People change their mind all the time. Steve is under contract to be a Rocket next season. If he has a problem with Ming, we could probably trade him to Cleveland or Charlotte and get Miller or Davis. Remember Webber? At first, he didn't want to report to Sacramento. Now, he's signed a 7 year contract there. As far as trades, if memory serves me, the Chronicle reported a couple days ago Dawson said he's received 6 offers.
TB, You make some very valid points. I've been watching this thread closely and I had to throw some support behind you. Your tone is just fine in the initial post, sometimes you have to shout to be heard on this BBS, especially when you don't speak in riddles. I don't think drafting Ming is all that bad, however thats another topic. If indeed Francis feels that way, then he is the absolute wrong guy for this team. Basketball is a business just as much as it is a game now. Francis is tight with his team, and doesn't want to lose anyone on the team, which is why at some point during next season he'll say he was disappointed that the Rockets couldn't retain Walt Williams. Then Francis has stated that Moochie "is just as important to this team as I am". Well regardless of how close he is with the guys on the team, Francis needs to realize that the team as it stands now is a first-round-and-out team. The addition of Ming will not help us next season, but he will be an invaluable asset in two to three seasons. Ming already has professional experience, albeit not against NBA-caliber talent on a night-in-night-out basis, but enough so to show some brilliant flashes, just as another guy who wasn't expected to do much, but everyone was ecstatic to get... Eddie Griffin. There is no player, I repeat, NO PLAYER in this draft that will help us immediately. Caron Butler is a great college talent, ditto for MD Jr., JayWill, Gooden, etc. Who's to say these guys are going to come out and take the league by storm. On this BBS, we are all Rockets fans, but we are basketball fans first. And in watching and learning about basketball, we learn that the center position is one of the most difficult for a young player to learn. Yao can already shoot the rock, and is on record as saying that he would rather be a force on defense than on offense. With some help from CD and Rudy T, Yao can learn some decent post-up moves and grow with his teammates, especially Eddie Griffin whom with Yao can form a very formidable frontcourt in two years. If, a very big IF, Steve Francis does indeed feel that way, then maybe he is the key in a blockbuster trade to propel this team to the players it needs. Don't get me wrong, I love watching Steve, I watched him @ San Jac, and @ Maryland. But IF Steve is in fact is that arrogant and impatient to want a quick fix to become Minnesota for a couple of years, then as stated before, he is the wrong player for this team.
i can't believe what i just heard from my friend in seattle...see, rashard lewis and i went to high school together at elsik and were on the varsity basketball team. he has since kept in touch with me and introduced me to some of his new friends in seattle. one of whom is his teammate randy livingston. of course we all know of randy's ties with the rockets organization, and randy just called me and told me a little bit of interesting info. he says that he called carroll to congratulate him on his recent lotto luck and mr dawson said that it has turned out to be the exact opposite of luck. he then went on to ask randy whether or not he might be interested in a guard position this coming year. randy inquired further but carroll just backed off. so what my take on this is that troy might have a good idea of what is actually going on in the warrooms, i don't know where from, but somewhere obviously credible. i'll get back with y'all later. deuce
dtown333......so does rashard want to come to houston? I also know him, that if he remembers me. We played ball together at O donnel middle school. If course, I was on the bench. Ask him if he remembers Robbie or Evan!
aelliott, It is possible that Francis heard the Rockets were giving strong consideration to some enticing trade offers and he used that as an opportunity to show the appearance of influence. Mango
Huh?? What are you taking about, dude? All I said about Francis was that if he really is trying to run the team instead of letting CD and Rudy run it, then we might need to seriously think about jetting his ass out of here. Or essentially what leebigez said. So, let me ask you this, gr8-1: Would you enjoy seeing a parade of Terrapins coming to the Rockets or other Francis "buddies", when there are much better players out there to help our team?? Please tell me that you wouldn't want to see that....
I should be allowed to read it too though. I respect aelliott's tone. I don't emulate it (b/c I'm not respectable ) but I do respect it. That said, who cares if TB is right or wrong. His moniker is still TB. Sick. ba-dom-dom Actually I usually trust people. Someone has to post things over the top (ala oeilpere who's even been right a time or two and I'm still dubious about many of his posts) repeatedly for me to be wary. I will say TB... whether you heard this or not... I think it's silly of you to actually believe it. A point guard that doesn't know how to run the point won't make huge overtures to his boss as to how to discern talent. He'll shut up when his employers rationalize the path they will take. Don't you find that more sane than "draft another midget so we can play a revolutionary five guard lineup".
Keep this in mind, If the Rockets have another lottery season, Rudy T is most likely going to be replaced. With that said, the Rockets are not going to throw what they have been working on for 4 years now away. Believe it or not this is now Steve's team, not to say he is the GM but the team is going to be built around him. At the end of the day Steve will have a much better carrer than Yao will. But when did the last team win a championship ( with the exception of MJ ) with out a dominant big man in the middle. In order for the Rockets to win the championship again they are going to have to sign a SURE thing big man. much easier said than done though
I Like these opinions this is great interesting debates going on. By the way I was able to meet Caron butler today, out of all the draft picks Rockets have worked out, this guy wants to wear the pinstripes bad!!!!! If he is around a #15 I hope they take him. but thats wishful thinking. His attitude is very warm and he plays good D.
don't underestimate TroyBaros! Notice how Doc Rocket latched onto his words in the first page of this 5 pager. That certainly means something!! Then again, Doc latched onto TheRocketGuy once, too. Bad choice!! But that has nothing to do with Troy's sources.
...but I am still waiting for Troy to clarify some of the points that were raised by aelliott. That would be a feather in Troy's hat to get the best of aelliott. Mango
Hopefully, if Steve doesn't like the idea of drafting Yao Ming, he can be brought around to management's way of thinking. Otherwise send his ass to Chicago, send Jay-Dub (#2 pick) to Cleveland, bring us Andre Miller. I don't want to start over, but if we do, I'll take Andre. Cleveland's gonna d!ck the guy anyway.
If it’s true that Francis really is making ultimatums and trying the bully Rocket management then I say they go ahead and trade him. Francis, Thomas, and the 15th go to the Cavs. Miller and the 6th pick go to the Rockets. With the 6th pick the Rockets can draft Butler, Dunleavy, or Woods. Future Lineup: Ming Griffen Butler or Dunleavy or Woods Mobley Miller
3-way. Steve to Chicago, JDub to Cleveland, Andre here. Steve won't re-sign in Cleveland. He might in Chicago. But let's hope all this anti-Ming talk from Steve is a smokescreen.
As much as I dont like how this sounds, Ive had a small hunch that Francis was never 100% sold on the Rockets and re-signing. When I spoke with him back in February at Ling & Javier about staying with us long term, he didnt exactly give me a good vibe that he was going to re-sign with the Rockets. In fact he said something to the effect of: I dont know man, I have to weigh all my options. Not exactly comforting words for a die hard fan. Obviously this was way before the draft last weekend, but its intriguing nonetheless.
Not that I'm advocating trading Steve, but if you have to trade him, look for a big man first. If you have your heart set on a PG, however, then I'd prefer to involve New Orleans for Baron Davis rather than Andre Miller.
