I'm beginning to think the signing of Ward was done more or less as an insurance move. In case a Lue/Sura rotation at the point backfires, you bring in a proven veteran to work within a system he is well used to. As far as Gaines goes, you have to wonder if Rockets brass considers him more of a developing SG than a PG.
Thanks for all the input and you all make great points. I guess I just feel that there will be something done, either now or during the season, to shape our team better.
I believe what CD did was ingenious. What he did was, rather than signing Derek Fisher to that ludicrous contract awarded to him by Golden State. He racked in four point guards (Gaines if necessary is included) a shooting guard in Sura, all four roughly the same price as Derek Fisher signing in Golden State. Maybe a couple million more, but Golden State cannot boast about the depth at the guard position that we can. Pike can and does play both shooting guard and small forward, but with McGrady and Sura able to play both positions as well, minutes might, and should be hard to come by with Eric. CD addressed in his interview, in not so many words, that he was cool going into the season with Tyronn Lue. What he was saying by this was that the agents that were hounding him with their respective clients asking prices were far too high. Once it got to the point where he felt like he may be losing Sura and Ward for their bargain prices, he couldn't pass up on their leadership qualities. It was a smart decision by Carroll Dawson and I applaud him.
While I agree with you that this is a smart approach, it isn't always the best move to sign multiple players instead of one superior player for more money. Take last offseason for example: signing Pike/Griffin instead of retaining Posey. So as far as i'm concerned, he's made up for that.
I agree--I'm glad that we're being the fiscally-responsible team for the first time in a few years. One of the dark moments of my basketball life came when I walked by a playground, and I heard this nine-year-old kid saying before the game that he would "be Moochie Norris." I stopped, grabbed him, and said, "Don't ever say that," like Adam Sandler in Billy Madison.
I am going out on a limb here, but this my own personal speculation. I think you are very close to the answer, baller. Sura was signed to play point and back up McGrady. Ward was signed to back up Sura and school Gaines in the JVG system. I'll bet that Gaines sits close to Ward in games as a student would to a mentor. I could be wrong, but I believe the Rockets wanted Gaines included in the McGrady deal because he is the big point guard JVG wants. At Louisville, he showed he can score and defend while running the game plan under control, something JVG likes about Ward.
I think they went for a mix of guys they could work on and guys they could count on. If you can't get a top-flight player at the position, or you don't think they're worth the going rate, you work on a guy you think might become really good. A few years ago, that was Rhodes. Then Langhi. You could include Mobley. Hell, you could include Cassell. Now maybe it's Gaines. It's a crapshoot. So you also need a Ward.
The Rockets definitely didn't leak the info on the possible Mutumbo trade. That was reported in the Chicago Tribune first. That got leaked in Chicago either by Falk or by the Bulls. The Rockets are too tight lipped for that to come out over here.
whats all the confusion about? we have: yao JH-mo-spoon tmac-boki-ag jj-sura-pike ward-lue-gains-wilks if the proposed trade of pike, ag, wilks for deke goes through, then we have: yao-deke JH-mo-spoon tmac-boki jj-sura ward-lue-gains that roster is even and ballanced. not to mention deep.