I don't know why there are so many people in a hurry to dump Mo. We need as many experienced big men up front as we can get. If you got rid of Mo our only truly experienced big men would be KT and Cato. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't sleep well knowing that. We don't need Lewis this badly to tie up our cap for him. There were people complaining about Mo's contract, Lewis' contract would be bigger, MUCH bigger! I think that Griffin has far more potential and talent then Lewis and he showed last year.
Along with AB, something else to consider: in classic Rudyball, what is the least important position? Answer: The power forward spot. I bring this up because, with Ming, Rudy can now play the same style that won him 2 championships. In fact, Ming maybe a better prototypical center to play it than Hakeem was himself. Hakeem didn't trust his teammates enough to help him win the game until way later in his career, and so he would hog the ball. Ming instead comes in with a team-first mentality. He is a better passer than hakeem was, and his size makes him a threat to score at any given time. This in turn opens up shots for spot up shooters and cutters, not clog-the-lane-type power fowards. We need 3 weapons around the horn more than we need 2 weapons on the block. Will our rebounding suffer, probably; but since we have some of the best rebounding guards in the league I think it's a risk worth taking. And remember, when we one those championships we had one of the worst rebounding teams in the league, so it is possible to do.
yes. Griff = a franchise type player, someone Rudy and co was willing to take with a #1 had they the chance. Rash? THey didn't even want to spend a late first rounder on him. Rockets absolutely gush over Griff. I don't see why they would give up on him for a so-so one dimensional player. Hell Sonics don't even NEED Lewis. They have Radman waitiing in the wings, all ready to quietly take over the sf spot. Sending them Griff would increase their chances of making it to the playoffs cuz it would give them a legit pf. Even entertaining the idea of Griff for Lewis is just silly imo, esp when we could possibly end up with Lewis w/o giving up crap. This is a better team flat out now, and in the future with Griff over Lewis.
Thorpe, Horry, and Barkley weren't slouches at the pf position during the contending years. If anything I'd say the sf was the least important. Never really had a "true" sf till we got Pip.
Seattle Front Office calls Greenway Plaza Headquarters: "Well Howdy Doody there I hear ya'll is interested in signin 'n tradin 'Shard Lewis onto yer roster.....how bout that Eddie Griffin feller fer 'Shard, whatya say??" Houston Front Office:Rudy T: "Damn it CD. How many times have I told you that joke is getting old?"
The Rockets didn't draft Rashard with one of their three #1's in 1998 because Rudy, at the time, was still in his I-want-four-year-guys phase; and he has always been enamored, unfortunately, with players known to make the occasional winning 3-pointer....and little else. Tell me I'm lyin'. In any case, that's water under the bridge. Eddie can shoot, rebound and, especially, block shots, and will be better than Rashard. I'd like Rashard here, but after Yao's showing in the Bay Area, it ain't gonna happen. Mo Taylor won't get us Rashard. No one outside of Houston wants to see Steve/Cat/Rashard/Eddie/Yao. So I guess we forget him. We need some sort of defense on this team. Rashard isn't that player. Yao + Eddie = oh, sh#$!, pitch it back out!
I always thought Horry was a three. Barkley was a change in philosophy from "true" Rudyball, so we could get past seattle. And besides, he wasn't, strictly speaking, a part of the championship years. Thorpe wasn't really a great scoring/ blocking/ demand the ball pf. He was a great put back scorer, decent rebounder. At any rate, the only thing I'm saying CK is that, in terms of Rudyball, on offense, everything revolves around our all-world center and our perimeter players. You can really insert any decent rebounding pf; you don't need all-world. So that is why I say the power forward postion is the least important position.
Attention Lewis: You have burned your bridges with Seattle and you best choice is to tuck your tail between your legs and sign with dallas Your no Francis and your no T-mac so take the 60 million and enjoy your role in Seattle or ruin your reputation and career
rockets management(much like most of us) probably sees eddie as virtually untouchable and lewis is not the type of player who changes that. eddie won't start next year unless he takes over the position but either way i'll take his production over rashard's, whatever it may be. the reason is, lewis's points don't mean a quarter as much as the inside defense griffin will bring. on top of that ming and griffin in stretches is dropping my jaw to the ground in anticipation.
