Spanoulis is already gone. It's not official but I'd give it an 80% chance he won't be back. Face facts. The guy skipped out on the summer league despite that he desperately needed it and the Rockets told him too. The Rockets meanwhile have moved on by adding a guard of the present in James and one of the future in Brooks. Not a lot of room for spanoulis, or incentive for the rockets to want to bring back a guy back who doesn't want to be here, and has yet to show that he's worth the trouble in any event.
VSpan is the most expendable. He didn't play much for the Rockets last season, and the guy is a turnover waiting to happen. He also can't shoot straight and he is always whining about returning to Greece or a lack of PT. If he leaves the Rockets, I won't miss him at all.
I don't see us trading Yao or TMac, since we could never get as much value back as they are to us. They are our superstar combo, that we're building the whole team around. So until that plan changes, they're untouchable. Unless we get someone like an Artest, who can be our defensive stopper, Battier will stay, IMHO. Deke, Hayes, James and Wells will be kept, since we just signed or are in the process of signing them. Since Adelman wanted Brooks in this draft, I doubt they'd trade him, unless it was for a PG Adelman wanted more, such as Billups. Everyone else is fair game, especially if they can bring back a better player in a package, or fill in the spots we need on this team, as Adelman wants to rebuild it. At the moment, I think our most valuable trading assets are Head, Alston, Sura, and VSpan ... maybe Snyder. Everyone else is a throw in for salary purposes to match. Not a lot to work with, unless someone has a gaping need, and someone extra we need. Morey's got his work cut out for him.
vspan is clearly the most expendable based on his history of zero contribution. that said, i'd be ok with him and brooks competing to back-up mike james with rafer used as part of some kind of trade. i see some potential in vspan though he's not acting like he should be.
rafer? really? no way he's most expendable. As easy of a target as he is for his shooting %, i dont trust any other PG on the team to run the offense consistantly. you'd think the most expendable would be the guy that wasnt even good enough to get on the court and is a whinny baby...not the guy who started most of the year with no viable backup behind him.
I don't understand why everybody is so in love with Spanoulis, while everybody hates JL3. He outplayed the guy in just about every aspect. I still think Lucas has a shot to be good, but Spanoulis is just awful. I cringe every time I see him take a perimeter shot. He can penetrate, but no better than Lucas can. People say Span was chained down by JVG, but it was just the same for Lucas. He just isn't that great of a three point shooter, but he was forced into that role. Obviously, one or both of these guys has to go, but if only one of them has to go I would keep JL3.
NO JOKE, This should be a one name poll: Spanoulis. But alas, he is the Jordan of the BBS for some reason I've missed.
Alston, Lucas, Head, Brooks, Snyder, Alston, Tsakalidis, Reed are all more expendable than Spanoulis IMO. But apparently I am in the minority. I don't understand why Battier makes this list over guys like Tsakalidis, Snyder, Lucas, Brooks, Reed?
Obviously we have six pg so the most expendable should be one of those. If the season stared today Brooks, Lucas, and Spanoulis would not see any playing time. Rafer or James would start and the other would get the bulk of the rest. Head might get some minutes but would mostly play at the two. Brooks is a rookie so he will be given some time. It's a toss up but I would have to say Lucas is most expendable with Span a close second. How did Battier get in this poll?
The only reason that V-Span is more valuable than Rafer is that Rafer has peeked and will continue to decline as he gets older, whereas V-Span still has potential. V-Span may not amount to much in the end, but we already know that Rafer doesn't amount to squat....so give me potential over horrid any day of the year. DD
Rafer Alston I don't get it. Rafer is leading the most expendable player poll over Vspan! Most trade proposals call for Rafer to be the first guard being shipped out. Most 2008 starting up up had Mike as our starting PG... I think Rafer is staying and starting PG next season unless we can get a solid PF AND a veteran pass first PG back from trade. The Rockets are not better with MJ starting and Brooks/JL backing up the PG position. ( don't even mention Head as PG ) With Rafer starting and MJ sharing minutes depends on match up, the Rocket's PG position will be very solid. MJ without Rafer is NOT an upgrade.
If Rafer is starting this team is doomed. He can't shoot, can't pass, and can't defend. Why would you want him starting when Mike James is better than him in every single aspect of his game, and has been over the course of his career? Rafer Alston should have been a backup PG, his numbers do not allow for him to be a starter, he has gotten way more playing time than he deserved. Rafer Alston is a way below average PG....and should be shipped out for a half eaten bag of pinto beans the first chance Morey gets. DD
to say he outplayed spanoulis last year is a little much. JL3 did well in limited minutes, but it became pretty obvious that he is not a point guard, he is a SG in a 5'11" body. ...how he earned the reigns at pg last season over luther is still a mystery in my eyes... furthermore, does drafting brooks not indicate that JL3 is expendable to you? obviously spanoulis' little premadonna act makes him expendable as well. but there a difference between the reasoning here. v-span isn't worth the trouble...JL3 isn't worth a contract.
I think like you said, it will just be Rafer and James splitting the minutes. Brooks may get a few. Either way, I don't think it matters who starts at PG because James and Alston will most likely get equal minutes.
