It's great that we're getting Scola, but as good as he is, I'm not convinced he should be our starter at the beginning of the season. Highlight videos I've seen of him show that he's quick, creative, and athletic. But he hasn't shown bruising low post moves (common difference between international leagues and the NBA), and he seems to avoid contact despite his size. At his age, he'll have some relearning to do, but I think it can be done. I'm just a little skeptical of all the posts about how he's going to be our starter and will dominate. We're just setting ourselves up for disappointment there. He's a good offensive PF that will have some growing pains. Between him and Hayes, I think our PF situation is solved, but we should probably have a backup to both of them, probably Butler or Landry.
It's easy to put him as a starter because we have Hayes, Landry, and Clutch the Bear at PF. Not exactly a murderer's row at the 4 spot.
Posted by Kelly Dwyer I struggled with a way to take this post for a while, but things are starting to make sense now. The San Antonio Spurs, fat and sassy with their fourth title in nine years and their ability to make TV magic, passed on paying the luxury tax during the 2007-08 season. Why else would they trade the right to sign Luis Scola - considered the finest overseas prospect in these here hills - and an emerging pivot talent for a player who won't spend another minute in the NBA? After signing Matt Bonner and Fabricio Oberto to extensions that will combine to add nearly six-million caucasoid clams to their payroll next season, the Spurs sought to trim payroll enough to eke their way below the tax threshold. Scola is essentially a free agent, but all signs pointed against this potential Loy Vaught-clone (that's a good thing, cats and kittens) staying away from the Spurs due to a toxic mix of lack of minutes and lack of funds being sent his way. Enter Houston; a desperate rival stuck inside the same division, but also one that boasts an unhappy Greek point guard who can't shoot and won't shave and had Jeff Van Gundy turn him off the whole stateside appearance. Vassilis Spanoulis has absolutely zero leverage, his name sounds like a dish that would include pine nuts, and his agent actually told the Houston Chronicle last week that the Rockets could "trade him to San Antonio and he could be the starting point guard, and he would he would say, No, I cannot.'" So, no; he cannot, and the Spurs will buy him out. Jackie Butler's guaranteed contract will lope over to Houston-town and for some reason the Spurs decided to throw Scola's rights in as a sweetener. From there, we ask questions; to the cat, because nobody else is in the house right now. Was Scola's situation so dire that the Spurs were about to lose all leverage and they had to dump the guy? Jackie Butler for V-Span is already a huge steal for Houston - Butler is a darn good pivot prospect whose per-minute numbers (even at power forward, which surprised me) were quite encouraging even as a part of the New York Knick mess in 2004-05 and 2005-06. Isn't that deal, even with Bonner and Oberto's extensions, enough to miss the cap threshold once you buy Spanoulis out? Why throw in Scola? Was I wrong about RC Buford? I'd never seen him with sunnies on until that column was published. Should I have gone with Donnie Nelson? Nelson's signed Devean George - twice. The whole thing just shakes my faith. Either way, the trade is an absolute home run for the Rockets. Scola's reps already told the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen that he's well on his way toward coming over for 2007-08. I only wish the Rockets could send Butler to a team that could use his touch in the pivot. Stuck behind Yao Ming and Dikembe Mutombo in Rick Adelman's rotation; that's not a good start. And yet, it hardly changes what looks on paper to be one of the more lopsided NBA deals in the last decade. http://myespn.go.com/nba/truehoop +++++ If there was any doubt that this trade wasn't a steal for the Rockets, that last sentence makes the Rockets' brass look like genuises!!
Fun to uncork some of the old lingo, given the obvious opportunity. Hey, we have been down for so long compared to the Spurs. Cool to score on SA for once. In my opinion, they made a big mistake, and the Rockets have taken advantage, instead of reading about another team doing something similar, while we're pondering the fact that we missed out. Didn't miss out. Not this time. Let's hope it's a trend.
with Scola, Hayes, and Harris, and... Landry and Novak hopefully playing in the D-League next year, we should be okay at the 4. You know what you are going to get from Hayes and Harris (rebounding and defense), and Scola has nothing but upside all around.
LOL! Now it's RC Buford goin' "cut me some slack, Jack!" "We got four titles in nine years. What's a bro' got to do to get some love, man?"
This is the first time posting on this site. Posted alot about Rockets on Houstontexans.com, Anyways, Hopefully this will be steal cause we need some good luck. I'm tired of the Rockets being a non factor in the playoffs.
Harris is a 3 not a 4. Harris could be Battier's backup at the 3 (at least on the depth chart). I would bet that Landry is the 3rd PF next year. Novak is gone as far as I'm concerned. If you light up the summer league it does not necessarily mean you are an NBA player, but if you suck it up in the summer league it does mean you are not an NBA player.
I've never seen Scola play but from these clips, but I've got to say that this trade gives Morey at least 2 mulligans. And I might be eating some serious crow once this season starts. Like some said way early in this thread, I see Sura (cut/retire) to keep them under the LT. I don't know that Deke will be back - I'd say 50/50. Now if we can to ship off 2 or 3 scrubs in need of some pt to shine for 1 backup wing player - this off season would be an A. Even without that I've gone from a D to an A-.
It'd be nice if we could pick up Barnes for what's left of the MLE. (is there anything left?) No chance, I know, but he'd be a great fit.
I seriously hope I eat crow for the good of the team after I bashed Morey like Skip Bayless after a Lebron choke job. If we can make one more move and get Scola to play this season he'll be in the executive of the year runnings.
i just realised morey was true to his word when he said he won't release spanoulis from his contract.
I know I'm going to get flamed for this...but...I wonder... I wonder how much better this team would have been under van-grumpy if he had someone like Morey doing a great job and actually bringing in players to fill our needs. For the record, I did (do) like Vangundy, I don't thing everything bad (or good) that happened last year was his fault, and I agree that it was time for him to go. Just wondering what if... Oh, and I'd wait a little while before we pronounce Morey GM of the year. He's done great out of the gate, but from my understanding we were the 3rd or 4th team down the list that SA tried to unload Scola. Looks like it was more being in the right place at the right time, and less Morey took SA to the cleaners. Either way, I like being on this side of it Let the flaming begin -Humer
Problem with Van Gundy is that he would've stuck with the same 8-man rotation regardless... I just hate how short our bench was in the playoffs... we had no sparks off the bench because a lot of guys hardly ever got to play...!!! So I don't even know if any of this would be happening if Van Gundy were still coaching... I'm sure Adelman has at least something to do with all of this.
