I do agree with you that we shouldn't have traded SS because we lose an extra trading asset. The trade is going to be mutually beneficial but is very lopsided in favor of Memphis from a longrun perspective. Where I don't agree with you is that we should have traded away JH. I really find it funny how we spent an entire season bashing SS but are so outraged when he is expendable rather than JH. First of all, he was probably the most consistent player last year. And it wouldn't have made much of a difference financially because we would still be at or right below the salary cap with trading either of them and their contracts end the same year. If you think JH is a liability on an NBA team then wait till SS cracks the lineup.
Face it, the Rockets management is bad at buying low and selling high, but excels the other way around. Don't mention the T-Mac trade cuz it's a fall in the lap. That means player's value gets depreciated in their hands pretty quickly. Look at how they let Kenny Thomas and Posey go for nothing, wasting 3 first round picks for a headcase, wasting TE after TE, cheap selling Mike James for Rafer Alston etc... The Rockets management's expertise is to turn SS's thin postive value into a zero or negative one because they suck. They suck at making more, good at cheap selling. They suck at using leverage and play the poker game. They are like this crappy second hand car dealer who thinks they've done a grand job exchanging a Lexus for a Camry. Don't be fooled when they tell you they can't sell Swift, a back up pf and C who can get 35 minutes on both positions on a frontcourt thin team, because Swift blows, the fact it the Rockets staff blows. A three month apprentice in a Houston pawn shop does a better sales job than them. They are just not SHREWD businessmen. They are getting played by Jerry West, who may not be the talent finder he's cracked up to be(although still one of the best in the NBA), but nonetheless a shrewd businessman.
I agree that Swift had zero or negative trade value. Another layer on this is that we have been hearing JVG saying nice things about Chuck Hayes. Plug Hayes into Swift's old role. Which is more productive? And don't give me a simple quote to 9 ppg and 5 boards. where do we find Hayes' plus minus stats? I doubt Hayes could play worse individual and team defense, with Swift getting lost regularly on rotations and forgetting plays on offense. Swift is the kind of guy the opposition could distract by jingling a set of keys. If Swift < Hayes, he had zero or negative trade value AND was a case of addition by subtraction. for all those that love Rudy Gay, you may be forced to conclude that this deal benefitted both Houston and Memphis. for all those that insist that we could have gotten more for Gay, show me some internet rumor or semblance of evidence of that.
You raise some good points. I am certian in the worst case we could have packaged Stor with another asset- to get another S&T asset. Stro did not work out here- there are not many coaches who call plays every time you have the ball! And to be fair, giivng Juwan miunutes was not exactly the kind of motivation that worked for Stro! Either you are right about a deal for Juwan- which I honestly do not believe will happen - or we would have something done with the Trail Blazers by now. I will be ecstatic even now if they did the Miles for Juwan trade!!!!!!!! I am afraid JVG loves Juwan and he an Rybo are untouchable!
I think the Miles deal is probably dead. I'd like to see it happen but just don't see it possible. If we get MJ with the MLE. And then use the TE to get Memphis to S&T BJax to us, we can then dangle Luther as trade bait for a young PF. Maimi's Wayne Simien???
Major, great thread, and I agree. One other thing/angle we should consider. Maybe the Rockets had this train of thought..... Ok, we will use the 8th pick (whether draft or trade) and our MLE and LLE this offseason. Outside possibilities aside. Maybe the mindset in dumping Swift, is to enable us, to use the 4.2 million TE which is a similar chunk of salary (or close). If we have Yao/Deke Juwan/TE/Chuck/novak (I would love the TE to start) Battier/McGrady/Bogans )I want to see him keptover Rybo) McGrady/Head/James Alston/James Our entire offseason hinges on either something unpredictable happening (but with those dumb bastards unlikely) or using the MLE and TE on good rotation players.
Hubie Brown is on record as saying Swift was the 2nd best player in Memphis. West said he wanted to keep him just not for the money Swift wanted. West also said he felt the team really missed Swift this year. If Swift was the 2nd best player in Memphis, what does that say about this trade?
