I am guessing if there is indeed a trade talk going on involving Tmac, which rumor around the league pointed to Tmac for Baron. (if Doc heard about this, i am pretty sure that tmac and his agent too have heard this) This move by Tmac it was to prevent a possible trade going down. With Tmac's injury perhap career ending one, it may scared off any takers. Last night's annual tax and tennis charit, we were missing Tmac and most importantly not one piece of Tmac unit up for auction. this could mean two things. one tmac will be traded and he is no longer a rocket. second, rockets is pulling a Marbury on Tmac and asked him to stay away from the team. Will Morey make a desperate move? or will we stay put and use tmac expiring contract as trade bait next year or use it ourselves? either way, i am sensing this would be the end of tmac in Rockets.
So you don't think Artest would be an important piece to helping Rockets make a deep run this year? He's a special player that in my opinion is irreplaceable, esp given our current McGrady status. 2 way players are few and far between...
McGrady being out makes it really tough to trade Artest, IMO...but that depends on whom you are trading him for.... I am worried though of extending captain crazy pills with a contract going forward, and am worried that he walks this offseason and the team gets nothing in return. But honestly, I would be PERFECTLY happy if they kept him now.... DD
You know, I was as wary as anyone about Ron Ron coming here, but ecen speaking as a person who has been watchful for anytihng that could be interpreted as him being 'crazy' again, I just have not seen it. Ron is reminding me of when the Astros had Carl Everett, just a man-beast. And the guy has been playing on one ankle too. The one thing, and it has been pretty clear for years now - Artest has ice-water in his veins when the game is on the line, and McGrady does not. Now I don't think McGrady is a bad *person*, I just think that he derives his sense of self-worth from what other people think, and therefore, he simply cannot bear the weight of criticism. This move with SAS to me is possibly not so much about trades (yes it is about the trades, but maybe not the *main* part) as it is about him being able to say to everyone 'See? All you people who have been criticising me all year, last year too - SEE? SEE how serious my knee was? SEE how much pain I was in? LOOK! I have to get very serious season-ending micro-fracture surgery now! SEE?' The funny thing is, this is exactly the sort of thing an adolescent does. And remember, McGrady never had any formative years that WEREN'T immersed in basketball. He never attended a real high school (a basketball puppy-mill does not count), never went to college, and never has not been a welathy person with very few boundaries. So maybe we should cut the guy some slack, maybe not *hate* him so much as pity him. Imagine if he never manages to get himself healthy again? Can you imagine what it would be like to be living inside his head for the rest of his life without that constant affirmation that he so clearly needs? Ouch.
that is when TMac's current actions can really bite us twice in the *ss because now we have a $22 mil player taking the team hostage and Artest can walk away next season after giving up 2 first roung pics for him and we can not really trade him.
Do you think Ron will slack and be complacent if/when the Rockets sign him to an extension? Somehow I feel that Ron acted up (not sure about this...but people keep stating it) this year solely because of McGrady's distraction to the team this season. There's no indication that Ron would have a propensity to fall out of line if the Rockets extended him. The only risk is what his track record would entail, but then it might be a risk worth taking.
Thanks; my insomnia tends to react poorly with brevity. One, but not topfive. Hmmm. "One" is boldfaced here. An anagram? For "Eon"? Aeon Flux, starring Charlize Theron? Charlize Theron, born in South Africa? Steve Nash, born in South Africa? Steve Nash, who will be traded to the Rockets, while his new girlfriend Charlize Theron provides eye candy courtside at all home games? Hooray! Maybe one, one for "Neo"? The Matrix? Toronto is trading Marion to the Rockets? We're all existing in a complex simulacrum designed by our mechanical overlords, fatuously hitting refresh, awaiting news of an NBA trade? Possibly both? All three? But wait, you capitalized "BEST" in addition to highlighting "one." This works out to: "Bet Noes." Doh! There will be no trade after all? Maybe, "Bet ones?" 1 = Tracy McGrady 1 = Stephen Jackson McGrady for Jackson, and parts? Is that it? "Ones" plural = 11 = Yao Ming? On his way out? I can bet on Yao playing for the Kings next year in Vegas? This oracle-divining is tough. Click. This steak sure is delicious.
That depends on if you have teams that WANT him, because right now, his expiring contract is what they want, but after this season that flips in value from one of his contract going away to actually DESIRING Ron on their team. And I don't think Ron has that much value and will probably not get a contract as high as he has now....so you either trade him now, or you plan to keep him....the S&T option is probably not all that valuable as an asset or trading chip. DD
DD, I'm going to get off topic for a bit. It looks to me that the Rockets (current team without mac) can still play great defense. The lakers have a very big lineup which indefinitely would create matchup problems for the Rockets. But even then, I think this team has enough to beat any team in a 7 game series. I might be biased here. What are your thoughts?
I think its TMAC + filler to the Kings for Martin, Garcia + filler. Maloofs seem to be in a salary dump mode, and the Kings suck.
