thefranchise3- we all recognize your dislike of hakeem by now. could you please explain what you dont like about him though? I mean stat wise, chemistry wise, etc,etc. He does make this team much stronger playing then sitting on the bench as your sig suggests. Certainly you realize that our main problem is our big men, rebounding, frontcourt defense,etc. Hakeem is playing better than any of our other frontcourt players. He is sixth on the team in minutes per game, yet still leads them in rebounds and blocks, is second in steals, tied for 3rd in scoring, and turns over the ball significantly fewer times than the rest of our major players. His rebound per minute played numbers, for perspective, are comparable to players such as Brand, KG, Malone, PJ Brown, Ratliff, Jamison, Antoine Walker, Marion, and other quality big men and boarders. Maybe you just dont like Hakeem. Certainly there are players, such as Malone and Kobe who are good yet I still just hate. But from a statistical standpoint and from a whats best for our team standpoint, most people on this board generally agree that Olajuwon is our most consistent big man. What is your beef with him? ------------------ "There are some frauds so well conducted that it would be stupidity not to be deceived by them." Charles Caleb Colton (1780-1832)
Don't the Lakers and Heat already have two of the best centers in the NBA? I really don't see the logic Dream has when considering these two teams. Olajuwon is currently our starting center and is unhappy with his role. He feels he can get more minutes elsewhere, seeing that there is a lack of big men. Where in God's name will he get his share if he goes to either city? Surely Shaq commands more time than Kelvin Cato and Jason Collier combined.... Mourning might not be back for a while, but if Dream really wants to go to a loaded contender in need of a center why doesn't he go to Philly or Phoenix? ------------------ Nederland 2002 Rocketman95 on board. Check out his latest game recaps.
Wake up, H-town! The Dream is having fun pulling our chains. First it was Vancouver, now the Lakers and Heat. Next he'll want to play with the Spurs to complete the Triple Towers. Old School ------------------ I voted YES!
Old School... I think you might be right, but I favor a bigger conspiracy: Dream's forcing the teams w/ tradeable players to anie up. He talks about going to Miami? Which team is the sign. other in a rivalry w/ Miami and needs a center? He talks about going to LAL? Which team in the Pacific considers itself LAL's only competition? mmmmm.... conspiracies. ------------------ You don't normally see a shot-blocker out there shooting 3s like that. - Matt Bullard
Er, um, I said Elton Brand. I was getting creative, I suppose. I don't see Mo as the long-term fix for us. Webber? That's a pipe dream. A nice one. I was just thinking, didn't Mo have wood for New York? Wouldn't New York need Hakeem? So I put those two together and sent them to the Knicks in exchange for Camby and Houston. Now, Camby I'd like to keep, but Houston we don't need --- not with our current roster. So I kept them together and sent them to the Bulls in exchange for Brand and Miller. A way for the Bulls to regain respectability. Well, some respectability. This would be very ballsy of all three teams involved. Would Houston stay in Chicago? Would the Rox and Bulls trade their starting power forwards (disloyalty)? That sort of thing. This isn't the sort of trade that happens, but Miller won't stay a Bull, and Hakeem acts like he wants to go elsewhere (perhaps), and December 15 is coming up... I just don't know if we leave the team intact and spend next year's caproom on Mo, Shandon, and Hakeem. ------------------
Sounds plausible enough to me. MoTay should understand basketball is business as well as anyone. I do think such a deal would be contigent on Houston pledging to stick with da Bulls. I could see him possibly opting out of his contract and resigning with the Bulls for the maximum (they would gain his Bird Rights in such a deal, wouldn't they). I would think, though, acquiring Brand would mean also sacrificing either Camby or Cato as well. I don't see Brand as reaching Garnett/Duncan/Webber territory but certainly he'd be an upgrade from MoTay. As for Maurice, I honestly think he's a goner at season's end anyways. New Lineup: C Cato or Camby/Miller/Collier PF Brand/KT SF Williams/Bullard SG Anderson/Mobley PG Francis/Da Mooch Damn I love dreamcasting!!!!!!!!!! ------------------ It doesn't matter if I have a signature!
All fantasies aside, unless Maurice can improve his rebounding by the season's end, I can't see management being sold enough to sink max money into him. I don't think MoTay's a horrible player at all, and he's certainly showing he's willing to work and improve but as lacking as we are in front court muscle, can we really afford to invest in an ultra-soft Power Forward? With dearth of quality free agents on the market and the decreasing likelyhood of landing Webber, our best recourse would be to use Maurice, Shandon, and, Hakeem willing, the Dream to land an impact Power forward who can work the inside game, defend the post, and most importantly, rebound well enough to open up the transition game for Mobes and Francis. Perhaps Webber is a pipe dream, but guys like Antonio Davis and Elton Brand we might have a shot at. ------------------ It doesn't matter if I have a signature!