You guys are forgetting that Memphis is worried about losing Lorezen Wright in free agency. Taking back Swift, a guy they liked to play at center, isn't as big of a poison pill as you guys are making it out to be.
No, if he is their 2nd best player (maybe 3rd with getting Gay) the Rockets are the ones in trouble. Because what in the hell would Battier look like when JVG gets his hands on him. JVG has a nasty habit of making guys look worse than they are.
Swift is not happy about returning to Memphis. He has always thought he did not get a fair shot at starting in Memphis. He has not returned any calls from the Grizzlies. I think he will be moved shortly after the moratorium is lifted. Swift/Cardinal/D Jones for K Mart?
Yes, JVG used the same players as Rudy and made the playoffs. Then again with some new guys. Then he had an injury plagued season that no team in recent history has felt except maybe the Spurs with David Robinson. They won less games than we did. JVG went to the finals with Allan Houston, Larry Johnson, Marcus Camby and Charlie Ward. Boy he sure did make those guys look bad. JVG is a winner. Plain and simple. He squeezes every drop of possibility from his players. Players like Stromile aren't ever going to show up night-in night-out. That's why he is gone. He had ONE losing season and it is DEFINITELY because of injuries. JVG is no loser. He's the best coach we've had since Rudy quit drinking. Tell me, if Yao is a 22/10 guy with the Rockets, would he be 30/14 elsewhere? Gundy gets the best from players that are willing to chip in. If they aren't willing to chip in, then he can't do anything about that. What's wrong with that? He's not sitting there trying to turn coal into gold. He's trying to make gold as valuable as possible. JVG is the best thing that has happened to the Rockets in a long time. Yao became the player he is under JVG, not Rudy. Look at the numbers. 14/8 to 18/9 year one to year two. Rudy was the year one free flowing, passing the ball behind his back Yao. All these other stat years are under Gundy and HIS team. Some idiots on here think Phil Jackson or Larry Brown could save the day. Phil Jackson has never won anything without having the NBA's most dominant player on earth (Shaq/Jordan). Larry Brown would be great. He squeezes every drop of talent out of his guys too, but do you want to deal with that ego? His ego would not be small enough to fit in Texas. I cannot think of a coach in the NBA that I'd rather have than JVG. He's funny, he wants to win, players generally like him, he doesn't take credit for wins... JVG is the man and he's a perfect fit here. He lost to the Lakers squad with Steve Francis, Mobley, Yao. Not a big surprise. What is a surprise? He won a game from the Lakers. He almost beat the Mavericks without a PF to speak of. JVG has fallen on hard luck, but still does his BEST for us. Get off his case. In Jeff I trust!
Yeah, but which two? Actually, I agree with most of what you say. Next season rests on the fickle back of T-Mac.
dude do you EVER have any kind of link/proof for these comments you make? btw great freaking post don. i'm in full agreement. i really like van gundy, hopefully he can get this thing turned around immediately. as for swift, i've been saying since draft night that he has zero value. with van gundy's fondness for chuck hayes and his great production in limited time, i think he's capable at the minimum to easily match swift's numbers and be more effective. i EXPECT him to surpass them actually. he's a superior rebounder and defender. as a basketball player his iq seems to be twice as high. addition by subtraction at the four.
Major you cover a lot of good points except the most glaring one of all... Why Swift and not Juwan? There's just no way Swift has less trade value than Juwan, or even the same trade value as Juwan.. But, just for the sake of argument, let's say they're about the same in negative trade value... Why swift and not Juwan? I don't buy this whole, "Juwan was atleast consistent" crap, yes he was consistent... at giving overall negative value to the team and negative impact with almost all the possible combinations JVG used last year. It's one thing to have no impact at all, but negative impact? Plus with Swift, atleast you can still play the 'potential card'. Juwan hasn't even that redeeming fact. Like I said in another post, Swift may be soft and stupid but, Juwan's just as soft and slow, and old, and negatively impacts the team on the floor no matter how consistent he is. Atleast, with Swift you could still slight hope but, with Juwana you already know you're gonna get what you're gonna get and it's crap.
