last year we were an young upcoming 43 win team with great promise now we are an old confused team that might win 45 games. jvg > Rudy?
How exactly is having Mark Jackson and Charles Oakley at the bottom of your bench make us an old and confused team? Please. Not to mention we had Rice last year playing 25 minutes a night. If Rudy was still coaching right now, I don't think we'd ever hear the end of "but he lost his starting power forward and has had to start Cato!" excuses. I haven't heard Eddie Griffin being used as a crutch once.
Some of you guys sound ridiculous with this New York Rockets and Houston Knicks talk. The Moochie trade has made us a much better team. I really do believe the Rockets would have 5 less wins than they do now if Moochie was not traded for Weatherspoon. And of course when Mooch was traded we needed a point guard and the best available guy out there who could be had without trading away another Rocket was Mark Jackson. So that leads us to our third former Knick that most fans loved to hate. Which is understandable. The guy was not a very likable if he was not on your team. But ask yourself this. Now that the trading deadling is over and the Rockets seem to be in desperate need of another big man because of the injuries Cato, Taylor, and Spoon are all going through, who out there would you rather have than Charles Oakley? Don't just say this is a bad move. Or Charles Oakley is old and washed up. Or here we go with another former VanGundy stepchild. Say who you would rather have instead of Charles Oakley. Because the Rockets surely can not stand pat and rely on Scott Padgett right now. So if Oakley is not your guy. If you don't think he is a good pickup. Who is then?
Rockets sign Oakley to 10-day contract ‘I trust him,’ Van Gundy says of 40-year-old forward The Associated Press Updated: 3:06 p.m. ET March 18, 2004 HOUSTON - Charles Oakley signed a 10-day contract with the Houston Rockets on Thursday, giving coach Jeff Van Gundy another player from his New York Knicks days. The 40-year-old power forward hasn’t played all season, but that did not deter Van Gundy. “I know him; I trust him,” Van Gundy said. “He knows how hard you have to play to win in this league.” Oakley, 6-foot-9 and 245 pounds, hopes to toughen the Rockets in their drive for the playoffs. “Every team needs to let the other team know that no matter what happened with the score they are not going to be a pushover,” he said. “I’m coming here to bring some energy and extra power.” Oakley started with Chicago, playing three years for the Bulls before his trade to the Knicks in 1988. He spent a decade with the Knicks, then was traded to Toronto. He played three years with the Raptors and returned to the Bulls in a trade. After one season in Chicago, Oakley reunited with former Bulls teammate Michael Jordan by signing as a free agent with Washington in October 2002. Oakley is the latest ex-Knick to team with the former New York coach. In January, point guard Mark Jackson signed with the Rockets. Patrick Ewing is an assistant coach with Houston. source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4556331/ Thought you all might like the article.
Well, at the risk of restating the obvious: This is a pathetic wasted move that does nothing to improve this team's chances against the other teams in the West. The Western teams the Rockets have to beat all play fast-paced uptempo offenses so naturally JVG and CD go out and pickup another old slow ex-Knick - I can't wait to start timing the Rockets near extinct fastbreaks with a sundial now. (OK Clutch, here it comes) This would NEVER have been REMOTELY necessary if 3 years ago that jackass of a GM, CD, hadn't tossed away THREE FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICKS on Eddie Griffin. Now, they have no PF, EG is out of the league and they are reduced to signing NBA rejects like Oakley from the trash heap. Even after signing this relic, they STILL don't have a PF so what was the point? Ask yourself this: IF Oakley is such a viable player, WHY was he not playing somewhere? Why was he out on street? If the other NBA teams - many needing help on the front line (Dallas) didn't want him, why in God's name should we? I have been giving JVG the benefit of the doubt up until now but this move defies all reason and completely blows away ANY credibility he may have had with me.
bringing up old **** doesn't help with your arguement. We said that about weatherspoon and mark jackson. Plus it's only a 10 day contract. Like others said, no need to get your balls in a twist over a 10 day trial contract. Jeeezzzzz
So you want a fastbreaking power forward. Ok. Who? If you can't give me a guy out there who is a better fit than Oakley then you are not giving any solutions to the problem the Rockets have right now.
HILLBOY says: Who knows, why speculate? Why wasn't Weatherspoon playing in NY? Has MJ made a positive contribution to the team? Why do people listen to John Tesh? Blah blah blah . . . A ten day contract "completely blows away ANY credibility he may have had with" you. Frankly, who cares? Since when does your sense of "credibility" count? It's just a ten day agreement to help cover for Cato's injury. That's it, we are not building our team around him. RELAX The fact that Dallas did not sign him may or may not be relevant. Most likely it's not. It could be that players, who have played for JVG in the past, like to play for him and make certain sacrifices and make exceptions they normally would not make for other coaches. . . that's just my own speculation, nothing more . . . RELAX
hey thats mean if we are playing vs SA charles ok will be called to give a little push and re injure the TD knee is a good 10 day sing, i hopa they still knocking down the jumpers
I don't like it. I hate Oakley. He's a dirty player and not the type of guy I wish to see on the Rockets.
A few years ago Oakley used to be a decent passer and can knock down a 15 feet jumper. I don't know if that's still the case any more.
I think it's a great pickup. Toughness, toughness toughness. And when we do get the other guys back Yao\Cato Yao\Oakley Cato\Oakley. Three pretty tough combos. Plus the biggest factor will be his mentoring Yao. Way to go JVG\CD
