Mike James would give an edge- sometimes we do need that- but he is too much of a "me -before-the-team" player. Besides I am not sure if Tmac would welcome that. I dont really think it is a smart idea to go for someone who was playing for a contract. If we got NOK's pick , I would package with our own and go for Bargnani ( assuming Aldridge would be gone)despite the stuff about he going to toronto only ( is that not tampering?). A PF is a lot more difficult to fill via trades and free agency- a good one I am sure if we made conservative moves without disturbing the team chemistry- and hopefully quicker folks- we should be fine. Two things are definitely possible we have the MLE and "Moochie" Exception and we have Stro- his contract makes him tradeable. I dont think we will get the Stud SG and the PF we covet at the same time.More than anything else this draft is about evaluating talent- and I am not too high on Rockets doing their job!
the bottom line is that we can use upgrades and multiple possitions. we need: starting SG, starting PF, and backup PG. you can also make a case for a backup SF and C. so draft the best player available regardless of possition just to fill some need. use the MLE to fill another need, and hopefully make a trade (jho/stro) to fill yet a 3rd. we can make due with bogans and deke as backups one more year.
I dont like the idea of trading our picks. This team needs to get younger players. Im tired of seeing old players play for the Rox and get beaten by the younger guards and forwards. This is what i think rox need to do: 1) Get a solid PF for the 8th pick if possible.(If available I really want Bernini from Italy) 2) Trade one of our PFs either Juwan or Swift for a decent and consistent SF/SG that can shoot from outside. 3) Bring in Spanoulis for our backup PG/SG or if hes that good then he can start at PG and let Alston be the backup PG. 4) If more money is left to spend, then also pickup a defensive minded SF/SG as well. Most likely gone are Wesley, Bogans, Bowen and Hayes. I think bringing in Mike James would be a very bad idea because im sure he wants more money and if Rox decides to give him more then we will be stuck with him and nothing above will come easy including no Spanoulis. Also why trade our picks??? Yao n Tmac are still young and have atleast good 5-6 years in them, if healthy. We need younger players to be built around them. Obviously Rox are not any close to championship team and it will atleast take 2 more seasons to build a perfect team around Yao n Tmac, why not go young? Also i think none of the free agents this year will come cheap, so why not just work with what we can afford this year and go from there and i think its better for the Rox in the long run. So Spanoulis, Draft pick(PF), and a above average SG,via trade or free agency, that is young will make this team alot better. Spend less and get more players that are young. If you look at teams like Suns, Dallas n San Antonio, they all went young with their superstars and via draft picks with players like Parker, Ginobli, Josh Howard, Diaw(was drafted by Atlanta in 2003 but still young and flourished with Suns), Devin Harris. I think Lottery pick if very important if the team is still in the rebuilding process and Rox is still trying to get players to match for Yao n Tmac.
I agree with the BPA arguement. If we lock ourselves into drafting for need, we could end up reaching for average players, and passing on great players. As far as I'm concerned, all 5 positions are of need in some way, and we should take the BPA no matter where he plays. If we are looking to fill need, do it through free agency and trade. The draft is all about potential, and that usually takes some time to materialize. I'll say it now, with very few exceptions, no one we draft is going to make the difference of us getting over the hump next year (especially in this weak draft). Now, two years from now is a different story. There's only 3 nba ready players that I see going in the top 10 of this draft: Morrison, Roy, and Sheldon Williams. But regardless, BPA is the best way to ensure the long-term success of your franchise.
I would try to offer the pick to Chicago for Deng or Atl for childress. Then i would move Swift and Sura's contract for a signed signed Mike James then use my mle for James Jones and either Loren Woods or Kandi and trade Luther Head for Wayne Simien. James,McGrady,Childress or Deng, and Howard and Ming with Rafer,James Jones,Loren Woods or kandi and Simien off the bench would give this team length and athletes. James,Ming, and MCgrady are the scorers while Childress or Deng are the fill the box guys like Prince and Howrd is the balance. Jones is the shooter off the bench,Rafer is the quality backup, Woods is the run the court guy behind Ming while Kandi is also a backup and hopefully Simien pushes Howard for time.
does anyone know if hayes will be back, i really like his play out there and i really hope he can get more time.
NIKE, great analysis and excellant points. I totally agree. Also watch the Hawks. They could trade down from their #5 spot to perhaps the Rockets #8 and still get Marcus Williams. The Rockets could then get Gay/Roy at #5. The question is what else could the Rockets give the Hawks to move up to #5?
I think that depends very much on Marcus Williams' workouts and value. A move like that is very dangerous for the Hawks, as Minnesota may well want a point guard, or teams could move up to 6 or 7 and snipe them out of Williams. It's also interesting, there seems to be a point guard domino effect. Last year, it was Williams/Paul/Felton. The year before, Gordon/Livingston/Harris. If 2 point guards (Williams and either Rondo or Foye) along with the big 4 (Aldridge/Morrison/Thomas/Bargnani) are drafted ahead of us, then we get Gay or Roy. Williams is the guy that seems to be getting a lot of push as a pure point guard, and Rondo seems to be climbing back up the boards as well. But the guy everyone should be cheering for right now is Patrick O'Bryant - it would be a huge coup for us if he leaps into the top 7.