Reminder: $16.7 million... No one will pay more than $8-$9 million for him. Bank on that. ------------------
Ace-- That was EXACTLY my thoughts. If he is unhappy with the role he's getting here in Houston, how the hell will he be happy in Los Angeles? With Shaq and Kobe providing all the offense? He'd get 10-15 minutes tops. The only advantage I could see in him going there (from his perspective) is the greater possibility of another ring. Is this his thinking? Miami makes a little more sense for him, but not that much, IMHO. I really hate to say this, but I don't think many teams are really chasing Olajuwon anymore. He would make a great addition to any team, but let's be brutally honest...He's aging, his numbers are not exactly dominant, and he's not going to get big-time minutes playing behind another premiere center. Miami would be ideal for him, if they traded for him this season. But as other posters have pointed out, I don't think many teams are interested in disbanding their team because of the extremely high salary which Dream would have to be traded for. And if it is signing with Miami next season, I would think Mourning would have to be totally out of the picture for him to play. Is this just a season-ending problem for him or a career-ending problem? I really have to plead ignorance here, I don't really know. I don't understand it. Help me out. ------------------ Jazzkiller
Maybe Dream is trying to force the Rockets to extend his contract with all this talk or maybe Dream & the Rockets have a master plan. Check this conspiracy theory out. Dream puts on a show as if he is forcing the Rockets to make a trade, they make a trade of say Dream/Taylor to Vancouver for Reeves/Swift/Othella/Tmass (This trade works according to RealGM). After Dreams contract expires, he resigns with us for the veterans minimum next year. Vancouver gets rid of Reeves & Othella, which they want to move anyway. Tmass is a throw in to make it work. They get cap space to go after Webber or Finley & they get Taylor. The only thing they really lose is Swift & we can soften the blow by throwing in a couple of #1 draft picks. Next year, our lineup looks like this: C: Olajuwon/Reeves or Cato/Collier PF: Othella/Swift/Tmass SF: Walt/Langhi SG: Anderson/Mobley PG: Francis/Moochie We'd have to trade either Reeves or Cato or both. I wouldn't mind going to battle with that lineup. ------------------
Would someone please name a team - any team - that is "salivating with lust for the Dream"? Can anyone name a team that has at least $8 million, and possibly $13-14 million to throw at a one-year deal for an old center? No? Hakeem is stuck with us this year, and he'll have to work for less if he wants to play after this year - no one is going to pay him $16 million again, not unless he starts getting at least career averages again... ------------------
At this point, I really don't care where Hakeem ends his career. He's always been this kind of guy and he's showing his true colors now. His loyalty is to himself only, and if he can't ride off into the sunset winning a championship then he's going to be disappointed. All Hakeem wants is more attention. The Rockets are on ONE nationally televised game this year. He's getting almost no mention in the national press. I guess he figures that if he goes to a contender next year he'll be more talked about and get the tribute that he so badly wants. Problem is, as I've said before, that just like Barkley he waited until it was too late to retire. He's too old and worn out to play consistent minutes night in and night out. He can't carry a team like he once did. So, he's thinking he'll grab onto Shaq's or Riley's coattails and ride off with a ring. He can go wherever the heck he wants as far as I'm concerned. This organization has treated him like a king, and given him everything he deserves. He also is getting a lot of minutes and Rudy is using him in the capacity that Hakeem is capable of playing in. If all he can do is turn around and complain about it then let his sorry butt go. That's what I say. ------------------
ROXTXIA, don't you think salary cap room has value? If we keep him, we have major cap room this summer. If we trade him and "get something for him", that something comes with at least $14m salary, negating our ability to get below the cap.
Besides all that, if he was getting 30+ minutes a night it would take him about two weeks before he had another hernia or a torn cartilage in his knee or something. The guy is just out of touch with reality... Surprise!!!! ------------------
Sorry for joining this late, but I saw the interview with Lisa Malosky in which Hakeem mentioned the Heat and Lakers (this was at the halftime in the Rocks-Grizz game). Hakeem was laughing the whole time and his comments were more like wishful thinking. This is the first time that the guy is going to be a free agent in years and wants the attention and in the process, wants to salivate at the thought of playing with some upper echelon teams. This is absolutely no different than the comments we heard in the past from Shaq, Ewing, MJ, Karl Malone etc, who loudly thought that playing with Hakeem and the Rockets would be where they would like to go. Let me also add that come summer, Rockets better offer him a contract, because he is very capable of playing his position and if he doesn't get a decent contract from the Rockets...he would sign elsewhere. Let me also add that in that interview, he said that the time for the Rockets is now. He feels this is a good time and there is no point in waiting around for future moves to take it to the next level. He said that the future of the team is now and we'd better be serious about it. Now put this and his previous comment about post play and we see what Hakeem wants. He knows this team has the potential and feels that the post up play would put it in a serious contender position. Also, the Dream clarified his comments that wasted some much bandwith on this forum. He said that he is an inside player and his experience had taught him that success comes from the inside. He said he may be biased on this because that is the only play he knows. After he said that...he laughed a lot. C'mon guys...The Dream is just human....let him speak his mind without people calling for his head. We shoot of our mouths on every player and every game and its okay....but if Hakeem says something...its the end?? -tariq ------------------
Absolutely, Tariq!! Dream is just speaking his mind. Let's not overreact!! But if he is serious, as a Dream fan, it would be good to see Dream go out on a contender and not be in the middle of a rebuilding project, just as it should be. The Heat would be a perfect fit for Dream, if Riley doesn't wear him out: C - Dream/Mourning/Cauldwell (sp?) PF- Mourning/Grant SF- Mason/Majerle/Davis SG- Jones/Davis PG- Hardaway/Carter Plus, the Rox wouldn't have to see him but twice a year. ------------------ "We make a lot, but we spend a lot." Patrick Ewing, alumnus, Georgetown University
I work for a big computer company in Austin that is to remain nameless(hmmm......I wonder?). Anyways, I think Dream's comments about going to Lakers or Heat are similar to my co-workers joking around moving to Intel or AMD. Think about it, makes perfect sense. Some of these guys have been here for 4-5 years. ------------------ "Oh No..." -Bill Walton in 97 just before Stockton's buzzer beater
Well said B-99. I work in the Space industry and we always have the same comments here. ------------------
What's up with calling Hakeem a traitor. Who is he betraying? A team that doesn't respect him and his capabilities. He is right, teams with no low post threat don't win championships or playoff series for that matter, unless you have "your airness". With no hakeem or webber next year, we will be lucky to be .500. ------------------
