Don't you know that Rudy = El Nino??? Its chic to blame everyone on Rudy. Even for not finishing in the top 4 last year ahead of SA, Dallas, Minnesota and Sacramento. Come on HP. You are smarter than that.
We have no cap space because of all our bad contracts. And who was responsible for that? Moochie Norris 6 years 22 million. Enough said.
KT + 2nd = JPo - Hawk = Pike + AG. Or, thus and so: KT + 2nd + Hawk > Pike + AG. What a lousy equation.
Haha, I didn't mean it to be, but I guess it looks like it huh. I like how we're talking to each other and not saying a word about "Rockets snatch up Mavericks' Adrian Griffin."
So let me get this straight. All 16 playoff teams had an MLE and all 16 playoff teams passed on Posey. So, you are saying that Posey's goal was to play for Memphis...a team who has never been in the playoffs. No...all 16 playoff teams passed on him for asking for too much money, unless you believe he really wanted to play for Memphis....and the dynamics of West's team (ie...he doesn't like Battier...we've heard) found him a spot. Oh, Posey really entered this summer saying to himself..."man, I want to play for a perennial loser who has no shot in hell of making it to the playoffs in the west." No!! Posey simply went for the bucks, and the dynamics of the perennial loser allowed for that. Get off the ridiculous notion that West pulled one over one the Rockets and ALL 16 PLAYOFF TEAMS. For a guy who always questions authority, you really kiss up to some guys to make some lame point.
I have no clue what you're talking about. What point am I trying to make? I never said Jerry West pulled one "over the Rockets". Jerry West felt he was worth the MLE and we didn't. Simple as that. 1. Your original point was that I knew more about Posey than Van Gundy and was a "backseat coach". Whatever that means. Obviously I wasn't the only one. 2. Then I bring up the fact Jerry West also believes Posey was worth the MLE. If you bring up Van Gundy you can't disregard West. West's track record is longer and better. As far as "questioning authority", we all know management decisions aren't always based on winning. Is Jeff Van Gundy making these decisions because he doesn't like James Posey or was it about money commitment? You say we're not done. Are you sure? How do you know? I doubt Im the only rational person who feel Eric Piatkowsi and Adrain Griffin are not legitimate NBA starters. Their history speak for themselves.
i would have thought it was fairly obvious the Posey decision was not just a personel (JVG) decision and was at least equally a financial decision (Les) sure neither Pike and AG individually are the equal of Posey, but in the scheme of having a non-existent bench last year, and adding some outside shooting to stretch the D off Steve and Yao and a stopper they certainly help.
If this deal was done for somewhere in the area of 1 million a year I think its great. For that price he is a great guy to have on any roster. One thing that does worry me is that if he is such a steal at a low price why hasn't anyone else picked him up? I will hold judgement untill I see the $ involved. Anything less than 1.5 a year and I'm happy.
The Rocket's management are adding the best role players they can afford; filling out the roster of a 8th spot contending team. Making the playoffs at all would be considered a success. Face it we are just biding time till we can get out from under the contracts that holding us down. Francis and Yao should be hitting their prime time in 2007 when we can afford to add at least one superstar to help tham make a run i.e. Drexler. We will then have a few good years of glory followed by a period where we again are stuck with overpaid has beens. Not that that is a bad plan. Remember The Houston Rockets franchise has historically had more than it's share of glory. A lot of the NBA's sucess come from luck, like winning the toss to pick Olajuwon. I think having the ping-pong ball drop Yao in our laps will prove to be andother stroke. But we need to be patient. Also, I have to admit I was with Rudy, I thought getting Rice was going to be great addition.
