Rudy Gay is not Tmac, Kobe, VC, Lebron, or Wade. The biggest difference between Gay and those mentioned is that Gay is NOT a good ball handler. The latter guys mentioned were very good ball handlers from day one, therefore they were able to create their own shots as well as for others. At best Gay will be the next Marion, Richard Jefferson, or Caron Butler. How long has Marion, RJ, and Butler been in the league? Pretty long I assume, and they still arent good ball handlers. So, for those that think Gay will be the next Pippen, dream on!
Well we might have to ammend that bet because there is no way as an NBA fan that I am going to seriously miss Shane Battier any more than you miss XXXX significant role player in Rocket history and there is definitely no way I want him in place of Rudy Gay...ever. However, judging by our join dates, I am pretty sure we will both be around here arguing the merits of this trade.
7 teams disagreed with you. Also, Im not convinced that Gay will be more valuable than Marcus Williams, but we'll see.
He aint the next LeBron but he could become a Tayshaun Prince type of player and if he was to become LeBron we'd look like the idiots more than the Raptors but we dont have to worry about that since he isn't the next LeBron
Not true- Mario Elie was sorely missed after he left- it was very painful to watch him celebrate as a member of the Spurs in 1999. Losing Jim Jackson hurt too, even though we got David Wesley back. Heck, we had a whole bunch of people mourning the day Bostjan Nachbar left. We Rockets fans realize that, although it's been obvious for the past 26 years (barring the 2004 Pistons) that you need a dominating force to win the championship, the role players are critical, too. Carl Herrera, Kenny Smith, Chucky Brown- if anyone understands the importance of role players, it's Rockets fans. BTW, if Rudy Gay turns out to be Stromile Swift II, you may want to change that second-to-last statement.
Interesting comment. I'll bookmark it for future reference. As one of those who think you got the better of the deal because you gave the Rockets too little for Gay and Swift, I must also add that I hope I am wrong, and that Swift nets you nothing of value when you try and move him, which you will attempt to do, and that Gay is a tremendous bust. I'm sure you understand.
what's the point of even asking this question.. he's gone, he's gone and he's gone. worry about our next trade..
MemphisX, you have every right to gloat. Enjoy this moment. Dance around with glee. We already have 2 superstars on our team, and will probably pick up Mike James and another player or 2, and probably go deep enough into the playoffs for JVG to keep his job, and pick up someone else next year that is the final piece to being a contender, and perhaps we win it one year, perhaps 2. And, from your past posts, I think you'll congratulate us when we win a championship. I doubt Memphis will ever be a contender, although Gay might turn into a star and keep you guys in the playoffs. What we just gave away, though, is some of our future, after TMac is gone in 3 years, and then it'll take years to get back to being contenders again, even with Yao. I like Battier. He provides valuable depth at 3 positions, and accepts his role player status next to 2 all-stars, and does the little things that make a team successful. I'm not unhappy we traded for him. I also don't believe that Gay is going to be a superstar, although he has significant potential. I don't believe anyone from this draft is going to be a major star, at least for the next few years. It was a down draft year. Next year is the year to have a high draft choice. Any one of the top 5 or 6 picks would have gone first this year. I wish we would have traded our pick to a team who will be high in the lottery next year, like a Portland, Toronto or Atlanta. <b>What bothers me, is that we got screwed in the deal. You know it, we know it, the whole world knows it.</b> The Logo says it was his second favorite moment. geez. I don't know why Dawson did it. Normally he's a great horse-trader, even though he's not that great at drafting. Even if Swift doesn't stay in Memphis, the Logo will get something of value for him elsewhere. People around the league still believe in his potential, even if Memphis and Houston do not. Even if Houston didn't believe in Gay's potential, many did. That's who you make your trading partner. We didn't need to make the trade on draft day. We could have still traded for Battier, but we didn't have to give so much for what we got. Swift was traded as negative value, when he still had positive potential with other clubs. This felt like a move of exasperation, when we were dissappointed with losing Roy. It seems short sighted, to get JVG some help to win NOW, since it is his last year on his contract. We could have gotten a lot more for Gay, and more for Swift. That's the bottom line, and we all know it, regardless of how well Battier turns out for us ... and I expect he will.
Thank you, Sherlock. More eloquently put than I could have managed. Yet another good summation of what was wrong with this trade, regardless of how well Battier plays for Houston, and he's a guy I've admired for a long time. You know, one of those really good role players you see on another team and start jonesin' to have him in your lineup. If we had obtained him in anything close to a fair deal, this place would be rockin' with glee. He's that good.
Do you know how many years it took Kobe to get to the point where he could carry a team? (Some say he's still working on that).
we already have tmac and yao.. gay only needs to be a third scorer.. if in a couple of years he becomes an all star all the better..
No franchise player in this going draft. Gay will be a Buttler like level, no chance to be an All-star, like Lewis or Marion.
I know how you feel, but Battier gives tmac that extra rest on the defensive end NOW. I like the move as I think it will prolong Tmac's career an extra year or two. IMHO it was a smart move because the Rockets best chances of winning a championship is within the next 3 years, and Battier is a better fit within that time frame. In 3 years Gay may become that superstar, but Tmac also maybe gone. If thats the case, the Rockets will be no better than the 04-05 Rockets. So, if you were JVG and CD, would you bet on a building a championship caliber team NOW with Tmac, or bank on the potential of Gay?
The Win Now argument is a distraction. We can win now and win in the future at the same time by keeping Gay and Stro, or we can win now and win in the future by putting Gay and Stro on the AUCTION stand, rather than pairing them in a yard sale as if it's right before judgement day. We throw both of them away like they are hot coals in hands. Answer me, what could possibly hurt if we had just waited for a week or two to entertain offers from teams? The stupidity in this trade is that the Rockets management seriously believed, 1. None of the players in this draft at No.8 can put up better numbers than Shane Battier in next year, and 2. they had a steal in exchanging a No.8 lottery pick and one MLE player for just Shane Battier. I can't find other reasons for their rush except the above mentioned. I believe we could've gotten more had we waited so that we could both win now and win in the future.
Gay looked like the next TMac on that hightlight video somebody posted a couple days ago. IMO, he could be damned good, not Jordan good. Watching Gay in college, it seems that he lacks the fire to be great. With so much talent, he doesn't seem to do a lot.
why does it have to be a choice between a bust or superstar in 3 years?.. is it really that impossible for gay to contribute 8pts 4rebs in his first year? and with his athleticism, is it that hard to teach him team defense especially if we have "defensive minded" coach.. unless it has been proven that gay has an iq lower than swift..
