Personally, I believe the Rockets are going to trade Juwan Howard and Luther Head for a PF/C. I still can't believe we didn't pick up Scott Pollard. However, if we make a 2-for-1 trade, that will leave slots open for both Jacobsen and Azubuike.
If we had Gasol, Battier would not get much time at the PF for us either. But we don't. Battier is the best 4 we got considering all factors, he has limitations as a 4 (versus the few true old style brute PFs left like Brand), but his net effect IMO will be better than Howard or Hayes. I think as long as one of Snyder, Abuz or Span can show they are at least a servicable starting SGs, our primary line-up will have Battier at the 4, Tmac at the 3. Now if they bomb in terms of being a consistent SG, yes Howard may start, but this is more a reflection of our SGs sucking (outside of Tmac) than the ideal scenario. What you have to figure, is that if we are forced to play Howard at the 4, than we are majorly outquicked at C, PF and SG. That is a terrible formula to take on the likes of the Mavs and Suns in particular. If fact more and more the league is going athletic and lots of PF/SF tweeners end up playing the 4 spot, such a plodding line-up sets us to get burned in lots of ways. But say we have a big guard emerge as a servicable starter (Snyder, Abuz or maybe VS), then we athletically match-up with most everyone, with only our C spot being slower than average with a lot of other guys able to compensate. And while we can match-up with most other teams on their athleticism, they still have to answer to Yao and Tmac on the other end, and that spells trouble for opponents. In sum the key to the season is getting some consistent guard play, particularly a big athletic guard that allows Tmac and Battier to play the forward spots. I am much less concerned with Yao, Battier, Howard, Hayes and Deke collectively covering the 4 and 5 (and Howard will be a sub for 4 spot against teams going big, a sub for the 5 spot when teams go small) than I am with our guard spots, so if we do another move before the season it will be for a better quality starting guard, not another 4/5
I would expect VSpan, because he is the one for whom hope should be a reality. If it were whom I hope will break out it would be Snyder because I am not sold on him, but VSpan is the one for whom hope should be a reality. Novak is destined to be a spot player, at most/at best, this season. If he has the right head and the right heart then I could expect a right good career for the lad.
The one huge avantage Snyder has over VSpan, and it is totally huge, is NBA experience. Remember Manu didn't start his 1st year, and he was as NBA ready (and much older than VSpan) as any foreign swingman. I look for VSpan to be a key bench sub this year, but not a starter.
IMO Van Gundy will have Alston start the season and within 10 -20 games Spanoulis will be the starter.
why not rafer, vspan, tmac, battier and yao i dont trust snyder. it seems like hes just a smaller version of stromile swift
IMO, this team STILL has a weak supporting cast. Spin doesn't equal talent. As I wrote after that post, this team is two legit NBA starters away from anything real exciting. What will be fun is to see if one of the "scrub club" can emerge as something special. If one or some of the unproven players "come into their own," the Rockets could become a contender.
On paper, I'd take J-Ho and Battier over Chucky Brown and Carl Herrera. However, Chucky and Carl managed to make a go of it.
What do you mean by soft? I don't see standing in and taking a charge against a full speed Yao being soft. Do you mean they aren't good enough rebounders? ..they don't fight enough? ...you touched them and they have soft skin?
I don't see Battier/Howard/Hayes as "soft" either. They each have their weaknesses, but honestly that is a much more solid PF rotation than we have had in years. Overall they can be adequate/middle of the pack, which is fine given we may have the best C/SF combination in the league. My big question is whether our guards can consistently produce and will be reliable when it matters.
Battier is going to be great at the PF spot for us. Battier has decent size and plays his heart out every game, he is just the kind of player we need to help us get the title. Sure, he's not your typical PF, but he is going to get plenty of rebounds for us, and he will shut down the other team's PF as good as nearly any other Power Forward in the league. He can also keep defenses honest with his outside shot. I think we'll see Battier putting up better numbers than he ever put up in Memphis as he now has more talent around him. Not that his numbers will be hugely improved or anything, but Battier is the kind of player where numbers don't really tell the story of how much of an impact he can have on a team. And I also like the idea of Howard coming off the bench as backup PF. I cannot think of a better role for him. He is indeed above average serving as a backup, and with him playing 15-20 minutes a night he will be filling the role he is best fit to fill. One thing I would like to see, though, is for Houston to pick up a big thrashing PF/C who could play both spots and could serve as a counter balance to Battier's more technical and refined approach to the PF spot.
