I'm not one to "what if" Rudy and Carrol, but this is my fourth yr watching him and wonder if they wish they had the Rashad Lewis pick over? I just watched him have a monster night against Grant Hill and T-Mac for 36 and 19. When Seattle picked him in the 2nd rd, the guys who watched the draft with me we all agreed either it will piss him off and he will become a good player, or he will sulk and be a bust. It looks like he is pissed and just plays good basketball and intends on proving people wrong, like Cat did being a second rd pick. Lewis is pretty much what you would like to have in a 3, good defender, good rebounder, and can hit from both long range and mid range. Just think what we would have with him,cat,and francis all in the same lineup!!!! People wonder why you take a high school player, but Rashard,Kobe, O'Neal others show why. These guys can hit their starting their prime at the age of 22 instead of 25,26. Just think that we took Mirsad and Bryce Drew instead of Lewis. If we had Lewis, it wouldn't be so many Walt,Rice and Shandon Anderson sux threads! I just had to say that after watching him for the fourth time this season. I just hope Morris carries that chip on his shoulder and becomes a multi faceted small forward we haven't had since.......... Rodney McCray? Anyways, the next high schooler from the area to bypass college is in 2 yrs with the guy from Ozen, Kendrick Perkins. I've seen the guy about 4 times and he's the real deal. he already has a pro body and a good drop step, maybe by then Cato will be good or traded.
No, there wouldn't be, but there would be KT and Cato sux threads. The hating will always be there no matter how good the Rockets play, there just has to be an excuse for it (Walt, Rice). There is no possible way someone can predict a season after the first 4 games.
You right about that one, but we stole Cat in the 2nd and could have gotten Lewis with a late first. Man you want to talk about stealing a draft.
Rahsard will become a premiere SF if this play continues. Think Stojakovich with more athleticism. I'll admit I cringe when thinking about how much Rudy & Co. missed the boat on that one. But overall, I try not to think about that and just concetrate on how nice it must be for Lewis, especially after the draft night "debacle" to show what kind of player EVERYONE else knew he could be. Way to go Rashard.
We could have traded Raplh Sampson for Michael Jordan and a 1st round pick. Hindsight can make anyone look stupid, but at the time the Rockets thought they were doing the best thing, even though the best pick was made in the second round. Maybe they somehow thought Lewis would fall to the second round, and he didn't and we got Cat instead. Cat would have fallen even further if we got Lewis in the 2nd round and we might have wondered why we didn't draft him. Though I do think it was crappy we gave Lewis the impression we were going to use one of our first round picks on him. Anyway I shouldn't spend much time on this topic since it's not productive. (I'm not saying this is a bad thread, just that it's too easy to get sucked into and lose sight of other factors.) B
God people, we're 3-1 and you're talking about drafts 2 or 3 years ago! Yeah we could have gotten Lewis, we also could have gotten Michael Jordan. If we had Michael Jordan there wouldn't be so many "Shandon sux" threads either! This team needs veteran experience, and the fact we have Rice and Willis working with the young guys (especially Cato), is a plus. So many things could happen if we got Lewis, and it might not be good. You can wish we had Lewis, I'll just enjoy a 3-1 start and the makings of what could be a pretty good team.
I still don't believe Lewis would have had the same work ethic he has now if he had been picked in the first round by his hometown team. Alot of players don't get the hunger until they've played scrub-league or euro ball. (What's the difference?) Rashard was fortunate enough that his hunger was a product of circumstance at the beginning of his career. The first two weeks away from home and you cry for your mama. After that, you become a survivor.
I came on today just to talk about this pick and I noticed this thread. It is just a major, major error on the part of the Rockets. I was never fortunate enough to hear the reasoning behind the decision not to pick him. This is a home grown superstud and I am at a loss as to how we missed that one; especially in light of the great job we did with Othella, Mobes, Morris, OT and KT. It is not that I am dissatisfied with the current team and in fact Morris could approach those level, but I am just so amazed at such an error. The greater Lewis gets, I believe the more Rudy T may have this added to his colourful legacy. A legacy thought which includes a "john wayne punch" to the face.
