Sura, James, Wesley and Barry can't ALL come back...

It's going to be a long offseaon circling around these kind of topics.

 

It did seem like Dallas lit Wesley up. He's just not tall enough, they shot over him all series.

 

Look the biggest problem in the playoffs wasn't Sura, James, Wesley, or Barry. The biggest problem was that this team did not have a power forward that could defend Nowitski, therefore, McGrady took that task and got tired.

First and froemost, this team needs to get a powerforward that can compliment Yao Ming. Howard at this stage in his career is a solid backup guy. But, he does not bring in the energy that is required for playing next to the dominant center that is Yao. Plus to top it off, he was injured and didn't even play in the last month of the regular season.

Essentially the Rockets fed into the Mavericks hands, and there was nothing they could do about it. Because McGrady was playing powerforward, the size dominance that Yao had was wasted. The game became an up and down tempo. Yao for all of his advantages if caught in an up and down game is religated to a mere spectator with nice stats but no dominance.

Barry, James, Surra, and Wesley played well and helped lead the Rockets to a 51 win regular season.

Barry is the exact guy we dream of coming off the bench. He can drain a 3 pointer 1 second after taking the floor and never miss a beat. He brings a lot of energy. Of course sometimes too much celebration, but I'll take emotion anyday.

James is instant offense. He's a loaded gun. He is ideal for coming off the bench. He is the exact scorer every team needs off the bench and craves.

Sura was so tough last year that it reminded all of us what it takes to win championships. He made sure that this team doesn't have the nice tag attached. Yao even was pumping his fist in anger during the playoffs. Did he learn something from Sura who never ever backed down from anyone.

Wesley seems to be the odd man out for almost everyone here. But, I liked the way he played the whole year. Of course he makes this team a lot smaller. But, he can defend 95% of NBA players with his stocky tough frame. He is the one pushing around and making it tough on his opponents. Sure, it was exposed in the Playoffs that he can be outplayed, but I think this was due in part because of the deficiancies in the rest of the team. All year long everyone was ecstatic over Wesley. But, sure he did have a bad post season, now everyone wants to trade him.

 

Joe Johnson was hurt yesterday. I bet he will be another player when he comes back. We don't need a damaged Johnson.

 

The biggest problem in the playoffs was Yao was in foul trouble the whole series. A big reason why Yao was in foul trouble all the time was because the Dallas guards were blowing by our guards and getting into the lane with such ease.

 

from New Jack:

I agree that the we collapsed on the peimeter in that series. For all the talk about our 4's, I give JVG credit for pretty much neutralizing Dirk.

But I think it's a minority opinion here. We get Sura hopefully healthy next year, Wesley who just looked slow (my biggest surprise) and James, who I still think was told JVG to score in that series and ask questions later.

The media can bash T-Mac and Yao all the want to, but our perimeter defense after game 2 rarely showed up and we simply not the same team we were for most of the second half of the season.

 

its called a TEAM, any player would sacrifice himself for the team, if he cannot handle that, he doesn't deserve to play for us. Done deal.

 

A foursome of James, Sura, Wesley, and Barry might have been the worse combination of guard play in the playoffs. I can't think of a team in the playoffs that didn't have better players at these positions.

Athleticism on the perimeter and power forward are the biggest areas of improvment. We all know that. Yao will benefit from upgrades in either area. The important thing is to diversify your talent and don't have multiple guys in the rotation that do the same thing.

 

good question

 

Yep. Quickness on the perimeter is a huge key for us especially in light of the rule changes favoring the dribble drive and pick and roll. Yao was the interior defense and the help defense all rolled into one. We've got to have better perimeter defense. That's why I believe that guys like Daniels will be a premium.

But we also need more quickness to come from the weakside so we have to get younger at the 4 spot also.

 

JB, deke, and bowen will be back. those 3, along with james made a very nice bench. if we draft an athletic 3 or 4, bowen can play the other position and we will be 10 deep.


sura has to stay. we will miss his heart if we trade him.


wesley should go. package him with a few other ending contracts and see what offers get to the table.


we can also look to sign someone like joe johnson or spree, to upgrade the 2.

 

No way the Suns let him go to the Rockets. the best we could offer him is the MLE and the Suns would match that in a heartbeat. As for Spree, I think he is almosy washed up and I just dont think his me-first attitude is good on this team.

Our best bets to upgrade at the 2 will be either signing Simmins or Mobley. Hopefully one of them accepts the MLE.

 

Keep Mike James and either Barry or Wesley. Bye Sura and one of the two.

 

..and they were still light years better than our PFs.

