the rockets record against "good" teams this year compared to last year is much improved. that means once we get into the playoffs, we are much more battle-tested and proven. i don't think there's any question that this team is better than a year ago.
We did come out better in this trade, but Tmac also wanted come here... In this day and age i hope tmac and Yao stay happy and dont go anywhere
Yeah, I'm not seeing fans here demanding to reverse the trade or trade T-Mac, but the Magic fans are finding out what Francis ball is all about... we are satisfied with the trade and they are not, therefore we have won the trade.
CORRECTION! The trade worked out "magically" for the Rockets, and Orlando has no "Magic" left, and will probably go in dismantling mode again after they get rid of Francis. I still love SF3, but I think we all know what's been happening in Orlando under his "lack of leadership". So lets look into the future (La Bomba: in the year 2000...): The Magic dismantle as Dwight Howard gives an ultimatum to the Orlando GM Weisass Jr. (his father was fired) that it is either him or Steve Francis on the team. SF3 responded by saying "it is jus' a binnuness man!", and when asked if he would miss his friend Jameer Nelson, he responded by saying, "If I am traded, I don't know what I'ld wake up for anymore". Jameer Nelson had no comment in response to that, but felt compelled to hold a press conference and reassure the media/his fans of his strong heterosexual tendencies the Rockets' Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming are excited to start yet another championship run, hoping to bring to Houston its second back-to-back championship since Olajuwon and Drexler accomplished the feat back in 1995. Yao Ming credited his ascendance to superstardom to his mom's General Tso Chicken. At his mansion in Sugar Land, Tracey McGrady was having Bob Sura, Jon Barry, and David Wesley over for a game of cards. They discussed the champinship journey and offered insight on what kept them going through the playoffs, "Man, I have to credit it all to the Chuksta," said Barry, "He kept calling our team soft over and over again, and placed a bet with Kenny Smith to lose 100 pounds if the Rockets win the championship. And then out of nowhere, Yao became a beast! He averaged 30 pts and 15 rb/game through the playoffs." T-Mac and Sura nodded in agreement
I gotta agree with hotballa. SF is a much better person than Marbury, although I do think their skill-level is very comparable. I have always compared Steve to Marbury in terms of talent, ever since his second-year in the league. But given a choice? It ain't even close! SF wins hands down.
This is true, SF has great locker room presence, but on the floor, he simply isn't wired to be a true floor general. If the Magic could get their hands on a veteran PG who's won before like Eric Snow or someone of that ilk, It would do that team a whole lot of good. I sometimes think that Weisbro made that trade for Christie to get Cat away from urging SF to play 2 on 5 The Magic always sem to make decent decisions that blow up in their face. For SF's sake, I hope he gets the hell away from them ASAP, though i can't picture Franchise ever taking a game off to force manageemnt's hand (which seems to be the most effective way to force a trade these days)
I don't understand why everyone is so concerned with getting the "better of the deal". It used to be that teams were so scared of dealing with Red Auerbach that they refused to trade with him since he always got the better deal. Donald Trump said a good deal is a deal that works well for both parties, otherwise no one will want to deal with you. Regardless of how you feel about Francis it is in the Rox best interest not to appear as a wheeler-dealer. I hope Francis and the Magic make the playoffs and do well. We're not even in the same conference as the Magic so who even cares if they do better. We won't even face them again unless we both win our conferences and meet in the finals and the odds on that are probably 1,000,000 to 1, so why all the hate towards the Magic? If the Magic feel that they got screwed in the trade then we will never be able to trade with them again (unless they hire Isiah as their GM - LOL) but if both teams fell like they won then we may have a chance to trade again in the future.
Yes, I agree, it's sad. It's not like he dissed the city or anything. Hell, he didn't even want to leave. I live out of town, but someone wrote that he even paid for a full page ad in the Chronicle thanking the city of Houston for suppoting him while he was there. He may not have played up to the expectations that many had for him, but he was and for that matter, still is a hell of a player.
The Magic hands were tied. TMac wanted out. How will the Magic blame us for the TMac forced trade? It was their *own* player demanding the trade. Thus, recognizing the situation...CD made an offer, the Magic took it. The Magic did what they had to do; salvage the following season as best they could. In the future they will use SF as trade bait. So, if they are able to get something in return. Then, that's all the Magic care about. At least they got something. As far as who get the better deal? You'll understand 3-4 years from now.
I guess you misunderstood my point. I'm not in favor of the Rox getting a worse deal, just in favor of a win/win situation (perhaps you've heard of it?) - if not read Steven Covey's - "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People". There is such a thing where both teams can be better of by "players having a change of scenery". I just don't understand why you would feel that unless the Magic did worse then we didn't get a good deal. To me it is irrelevant. I'm only concerned with how much the Rox improve - whether the Magic do better or worse is not my concern - unless they are playing each other. I just don't understand why you feel that it is important that the Rox get the better deal. If the Magic feel that they got a better deal then they will want to deal with us again, but if they feel that we got the better of them and they got screwed then they wil never want to deal with us again.
Yes, it's true that "Players having a change of scenery" happned. But look at WHO was acquired and for what. The Magic were forced into the trade by Tmac. It just happens that we DID get the better deal. That's just the way it IS. Not the way it wish it. And history will show this. So, you ask. Why do I care? Because we got aways like bandits and that's good for the Rockets. Do you think I should care that we got a worse deal? I mean, come on. Look at the player. One IS better than the other. How much more obvious can it be? All we are doing is pointing out what's obvious now that wasn't so clear a few months ago. And as time goes on, it will become more clear. I'll tell you what. When you are GM of the Cavs, you can trade LeBron to Memphis for Gasol, Williams and Swift. Then tell youself that both teams won. It's more important to *get* LeBron than it is to aquire Gasol, Willaims and Swift. Good talent. But the smarter decision is *getting* LeBron. That's a *better* GM acquisition. Plain and simple. Same with TMac. We got the superstar. Not sure what *YOU, ME, or any FAN* is going to do about what the Magic think. If they feel they got scewed. That's just the way it goes. What? Do you think you can just make phone call and convince them otherwise? They got what they got. They have to live with it. It's not like we forced them. Tmac did. And they took the deal. It was their decision. And at the time it was the best deal they could make. In a perfect world, maybe it would be *best* (in principle) if both teams got the *same amount* of talent (win/win). But that's not what *has* happned. Put it this way. They got a good deal. We got a great deal! So you could say it was a good win/great win situation! Great is better than good, right? Happy?
