Possibly the biggest thing that is being over looked re Yao Ming is the impact his drafting will have on the team who takes him. The publicity will be huge. I don't just mean 'number one draft pick' type huge. I mean celebrity + international product + world wide attention huge. The aspect that we need to consider with that attention is the reality that this team will basically become Yao Ming's in the media's eyes. The focus will almost entirely be on him. To cope with this, we are going to need VERY mature players around him. Guys who can handle the spotlight being off them, whilst at the same time making adjustments to their own games to try and help him. It's going to be a big ask... Ever since Francis threw a tantrum to force his way out of Vancouver, I have doubted his temperament. I haven't really seen anything that would change my mind in the years since. To bring in a guy who takes away all the attention is going to hurt his pride enormously. On top of that, Yao is going to need time. That means Steve can forget about going to deep into the finals for at least another two or three seasons. Also, if Yao pans out and dominates...the perception will be that it's Yao who is taking the Rocks to the play offs etc. Yao's team. So...the equation in front of Steve is "Yao = spotlight gone + play offs delayed". No wonder he seemingly wants to trade away the pick...it's going to affect his career and pride dramatically. Further, if Yao is a bust, he will resent the Rockets for blowing the chance of using this pick to go to another level. I just can't see it working out at all between them. It has to be one or the other...but not both. For mine, you do one of two things: 1. You trade away the pick and build this team RIGHT NOW around Francis. You give him the players to get you to the play offs next season and ask him to take you all the way once you are there... or 2. You put Francis on the block immediately. His trade value is enormous. He immediately gets you, at the minimum, the Number 2 pick + Curry IMO. You draft Jay Williams and Yao Ming...and you build around Yao, Williams, Eddie and Curry / whoever the Francis trade can get you. Personally, I don't know which way I'd go. The one option I do know that you do not take is pairing Yao and Francis together. It will NOT work out...
I don't want t break up a young and maybe talented until they played at least 3yr together. Dallas messed up along with Philly. These guys need to play at least 3 ys together. No one is bigger than the team, especialy lotto team. Francis will just have to learn to play with Ming. Once he sees how easy his job has become, he will let the other stuff slide. I hope Ming does come in and be dominant or at least good. Production out of that spot would only help us get back to the finals real quick. Right now, Shaq is the only thing looking like a center for the most part. Dike is 34 and 1 dimensional, Zo has a bad kidney, Vlade is the career tease, thats enough said. Francis will learn just like Kobe had to that nothing is like having a force down low. Nothing!
The possibility of that scenario went way down with Steve's surgery, don't you think? I agree that he would have huge trade value, but that value is an asset to the Rocks right now. Keeping him is probably the best way to go. If we trade him this summer, his health issues would be a major impediment. The offer would have to be incredible to part with him, IMO. The 2nd. pick plus Curry might fit that description, however!
There is an old saying that reads...."Winning cures all" Whatever Steve feels about Ming now will change the first time he plays with him. Steve will marvel at the way that Ming can actually catch the ball and score down low unlike our current crop of big men ( Cato, Collier, etc ). Then Steve will be overwhelmed with actual outlet passes off defensive rebounds more than once a game. Moreover, Steve will be in awe of the way he now can play tigher defense because he doesn't have to worry about his defender getting past him since the "great wall of China" is standing in the paint. Finally, Steve will have to realize that being one of the men on a winning team is better than being THE man on a losing team.
there is no reason why a top perimeter play cant work with a top inside force. im sorry, but its true. its called complimenting eachother. its when two players do different things to help a team. we already have steve and cat. they do the same stuff. we need ming to compliment their game.
I think Francis is a little gulibble. First, did you see how well Jerry West worked his magic on Francis. First complementing his game, then saying that Ming is at best a top 7 pick. Sure friggen hell, Ming is a 7th pick. The last time I counted #1 is included in the 7th pick. Francis needs to be loved by everyone around him. He needs to be complemented. Along with the compiments come the ill conjured up player analysis. Francis better get better prepared mentally if he wants to make all personel demands on the team. If Steve and Mobley can come up and say they've analysed MIngs acutal game and saw holes, then tell the Rockets!!! Don't tell the best damb sports show on television. Tell Rudy and CD. In my opinion this public stunt could hurt the Rockets talent acquistion. Just like stupid Pippen saying that stuff about Barkely. In my opinion, Pippen cost us either Jermain O'neil or Bonzi Wells. Good going Mobley. Just when you think the guy was a pretty smart guy. No wonder he takes so many stupid isolation when thrippled teamed shots. Am I wrong saying that Mobley may be 2nd to none on the Rockets stupid player lists. Francis at least makes some nice nice passes. Remember the dish to Norris for the win on TNT!!!
