When has Francis come back different after any post season? Are you one of those that call his good games against ONE team in the regular and post season "the day he proved em wrong"? Or one of those that consider it "improvement" or "maturing"? Francis will come back after this off season the same as he always has, it'll be another near triple-double season for him the next with the same boneheadedness and the same consant sloppiness and stupidy, and the ever so rare shows of sudden "clutch". As for your question of who'd we get for our PG if Francis left? Brent Barry is your man.
One more thing I would like to add, we wouldn't have been in any position to be in the postseason, where Steve took advantage of the perimeter situation against the Lakers. Hadn't it been for the following people, Yao, JJ, Cato and Cat. Steve's horrible shooting, and as usual stumbling plays, stupid turnovers (which Yao aswell has, but is a 2nd year sophomore, and the other is a 5yr vet plus is the PG of the team), horrible defense and inability to use his brain, I seriously doubt had anything to do with us being any playoff seed.
Ya, SF had NOTHING to do with us being a playoff seed. I think what Almu is saying is that we need to focus on making reasonable improvements and addressing our biggest problem (getting a PF). Yes, if we have a chance to land T-Mac, the Rockets should jump all over it. But the main focus of the offseason needs to be getting a PF, period. We can have Yao and T-Mac running the show, but if we have another mediocre PF like Cato or MoT getting the majority of the minutes, we won't survive in the West. One thing we need to consider with T-Mac is that we would need to resign him after next season, obviously a long-term max deal. Combine that with Hill's contract, the Rockets would really need to start saving for Yao's contract. Also, T-Mac's back problems is something the Rox have to look at, we don't want 2 Grant Hills on our team.
If Tracy McGrady is available to the Rockets and it costs them Francis and Mobley, they would be stone-cold foolish to pass it up. Pursue Brent Barry with the MLE and put this team on the court in 2004-05: 1) Barry 2) JJ / TMac / Pike 3) TMac / Boki / AGriff 4) Cato / Taylor / Spoon 5) Yao / Cato That's a lock down D team that can score. Elton who?
Freak, I would reply faster and more often but I got this dude who keeps yapping about work named Boss. So, I have to post fast and furious and max and min the page and read quickly. He is a Knick fan. He won't like it if I tell him I trash his team on a consistant basis. I got TWO KIDS!!! I still say a PF like Brand is what we need. They won't get tangled in the paint. Yao steps out alot so there will no be no tanglement. Brand like players can get offensive rebounds and play hellified defense on other PF's. I would rather have: C: Yao PF: Brand SF: Jackson SG: Mobley PG: Brent Barry or reasonable facsimile than C: Yao PF: Someone SF: Jackson SG: T Mac PG: Brent Barry or reasonable facsimile
I like that you have T-Mac at both SG and SF (and vice versa). He's strong at both postions... (SG = perimeter, but also interior slashing) (SF = perimeter, but also interior post-up) Extremely versatile.
You have got to be kidding me. I hate using the roll eyes...you your post deserves it. Please quit while you are behind.
I think this offseason is a decision of whether to rebuild our backcourt or our frontcourt.. It's a matter of breaking up the Steve-Cat duo our dumping both of them. Or letting Cato and Mo stay together with signing a serviceable PF who can help Yao. What do ya think guys?
You'd rather have Brand than T-Mac, just because we'd hadn't shored up our PF spot? Really? We need someone that's going to take the last shot. A goto player. Sometimes that's Yao. But T-Mac is your man for those situations. I mean, I love Brand. But not at the expense of T-Mac. No way! By the way, your first team is a very nice team! I agree. But the T-Mac team is better, even if we only had a "good PF", and not a "very good PF," like Brand.
It's true that Steve hasn't really ever added to his game in the past after each season, but no one's ever demanded him to. He's been playing on raw talent, little strategy. With JVG and Yao around, his whole season this year has been an adjustment period, and he's been getting the hang of it a bit. Who's to say he won't continue to play his role better next year? As for his postseason performance, I've always thought it was more due to his matchup with Payton rather than Steve proving anyone wrong. That still doesn't mean Steve isn't a great talent however. Try to remember how good everyone used to think he was before this season. Wasn't some hall of famer saying how Steve could redefinine the point guard position?
One of the main reasons I prefer Mcgrady over Brand is that Mcgrady just seems to have that killer instinct that Brand does not. Brand seems very similar to Yao. They’re both two “nice guys” that kind of lack that mean streak. Neither Yao or Brand seem like the type that wants to rip out their opponents heart and stomp on it. Mcgrady has that. If he’s determined one night to dominate whoever is guarding him, he’ll drop 50+ on them with ease. I prefer the combo of Yao (the consistent/stable star) and Mcgrady (the special superstar). Rather than the combo of Yao and Brand (two consistent/stable stars). Not that I wouldn’t love to have Brand. I just prefer Mcgrady.
I agree that T-Mac could possibly be a good fit with Yao, but I don't see how he could be considered one with "the personality"---How much more have his Magic won than Steve's Rockets? Question is slightly easier to answer if you replace "more" with "less." If there's anything that I would worry about with acquiring T-Mac, it is his personality. Still laugh at last year's NO series. All that "series is over" talk would have been funny even if Orlando had one the seventh game, but the fact that they lost made it even worse. Also hated how T-Mac proceeded to blame the loss on his teammates(Though...it probably was).
I questioned myself if I should've changed that from "personality" to "demeanor." Err, not much difference....heh...Scrap that...What about this? T-Mac = incredible ability + killer instinct (add ice water for blood). Better?
If you watched the Spurs-Lakers when Kobe dropped 40 is the primary reason the Rockets should go after T-Mac. If you put T-Mac and Ming out there, every night you would have a mismatch. T-Mac is a player where you could play go D and he still get a high quality shot. McGrady can go 9-20 and score 30 every night. Tracy with 30, Ming with 20 now all you need is 40-50 pts to really put teams behind the 8-ball. Orlando can have anyone but Ming on the Rockets. Ming and McGrady and spare parts would elevate this team to upper echelon.
i think tracy and yao with a few good shooters and few good defensive palyers would be better then any option i could see us going for. i wish upon a freakin star for that one.
as for the killer instinct. i believe yao will come around. i just think back to all i know of him from china, working his way up the ranks. and even upon entering the highest level, he didnt dominate. it took him roughly 2 years of getting his ass handed to him by wang zhi zhi, and then yao got over the hump into being the best player in the league, dominating every game. and we saw his domination of s. korea during last asian games. i think yao has to grow and find a comfort zone and then he will really blossom. what you say is a consistent stable star, i believe is the special superstar. i think a yao/brand combo would fair much better than a yao/mcgrady combo.
Because most of their career, they've played in the West, while T-Mac played in the East. T-Mac is by no means a winner. He spends too much time getting into one-on-one trash talking battles with Big Dog and Baron Davis while his team gets beat in the 1st round.
