What crystal ball are you looking in? Because the Rockets as they stand right now are definitely not playoff bound.
Assuming TMAC and Yao are healthy, this team is playoff bound. Throw in Battier, this team is a sure lock for the playoffs. The question mark for this team, is how to become a contender? (advancing out of the 1st or 2nd round).
All I know is that CD brought in an amazing group of talent immediately after the TMac trade for nothing. I'm hoping he can do it again, but I'm not optomisitic after this offseason.
the player option is BIG. It means that if he sucks for the next two years, or get injured, you are stuck with him, otherwise he opts out. Basically you take all the downside risk without upside potential. He didn't care the 4th year as much as the player option and trade kicker.
Deep breaths.....count to ten.......you can get through this! But let me just clarify in terms we can easily understand: One year of salary cap space, one year of paying an older player, one year of potentially handcuffing the team from moving on another coveted player, or resigning a valuable player already on the roster.....that makes a difference for me. Whether he's 35 or 36 at the end of his contract is inconsequential to me. An over 35 player is, by NBA standards, considered in the "twilight" of their career. There are always exceptions.....but if I were a betting man, I would not bet that James will have more than one or two more productive years. He surely won't be a 20/6 player on Houston's roster. He likely won't get that in MN either.
I hope the cheap prostitute has two so-so years and opts out the contract due to his stupid ego and find himself at most a $2mil contract for the rest of his career. Yeah, he is following Spree's footsteps.
throw in Battier? Please. Whatever Houston does next season will be soley off the back breaking work of Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. And this team is hardly a lock....have you seen the West?
As they stand now? In July? The crystal ball reveals a few things: 1. A healthy Yao and McGrady and Battier makes one of the best front lines in the league. 2. The season starts in November and talent is still available that can help the Rockets. 3. Other than the Hornets, no potential playoff rivals in the West has significantly upgraded themselves. 4. The Rockets will play some of the best defense in the league and have two go-to stars that can win games at the end. They will make the playoffs.
Dude what was are record lest year with just TMAC and Yao healthy? Extrapolate that over a full length season and we are easily in the playoffs last year. Even after Yao and TMAC had missed most of the beginning part of the season, there were a couple of weeks when they were playing together, where we put a nice run on to draw close to the 8th spot. Are you telling me that Battier is not an upgrade over swift? If you think not, you are delusional.
Money quote from ESPN at the tail-end of the article announcing James going to Minny: "I needed that (the bonus if he is dealt - the 'trade kicker') from Houston. I couldn't go back there without that, after what they put me through." Can't blame him really, and this makes it clear the Rox weren't really committed to James too, because they could not agree to pay a penalty for trading him away again. We are so screwed.
so if he's only 34 at the end of his contract then its okay.. whats wrong with gambling on it.. the suns gambled and where are they now.. the clippers gambled as well.. and who said we need him to have 20/6 production when tmac and yao are healthy.. but we still need a third scorer.. and he was the best fit for that available.. what if either tmac or yao get injured, we'll sure miss the 20/6 production.. but yeah you wanted to win now.. no, actually you want to prepare for the future.. wait..
yeah think of it like an husband asking for a prenup from his ex-wife who left him and wants him back..
With regard to Mike James HUGE ego- I saw something I chuckled at. On the MSN home page in the FoxSports block it always lists the trades such as "Lebron signs extension with Cavs" kind of things. There tonight it says, "Minnesota signs new player"..... With James' shoot first mentality and huge ego, I had a few slight nagging doubts, but definitely wanted a shooter like him and bulldog type mentality on this team. Methinks we are too soft now.....That's why Barry and Sura were so good two years ago for the Rockets along with James.
I wanted MJ on the team. However, losing out on MJ itself, isn't a big deal. He's who he is, he's Mike James. It is the fact that this blunder follows the Gay trade, and the reason they can't get this done that saddens me.
Seriously, this has become tiresome. Stop putting words in people's "mouths." You called me out on some flip flopping crap...so I clarified as such. Now you're talking about age 34. I'll address that, then you'll come back with 33, right? No matter how hard you try, I am not going to agree with you on Mike James. I know misery loves company and all but... I didn't say anything about any "win now" philisophy until you cited it as some real reason to be depressed about James fleeing to MN. I also haven't laid out a direction that I prefer, or an argument to that end. But here is how I feel on this issue. I'll say this - do I want us to win now? Yes. Do I want us to prepare for the future? Yes. I don't think these things are mutually exclusive. Cutting to the chase - Mike James is not impactful enough to dictate whether or not the Rockets are a playoff team or not. If the Rockets thought so, maybe they would have ponied up with more money, more incentives, a sign and trade, etc. They didn't. In fact, they didn't even offer the trade kicker. Nor did Dallas. They offered the MLE because he's an MLE level player. That's hardly the key to any team's playoff hopes and dreams. Take it for what it's worth.
I think Houston fans have gotten waaaaaaaaaay to use to average players having HUGE roles with the team. Shane Battier would be Tracy's backup if this team had any quality outside of Tmac and Yao but they dont so just like every other role player on this team Battier will be ask/expected to things he isn't capable of. 1) Skip shouldn't be playing 35mpg 2) Howard shouldn't be starting 3) Deke should be retired 4) Bowen shouldn't be in the league 4) Bogans shouldn't be apart of the rotation and 5) Tracy shouldn't be moved to SG just so Houston doesn't look plumb crazy trading Stro and Gay for a backup And once again....take a look at the West and ask exactly how does all of this make Houston a LOCK for the playoffs? Outside of Dallas/SA?PHX no one is really a lock but the Clippers/Lakers/Hornets all have gotten better and Sacramento will have a full year with Artest.