I don't know who to quote here. I agree with Darkhorse and TexasStoke and Heypartner's general synopsis of the first 4 or 5 pages. 1) I wanted Posey signed and thought we were screwed when we apparently decided not to (depressing summer for me, so far). Pike and A. Griffin do cover each other's deficiencies, come cheap and give the Rockets more flexibility right now and also in the future. 2) In Rice and Pike you've got shooters that can sometimes dominate quarters of a game despite their defensive liabilities. I also think VanGundy is thinking I've got a 7'5" guy that's going to play like one this year and I can cover for 6'7, 6'8 sf's that penetrate past my "shooters". If he finds he can't in certain games, Adrian Griffin becomes a necessary pick-up . 3) If Van Gundy's comments about E. Griff playing some 3 have any basis in reality, it is highly likely they see a Cat/Rice deal as a very appealing deal to one of the many teams they've talked to, and that is some heavy trade-bait for a lot of salary-cap strapped team. And it is an insight into what Van Gundy's take is on the team. Les wants to win now. I hope we do get a veteran pg, with the rest of our MLE, but if we do, I say Cat's gone. But 2 questions: 1) Do we go after a starting point guard? Cat and Rice combined have a heavy combined salary. It could happen, but I agree we don't have to. Even if Van Gundy wants Steve at the 2 25 mins. a game, it damn sure isn't like he can't play the point for 10 to 15 effectively. However, I can't discount Van Gundy might not agree. I don't agree with the whole 'Steve is a 2' thing, but we have to face it: almost any new coach in the league coming in to coach this team would think I have to get someone to get Yao the ball consistently thrown where and when he wants it. He's never had it in China, and the reaction from the NBA and most fans here to our guard's passing last season was a dry-heave. Yeah, the hype was some of it. I'd like to see what happens this year, but if a deal's out there now, it could still end up being the best move. 2) Are we really going after a big-salary pf? If Van Gundy really doesn't see E. Griff as a 4 exclusively right now, it probably means he's got to be thinking we're even more screwed than some of us hope; unless E. Griff suddenly goes 18, 9 and 2 as a tweener and MoT becomes an ironman. Even if you figure Cato in the mix at all at the 4 that's too hopeful. And the 4's we could really benefit from are so expensive cap-wise doesn't it mean we lose value from Cat's trade 1-2 years away from now when Yao's likely to really take off and before this team is likely to contend for a championship? 3) What is Alexander really thinking? If it's winning now, and he is standing by his "one of the greatest..." statement I do think it's odd he just "let go" a franchise icon head coach, w/ 2 rings and cancer, moving in to a new arena (that wouldn't have happened w/o 2 banners). Pike & Adrian Griggin > Posey? Probably now, considering the future. Van Gundy & Rox > than last year depending on Yao & E Griff. improvement with current roster? Hopefully. Van Gundy & Rox current roster very probably very much < this year's Western Conference than last year (excluding Utah). I think the onus is very much on Van Gundy's vision, and I agree we're getting hints. Welcome to August in Houston, Jeff. Hell, we didn't even sweat in the "Jordan era".
No, you brought up West. You said West said Posey was worth thte MLE. I said...well blame JVG, then. I further said, put JVG in a school of 16 coaches and GMS of Playoffs, too, who passed on Posey. I said, your point about how you back West's decision is just bogus, when 16 other teams agreed with JVG. I know we are doing this across two threads (this and verse's), but do you really have this big of a problem with following a train of thought that you started regarding West must be right. <b>bottomline</b> You continue your lame little wiggling dance about not blaming JVG for this. Dude, come straight out an blame JVG like you would Rudy, or reveal yourself as gutless for calling the new coach on something before you see his final product.
Are you telling me that Van Gundy is making the Posey decision by himself? Is that what youre saying? So Les and CD are not wielding their $$$ influence? If you're saying CD and Les gave Van Gundy $5 million to sign 3 players, then how can you blame Van Gundy. It is an impossibility to sign Posey for Piatkowski type of money because NBA starters are worth more than that. What does that say about Van Gundy's feelings about Posey? Nothing
I guess I didn't answer your question about what point that I think your are trying to make. RIET, the point you are trying to make is wiggling away from my point that you and JR are not gutsy enough to just come out and blame JVG in public this early in the Summer, because you are a backseat coaching p***y with no patience, and just want to hide behind Jerry West, despite 16 other teams disagreeing with West. You claim you and West are right, which implies JVG is wrong. Well, just say it dude. Say JVG is wrong and he's making mistake after mistake, so far. Come on. How many times do I have to say you are bashing JVG with no guts to actually to say it in public, before you will realize why I'm posting to you? Quit with the tangents.
That is absolutely not true. West's hands were not tied. I assume Van Gundy was not allowed to use his MLE on 1 player and had to spread it out among 3 players.
RIET, get off the $$s and Les and CD. 16 playoff teams refused to offer Posey an MLE. That was my point when I asked you if you really thought Posey wanted to go to Memphis. Posey went for bucks. It had nothing to do with West outthinking 16 playoff teams who all could have offered him an MLE, but chose not to. You don't follow logical trains of thought very well sometimes, do you?
Once again, I have no clue what you're talking about. Every team has players they like and negotiate accordingly. So just because 1 team gave James Posey the MLE and the other 16 teams did not means he isn't worth it? That's ridiculous. So how many teams offered Piatkowski $2.5 million? He didn't go to the highest bidder? Is Piatkowski worth $2.5 million? Does the fact the playoffs teams did not offer Piatkowski $2.5 million mean he's not worth that or we made a mistake? Your arguments have no logical flow.
Piat came to houston for less money than he was offered from....i forrgot who...Posey was just after the money..
That statement has no factual basis. The Rockets offered Posey, what? $2.5 million and got twice that much from Memphis. Piatkowsi turned down $4.9 million for $2.5 just so he could sign with us? Yeah right.
