Although i'm not the biggest proponet for Swift, at the price I think the Rox did well for the team. I've seen the guy play and he kinda runs hot and cold, but he's playing with a super star in McGrady and a star in Ming so thats 2 things he never had in Memphis. Even with that, i think the Rox still can use those expiring contracts to really shore up the team. Maybe they're like everyone else and are waiting to see who gets cut with the amnesty rule, but the rox can manuver without and get who they want and need. Like I said earlier, I think there are guys availible because of the glut on there team. It depends on how atheletic the rox want to be. As i said, the Spurs are the team we're trying to or need to catch. Look at the makeup and see how we could counter their team and really make life hell for them also. I would like to see what it would take to get Al Harrington,Desmond Mason or Gerald Wallace with contracts. I really like Harrington because he's a big 3 who can also play the 4. He's very atheletic and quick at 6'9 254lbs who when in Indy played the 3 with O'Neal and the 4 for O'neal. He would be able to guard bowen and or walk manu or one of those guys into the blks. Also he could guard Horry on the perimeter. He makes what Spoon makes, so maybe a trade can be facilitated. I also like Desmond mason.He's 27 and very atheletic, goes to the foul line 6 times a game and is a good ft shooter and defender at either the 2/3. He too can post some and is aggressive. The rox helped themselves, but hopefully its not over far as adding role players. Its a great step, but it only 1 step and puts us no closer to beating the Spurs than last yr, but adding another player or so can.
Desomon Mason would be great on the Rockets! But I dont see how we can get him from the Bucks. Gerald Wallace also would be great off the bench. But his lack of outside shot would only make him a "off the bench guy." In another thread someone brought up Morris Peterson. Like Mason, he would make an excellant 2 guard for this team. He is long, athletic, has 3 pt range and is a good perimeter defender and can play both the 2 and the 3.
Did anyone notice how many more ft's the mavs shot vs the Rox in the playoffs? Why? Because the slashers of the Mavs were drawing fouls. Other than McGrady, who else gets into the defense and draws fouls? No one which is my point. With a guy like Wallace or Mason or even Harrington, the Rox would add a guy who gets to the line and gets the other teams bigs into foul trouble which would open other things up. i'm not so big on a guy shooting 3's all the time bacuse a lot of times the Rox shoot too many and don't get to the line. mcGrady shoots more 3's than I care for as with Barry,James and Sura, but its times in the game when someone needs to get a foul or at least foul shot. This is what Wallace,Harrington or Mason can do. Mason makes about 7m per for 2 more seasons. Maybe a sign and trade using spoon and a 1st can make it happen. Wallace can be had for cheaper and Harrington makes 6m also. So the rox can get somethings done.
We need to trade some of our expiring contracts to the Bobcats for a signed-and-traded Gerald Wallace (if that can be done; I think Charlotte has his bird rights). Plus we throw in a #1 pick. Someone at the 2/3, so that Tracy can play fewer minutes, and we have someone to take it to the basket.
next up is going to be damon in a S&T. he might want something equal to the MLE. he is an upgrade over sura who is making $3M. $5M for damon seems fair. wesley for damon would work well for both teams. we can extend the trade to include sura (to make room for damon) and spoon (to make the cap equal) for DA. them: pryz-ratliff randolf-spoon miles-outlaw wesley-sura telfair-jack us: yao-deke-baker STRO!!!-Jho-baxter tmac- DA-JB-head-ward damon-james-moochie after that i can see JVG bringing in spree for the LLE. we would then move DA to backup SF. not exactly what i would hope for but thats what i would bet on.
I'm a big fan of Desmond Mason's game. I read somewhere that the Hornets intend to match any offers for Wallace (within reason). I think we would have to give up Mike James at the least and likely picks in any package to get Harrington off the Hawks. Not sure if we really have enough to get him. Mason would be great, but a poor man's version of him (Dion Glover) can also be signed dirt cheap instead. My dream pickup is Antonio Daniels.
Harrington would be my man. With harrington, Manu would have to guard McGrady which is a super benefit to us. Against Detroit, Prince would have to guard Harrington because he's too big for Hamiton. My point is to keep the teams best defender off McGrady. Also when or if Swift gets into foul trouble Harrington could slide over and play the 4 also. Against dallas, it would be no way that Daniels or Howard could guard Harrington. It would put alot of teams in a disadvantage right off the bat. Plus he's 25 yrs old.
i thinke desmond mason would be great because he can get to the rim and score, defend and rebound. plus, with the simmons signing in milwaukee i think he'll become available. the rockets should really look into a deal with the bucks for him.