Actually I think the only people who still talk about this are a few people on this board. Does this affect the legacy of the 28 other coaches/GMs that passed on Lewis as well? I can see it now how Rudy will be remembered: "Spent entire career with Houston Rockets, won 2 championships (so far)...and passed on 2nd-rounder Rashard Lewis."
or is could be: "Spent entire career with Houston Rockets, won 2 championships (so far)...and passed on 2nd-rounder, turn all-star MVP, Rashard Lewis."
It has already been obvious for awhile that not taking Lewis in the first round was a mistake. RT won't admit it publically, but I'm sure he and all the Rockets know it. We all know it. Why are we still rehashing it? But, since we're talking about, how about another level of speculation? If the Rockets had chosen Lewis instead of, say, Turkcan, who would the Sonics have taken in the 2nd round? My bet is, they'd have taken Cuttino Mobley, leaving us with some scrub playing ball in Europe. Seattle seems to always draft the guys we wanted when they get the jump on us. Like Radmanovic in this last draft. Likewise, if Seattle (nor anyone else) took Lewis and he was still available for our 2nd round pick, we'd have taken him instead of Mobley. So, who'd you rather have, Lewis or Mobley? Everything else equal, I'd take Lewis. But, having Mobley and getting Griffin and Morris and winning more games than Seattle and generally being a better team -- all that soothes the pain substantially.
If it's any comfort, consider this: Turkcan (the stiff we drafted instead of Lewis) was traded for a pick, and that pick was traded this last draft to the Hawks for.... Terrence Morris. Who knows how he will turn out? He, also, may be the long term answer at the 3 we've been waiting for.
You know thats what makes this board great in my eyes because someone can have an opinion and people chime in about it. Looking at the draft that night, the Rockets were stacking their teams with maybe 1 dimimensional players to complement the inside game they had with Hakeem and Chuck, but when you draft in the lower half of the round, most teams, including the Rockets go for "potential". That is the same yr Harrington went to the Pacers, and Young to the Pistons. Its pretty similar when Blazers drafted O'Neal and Utah Stevenson. Late round players with a world of talent and you hope they can develop. Maybe Lewis don't develop, because prior to the draft i did see him a couple of times with a bunch of flunkies, but no one knows the answer. It seems though that Rudy has a weakness for these "shooters" that can't do much of nothing else. I mean Dickerson is ok, but either he drives to the hole or shoot a 3, he doesn't bring much else as far as floor game. Its cool, though, because maybe Morris will take a note from some of the other 3's in the league and round his game out to make himself a triple threat for us at the 3. Anyway it goes, I'd rather for us to have more multi diminsional players like Francis,Cat,and Griffin as opposed to one dimensional players like Rice and Williams. You want to see how a 3 develops, check out McGrady in ESPN the magazine.
The Rockets did not draft Rashad, since their intention was to sign Pippen to a multi-year deal. Rashad would still be playing backup minutes, if he was drafted and Pippen did not punk the Rocks. I agree with you. Why are we still rehashing Pippen not working out?
Thats true, but seeing in how pippen has dropped to a crawl and it would have been nice for him to learn from practice from Pippen, it could have been a no lose situation. Its over, but I make it a point to watch Seattle because they play up and down the floor and the local product (Rashard) is good to watch.
It is fun to think about the possibility of having Lewis on the Rockets, but I have to think we would have had to part with him in order to get Francis. Besides Mobley (who was still underrated), didn't they pretty much take ALL of our young talent in that trade (Othella and Dickerson primarily). I'm guessing Lewis would have shown just enough by then to make the Grizz demand him but not enough for us to pass up on the chance to grab Steve versus hanging on to him. That's my theory anyway. I'm just happy that he is starting to have a good career and the Rockets seem to be okay despite the pick. You have to admit, we've done pretty well. --Drof