I haven't seen anything that shows that Francis is a spotlight hog. Isn't this the same guy who said he's willing to let Mobley take the last shot? If he was all about himself and the spotlight he would want to take that shot just to get air time.
Rocks Giving Cat the last shot is a bit different to accepting the media saying "this is Yao's team"...I just can't see him doing it. Dennis...even winning doesn't cure ego's. Look at Kobe and Shaq. The only thing that saved them was Shaq 'handing over' (once he'd got his ring). The pressure that will come with Yao is different. We will have 100 media guys at training...all asking players "how is Yao doing...how can Yao improve...should Yao get more shots...should Yao be the man" . It will take a lot of maturity from our guys to accept that... If Yao struggles, and he will at first, then he will need the team behind him. I hope it can work. I just doubt it.
Agreed, Yao doesn't fit into this team at all. I don't see Yao hanging out with Cat or Steve after any games. Also, I really don't forsee Mobley willing to give up his 25 shots per game. I still see the same bs one on one crap isolation offense next year. I bet Ming will call for the ball but Cat will just ignore him and jack up some random shot. The Rockets are run by a bunch of guys in their mid 20's and they just don't seem mature enough to be able to help Ming grow into the NBA both on and off the court. This is the problem with the Rockets, they have no vertern leadership and are run by 2 little kids. You ask any team in the NBA with vertern leadership and I bet all of them would love to have Ming and would help him grow. Would Stockton and Malone be jealous? No. Would Payton be jealous. No? Would Jason Kidd be jealous? These guys are all about winning. I think Cat is more concerned about getting his shots. He said yesterday that Odom won't command the ball that much and will most likely just get putbacks. Therefore, he can still get his 25 shots a game.
Cuttino Mobley does not shoot 25 shots per game. Facts can be a real b**** sometimes. PS - we also ran much more pick 'n roll than ISO last year.
Forget the issue over 25 shots...the "we want Lamar" and "Jay Williams would be an insult" quotes are all that's needed. I mean, why come out with crap like that before the draft? As Clutch said in another post, Jalen Rose answered the same questions so much more preofessionally. Cat seems hell bent on protecting the group he and Steve have set up in Houston. Yao, Jay Williams...are threats. Lamar isn't.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Cat seems hell bent on protecting the group he and Steve have set up in Houston. Yao, Jay Williams...are threats. Lamar isn't. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Cannot agree more. From what Cat said it is not hard to tell that he is not about winning for his team, but about showing off himself.
Clyde Drexler once told Sam he'd give him $1000 if he could find him after a game. If any of you ever went out in Houston, you would know Cassell and Elie were always in the streets, but you would never find Clyde. The point is, these guys don't have to be buddy buddy off the court as long as they respect each other on it. Bird and McHale really didn't like each other, but it was respect and the thought of winning is what its about. Kobe hangs with no one and they still win. If it would make this team a winner, then Steve and Cat will just have to live with it. Good Big players are hard to find, but small players come a dime a dozen.
OK Pued...just remember when they took the pick and rolls. After they do the pick and rol, the defender does a switch with his teammate so that it is a mismatch with, say Cuttino, against a big man. That is where the isos begin because the Rockets want to take advantage of their quickness off the switch against the big man. The pick and rolls SET UP the isolations.
Someone please tell me how it would be disrespectful to SF to draft a PG? How many times last year did SF slide over to SG and let Mooch run the offense at the end of the game? Mooch averaged 27 1/2 minutes a game. I know those numbers are up because of all the injuries to Steve but common. Cat thinks it's disrespectful to draft a top-notch point guard because SF is one of the top 3 PG's, yet it's ok when Rudy puts in Mooch (a career backup) at PG to run the offense in the fourth quarter of games. PALEEZE!!!! All Cat cares about is keeping his starting role. He knows if we draft JW he is the odd man out. I wonder if that is the way Steve feels about it? I don't see how he could be so against drafting JW. If he is, he really is insecure or is he just trying to protect his friend. Either way his priorities are not team oriented.
