Rockets Team Report By Michael Murphy/Houston Chronicle Big men, small forwards dominate draft wish list MAY 31, 2001 The Rockets have been auditioning a long list of big men, but recent developments may have them rushing in the small forward candidates. Shandon Anderson opted out of the third year of the free-agent deal he signed with the Rockets back in 1999, leaving the Rockets thin at the small forward (and shooting guard) position. The only candidates that have passed through town thus far are Terence Morris and Joe Johnson. Morris has the four-year resume that Rudy Tomjanovich likes, but his performance has declined since he arrived on the scene during a sensational freshman year at Maryland. His Terrapin connection with Steve Francis won't hurt, either. Johnson is a bright prospect who can shoot and take it to the hole, but he is still a bit raw, especially in the physical sense. There is one small forward the Rockets wouldn't mind landing, but at No. 13 they probably won't have a shot at him. And this small forward isn't so small. Pau Gasol, a 7-1 forward who is sort of the Spanish version of Dirk Nowitzki or Toni Kukoc, would be a nice addition to the roster. But few expect Gasol who is nicknamed "E.T." because of his long, lanky build, to be there when the Rockets finally select. Still, the Rockets thought enough of Gasol to have two scouts make their way to Europe to take a look at him. Gasol's season with FC Barcelona won't end until mid-June, which means he won't be at the Chicago predraft camp and will not be available for individual workouts. Any of Gasol's defensive deficiencies -- which are plenty if you listen to some scouts -- should be minimized by the adoption of the zone defense this year. And Gasol's long reach and offensive ability will allow him to get his shot off against most small forwards. The only conceivable impediments to drafting Gasol is that he might opt to stay in Spain and the fact there is a $2 million buyout on the last season of his contract. NBA teams are only permitted to pay $350,000 toward the buyout of the contract, which means a pretty hefty chunk of Gasol's salary could be siphoned off toward a buyout. . . . In other draft-related news, the Rockets brought in Arizona's Michael Wright on Tuesday, Cal's Sean Lampley and Morris on Wednesday. Southern Cal's Brian Scalabrine, Stanford's Jarron Collins and 6-9 Yugoslavian Vladimir Radmanovic were due in today. Michael Bradley, Ken Johnson, Eric Chenowith, Brendan Haywood and Loren Woods have all rolled through town, giving the Rockets a good look at the big men who are expected to be available at No. 13. "They've all done well so far," Rockets vice president Carroll Dawson said. "Johnson and Chenowith shot the ball better than we thought. Bradley is a good all-around player. Woods was quicker, a good all-around player. They all did well. As we say, they didn't cut themselves." http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/teams/rockets/ ------------------ President of the Mo Taylor and Jason Collier fan club! Draftsource.net-- the premier source for draft info. Profiles, rankings, mock drafts, and more!
I have seen him play over 10 times this season. Morris reminds me alot of Robert Horry, an above average weak side shot blocker with good defensive instincts and an ability to stroke the 3 pointer. Good rebounder for his position and sometimes gets lost in games just like Horry, kinda lets the game come to him. Ill bet Morris and Horry have similar college numbers. He would be a nice fit on a team with ball distributors like Francis and Moochie. ------------------
Damn, I sure hope I see Richard Jefferson in Rocket sweats on the news soon. If defense is what Rudy and CD like, BRING HIM IN. I can't wait. I don't know what I'd do if we pass him up at 13 and he gets picked before 18. I went to about 5 Zona games this year and he was shining bright. Hey, Bill Walton might actually stick up for the Rockets once in a while since Jefferson and Luke Walton were roommates and are best friends. ------------------ "They couldn't shoot, rebound, or pass, but other than that, they played great!" -Bill Walton
jump shooter: really good assessment of Morris. I lot of people are down on him since he's earned that "softy" tag, and he does disappear too often on the offensive end, but for the Rockets system he'll be a good fit, especially if Rudy wants a "big" sf, ie one that can rebound and block some shots in addition to stroking the 3. ------------------ Lisa, I'd like to buy your rock...
I've seen Morris play at he looks more down-trodden than Kelvin Cato. I'm not saying that he doesn't care because that may be his natural expression , but it seems to me that he is completely disintrested with the outcome of the game and of the game of basketball itself. Of course thats his affair, but I'm not to sure we need another type of player , like that , own the Rockets. ------------------ [This message has been edited by ROCKETBOOSTER (edited June 01, 2001).]
Terence Morris would be a really good fit for this team and should be on the board at either the 18th or 22nd picks. The main reason for him falling this far is that people expected a lot more out of his college career after its excellent start. Morris plays best when he is a secondary option and can play off penetrators like the Rockets have. On the offensive end, he is very comfortable spotting up and knocking down shots. His game on offense is based on spotting up as opposed to creating off the dribble. He is 6-9 with long arms, plays solid defense and rebounds well for a SF. Morris would definitely be a nice player to help address the SF situation. ------------------ Check out the Best Source for Draft Info Draftsource.net
The 22nd pick would be too high for him. If the rockets really want him they should trade down and use a second round pick on him. A lot of the mock drafts i see on the internet have him going in the early to mid second round. Some even have him going at the end of the second round. ------------------
MManal, you're getting ahead yourself here, aren't you? All what you said may be good and all but Terrance Morris loafs it on the court. his body language is horrible. You may say, "aw naw, thats becasue he is a gazelle, but I say, "yeah he may be a gazellealright..right out of Kelvin Cato's stock. This guy is classic anti-Brkley, man! ------------------ [This message has been edited by ROCKETBOOSTER (edited June 01, 2001).]
Mock Drafts don't mean too much IMHO. Morris could easily become the steal of this draft. A perfect NBA Small Forward Body, sweat jump shot, very athletic. The only thing in question is his heart, I would happily take him with #22, because chances are that we probably wont land a team-changing player there anyway. ------------------ Never Underestimate the Heart of a Champion