I would love to have any of these guys, but I doubt they're attainable without at least taking on some ugly, ugly contracts.
This is a good point you make. I'm not sure if TMac would prefer to be guarded by some opposing teams' 2 guards though. It would decrease the margin of his quickness advantage on some nights. In any case, do you think Bonzi Wells would give us a similar setup if we unable to get Harrington? Bonzi is a killer post-up player down low. He would eat up Manu or Hamilton in the paint, for instance.
Good points. Yao/Dikembe Stro/Howard Tmac/ /Barry Head/James Who knows..maybe we can get Finley . We can sign Dion Glover. Desmond Mason would be awesome backup..Antonio Daniels would be good starting point guard with Head backup. Maybe we should keep Wesley.
I like the guys mentioned earlier (D.Mason and A. Harrington) but how the heck could we get either?.... Milwaukee needs a PF and ATL needs a point guard and although we have a ton of guards, our guys are old and/or former Hawk players (Sura, Barry, Wesleym etc.) and Mike James + Spoon isnt gonna get it done b/c i believe Harrington contract expires at the end of this year as well. I'd say our best bet is getting DA or Darius Miles from Portland in a S&T for Mighty Mouse. My preference is Darius Miles for his defensive abilities, but I could settle for DA.
I think all the ideas in here are solid. Nearly every player makes us taller, quicker and more athletic. None of the players are great 3 point shooters, though, but I think you give that up for overall improved athleticism and defense.
I think you start with alike salaries and a pick. Spoon and a 1st for harrington or some other combo to get to his 6.7 mill. Mason makes 7.3 and has 2 yrs. The same can be done or said with a contract and a pick.
Harrington's better used as a 4...that's no longer a need. I like Gerald Wallace. His problem is, he can't shoot. At all. Other problem, he's a restricted free agent. With our MLE shot, the most we can offer is 1.7 mill - Charlotte would jump all over matching that. Mason is under contract. It wouldn't be a sign and trade. Do you seriously think Spoon and a 1st (from a team that was a 51 win team and just got a pretty significant talent upgrade) is anywhere near being right for him? If all they want is a pick, Charlotte would probably love a talented wing like Mason, wouldn't make Milwaukee take back a waste of a contract, and can offer a better pick. If Mason is on the block, you'll see MUCH better offers than a deadweight contract, and a pick from a virtual lock of a playoff team. The Rockets may be hearing you, though. On the summer team, Dion Glover and to an extent Lonny Baxter are both very proficient at exactly what you want. Baxter will struggle to make the roster unless we can move dead weight around, but we're surprisingly short of 2/3s, so Glover's probably played his way to camp and maybe more.
Playing the 2, McGrady is still quicker than any other 2 besides Kobe. Plus he'll be shooting over shorter guys. Why do people forget he has been a 2 for really his entire career. In orlando thats what he was. He can defend anyone on the perimeter when he wants to. Anyone.
Indeed. Underrated among fans, Mason is probably not so in the league. The guy did score over 17 ppg last year and has had over 14 ppg all but 2 seasons. His rebounding suffered a little last year, but over 6 boards a game 3 times in his career and over 2 apg 3 times as well. He would be the perfect SG, it seems.
I hate to throw this around, but Harrington is a unique player. His size,quickness and ability suggest the 4, but when he was in Indy, he played with O'Neal at the 3. Artest would slide and play the 2 when Reggies was out. He can and would be effective playing the 3 because he's quick and moves very well. He's not a 3 pt shooter but he gets to the hole. As for Wallace, he's a slasher and a very good rebounder defensive guy for the 2/3. A sign and trade option might be enough. Atl getting a pick for a guy who will only play one more yr there might be enough, plus the contract is up aftre the season.
Nobody's forgotten that he used to play the 2. And there's no doubt he still has one of the quickest first steps in bball history. But my point is that his quickness advantage against opposing teams' SF's is just off the charts. He can even get to the rim at will when dead tired and going thru the motions right now. You move him to the 2 and IMO, he will invariably have to expend more energy on both offense and D.