Think about it from the Sonics' perspective hardwood. Here you have a guy in Rashard Lewis who you have decided to build your franchise around. Now he's threatening to leave unless you pay him what you feel he doesn't deserve. So you hear Houston may be interested...tell me who on the Rockets would you ask for? Francis? You already have the Glove at pg. Mobley? Good player, but you wouldn't build an entire franchise around Cat. Ming? First of all, it wouldn't work this summer once he gets a contract. Second of all, Ming, the CBA, FIBA, etc. would more than likely refuse to play in Seattle. Griffin? Bingo, a stud PF possessing a terrific array of skills with franchise player potential. Wally Walker would have been an idiot for not at least trying to pry Griffin away from us.
Rashard better take the 60 mil offered by Seattle and run as fast as he can to the Bank. He will never do better than this. He is a lone bright spot this year in a lean group of free agents...... He will be overshadowed next year by bigger names
kbm, It was a bad idea to trade an overpaid crappy two guard who didn't really want to be here and an overpaid ego-maniac SF who really really didn't want to be here?
Yes, it was. And to overpay Lewis would be the same. That is not really my arguement rimbaud. Number one, we don't know that Lewis wants the max from us, only that he wants it from seattle. He may take less from us, who knows? Number two, and this is what I'm really arguing: what is more important to the way Rudy coaches, a all-world sf or and all-world pf? Now mind you, I'm not saying lewis is all-world or that griffin is either, but they would be the best at their positions on our team, significatly (sp) so.
kbm, I didn't think anyone was arguing to trade Griffin for Lewis - and the Rockets certainly do not seem to want to do it either. That is why I didn't understand your argument with bringing in the Pippin and Anderson trades - which were completely different with both players forcing our hand to a degree.
Giving up 3 picks to get the 6th (i think it was) pick to go up in the 2001 draft.. and then trading that pick for a 2nd round guy that wants the max contract.. makes complete sense By the way.. he lists one of his favourite players as scottie pippen he must be a nut case http://www.nba.com/playerfile/rashard_lewis/bio.html
My predicition... 1) By far the most likely scenario ses Lewsi re-signing with the Sonics, after the agent and GM arrive at some ego-saving middle ground for Lewis to trumpet as "The reason I finally signed was that they finally showed me the respect (read:$) I feel I deserve." This could be as little as 5 grand more than what they are currently offering, just as long as he can say " We came down a bit, they came up a bit..." ad greedy nauseaum... 2) Failing that, I feel Lewis will do what Keon Clark and others have done: Sign a 1 year deal with a team they feel they can win with , thereby increasing their market profile, and hope to land a big deal next year. IF that is the case, his hometown sentiments might lean him a little more this way, but 1 year deals are usually business decisions, not heartfelt homecomings. 3) I, too, am happy as hell that we're not moving Griff to get Lewis..Just hearing those rumours made my heart lurch... 4) On what planet do Brad Miller and Juwan Howard rank above Jermaine O'Neal as free agents, or did I mis read something...I was skimming, so I probably got something wrong, but otherwise...yech...
I think the Rockets are headed back to the playoffs with out R. Lewis. Now we would be better with him than with out him, but no way would I give up E. Griffin to get him. If he wants to come home and try and help the rockets make it back to the top I'd offer 3 years MCE (same as dallas). If he wants to go to Dallas for a "wink wink nudge nudge say no more" deal down the line I hope he has fun, no hard feelings.
LilStevie3,Wally has a good eye for talent and has shown it over the years.You illustrated how we are set at the 1,2,4,and 5 for years,and Eddie of course is a big part of that.Wally has no leverage w/us for that and a few more reasons...Rashard threatening to leave thus needing a S&T to get it done is one.Lewis being from Houston and calling it home is another.The big salary also shuts down any flexibility for us down the road.I think,in the end, Wally will most likely get Rashard,after neg. have run their course.Nothing ventured,nothing gained though,so true.I just think it's a matter of diminishing returns for Seattle,no matter what.It's nice to see the Rockets and the Sonics headed in opposite directions.
