I wish the Rockets would have gotten something else with Battier at the time of the trade. The Rockets have added two potential 4's (Novak, Padgett), two 2/3s (Bonzi/Snyder), a 1/2 (VSpan), and a 1 (JLIII). When a team doesn't have depth, it is tough to do a 2 for 1. Somehow, the Rockets management were able to put together what looks like a solid team on paper when all they had was a MLE, a trade exception, Luther Head, and a bucketful of hope.
I too have been converted; we manged to get rid of Swift's contract in exchange for a SOLID contributor.
I loved getting Battier. He's one of those guys you thought would be great to have, and impossible to get. I'm still thrilled that we got him. My problem was with not having at least a second round pick tossed in by the Grizzlies. It's something that I'm getting over.
Just a FYI, The Grizzlies had a new program called Grizzlies Insider that profiled the draft night and offseason in the 1st episode. Anyway...the trade between the Rockets and Grizz was made a month before the draft and contingent on Rudy Gay being available at #8 and Roy not being available. So, I think the Rockets knew early on the very few in this draft interested them.
yes i admit i was upset at the time, but no it's a different story... I really like what I've seen of him so far, should be a very exciting season, he brings alot to the team.
Didn't like it then. Don't like it now. Mostly, becuase I think the "Win Now!" mindset is just silly. Yao and T-Mac are 26 and 27...just now entering their primes. It's not like in the late 90s when Hakeem and Clyde were on their creaky last legs, with only 1 or 2 more years to gun forthe title. Yao and T-Mac should have 5 more years together. If Gay pans out, he'd be the perfect swingman to step into T-Mac's shoes 4, 5 years from now when T-Mac starts to fade. Gay panning out... I realize this is a big "If." But that's always the case with lottery picks. And barring catasrophic injuries, for the next several years, the Rockets will not be in the lottery. In other words, Gay is the only lotto pick the Rockets might have for the rest of the decade. So, given that: 1) Many scouts thought Gay was the #1 talent in the draft 2) We'll most likely never be in this position again 3) Yao and T-Mac have a 5-year window, not a 1-year window (I say this understanding T-Mac's back issues, but, for my money, T-Mac's bum back is only more reason to get potential insurance in Gay) ...it comes at too great a cost. That being said, I like what I've seen of Battier. A lot. That makes me feel a little better about things, but yeah, I'm still full of anger and spite. Props again though to Van Gundier, whose debut post was the single-best argument for the trade, and really did a good job clarifying Battier's value. Love the "Super Role Player" description.
I love having Battier with the rockets, it's a great addition and should push this team deep into the playoffs. But the rockets just did not get enough for what they gave up. I still think they should have gotten a future pick or a swap for the rockets #32 to Memphis for #24, or #24 thrown in on the deal outright. Rudy Gay will be a much better player than Battier in the years to come. It was a pick for the future.
I agree with this, I think we could have definately at least gotten their draft pick in return. I was very disappointed when I heard this trade at draft time and still would be if we didn't end up getting a 2 guard (which we got 2 good ones in Wells and Snyder). The 2 2 guards helped ease my worries because now our lineup is at least set, without them we would have had: Yao, JHo, Battier, TMac, Alston and if Tmac was going to play the 2 anyways and JHo was going to start, might as well have kept a young (possible superstar) in Gay to help out if TMac goes down. Right now we have a very solid team up and down and it just seemed like with that Gay trade, a bunch of other things just seemed to fall in place to give us the right depth. Still a little upset we didnt get someone else outta it (their 16 pick or maybe another decent role player... bobby jackson?)
So many people posting in this thread bashing the trade ignore the fact that the Rockets would not have taken Gay if there were no Battier trade, they would have moved down to take Thabo Sefolosha. You're bashing the wrong thing. The Rockets did not like Rudy Gay and wouldn't have taken him. If you want to bash something, bash their talent evaluation if you think that their evaluation of Gay is wrong and that Gay is actually going to be good.
Seems to me the Rockets did not like anyone in the draft other than Roy and if he was "stolen", then at least they get S Bat. That was fall back plan B and it came to be. Did they get enough. probably not but would you like to cut someone else now? Imagine another rookie in the mix right now. Maybe we won't lock up JLIII or would not have gone for Snyder. How about a pick for next year. A 2nd rounder? What good is that? Would make some here feel better but no real worth. Swift is gone and it's all good. He couldn't push J Howard from the starting rotation. THAT SAID IT ALL. Now, Howard is not starting and probably will see limited minutes. That is what S Bat brings. Simple math. And watch for S Bat to go off on offense. He can bring it but he defers because he has great b-ball IQ. As for Gay, he is not looking very good right now, he may look better in a few years. But what if he turns out to be another S Swift?? That would be BAD. But last time a player was called unmotivated was......
