the MLE, so there's really no point to dreamcast that possibility. I probably would have preferred SAR over Walker, but I think he's a better player than Swift. Of all the PFs on the market this offseason, Walker would probably be my second choice. If the Walker thing goes down, I'd be interested to see what we do with Howard. He'd be an expensive backup, but a good one, and with injuries, you can never be too deep. We shall see ....
Walker shot 53.9% from the FT line and produced 3.3 TO's per game this past season. Just the mere thought of this guy on our team makes my head hurt!! Arghhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!
if van gundy is looking at walker than that's enough to atleast raise his stock a little in my book. if jvg thinks he can mold him, i think he's definitely talented enough to consider. no one thought rasheed wallace was bringing detroit a ring when they got him, but he turned himself around.
Lets say we sign Stromile Swift with a sign & trade, than who would you guys spend the MLE on. One person i would like if we get swift is Cuttino Mobley. I don't think Simmons will come here, and i like Simmons but he would be out of position with us. Cuttino would fit perfect in this team. After these 2 moves we could have a lineup of: MJ/Luther Head/VSpan Mobley/ Head/ J. Barry Tracy McGrady/Ryan Bowen Stromile Swift/J.Howard/spoon Yao/Mutombo Very well balanced team.
No to Walker, period! Let's clear something up. JVG is NOT a miracle worker. People think we can bring in any free agent with a bad attitude and JVG will wave his magic wand and mold him into a hard worker. Cause if he can improve Cuttino and Cato he can do it all, right? Wrong. If any player is a JVG player, then we'd still have Jim Jackson. We'd still have young, defensive-minded Tyronne Lue. But we don't have those players because they simply aren't JVG players. Their attitudes wouldn't allow them to buy into the system. Don't count on Walker coming in and having an about face and being ultra-motivated. Walker is locker room poison and a ball hog. Keep him away from the rox.
Count me officially underwhelmed. Walker is not the answer to any question that I can think of. Swift has underperformed on a mediocre team (while SAR has consistently not over his career btw). Simmons is the real deal, but Clips will match or better our MLE offer. Can this really be it for the major changes in the offseason? Let's hope a big trade is in the works. That would probably mean we would pick some overpaid player with a bad contract that has some game for whatever expiring contracts we have.
For all the people who don't want Antoine walker think about this, If we get Antoine Yao's rebounding # would go up. From all the bricks he will be throwing from beyond the arc, Yao will definitely get 10+ rebounding avg.
Disregarding everything else, I'd have to say I can't be too high on someone who stood there slack-jawed while Yao went Harlem Globetrotters on him... Dribble
Walker, Swift, Simmons. Those are "impact" players. Those are the "types" of players I was hoping the Rockets would be talking to instead of the Chris Andersons/Raja Bells of the world. I think Swift would be a huge addition next to Yao. I already made my case for Bobby Simmons and I am VERY excited they are talking to him. In fact surprisingly I am more excited about the idea of adding Simmons to the roster over Swift which a month ago I would have never thought I would have said that. Simmons and Tmac as our wings would be dynamite. I guess I am warming up to Simmons more because I see him as more of a "sure thing" over Swift. I know Simmons has only had one good year but he has a great work ethic, I dont thing the good year was tied to it being a contract year. I think he will produce. With Swift, more of it is riding on "potential" so that is the only thing that scares me. Still Swift at the MLE would be worth it. As for Walker. Honestly I have never been a fan of his. I dont like his game. I think his shot selection is terrible. And he dominates the ball. Can he contribute to a team without handling the ball as much? I dont know. Perhaps on a team with Tmac and Yao if Walker accepted the 3rd guy role he could be good. Walkers ball handling and passing to me are his best traits. Does anyone see Walker as a JVG type guy? The one thing I will give Walker, he played well in Atlanta and well in Boston when he came back. Perhaps he was humbled by all of the trades. Still, of those 3, my order of preference are 1) Simmons, 2) Swift, 3) Walker. EDIT: And just so we make it clear....Simmons is a UFA. He is UNrestricted. Feigen got it wrong in his article. Right now the Clippers are going after a shooter in FA. They are going afte Ray Allen or someone else. Where does that leave Simmons on that roster if Maggettee is the other wing? On the bench? To me Simmons is ripe to be had here. He can be a STARTER on the Rockets.
You're right JVG isn't a miracle worker. But if JVG has enough confidence to bring in a guy like Walker, I'll trust JVG. We know JVG is a "no crap" type guy, so I'd doubt he would take a risk on Walker unless he knew it could work. If we got Walker, it would be because he wants to play for us, so he would know he has to conform to JVG's system. Jim Jackson's and Tyronn Lue's attitude had nothing to do with them getting traded. JJ couldn't guard SG's, they wanted someone that could so TMac didn't have to, period. We traded Lue for Barry because Sura came back and we needed another shooter. Walker would still be my #4 PF I want (1. Swift 2. SAR 3. Marshall) and I still hope we can get Swift or SAR. But getting Walker would make things very interesting.
my only question is can we get two out of the three? simmons + (Stro or 'Toine) That would involve a sign and trade, possibly a third team. if that can happen, it would truely be a killer offseason.
In "theory" it could happen. But really that would be a 'dream' scenario. But it could happen. An example, the Rockets could try to do a S&T for Walker offering Wesley's expiring contract and someone like Mike James or Sura to Boston. Boston needs a PG since Payton is moving on. That would be enough salary to match to get Walker. Then the Rockets could use their FULL MLE on Simmons. With Head and Spanoulis in the fold James and Sura could become expendible. And clearly Wesley's expiring contract is expendible.
Au contrere. There is the misdirection thing and the back up plan thing and, more to the point (or the 4), as the question was meant to imply, if JVG, et al, say 'Yes' to AW then there is something there there.
