Bitter rox fan our wonderful front office has make some fantastic acquisistions this year (ie. Battier, Synder, V-span and in all likely hood Jl3.
Shut up Alston would be a starter on half of the playoff teams Denver, Lakers, Memphis and if it was about talent not intangables Clips. We dont have a proven 2 but synder has everything it takes and luther is proven.
Well, the flip side are the critics who assume every move the organization makes is bad and any good move is just used to point out our relative shortcomings. It gets pretty old. Who is to say we need a third scoring threat? Miami did not have one, nor did LA, and those two teams seem to be our closest prototype. I can agree that our backcourt is not where it needs to be yet, but we're also not done dealing yet. If we make a smart move to stablize our post defense at the 4/5, then we will have Howard and the TE to use in obtaining another backcourt player. As I stated in another threat, signing Spanoulis means we either think Head can play the one behind Alston or that Sura will be healthy enough to give us reserve minutes. If the latter is correct, that leaves us with a rotation of Alston/Sura/Spanoulis and/or Lucas and/or Head at the one, with Head/Snyder/spot duty from McGrady/Spanoulis at the two. If the former is correct, then Alston/Head are a fine tandem at the one, while we can use the TE on a guy like Korver to run with Snyder. If neither works out, then a guy like Damon Jones at least can give us some depth at the one behind Alston, while Head and Snyder rotate at the two, getting McGrady and Spanoulis some minutes here or there. I guess looking at guards like Jason Williams, Gary Payton, and Derek Fisher winning titles in recent years, I am less concerned about top-shelf quality than I am about balance on this team. And you're probably right about us being lottery bound if McGrady or Yao miss significant time this year: then again, most teams who lose a star for significant chunks of the season struggle. We are in the crapper regardless how much we "improve" the backcourt.
I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT on the way home! Hopefully they wouldn't kill each other! Anyway, as if it would ever happen....
We need the man, yound, powerful, faster and 2.00~2.10. he can play C/PF. big: yao/someone/tmac/ra/sura small: someone/hayes/battier/v-span/synder
Well what is next? I keep wondering when the Management is going to make a couple of extra moves and/or trades, the team seems heavy with guards, especially if Sura is going to play!
Of course we plan on having Yao and Tmac being healthy and gobbling up most of the minutes at the 5 and 3. I am also not too worried about Battier either as the primary 4. Also, Howard and Hayes can gobble up the other 4 minutes and provide different styles, with Battier also handling back up 3 duties, and Howard and Deke splitting up the back-up 5 duties. Novak could be in the mix to offer an extra shooter at the 3 or 4 too. Overall I like the front court with Yao, Tmac, Battier being starters and Howard, Hayes and Deke backing them up. I like the combinations and options in the front court, and see Howard as an important 6th or 7th man (not keen on trading him, see him like Detroit uses McDyess). What are the concerns are the 1 spot and 2 spot. The only way Tmac picks up SG minutes is if they others totally suck, I see that creating other problems having Tmac picking minutes there (depleting depth and athleteticsm of the front court), so I don't see that as a viable option. Right now in the guard rotation only Alston, Snyder and Head have any NBA experience, and all have major questions and limitations. VS and JL3 are even bigger questions, and have to be considered not NBA rotation ready players until proven otherwise. Neither has really played in the NBA and neither was a 1st round draft pick, one should have very modest expectations. As for Fisher, Williams and Payton. For one, all were veterans, very experienced NBA players transitioning to new roles. Two, each of them played next to an all-world SG. Thus I can hardly see the relevance to the current situation.
I would love to see Korver here but where are the rumors that he's being shopped? Did I miss something? Anyway, I would like to see us send Howard to the Lakers for somebody, anybody, simply because it would be a 2-for-3 deal and we'd be getting an extra body, i.e. more depth. Howard and Head for Mihm, Walton and George or so would work. Then I say we go after Salmons. The man can play 3 positions, is a solid defender and can drive to the hole well. He'd be solid off our bench.
It's gotten quiet after getting Snyder,V Span and hopefully Novak and JL3 will get on board soon. CD mentioned that they are looking for a trade but also said that the frontcourt is complete so what is he looking for and who might be going out? I'm concerned that our PF position isn't where we need to be and if Battier spends too much time at the 4 who will help T-Mac out at the 3?
Sorry if this has been discussed, but is there anyway we could jump in and grab John Salmons from Philly instead of Korver for the $4.2 M TE?!? The knock on picking up Korver is that he's too much like Novak, well, if we could land Salmons he could definately bring more scoring and athleticism to the Rockets. Not sure how he is on D, but at 6' 6" he can handle the rock and shoots "decent" from the outside. I would start him at the 2 with Snyder/Head off the bench: Yao/Deke Battier/Howard/Hayes T-Mac/Novak/Bowen Salmons/Snyder/Head Alston/V-Span/JL3 (obviously Howard and/or Head are going to be moved by the end of the summer) Not sure why he would back out of the Raptors deal unless there was something better lined up, especially since the 76ers weren't going to take him back and the Suns (the team he turned down to go to the Raptors) just spent thier MLE on Banks!
