Personally, before i make any trade ideas, i always ask myself, why would x trade with y? Why would Indy offer one of the best pf's in the game, one of the few double-doeble players in the entire league, for a package not including Francis? If you're Donnie Walsh and O'Neal wanted to go to Houston and he knows it, wouldn't it be better to ask for Francis and Taylor for O'Neal? I don't put any stock into a O'Neal to Houston deal that doesn't include Francis in it.
If this happens, all hypothetical; Yao on one block, jermaine on the other. Both could get their points. Defensively they would be great also. Steve Francis under his new coach could now concentrate more on being a 3rd scorer but would actually run the offense. A 3rd scorer isn't necessarily bad. If you have 3 weapons you use them all. the problem would be convincing francis to take more of a pass, run the offense type roll. I can think of about 80 million reasons why he wouldn't have a choice. If that were to happen the rockets could find a new sg. If you resign posey that takes care of your sf. There are plenty of guys out there and i wouldn't worry abou it. Jeff Van Gundy was known for running 6 man rotations in New York so not having the deepest bench doesn't bother me.
All I know is empty barrels make the most noise. DA is talking trash and you giving it serious play. JVG is or will be very impressed with Cato and Taylor, and the team's overall depth. In addition EG could be in O'Neal class by the end of next season. Right now, as a second year player, EG is ahead of O' Neal at the same time in O'Neal career and O'Neal only played that much minutes in his fourth year. DA and everyone should understand that this team in not a revolving door; and the aim is not to produce a never-ending series of splashes. In the splash game so far this off season we are top 2 at worst and we certainly made one last year with Yao and the year before that with the EG trade and the Rice trade. So let us just chill and let the team come together which is consistent with the statements and feelings of the top 5 people in that organization.
This would be a good trade to pull off, despite leaving us with a very lacking bench. O'neal is what we all hope and pray Griffin will develop into. I do worry about how Yao will get enough touches with O'neal here as well though. Also, I don't agree with moving Griffin to the 3. First off, he can't dribble, and in this day and age, you gotta have a sf that can put the ball on the floor. Secondly, despite his tendency to jack up jumpers, his jumper isnt that great, and unless it improves a lot, I won't be comfortable with Griffin taking the place of Matt Bullard on this team. 3rdly, Griffin is a big man plain and simple. He doesn't have the quickness to play out on the perimeter and his shotblocking will be negated as well.
Anybody else find it ironic that we could of had O'Neal for free, when we traded Pippen away to portland. I mean we got like 7 players in return, and O'Neal was just a bench warmer for Portland. Yes the Rockets wanted Cato & Walt in the trade, but I would of rathered taken O'Neal then Brian Shaw or other cap fillers (at that time).
The reason the deal wouldn't include Francis is because, if O'Neal wants to come to Houston, the Rockets are in the driver's seat, not the Pacers. The Pacers would be faced with the situation of either accepting Mobley plus extras or getting nothing when O'Neal walks to San Antonio. Anyone remember the scrubs we traded to Chicago for Pippen, same scenario here. That being said, I really don't think the Rockets have a chance of landing O'Neal.
It was my understanding at the time that the Rockets WERE mainly asking for O'Neal in return but the Blazers firmly said he was not available. So they settled on Cato plus.
of course a six man rotation doesn't bother you, but it may bother the 7'5" guy that plays year round. do you think he'd like to log all of those minutes? he probably wouldn't mind it, but his body would.
question (actually a statement) to those that say griffin cannot play the 3: look at rasheed wallace. wallace often plays the 3 and is not what i would even call a "competent" ball handler. he spots up or posts up, and that's about it. there is nothing wallace does that eddie griffin could not do, in time. as for defensively, you'd be fools to not play a zone defense. francis posey griffin o'neal yao ming is one helluva, helluva defensive lineup...especially in a 2/3 zone.
Ouch! That would be a tad imposing. I guess opponents would have no choice but to give the shot to whatever player Steve is guarding.
box in 1 is tempting, also. shooooot, can you imagine posey, griffin, o'neal and yao playing zone with steve francis as a chaser?!! damnit that would be one helluva defensive squad. offensively, o'neal and yao could put up 15-20 shots apiece. francis becomes the 3rd option in half court, 1st option in transition, and 1st option with the clock running down. he'd still manage to get up 10-12 shots per game.
when you put the line-up out like that, this deal seems like a no-brainer. that frontcourt would be as impressive as any in the league - more so actually.
Rudy was going to make Griffin a 3 anyway as soon as Rice left. Nobody believes that. But it's true. I have no idea what Van Gundy's plans are. But it would not surprise me in the least if that's what Van Gundy was going to do as well. As for this trade, I don't know enough about Oneal's character to make a judgement. But if it's regarded as low I think it might be it would not surpise me that they would be looking to trade. In my opinion it would be tough to lose Mobes. However, we have a soft front court and need to tighten it up a little.
If there is one thing that is a given in this league, it is that if you don't have the single best player on the floor, you better have quality depth at every position. The one thing we do not have is depth and a deal like this would make us only weaker at many positions, most notably the two. I'd love to get O'Neal, but there would have to be some plan to handle the off-guard spot. Oh, and Griffin at three would be a disaster of epic proportions.
Pretty good trade and I think the pacers would do it instead of getting nothing in return........ But Dizzzammmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We would be giving up alot, granted O'neal makes my legs weak also, but they gotta throw us somethin else in there, anything, because our depth just would go straight out thw window And lord forbid one of them goes down, we'd be screwed
Sorry I must have been typing when you wrote this It takes me 2 years to type my posts I type like 4 words a minute But I think a big huge DITTO is in order We must have been reading each others mind
I understand the dreaming that Houston fans are going through and I also pointed out some trades in similar type of fashion, but wouldn't think about this. Reggie Miller can come off the books this yr, Croshere makes 7 mill along with artest and Mercer making about the same. If O'Neal was to walk, wouldn't it be better to take your cap money and go get someone else instead of getting Taylor,Cat or even Cato. I'll put it to anyone this way. One thing Indy have is depth and they have alot of it. Say they knew O'Neal was going to leave regardless, but wanted to get something for him, how far fetched would it be for Donnie Walsh to come with a plan to send O'Neal back to Portland for Randolph,Anderson and Patterson or Isiahs favorite Damon and Randolph? That would give the pacers a pg and a young stud coming up in Randolph. As much as i would like to see it, i don't Houston is in the picture unless O'Neal said he wanted to come here and their are no indications that he wil do that.
We should get Indiana to throw in Ron Artest. They are probably sick of him, but he could, and I stress could, be a good fit in the JVG system. When under control, he is one of the better all-around (uhum...defense) SG's out there. On the other hand, yuo can make the argument that his antics almost single-handedly destoryed the Pacers last year. But they'd be getting Mobes anyway, so try and get Artest, I say.