I think all will return but we still could very much use a more athletic, bigger, 2. All but Mike James in fact played more minutes than they should have. Given the age and injury history of Sura, Barry and Wesley, we should have 5 quality guards next year (excluding Tmac), thus I expect all of these 4 plus one more to be on the team.

As for Joe Johnson, someone said get him at all costs. That is what it would take, Yao or Tmac, to get him. I'd rather stick with Yao and Tmac.

 

The perimiter defense broke down because there was no low post presence. Yao is still too slow to react and is always caught in foul trouble. If the Rockets would have had a Cato type player in the game, then Yao would not have been in the type of foul trouble he found himself in. And the perimiter defense would not have looked that bad.

Look we are talking about the best athletes in the world. The will blow by their defenders. In the NBA, they make it tougher each and every year on the defensive end. That means that the interior defense must react. And when Yao who is STILL learning to play defense and is TOO SLOW, then he will continue to be in foul trouble. Too bad that Mutumbo is not quick enough to play power forward This team would still be playing.

It's funny because based on what a lot of you guys post, is based on the outcome (do you all even pay attention to the game). When the Rockets were winning the first 2 games nobody was complaining about the perimiter players. Even when they won the first 2 games, it was McGrady who simply put his imprint on the game like the greatest.

And with all due respect for Wesley, Barry, and Surra neither is know a consisten threat as a penetrator. They are all spot up shooters. And that is the team the Rockets are building. But, because the Mavs beat the Rockets with penetration, then everyone wants to bolt ship and play like the Mavs.

The most important thing the Rockets need to surround McGrady and Yao are an athletic rebounding power forward and sharp shooting guards. If you guys can work a trade to get rid of everyone except our two star, and get us the ideal players (the power forward I described above) and still have the shap shooting guards, then trade whomever you want on the team.

But, I'm just appalled that someone said that the reason the Rockets lost was because of Yao Mings had fouls (that's almost as absurd as saying that the Rockets only lost because they were outscored in 4 games out of the 7 -- then call themselves an analyst) .

The hole at the PF was just too much for the Rockets to overcome (period!!!!)

 

Resign Barry...
Keep James...
I don't think Sura is that good... but this forum seems to love him.
I'd get rid of Sura.
Wesley is one of our best 3 point shooters, but we don't need too many, we already have McGrady, Padgett, James, and Barry if resigned, all who can hit the 3.

So I'd get rid of Sura and Wesley.

 

from Zacatecas:

I think you and Desert Scar are in the majority opinion here. But I can't disagree more. Yao makes defensive plays and most never get near the stat sheet.

There's still the perception that a 7'6 guy should own the paint, but the way he's officiated he's probably being coached to give up layu-ups. The problem in the Mav's series after game 2 Wesley and Sura couldn't stay in front of their guys.

In the few minutes Deke played in game 7, he couldn't do anything defensively either. The meltdown in that game was the awareness of the Mav's that our guards were going to crowd the 3 point line and have no prayer when guys blew by them.

Josh Howard hurt us throughout with penetration, but I believe JVG thought we could live with that if Dirk was somewhat neutralized. Coaches do have to pick their posion and Terry's shooting exposed our defensive lack of speed in ways that I wouldn't have believed possible.

This is a chicken or egg type disagreement, buy Yao heard from the world that he had to stay out of foul trouble throughout the series. I do not fault JVG's schemes, but we lost that series because Sura, James and particularly Wesley didn't come near the defensive performance JVG an us had every reason to expect after game two.

 

The breakdown in game 7 was because we were spent. Deke totally destroyed the Mavs penetration in game 6, but simply could not react to the very same plays the next game. Yao is effective as well, and can learn to control the paint somewhat like Deke, but isn't quite there yet. Still, overall our defense was pretty good this year and that was with .75 of a legit PF on the team all year long.

Declan, unless I misunderstand, I don't think I disagree with you as much as you think. I would like to add a more athletic guard or swingman this offseason. But there is no conflict with bringing Barry back for the min and doing this. Barry, Wesley & Sura at different times played too many minutes, are no spring chickens, and/or have injuries--there is nothing wrong with having Sura, James, Wesley, Barry and X player representing 5 NBA level guards you can't count on. I could see Barry be the Eddie Johnson type--may not see minutes for some games (if the other 4 are doing the job) but if you need him he is ready to knock down shots. How can you not want a guy like that on the end of your bench. James and player X would be the athletes. A Raja Bell or AD or Spree (though a little old) or drafted athletic swingman would be a big asset. But that is secondary to adding another PF.

 

Wesley.

He's too streaky from 3. He's streaky from 2 as well.

Additionally, he was the first one to give up in game 7. That really pissed me off. He quit long before anybody else.