For my perspective, having Posey "grow' with the team is totally irrelevant. How long have Malone and Payton been Lakers? How long have Nesterovic, Turkoglu and Mercer been Spurs? How long have Jamison and Walker been Mavericks? How long have Cassell, Spree and Kandi been TWolves? How long has Mourning been a Net? How long has Brad Miller been a King? (Please don't waste our time pointing out that these are already Top 4 teams, just go back and look at the additions of a Christie or a Bibby or a Harper or an Horry or a Van Exel or a Bruce Bowen to teams on the brink...the point is you can always add talent). If Yao and Steve can jell with Cuttino, MoT and Cato over the next few years and we become the 5th or 6th best WC team, we can get the remaining component easily if we take care of our finances. This is accomplished by not overpaying for underachievement.
No disrespect to J.Posey, who is a good player and will contribute to Memphis, but my take is that he will be forgotten as season progresses - even when Rockets handle/overwhelm Grizzlies. He has been more than replaced and the players that have replaced him are the type of tough hardnosed players that are likely to succeed in Jeff Van Gundy's system.
Players like Posey is a dime a dozen. Who cares what role players we have when both Yao and Francis are in their prime? There are always good solid veteran role players available out there. MemphisX, At what point of the season will you add "...err...2004-2005" to your sig?
Letting James Posey go was the best decision the Rockets made in their entire franchise, cosidering they usually pay their players far more than they deserve, I don't even want to list names, instead we got 3 solid players, The rockets will rape memphis and finish way ahead of them, mephis will be in the lottery for the next 10 years, after the rockets are done with their Ming-dynasty or maybe even longer like 15 years, MemphisX you are such a loser, you wish you had Yao or Steve. Steve is the best guard in the entire N.B.A . He has a better crossover than A.I. Tough luck pal.
Not much really to add to this thread that has not already been said. But with that said...I agree with GATER.
One of hte best thigns about this deal is that we have gotten much more depth. THis year we have pike, agriff, jjackson and posey, as opposed to the just rice and posey who we had last year. Our 3 positions has MUCH more depth that we lacked before. We have instant offense (pike), defense (agriff), both (jimmyjackson), and a young gun whos juss beginning to emerge.
I understand your point just disagree. It is not so easy to get your above average roll, multiple threat, players/swingmen like Rick Fox, Robert Horry (previous versions), Doug Christie, Detlef Schrempf, Mario Elie, Bryan Russell or Sean Elliot--who all have been important to WC powers if not NBA champions. Most of those guys those teams had to trade for, or draft, or the teams that did get them via FA recognized their worth kept them through their title runs. I don't think the player Posey may very well become grow on trees. Sure you can get older and/or slightly more 1 dimensional swingmen like Pike, JJ or AG anytime, but, well they are older and/or more 1 dimensional. Posey is younger and likely a step above those guys. (Except for JJ who admittedly has always been talented--just for whatever reason his fellow players/coaches don't want to keep him, very different than all reports of Posey as a team guy). Anyway, we know everybodies perspective you spent any time seriously thinking about the matter, so let it rest, time will tell who was on the mark.
I am glad we didn't match the grizz offer for Posey. Getting A. Griffen and Piat. was a nice move, and adding Jim Jackson, was awesome. I feel that we have no gap to fill right now at SF, the guys we have for that spot just need their playing time. Boki has started to show up with his game too. On a side note, I read in the CHronicle today that Piat. and Griffen (Adrian) were going to start on the IR this season.
Gater's responses in this thread is similiar to his other Pollyana ideas. I hope Im wrong because it's better to be wrong and have everything work out than be right and lose. However, let me be the first (and perhaps only one other than Desert Scar) to point out a few things: The Rockets have consistently blundered in the personnel department. Look at our most recent drafts. Jason Collier, Eddie Griffin, Bostjian Nachbar (I omitted Yao because Im excluding blind luck in this mental exercise). I don't want to start listing the opportunity costs because they are numerous, plentiful and depressing. Look at our most recent FA pickups and their salaries. Im not talking about Moochie Norris, Mo Taylor, Glen Rice, or just about every Rockets overpaid contract not named Cat. Im talking about this year's free agents. What was the Rockets biggest need going into the offseason? Backup PG. Moochie sucks and he still sucks. We can't expect Francis to play 40+ minutes and improve his defense at the same time. Aint gonna happen. Do we address this? No. Instead Dallas signs Travis Best to the league minimum. Unbelievable. So what do we do? We sign Piatkowski to a 3 year $8 million contract. Bargain? Not quite considering we just gave a 1 dimensional shooter a raise over his previous role as a one dimensional sharpshooter. So what distinguishes him from Voshon Leonard, Jon Barry, Dell Curry, Steve Kerr, John Paxson? Nothing. Decent player but bargain? Yeah, keep believeing it. Let's look at Twin Headed Dragon #2 - Adrian Griffin. I will bet anyone he does not average more than 15 minutes /game. He's pretty much a worthless slug with a bad back beaten out by a low first round draft pick in Dallas. Dallas didnt even offer him a contract. But hell, he's league minimum so who cares. Penny wise, pound foolish. Next up, Jim Jackson. He could be a good bona fide 20+ minute bench player. However, assuming the 2 beauty contestants above do not fulfill their duties, Mr. Jackson may actually have to put in 30+ minutes. If he can do it, fantastic. On the other hand, if he starts tapering off and jacks up ill-advised shots, it can turn ugly. 3 years $7.2 million contract? Let's see. Jim Jackson's been playing for the league minimum for how long? League minimum? *sigh* no. It's super CD to the rescue and his super-sized salary raise. Jim: You're my hero. I miss playing for Sacramento but since you're willing to give me 3 x any other offer I received, Im on board. Screw $800,000. Im a $2.4 million dollar player now. So let's look at the evidence. People say it would've been foolish to add a bad James Posey contract to already existing bad contracts. Instead, we reward league vagabonds substantial raises to continue their medicority here. But, it's 2 years shorter than Posey's so the contracts will end sooner. Of course they have to be shorter because in 3 years, these guys will be on the downside of their long but non-descript NBA careers. But since the contract is shorter, that will free up enough money to play the free agent market. And do what? Free up enough $ to do a sign and trade Eddie for Rashard Lewis? Doh. Wait, that was last year. Bottom Line. Just because you have money does not mean you can spend it wisely or convince players to come here at good prices. Nothing the Rockets have done in the past 5 seasons convinces me that when the time comes, they will make the right decision in free agency. The Lakers got good players at bargain prices. The Wolves got good players at bargain prices. Dallas got good players and dumped bad contracts, simultaneously. We got mediocre players at full retail. But we did dump a contract and it only cost us a first round pick. YES. What makes anyone believe that the Rockets will make good decisions in the future? Because we're gullible and naive and hope their past blunders was all pure bad luck and in no way shape or form does it represent incompetence or mismanagement. Let me give you guys a clue. You think good role players grow on trees? Sure you may have enough $ to sign one. It takes skills to find 2 or 3 boderline all-stars to fill your roster.
