Let's put an end to this nonsense of determining whether this signing is attributable to CD and take a look at the bigger picture in this season and some parallels. *This is Year 3 of the Yao-TMac experiment. What is important to note here is that the argument given by the pro-McGrady crowd during the weeks leading up to the trade was that it was irrelevant that we were trading away depth. The thinking was that with Yao and McGrady, free agents would always come and once again, like last summer, this has proven true with Wells. This just reinforces the point that the McGrady trade was absolutely the right decision to make even though it hasn't worked out yet, because it gives the club potential for improvement. Finding the right mix of players and incorporating them is the coaching staff's responsibility, but so long as management spends wisely and stays below the luxury tax level, while McGrady is under 30 years old, the team can realistically add one full MLE level player every summer. *The Shaq-Kobe Model: The Lakers did not win the championship until Year 4 of Shaq and Kobe and I think this is often forgotten when judging how disappointing Yao-McGrady has been thus far. Obviously the main factor there was the arrival of Phil Jackson, however there were other variables along the way. They started with a core of Elden Campbell, Eddie Jones, Nick Van Excel, Cedric Ceballos, and Shaq. Over those four years, they dropped Campbell, Jones, Van Excel, and Ceballos, and added Horry, Fox, and Fisher, the latter three far less talented than the former, and had a short stint with Glen Rice who was rather insignificant in the grand scheme of things. The difference here is that where the Lakers went from a talent rich, deep team to one with specialists surrounding their two superstars, the Rockets are attempting to evolve from a team completely void of talent to one with a fairly reasonable amount. The contrast is that McGrady and Yao are not as dominant as their counterparts and thus need the help that Shaq and Kobe needed to get rid of to assert themselves. Where McGrady and Yao are now 27 and 26 respectively, Shaq and Kobe were 28 and 21. One excuse for why it took the Lakers until year 4 is that Kobe was a mere teenager in those early years whereas Yao and McGrady have both been full grown. However, in this parallel, I am equating the 24 year old Yao of two years ago, to teenaged Kobe in that big men generally take much longer to develop. So the thinking here is that McGrady and Shaq, roughly the same age, are the constants, and it is the hopeful emergence of Yao, starting from last year, in parallel to Kobe's maturation, that pushes the Rockets into the elite. At 21, Yao came into the league in the same pathetic physical state that the 18 year old Kobe did, so they are roughly equivalents in this sense. *The Battier Trade in Relation to Bonzi Wells: Had we not landed Wells, after the Mike James gaffe, the Battier trade would have gone down as one of the worst in team history, simply because the club would have been stuck in mud - no future prospects yet not good enough to contend. They really lucked out that Bonzi fell into their laps because it finally gives justification to the "win now" approach characteristic of the Battier trade. They realistically can hope to "win now" as they are finally good enough. Wells gives them the legit 3rd option they haven't had since the days of the Big 3. Most importantly, Wells' addition takes even more pressure off of Battier because he won't have to be the 3rd option (something he is completely incapable of being, a ridiculous notion spun by the pro-Battier side after the Gay trade) but can rather focus on doing the dirty work which he thrives at. Most importantly, Wells makes this team an absolute matchup nightmare. They now have the most lethal swingman combo in the league in Wells and McGrady. Teams will now pay for playing two small guards together in the backcourt (Phoenix, Dallas, SA), because Wells will eat them alive inside. Don't forget about Kirk Snyder who gives them an unheard of 4th big guard to throw at teams defensively. The Rockets for once have many options at the wing.
very indepth and very precise. im pretty much content with the bonzi signing and just looking at the whole team's improvement. year 3 brings a LOT of promise from our bench. additions with vspan, jl3 and snyder particularly. all were acquired at the bargain price, all have something to prove, and i think they will definetly shine when letting the stars rest. given with the win now mentality, and that we may possibly lose bonzi after this year, the core youngins like those mentioned plus novak and head will keep our roster very fresh. we've definetly got a win-now mentality, but i hope yall here will realize that our bench will mature with our star caliber starters, and take the reigns whenever need be. the pickups for the bench really seem promising as good role players. year 3 is it guys! lets get camp open for crying out loud.
Great post. And while Glen Rice wasn't that important in Championships 2 and 3 for the Lakers, it was his free throws (on a terrible, terrible, terrible foul call against Dale Davis) that sealed Game 6 (and series) for LA during the 2000 NBA Finals against Indiana. Indiana was making a fercious comeback to win the game and were about to get the ball back to possibly take the lead, and freakin it was a total loose ball, no foul, and the refs go "hey, let's end any drama and award the championship right now"....argh...not even a Laker Hater or a Pacer Fan, but I just wanted the refs to stay out of the outcome.
And you are absolutly right about Wells being a total brute inside. I'm working on some anaysis right now to show why he was such a great signing in terms of how he will complement this team inside.
