This is shaping up to be yet another in a long line of CD F ups so I'm not surprised. He can get all the new starts he wants but the facts are that this kid is not a true PG and is not the answer at the point. He was benched in Orlando for a reason and he was put in the expansion draft for the same reason. If he couldn't play in Orlando, why should anyone believe that he can play here? They need a PG NOW and not two years from now. Hell, at this point, I'd take Avery Johnson back at the point even at age 39 before I'd invest any more time on hoping Gaines will develop.
The piece moestavern19 was refering (I am not sure if he is indeed 4th all time since he did not enjoy a senior year at UofL)
Considering he won't be the starting PG, you don't know how he's going to be used, the fact he hasn't played a minute, and the kid is basically a rookie, it's funny how you go from Point A to Point Z in condeming CD already.
I think he will earn his way into the 2nd string rotation. I think he will pass up Boki and be a premier scrappy player off the bench. I see him and Nachbar relieving T-Mac and JJ.
He's gonna have a tad bit of a bigger role than dumping the ball down low and spreading out the offense.
Because this is vintage CD - seeing NBA talent where there is none. The big problem with folks here is that they fall in so much in love with a player's POTENTIAL they completely overlook the fact that at some point if a guy hasn't done it, he's not going to do it. Exactly how many YEARS are you prepared to wait to see if Gaines can turn it around and actually show PG skills? More to the point, how many years is T-Mac prepared to wait (after all, wasn't that why he forced his trade from the Magic - he did not want to be a part of any rebuilding effort?)? Or Yao whose contract is up next year and will be a prized asset? Or JVG whose a$$ is on the line if this team does not win and win quickly? Gaines was the shiznik at Louisville but I find it to be a BIG warning sign that he could not make an impact on a bad team and was virtually discarded in so short a time. Seems that the Magic weren't too enamored of HIS potential. His inability to show much so far spells trouble. Finally, I feel that it's MORE important for the Rockets at this time to concentrate more on finding a STARTING point guard than to worry about the guys sitting at the end of the bench.
Didn't you catch the part about how Gaines was Doc Rivers' 'guy', and the new regime in Orlando wanted to wash their hands of everything 'Doc'.. basically the new coach and GM equated Gaines with Rivers, and since they had absolutely nothing to play for, why bother trying to devlop a guy you are going to jettison as soon as you can? In Houston at least gaines will get a FAIR shot.. not saying he is going to be great, just saying that all indications were that he did not get a FAIR shot in Orlando.
Hillboy, chill. If JVG didn't see something he really liked, Reece Gaines would not have been in the deal. The choice would have been another young player like Zaza Pechulia. Please think of it this way: If your boss introduced a new engineering type into your department and said, "Bla Bla is a computer science graduate honor student from Stanford. After graduation he spent a year at Enron. Let's welcome him to our team." Now, would you walk over and start ragging on him because he didn't turn Enron around and he's been out a whole year now? Please give Gaines a chance to screw up before you start with all the negativity. (Think like the tank crew chief in "Kelly's Heroes." ) BTW: Please list the current Rockets you actually DO like.
For that matter, the Wizards gave up on Wallace, Hamilton & Billups. The point I wish to reiterate here is one of moderation - let's not get too enamored of this guy until he shows something on the court. At this point, given his history, he has to show that he belongs.
HillBoy: "Exactly how many YEARS are you prepared to wait to see if Gaines can turn it around and actually show PG skills? More to the point, how many years is T-Mac prepared to wait[? ...] I feel that it's MORE important for the Rockets at this time to concentrate more on finding a STARTING point guard than to worry about the guys sitting at the end of the bench." How long will TMac wait for what? I imagine they're in discussions with him right now on an extension, and if not, he'll wait till next July to decide if he'll opt out. What will his decision be based on?Tyronn Lue? I doubt it. Reece Gaines? Puh-leeze. Yao Ming? That's more like it. We will make the playoffs next year even without a FA signing, and TMac will view that as a HUGE improvement! Unlike some people on this BBS, CD and JVG can walk and chew gum at the same time. Unless you've been asleep, they're actively seeking a point guard and a backup center. I think they can negotiate with a FA and encourage a young guard who is under contract at the same time. As for how long I'm willing to wait on Gaines, I'd say N years, where N is a rational number greater than one and less than four. (He will start year two of his rookie contract this fall.) Even if we KNEW he was a scrub (which we don't) it's not like waiving him would even accomplish anything. If he has potential (which he may) then encouraging him could yield huge benefits. Where's the problem? Jeez, at least wait till July 15 before declaring the offseason a bust!
Thumbs, I'm cool, calm and collected up here in big D and laughing at how Mark Cuban and the Mavs have managed to screw up their team (let's see, you can pay millions to Shawn Bradley who cannot play but it was too expensive to pay your all-star PG who can play and is the spark to your offense). As for Gaines, he is troubling in that he does not appear to be a real PG which, as you know, the Rockets desperately need. No, his skills suggest that he is more of a swingman type which is not exactly a critical need on this team. I caught quite a few of the Magic's games on League Pass and quite frankly, he looked plain awful running the point. I have a philosophy that the pro level is NOT the level to start learning how to play your position so Gaines will need to prove himself on the court first before I'll consider him to be anything more than a throw-in on the McGrady deal. Here's my Rockets like/dislike list as per your request: Like: Jim Jackson Yao Ming Tracy McGrady Tyronn Lue Scott Padgett Don't Like: Mike Wilks Mo Taylor Juwann Howard Eric Piatkowski Adrian Griffin Lukewarm or (eh): Bostian Nachbar Clarence Witherspoon Reece Gaines Vassilis Spanoulis Malik Badiane
Why people don't think he's a pg? He has always been a point and should have played last yr. I think the Rockets can show some fiscal responsibility and go with what they have instead of tying up money in Barry who is 32 right now. Gaines , if improves can and will earn gametime with Lue coming off the bench. The Spurs turned their job over to a rookie and won the title as did the lakers got rid of NVE and turned it over to Fisher. It can work and they can have a solid player behind him. Look at the risk vs reward.
While Gaines was able to run Pittino's offense at Louisville he could not take his game to the next level (NBA). Unfortunately for him, Jameer Nelson could and so now we've got him. We are in agreement about the proposed Barry contract - that's another bad contract waiting to happen. His age makes me very uneasy.
There will be no better way to tell how he will do until he gets through Summer League and Traning Camp. I think by that time we will all have a much better view of his skills, and what he has to work on to be a player on the Rox. I don't know much about him except from what has been posted on this siteabout his college days, and that he was a #15 pick. I would take JVG's hint and drop everything from last year in Orlando with the kid. No doubt he knows that he is going to have to bust his tail this summer, learn JVG's system down to the tee and perform what is expected of him. This is definitely the time for him to step up and show what he can do, and he seems to know that.