You have every right to be down on the Rockets. It's a free country. However, I will reserve judgment until I see the improvements that Dallas, San Antonio, LA, Sacramento, and Minny make from last year to this year.
Let's be realistic, Posey is a subpar starter on 3, there is no need to be so upset about his departure. His midrange shotting is mediocre at best, therefore doesn't fit in our Yao-centered offense. The idea of his growing with Yao and SF is obsessive. I hope we get someone better than Posey if we want to win a championship. True JJ, AG and Pike are not that level either, but they are cheap and they are good value coming off bench. Had Posey required 16 mil/ 4 year, and had we known we would be able to trade Rice to Jazz and get the money room, than we would might have kept him. But this is not perfect world, we were not clear about the situation with Rice, and we didn't want to pay lux tax, and Posey was asking a lot, so we had to let him go. There is no point to keeping coming back to this topic and talk about "what if", and it is certainly pointless to channel your unsatisfaction into bashing the FA's we signed. I am sure that is what RIET does, bashing the FA's we signed. Only because he is upset that we didn't keep Posey, he has to bash everyone we signed. I won't even bother to read his post.
Based on your incoherent babble, I am sure English is not your first language so let be really clear and understandable. STOP mentioning me in your posts. 1. I have asked you over and over again yet to put me on your ignore list yet you continue to pop up like some disease on a cheap w****. 2. You're not reading my post but just happened to respond 1 post below mine. It's all a big coincdence. Yoou're talking obsessive? Don't read my material, don't talk about my material, don't talk about me. Is that clear enough for you or should I get a translator.
RIET, I want to remind you that you are on my ignore list and I am not reading whatever you say. Save your time, don't reply my post.
I think JVG has made good decisions so far ... We are stuck with Mooch's contract until it runs out. Travis Best maybe a little better than Mooch but he is not the deciding factor in us making the play-offs. Those are great shooters all coaches want. You must not remember the games Kerr and Paxson won for SA and Chi !! He is a solid defensive player that does not mess up on offense. U said u don't care about the league minimum so why r u complaining? Wanting JJ for the minimum is too greedy. He is a better over-all player than Posey at a smaller price tag. Bottom line, save your own quote and look at it again mid-season. I think you will change your mind.
You can argue who is a better player forever and you are entitled to stick to your belief. Logic is another thing though. I don't understand some people: they look at our signing AG for league minimum and they say we picked up garbage nobody wants, BUT they look at Dallas' signing T. Best for league minimum and they say "what an incredible deal". Isn't it ridiculous?
So you think Posey is a borderline all-star? What the point? One more question: Is Posey a better player than Jackson? Who is making more money?
Although I'm quite satisfied having a solid veteran in JJ.. I think Posey would've developed to be an amazing player. His defense is stifling.. reminds me of that guy from USC that we had picked up years ago. Except..Posey is slowly learning to shoot the ball. I'm sure JVG could've coached him into an excelent player. Look at Gary Payton. He couldn't shoot when he came into the league..but then after a few years..he added a jumpshot to his slashing game. Posey is athletic and so is quality on the open court..and defensively. With Yao in the paint..he's got the slashing ability to get to the cup when the pass comes. I should say however.. I'm seeing more and more.. of Nachbar as being our future starting 3. Kid's really got some ability..and height to rebound. His defense isn't great..but he's definitely under the coaching scheme to try hard. As well..you can tell he's got a little bit of a stroke..since he was able to hit 3 in a row.. in the flow of the game--a little advanced ball-handling and he'd be one pretty darn good player. again..back to subject.. I think the rockets were scared to make a management move and repeat what they had done previously.. a la moochie & cato.. sign contracts w/o guaranteed ability to perform. Moochie's jump shot used to seem pretty pure; now, I wince every time he puts up a shot. He needs to get back that touch.. especially for someone who stands as close to the ground as I do..... I must say that Cato's gotten alot better. -Elie#17
