25 points, 10 boards, 2 steals 3 blocks 0 turnovers...the dude is gonna be a machine! Too bad he's not consistent yet.
I think he will be a Josh Smith with more scoring ability and less defense. But one of his biggest knocks was that he wasn't a leader, and to be honest I haven't watched a Memphis game in a long time, but when they come to town I'll be looking at Gay and what he does to get his teammates in the game. From what I can tell, people aren't talking about how he takes the team on his back or wills his team to a victory. Those are the types of things leaders, even guys who take a while to develop, do in their first game. People compare him to McGrady, but he doesn't have half the court vision or handle, but he will probably become a better outside shooter. It's such a tough call Yao/Deke vs Yao/Swift Hayes/Scola vs Hayes/Scola Battier/Bonzi vs Gay/Bonzi Tmac/Head vs Tmac/Head Alston/James vs Alston/James More scoring and blocks from Gay, but less team defense and clutch (Battier for Three against the lakers?) If we win a championship in the next couple of years, this should never be brought up again. Too many headaches.
rockets fans say things like this to justify the trade. the dude has only played 4 games into his second year. he's very young. how long did it take mcgrady to break out, how old was he?
this is the only way to close this argument. if shane contributes to a championship here, then it was a good move.
as one of the biggest critics of the trade, I wouldn't say that. Just prove that he makes this team better. Getting out of the first round would help, but I just believe glue guys aren't that hard to find, not to be giving up young potential superstars. shane maybe the ultimate role player, but he's a role player none the less.
what kind of BS league are you in where Gay was unowned? Time to join one with people that are watching the NBA and not MLS all day..
I really like this gay kid. Perhaps just because this trade, I never appreciate Battier so much as the others do there. I always think about what we've given up to get him
Sometimes you guys totally miss the point. The reason to get a young player is to help you someday win a championship. So if you can win a championship sooner you do it. There are plenty of potential superstars that haven't won a championship. The goal of any organization is to win a championship, not just hold on to a young player for bragging rights. Obviously glue guys are hard to find or it would easier to win a championship.
pgabriel, There hasn't been much here that we have seen eye to eye on, but you are dead on about this topic. Rudy Gay is someone that I have always said would be a superstar. In the many years that I have been a Rockets fan, hearing that we traded him AND Swift for just Battier and Battier alone pissed me off more than anything and that included watching damn Stockton hitting the 3 in Game 6 of the '97 WCF. I wanted to punch the wall; I was so mad. With that being said, I am glad that Battier has fit well into our team but like you, I don't think you give up a talent like Rudy Gay for a role player and compounding the Rockets folly was throwing Swift in there as well and not getting back a late 1st rounder. That trade along with dealing Mike James to Toronto for Alston were 2 of the worst deals I have ever seen in being a Rockets fan. I hope for our sakes that Battier helps us win a title, but I have a feeling that it is a longshot. And the odds of Gay being a superstar is greater than us winning a title with Battier on our team - just being a realist here. No need for people to go apesh!t on me.
I agree with both PGab and MR on this one, I was seriously elated when I heard we drafted Gay, THEN, I was seriously upset when the Rockets traded for Battier and threw in Swift as a free bonus. Not only a lopsided trade, but another case of an outstanding young talent being thrown to the curb. Two role players for a starter and future star. Makes no more sense to me than Rafer shooting threes.
Completely agreed. This crap about leadership etc is totally irrelevant. That's like saying you wouldn't take Shawn Marion on your team because he can't put a team on his shoulders and be a leader. Bogus. Some guys are your leaders, other guys do other things. I never thought he was going to be a superstar and I still don't, and that's why the "leadership" BS still irks me. He can/will be a damn good role player and that's what this team needed. Some of you here act as if if a young player doesn't have superstar potential, he's totally worthless. There are other roles on the basketball court. As far as the trade, the verdict is still out. Unloading Swift gave us the flexibility to bring in a guy like Scola and trade for Mike James, but we will see how those two additions pan out. Batter, while HIGHLY overrated (probably the most overrated player in basketball), is a very good fit on this team and brings it every night. However, he was part of the problem in Utah last year when we were simply too slow to do anything, outside of McGrady. The jury is still out on the trade but I think things will work out for us mainly due to being able to bring in Scola/James by unloading Swift. But this crap about Gay not being a leader whatever should play no part in the argument.
i agree with all of your points. i'm sure that in a couple of years (maybe even next year) gay's value will surpass that of shane, but up until now shane is still more valuable to a winning team. of course gay will develop into a better player. we ave already seen flashes of his potential, like the stat line this thread is based on. all i'm saying is the right now, and right now alone, i'd rather go into the payoffs with shane.
This trade will always be argued unless Gay turns out to be a bust. If Gay becomes a great role player, the "what if" question will never be answered, whether we win a championship with Battier or not. It is kind of like the Barkley trade. Some people like it and point to the many wins in that season and the "near miss" in the playoffs. Some people don't like it and point to not being able to win it all while losing two very good young role players. Trading a proven good to great veteran for unproven great potential will always be a calculated risk.
