Rockets trade Battier to Grizzlies for Thabeet, first round pick

I had to do it....

 

From Feigan's twitter:

 

Jonathan_Feigen

KLowry: we need to get Shane (Battier) back next year.

 

he isnt very good, reminds me of predator

oh and he isnt very good at all

 

This guy is damn bust

He's just tall, thats all

 

Anyone know what # Thabeast is gonna wear?

 

All i am hoping for is he becomes atleast Mutmbo 2.0 .

Defense: Shutdown the paint blocking anything that comes near it.

Offense: Focus on offensive rebounds and score on put-backs/tip-ins.

 

Hayes
Scola
Budinger
Martin
Lowry

I think TWill will flip out if Thabeet gets solid playing time before him.

 

Grizzlies owner thinks Hasheem Thabeet could haunt them

Link

 

My thoughts on the deal: (if anyone cares)


God I did not want to lose Shane at all. I cant say I hate this trade but losing Shane really hurt his professionalism and leadership will be hard to replace. The guy is one of the greatest teammates ever and he will be missed and I do hope the Rockets try to re-sign him in the offseason. I am glad though he went back to memphis where he started his career it wont be a huge change for him and his family.


That all being said realistically Shane had to go from a player standpoint. He is an expiring contract and the reality of him being wooed away to another team in the offseason was a huge possibility. As the team is playing and constructed right now Shane is nice to have but not a necessity especially while a younger more talented SF is waiting. The team had to look towards the future and Shane probably wouldnt be part of that future.


The pieces that are coming back though are a bit boggling. Carroll I wont even comment on he isnt very good and probably will continuously and mysteriously will have "plantar fasciatius" and sit on the bench.

The lotto protected 2013 pick is interesting the Grizzlies are continuously on the cusp of being that 7-10th seed. The earliest this pick can be the #15 pick in the 2013 draft which isnt a bad pick at all (I am not sure how many years this pick will roll over with protection if they do not make the playoffs and are in the lotto) Given how aggressive and extensively this front office does research on its drafting I have faith that any first round pick they have can be parlayed into a productive NBA player. If anything the way the NBA trades have been like first round picks hold a lot of value and now the Rockets have several to trade and package in a deal for a possible all-star next season or the season after.

Thabeet himself is the big question mark. The guy is raw and brings something the Rockets havent had since mutombo retired. To me his ceiling is mutombo and thats being generous. I dont picture a very high ceiling for Thabeet. I dont particularly care for the "bust" label already put on him. Its his second year in the league and yes he has done little to impress anyone, but how has memphis really encouraged his development? He did play well in the d-league last year (not saying much I know) so the guy has some ability. I think a summer training with the staff here, CD, hopefully Deke etc will help him greatly. I also hope playing back home will also motivate him to train harder and work on his game. If he can provided what deke provided the last few years Deke played than I would be happy with this trade. It will probably take at least a year to get there so patience will be needed for Thabeet. - As for the bust yeah he was the #2 pick but is that his fault he was picked so high? I feel Memphis made a mistake picking him so high and thus having high expectations placed on him because of that. Had he been the #8 or #9 pick he probably wouldnt be ridiculed as much. Look at Jordan Hill for example he hasn't done much either or progressed much (though better now than last year) but he isnt labelled a bust just yet.


Not enamored with this trade ultimately I do feel the best thing the Rockets got out of the trade was the 1st round pick and the options that bring. If Thabeet can replicate Deke's stats from the last few years he played here that would be a huge win for the rockets.

It will be interesting to see if he will get any playing time right away, personally I think he should its not going to hurt the season by playing him so may as well.

 

Details on the pick from the Memphis Flyer:

The pick, at least, will never be a high one. It is top-14 protected every year and not eligible to be used until 2013. The Minnesota Timberwolves — who own the rights to the future first round pick the Grizzles sent to the Utah Jazz last season for Ronnie Brewer — are ahead of the Rockets in line for a Grizzlies first rounder. If the Grizzlies make the playoffs this season, the Wolves will get that pick in this summer's draft. In that event, the pick being sent to the Rockets will be eligible to be used starting in 2013 (you can't trade picks in back-to-back years). If the Grizzlies miss the playoffs this season, that pushes both picks back at least a year. If the pick owed to the Rockets is not exercised by 2016, the Rockets will receive a second-round pick and $3 million.

 

If Thabeet can even come close to what Mutombo did for the Rockets (aka when he was 42 years old, not his prime), then I'm giving this trade an A+.

 

Absolute best case scenario he becomes Deke part 2. Worst case he's Hasheem Thabeet

 

I'm excited about what's next and being with the @HoustonRockets! New beginning! Wut up @YaoMing???

From Thabeet on Twitter

His handle, you ask?

@HasheemTheDream

 

Save this page. When Hasheem Thabeet is playing decent and protecting the paint we will open this page back up.

 

Nice find. I had been wondering about this myself.

With an owner like Michael Heisley, it is not totally unreasonable to think that the Grizzlies will not make the playoffs TWICE between now and 2016. Still, in that case, a high second rounder and $3 million cash isn't the worst haul in the world for a guy who was only going to play another seven weeks for us anyway.

 

Let's not forget that last year Thabeet had the third highest blocked shots per 48 minutes rate in the entire NBA last season. He has a gift for shotblocking. That's something we desperately need on this team.

 

Yeah I agree, we need clean the slate with any preconceptions about Thabeet. All we know now, is that we have a young athletic 7'3 center, who can block shots through his sheer length alone.

 

And what are his fouls / 48 while blocking all those shots.

Whatever the block rate is, if it is not condusive to staying on the court then it is useless.

 

Cookin' with Tha-Beet