Here are the players that the Rockets worked out: Sunday, June 26: 6'9" SF - Ryan Gomes 6'6" SG - Matt Walsh Monday, June 20: 7'0" C - Marcin Gortat 6'11" PF - Rory O'Neil Friday, May 20: 6'7" SF - Dijon Thompson Wednesday, May 11: 6'7" SG - Julius Hodge 6'6" SF - Willie Jenkins 6'9" PF - Jawad Williams Tuesday, April 19: 6'3" SG - Luther Head 6'4" SG - Keith Langford Monday, April 18: 6'2" PG - Will Conroy 6'1" PG - Aaron Miles 6'4" PG - Andre Owens 6'2" PG - Corey Santee So here's the breakdown by position: PG: 4 SG: 4 SF: 3 PF: 2 C: 1 These may not be all the workouts they held, considering I couldn't find a second workout for Head when we all know there was one, but it's pretty clear that they were looking to improve the perimeter through the draft from day one of their workouts. As of 8 days before the draft they had only looked at ONE power forward. It's obvious to me that they were already determined to take the best available talent at the PG/SG/SF position with the #24 pick and to let our PF situation get solved in free agency. The Rockets have been planning this so just let them get through the offseason before you start acting like the freaking sky is falling because we didn't get Simien or Taft! More than likely you'll be seeing the Rockets FA power forward taking both of those guys right back to where they were before the draft: school.
But given Simien, Taft and Turiaf did fall doesn't it appear to be not so wise to have ignored evaluating them? What if they were the best players on the board? I would feel better if they did evaluate them but stuck with Head.
Given that Simien, Taft and Turiaf fell, it means that the Rockets thought process was the same as most other teams i.e. they were not first rounders and they were not as good as Head. How the hell do you know who the Rockets evaluated? They evaluate everybody who they think warrants a first round pick
CD was asked and answered specifically on Simien and Taft pre-draft. He also stated they evaluated more players for this draft than any other. Turiaf was very rarely prognosticated at, around, or before our pick. I think he got picked about where expected. Where do you get the notion the Rockets "ignored evaluating them"?
I think Simien will step in a nd be 14 and 9 with the heat when they let Haslem go and we'll be wondering what happened. I also like that UCLA cat Thompson.
Try 5 and 5 (that's IF he plays) No player playing with Shaq and Wade or Yao and T-Mac will average 14pts, especially an unprepared rookie
14pts is high but he could get 8 & 8 and be a top 10 rookie if Haslem is gone and they don't get another starting PF.