no different than my original reactions. I was thrilled about getting Battier. I felt we paid WAY too much. We could have traded Swift to get another major piece to a team who believed he had potential, but just didn't fit with the Rockets. At the least, we could have gotten their 1st pick at #24, and picked either Shannon Brown or Maurice Ager. I believe both will be players in this league. I'd have preferred to get their draft pick NEXT year in a draft everyone says will be great. That would have even been better, now that Gasol has been injured, and they'll probably make the playoffs. But, I believe we could have traded them Howard instead, which would have been better for us the next few years. Swift was an incredible deal for them, since they'd offered him far more originally, and will probably trade him for another player of value. We could have traded Swift to someone else, and picked up either a high draft pick next summer, or another up and coming player that fit us better than Swift ... someone with a higher BB IQ. It's not that I'm upset about us not having Gay, it's that I feel we got robbed in the deal. I'm very glad we have Battier, though. It was shrewd, when we didn't get Roy, to pick up a starting piece with our draft choice.
I think everyone here is just a little too high on Swift. He is athletic but no B-Ball IQ. Question: Does anyone think J Howard have any trade value? No. Correct. Now imagine we are given a chance for a free 1 year look on a player who is younger, cheaper, much more athletic, has the BIG Potential and and and. Damn if he couldn't beat out J Howard on the line up. OK. Year is up. Do you still want the guy? Do you think other GMs didn't see that? It's a waste of talent on that brain with no idea how to play. If all that potential couldn't beat out J Howard, what makes you think he is better the J Howard? Now, you get another look at another player, only a "roll player" but immeidately puts J Howard on the bench. Case closed.
The trade wasn't what I expected! It could work in our favour but could have been more so, if we had gotten another decent player or pick with Battier.
Please dont compare Battier to Marshall. Marshall is a PF who stands by the 3 pt line and Vlad ended up turning down a huge deal and lost millions by signing for the MLE. But still - Battier >>Vlad. There haven't been many super stars that have been picked up 8th. There has been nice role players, such as TJ Ford, Andre Miller, Larry Hughes. Like most, I was mad when the trade went down but I changed my mind quickly. If you watched the WBC...you would have saw why it took the eight pick to obtain Battier. I dont think Rudy Gay will end up as some stud in the NBA, so I dont feel we over-paid for Battier. Also, not many teams covet Stromile. If Stromile has demand, he would have been out of Memphis in a heart beat. The fact that he wasn't traded after he didnt return any phone calls from Memphis should be enough for you determine his real trade value.
I was disappointed during the trade, and was doubly disappointed when we failed to get Mike James. But in hindsight, looks like Battier (aka Batman) will turn out to be a much better fit. We have enough athletism in the team. What we need more is the scrappy player with great shooting touch. In hindsight, even giving away Stro is a great thing, as it freed up cap room for other players, like Snyder, Vspan, and now Bonzi. Way to go, CD. You told us so.
Don't have time to read 4 pages of pre-season re-hash. I was disappointed as hell. A healthy Yao and TMac are a playoff team with Gay and Stro or Battier. If we don't go to the 2nd round because of the trade and if Rudy Gay progressess substantially this season, it was a stone cold dumb trade. Beating up on the scubs Dallas and San Antonio have trotted out there in pre-season sure isn't enough to make me change my opinion. If the opinion changes, it won't be until playoffs. And for those who quote as if they were in the Rockets' war room and it "wasn't about Gay"...Sefalosha (or any other trade down) would have had a vet contract attached to them so we'd have added a rotational vet. And there'd still have been a time margin for Sefalosha to develop just as we're giving Spanloulis and JLIII. Except if the vet with Sefalosha fulfilled a rotation or position need, we may have focused the MLE very differently and added depth. OK...need to go chill...it's a long time until playoffs.
So your still upset about the trade, eh? If we dont get out of the first round with this sqaud... there is no way in hell we would get out of the first round with Gay and Swift.
Or for another draft pick if they got it. Rockets owned the rights to V-Span so he'da been picked up no matter what. Maaaaybe not Snyder depending on who was attained with the never-gotten extra pick but still an outside chance. Not sure how the trade salaries added up but it probably freed things up for Bonzi? In that case then itd be a fair deal depending on if Bonzi stays more than a year. I'da been just fine if they got who the Grizz got at #24 with Kyle Lowry. Small guard but plays tough and woulda taken JL3's roster spot. Heck I'da been okay with Alexander Johnson who they took later in 2nd round. Woulda gotten back some athleticism in the frontcourt in place of Stro. But whatever...i'm not pissed anymore but just mildly upset at not enough value. The front office to their credit still worked hard to make the club better afterward
