I know it is a hindsight thread, and people may still be giddy about getting to the 2nd round. But, was getting a one year rental of Ron Artest for 2 first round picks worth it? I never wanted Ron Artest, but figured at the price of Donte Green and another first round pick it was a decent deal to make. Primarily because I figured we could flip Artest at the trade deadline or in a sign and trade for him in the offseason. We got neither, so to me, that trade looks bad now.....we gave up 2 first round picks (admittadly low 1st round picks) for a one year rental of a crazy pills player. So, in hindsight....I say no....I would have rather kept Donte Greene and this year's pick. What are your thoughts? And yes, I know...long off season.... DD
Suppose I put down $100 bucks for a 50/50 shot (flipping heads on a coin) of winning $1000. Is it worth it? I say yes. Suppose I flip tails, and so I just lost $100. Still worth it? Should the answer change?
When we got him, the expectation was that McGrady would be healthy. If McGrady would have been healthy, we would been a title contender. We also got out of the second round despite McGrady's health, so you have to give Ron credit for that. We gave up Donte Green (scrub) and a very low first rounder for him. The deal was a no brainer. I would do it again a million times. DD, I know if get a thing for players you like and don't like, but you have to let it go. Ron got us to the second round and made the team really fun to exciting in the playoffs to watch. Now he is gone. It was a great ride and I have fond memories and no hard feelings now that he is playing for someone else.
certainly, this team had more success that it has in many years. and considering they gave up almost nothing to get him, it was great. Green and another 1st rounder is a small price to apy
I think it was a fine low risk high (possible) reward. His play was erratic at best but he brought the "toughness" everyone had been yearning for. In the end the team's supporting players really stepped up and got us to the 2nd round, doesn't hurt we had a much more favorable match up for once as well.
In hindsight, since the Rockets have not won a championship, these are the players they should not have acquired: Ron Artest Luis Scola Shane Battier Bonzi Wells Mike James Rafer Alston Stromile Swift Tracy McGrady James Posey Yao Ming Maurice Taylor Steve Francis Cuttino Mobley Scottie Pippen Charles Barkley Kevin Willis
So far Greene has been a horrible NBA player. We really gave up so little that I see it as an easy YES.
LOL! So now you're resorting to Donte Green+pick > Ron Artest. DaDa, your infatuation with scrubs never ceases to amaze me. We got Ron Artest to make us a legit elite team and threat to make a run at the NBA Finals, not so we could trade him at mid-season or the offseason. And this team was a serious threat all season long until the dynamic-injured-duo made their annual early exit. The Rockets once again would have been just another middle of the pack, close-but-not-quite-elite team like they have been the past several years without that trade. Because of aquiring Ron-Ron the Rockets were able to maintain pace with the Spurs right down to the very end. You don't do that with Donte Green.
I don't think Ron made anyone tougher, I think he was just part of a very tough team. I am glad the team got to the 2nd round, but did Ron make that much of a difference? Could the team have gotten their sans Ron? And what is the ultimate goal of the franchise, to win a championship, right? At the end of the day, we got nothing for 2 first round picks......and still no championship. If we would have traded him at the deadline or did a S&T for him in this offseason, then I would be on the other side and said he was worth it. But two first round picks for a one year rental? And we have 2 star players that are always injured? I would rather build with younger guys... I didn't say he was better, but what is better for the franchise overall, I contend it is having two first round picks as tradeable assets.... DD
You never know till you give it a try. As long as we are making moves, they are all worth it. Sitting on the same roster that hasnt gotten us out of the 1st round would be dumb.
They were injured before the trade deadline, they should have traded Ron then. As of now, we wasted 2 first round picks...and got nothing. And, Ron never fit with Tmac....ever......they both need the ball a lot to succeed...it was fairly obvious that those two would never work out well together. As a further example, watch the Lakers next year. I am clearly in the minority here on this, but I think Ron Artest was a waste of assets... DD
What did I miss? Yao Ming was injured before the trade deadline? Who was that tall Chinese guy I saw against the Lakers?
So, you think keeping Artest made the Rockets contenders? I could see that argument having merit. I would not agree, because his efficiency was so low, but I could see the point. At this stage I would rather have Donte Greene and this year's first round pick...because we got nothing for Ron Artest as an asset. DD
Even without McGrady for a number of games, the Rockets were a last game loss away from being the 2nd or 3rd seed in the playoffs. Even without McGrady and Yao (for the last few games), the Rockets took the Lakers to 7 games. Also, you can look at it that the Rockets traded Artest for Ariza, so essentially all they lost was 1 first round pick and considering that pick was pretty low, not too big of a loss.
Stop saying "first round pick" - you are doing this to intentionally deceive people and make your bullsh-t argument. Donte Greene was a late first round pick, these days I'd be surprised if you could get a second rounder for him. The other "first round pick" turned out to be the 23rd overall selection - a selectin for which the statistical chances of finding anything greater than a role player/scrub/bust is maybe 15-20%.
I say it was worth it because the Rockets gave up a soft scrub in Donte Greene and a worthless draft pick to make the 2nd round of the playoffs. Once I saw Donte Green play a couple more pre-season games after his fluke 40-point opener, I knew he wouldn't be any good. But because he did it in the first game, he caught everyone's attention, his value got inflated and Morey capitalized to steal Ron the Nutcase from Sactown.
Actually if they had traded Artest for Ariza I would say it was worth it..... But trading two first round picks for a one year rental, IMO, is not good asset management. If they decided to keep Ron at the trade deadline they should have gotten something for him this summer.....IMO. Personally, I think that getting nothing for him, was a mistake....not a HUGE mistake, but a decent sized one...... 2 first round picks gone....nothing realized.....not good, IMO. DD
Bottom line, no this team would not have gotten to the second round without Ron. In fact, it's quite possible that we would have faced the Spurs, Nuggets or Lakers in the first round instead of the Blazers without Ron which would have been a much tougher first round opponent. Not to mention, why would we have traded Ron when we were in the thick of the race for first place in the Southwest? At the end of the day we had a legit shot at the Finals until out stars went down and all we gave up was 2 first round scrubs. We don't have time to keep dinking around with tradeable assets. We have a small window and it is closing quickly. The time is now....not another 5 years from now. Your mindset as a GM would have this team in a perpetual cycle of mediocrity. We'd never get over the hump. You can pick apart the numbers all you want. Ron helped get us there. First round scrubs would have left us right where we've been for years.....not quite contenders.
Well honestly, Donte isn't a big loss not even a thought, so far at least. The high 1st round draft pick is something we can buy so even that isnt a biggie. Artest, while making his share of mistakes was more fun to watch then not to watch. And dont consider it a non trade type thing either. I think TAriza chose Htown because of the fact that the Lakers chose Artest over him. So we got Ariza, cheap.