If the Timberwolves want to retain Garnett, they will go for O'Bryant as I stated earlier. If they have decided to trade him and reboot, then they will go for a Rudy Gay or whomever. However, IMO they want to keep their cornerstone, and a player like O'Bryant would suddenly make Garnett relevant once again. Also, because of the uncertainty of Euros, I think Bargnani will fall. If Aldridge, Morrison, Gay, Thomas and Roy are gone at this point, who would your first, second and third choices be at #8?
What I really want us to get is either Al Harrington or Lamar Odom because If we want to win the west we have to have a pf that can guard Dirk Nowitzki. Just look at San Antonio this year they are very deep team but they can't not play any of their big guys except for duncan. TMAC did an awesome job last year but we need his energy to score besides Dirk is a flop master we don't want TMAC in foul trouble.
When the Hawks pick, Gay and Roy will likely be the best players available, which sucks for the Hawks because they're loaded at the swing positions and have nothing at PG or PF (with Al Harrington being a FA). Chad Ford sees the Hawks taking either Gay or Roy, then trading that guy during the summer. Here's where the Roxs step in. They should take the best PG on the board (Foye, Williams, or Rondo), then after the draft is over, offer that PG and Swift to the Hawks for either Gay or Roy and Al Harrington in a sign & trade (we can probably give Harrington the money he wants by combining Swift's salary with the trade exception). Why this works for the Hawks: It gives the Hawks the PG they need and PF who can run with their other young guys. You might doubt that the Hawks would be willing to trade down just for Swift, but they're not trading that far down, and they don't have a PF to replace Harrington (who is leaving the Hawks one way or another). If the Hawks don't do this deal, they have yet another swingman to squeeze into their rotation and no PF at all. Why this works for the Rockets: The Roxs desperately need a swingman for a variety of reasons and Swift doesn't fit here (for whatever reason). Plus Harrington has more range than any of our current PFs and he can defend both SFs and PFs. Harrington is still young and would be a great 3rd or 4th wheel on a championship-level team. If the Roxs can put this deal together, they can fill out their roster by using the full MLE for Mike James and by picking up another swingman in the 2nd round: PG: James/Alston SG: Hawks' 1st round pick/Head SF: McGrady/Roxs' 2nd round pick PF: Harrington/Howard C: Yao/Mutumbo Pine: Hayes/Bowen
I don't think the CBA allows the aggregation of salaries + trade exceptions for a single player. We won't be able to offer Harrington the money he wants that way. I do like your line of thinking though...
It's true that the CBA might as well be written in Chinese for me, so I'll assume you're right. And if that's the case, I'd throw Mutumbo's expiring contract in there with Swift to get Harrington his money, then use our 2nd rounder to get a backup center. I'm sure a lot of people here don't think that much of Harrington, but he's the best FA PF out there this year. I'd make a strong push to get him, especially if the deal nets us Gay or Roy as well.
If the Roxs can put this deal together, they can fill out their roster by using the full MLE for Mike James and by picking up another swingman in the 2nd round: PG: James/Alston SG: Hawks' 1st round pick/Head SF: McGrady/Roxs' 2nd round pick PF: Harrington/Howard C: Yao/Mutumbo Pine: Hayes/Bowen Yes, we have a winner. Hope springs eternal.
I Sort of agree with you on these except maybe i would prefer to do a s&t for james instead of the MLE and then sign either bonzi or harpring with the MLE. I have some doubt about us getting Mike James b/c JVG loves Howard, and after their little altercation this past season i don't know if howard has a very good Status with him. Also don't forget there was some talk about Tmac having some issues with him before the trade. I think he would be a nice player to have but as JVG said all this year, We lacked in Team Chemistry and Motivation. And i'm not so sure James would help that cause too much.
I still like my above mentioned deal with the Hawks, but if that can't be done, I would give up #8 for #12 and #15. This team needs help at both SG and PF, and this is a draft that's week at the top, yet still very deep.
actually i would trade down, if we can grab NO's 12th pick and 15th pick. 12th pick has to be reddick
Well, you probably wouldn't need to use the trade exception depending on how much you want to start Harrington for. But your idea is not realistic - 1.) Teams don't take a player in hopes of a deal. If we don't have a deal worked, we won't take a PG just because. 2.) (and more importantly) Free agency can't come till later. The Rockets can't negotiate with Harrington until July 1. The draft and sign and trades are not mixed.
Allrite so let me get this, majority of you guys want Mike James who want high salary which does not leave room for either Spanoulis or draft pick and another decent SF/SG needs??? So everyone wants to pass on Spanoulis, who Dawson thinks plays like Parker, and give high salary to Mike James?? Not to mention MJ is already 30 yrs old and we are going back to sign old players. This team needs younger players! MJ had 1 good season with the Toronto and with Bosh and Peterson they were not even close to make the playoffs and when MJ was with Rox he just did not mix too well with the team and now everyone wants him back?? MJ for sure wont sign with the Rox with low salary. He wants a big long term contract. Rox dont have that much money to play with so IMO it will be best to not sign MJ and use that money to fill our real needs which is big SF/SG position that can shoot. Also I would rather take my chances on Spanoulis than MJ just because i have seen MJ play with Rox and IMO he was not fit for this team at all.