Can't wait for the new season >< ,I am so excited to see all of them play toghter and no one could beat us. GO ROCKETS, TIME FOR CHAMPION! (it is my first post , sorry for the bad English )
Damn, cabbage, an outstanding post. The thinking was that with Yao and McGrady, free agents would always come and once again, like last summer, this has proven true with Wells. No question about it, and when Tracy shows himself to be healthy this season, it will reinforce any doubts some players may have had about his durability, and continue the obvious attraction he has for free agents. And lets not forget what made McGrady come to Houston in the first place, Yao. Having the league's dominant big man makes it a double attraction for free agents that want to win, and want to play with a real dominant big man, and a top 5 player in McGrady... to have those wide open shots the other Rockets kept brickin' last season. Don't think those games weren't watched, with envy for those looks they didn't get on their own teams. So the thinking here is that McGrady and Shaq, roughly the same age, are the constants, and it is the hopeful emergence of Yao, starting from last year, in parallel to Kobe's maturation, that pushes the Rockets into the elite. Who here didn't get chills watching Yao's play during that stretch before his injury? I sure as hell got them. We're used to having a dominant big man on the Rocks, and having him be the best in the league, or near the top. I'm assuming Yao will take up where he left off, and keep improving. Once the new players gel with him, and Tracy, Yao will be setting personal records for scoring, assists, and rebounding, IMO, because he will have far more room to operate. Can't wait to see it. They really lucked out that Bonzi fell into their laps because it finally gives justification to the "win now" approach characteristic of the Battier trade. They realistically can hope to "win now" as they are finally good enough. Wells gives them the legit 3rd option they haven't had since the days of the Big 3. Most importantly, Wells' addition takes even more pressure off of Battier because he won't have to be the 3rd option (something he is completely incapable of being, a ridiculous notion spun by the pro-Battier side after the Gay trade) but can rather focus on doing the dirty work which he thrives at. God, yes. I still can't get over our luck. It's terrific for Battier, and takes a big load off his shoulders going into the season, when he would have had the expectation of being that key acquisition, a guy who had to produce. Battier will produce, but in all those little ways that don't necessarily register with the average fan. With Wells, he can just do his thing, and having Battier takes pressure off of Wells as well (unintentional pun, lol!). Just a huge move to land Bonzi. Most importantly, Wells makes this team an absolute matchup nightmare. They now have the most lethal swingman combo in the league in Wells and McGrady. Teams will now pay for playing two small guards together in the backcourt (Phoenix, Dallas, SA), because Wells will eat them alive inside. Don't forget about Kirk Snyder who gives them an unheard of 4th big guard to throw at teams defensively. The Rockets for once have many options at the wing. This is what really gets me excited. How long has it been since we had this much depth? It seems like forever. Van Gundy will go nuts playing with matchups, getting the rotation how he wants it, and not having to depend on the "over the hill" gang to somehow perform like they were 5 years younger than they are. This is going to be a fun, fun season to watch. I'll be seeing it all on League Pass, and all the other venues I shell out for every season, and hopefully some games at TC. And this season, I won't be gripping making out the check. I can't wait.
I agree- good points. The model of which you speak has taken place within many teams following the Celtics-Lakers era in the 80s. Many teams that were perennial also-rans- Sacramento and Dallas - or those that became champions- Bulls, Rockets- did not achieve immediate success once the stars were brought on board. When you look at championship teams' statistics from 1988 to 2006, you can see that most had two great scorers and the rest averaged 12 points and under (in some instances, teams like the 2003 Spurs and the 1994 Rockets only had one scorer in the 20s). That's why I never worried about Yao and T-Mac being successful and whether or not McGrady was the right move. Difference makers are hard to come by- if you can get two, as the history of the last 25 years of the NBA has shown us, you have a legitimate shot. And Wells may not average 20 points a game, but anyone that has the capability to score 35 points in a single game more than once, particularly in the pressurized playoffs, is truly a benefit to have. Most acknowledge Wells' playoff performance against the Spurs this past year as his best overall, and this is most likely true. But in that game several years ago against Dallas in the playoffs when he was with the Blazers and scored like 45 points or something like that- I watched that whole game and the guy was scoring at will (albeit against the Allas Mavericks), just dominating that team. The last point is important- rather than always worrying about whether we can match up with Phoenix or San Antonio, etc., we should have other teams worrying about how they're going to handle us.
brilliant post. probably the truest words posted since last years anual "state of the union" thread. (there allways seems to be one right before the season starts) i can't agree more. bonzi, tmac and shane are matchup nightmares for other teams and great for us! i'm truely excited for this season.
really good post. Good points all around and i really hate people keep on mentioning Yao's health. Yao was rarely injured in his NBA career god damn
Yeah, I understand the concern with his feet because he's a big man, but then again I thought he had broken that foot before at age 19 or so and it sure didn't seem to be a problem in his first 3 seasons. I think he showed in the World Championships that he has rehab'd just fine, so I don't see it as much of a problem.
Excellent post Cab. Assuming T-Mac stays healthy and Yao continues to dominate as he did in the latter portion of last season, the Rockets finally have the supporting talent to go toe to toe with the Mavs, Spurs and Suns. While watching the playoffs this year, I would constantly bemoan the fact that JVG had shown a history of only taking players that 100% fit his "system" as opposed to adding more talent to match up with other teams. The really great coaches are able to take a player such as Stackhouse or Terry in Dallas or Walker and Williams in Miami and meld the players into their system even though when they arrive they are not necessarily considered the "perfect" fit. The Rockets have finally done that in a sense with Bonzi Wells, and I applaud JVG for that. Bonzi upgrades the talent level on this team SIGNIFICANTLY even though he may not necessarily be the ideal 100% fit in JVG's system. It is imperative that JVG make some adjustments in his offensive concept in order to blend Bonzi's talent into the offensive system just as Avery did with Stackhouse and Terry and Riley did with Walker and Williams. Assuming this happens and everyone stays healthy, the Rockets should definitely be in the top 4 and have a real shot at challenging Dallas and SA for the division.
This is really what I have wanted to see. I actually like Wells over James for this reason. I want to see the Rockets beat the elite teams playing their own game, and not trying to matchup with small lineups. This also gives the Rockets a fighting chance during the regular season if McGrady is out of the lineup because of his back.
I haven't been this excited since we landed McGrady. I just hope we don't need Phil Jackson to win the whole thing.
I would have given this thread a 5 if you didn't confuse Van Exel with Microsoft's spreadsheet program.
