Battier as a third scorer is a complete fantasy fabricated by the pro-Battier crowd shortly after the Gay trade. The term "3rd scorer" doesn't mean your 3rd highest scorer like your description of him finding "sneaky ways to score garbage pts" indicates. It's a 3rd option that can put pressure on the defense and cause problems. It doesn't matter if he was going to score garbage points - you would still have to rely on McGrady for 80% of your offense because everything would still be funneled through him. That is the point here. Not the eventual point outcome, but options. In Wells' case, McGrady can take plays off because Wells can score on his own. Essentially, the Rudy Gay trade was flawed in theory because we would still be having to take on all those Dallas scorers with one main scorer. The Rockets are damn lucky Wells fell into their laps. EDIT: I didn't see your last statement: "I think both of them will avg about the same number of pts." This is the exact type of thinking that is detrimental. Hell, Battier may even average more points than Wells. That is irrelevant. The point here is that when we played Dallas 2 years ago, they had Stackhouse, Terry, Dirk and now even Harris who can all create shots. Points are irrelevant. You have to be able to create. I don't want to see McGrady have to do everything for himself again this year and that is what would have happened had we not signed Wells, regardless of Battier's "scrap points".
i'm with the theory that if the Rockets can just get to the finals, they can win it all. i think the Spurs/Mavs/Suns (fortunately, one of those teams -maybe Dallas - will likely be a fifth seed) if healthy will be at least as strong if not stronger than the aging Heat. but it would probably take no injuries to a starter not named Juhow to win the WCF this year.
What, you're saying Yao will get shut down by the "Second Best Center in the NBA"? This is probably a Freudian slip but there is no need to express that kind of crap in a Rockets forum. Feeding Yao in the post is a perfectly legitimate scoring option and it doesn't need to have anything to do with McGrady.
You're right, because Yao is so damn effective playing in foul trouble, against a smaller/quicker opponent, or a fronting defense. Silly me for wanting another scoring option for those numerous occasions.
The fact that Battier won't "create shots" doesnt' mean he doesn't help the offense. As long as either Tracy or Yao is on the court, they can create enough shots for everyone else. Even last season there were plenty of decent shot opportunities created off Yao or Tracy passing out even when one of them is down. The bigger problem was that generally their teammates did not finish those shots. If anything, Battier has shown he can finish these opportunities efficiently. If he does that, he helps with the offensive flow. Hoepfully, others on the roster-- Snyder, Head and whoever else is on the court, do the same when one of the stars is off the court and the Rockets would have been just fine even if Bonzi is not on there with the other star. Not that I'm complaining about Bonzi... but as has been pointed out here by one other poster, his career scoring efficiency is rather mediocre. Even last year his TS% was only slightly higher than Juwan Howard's (and below the NBA average) during the regular season. His offensive rebounding would seem to be an more important factor than his individual offense unless he is matched up favorably. Bonzi had his most efficient scoring seasons back in Portland when they still had Sabonis and a talented roster. He lived off garbage points rather than individual isos and post-ups back then, too, as far as I remember. It's just that he had easier opportunties back then than he did subsequently-- even with the Kings. I would imagine the best way to use Bonzi is as a garbage guy rather than any kind of primary offensive option. Look, Bonzi busted Ginobili because of his physical mismatch and that Spurs had to keep Bowen on Artest. But look over his entire career particularly in recent years, he really doesn't do what he did vs. Ginobili on a regular basis. In the end, Bonzi and Battier both help mostly in that they can finish garbage opportunities created by either Yao or TMac... neither are guys you want to just iso regularly unless the matchup favors him. These guys are more similar than one might think.
Nonsense. I never said he doesn't help the offense. I said he isn't the "3rd scorer" you've been touting him as. The point here is that far too often Yao isn't on the court or is just ineffective. We can hope all we want that he's turned the corner, and he likely has, but due to the nature of his game and his body, there WILL be nights when he simply cannot match up due to the speed of the game or foul trouble and is rendered completely ineffective. If you forgot, Sura, Wesley, and James all hit their shots and this was all off of McGrady. I don't want to see him have to create everything again with no backup plan. You're trying to spin Battier into something he is not. No. There wouldn't be any shots with McGrady and Yao on the bench. I don't know what "offensive flow" has anything to do with this unless its just more spin. Someone has to create or be a go-to option. Ginobili/Parker for the Spurs, Diaw and even Barbosa in spurts for the Suns. I'll take his body of work throughout his playoff career over any other guy outside of 111 that we have on our roster. Actually, I recall him getting many postup opportunities with the second unit, in Portland. ??? What does it matter why he busted Ginobili? He did it. And the Spurs having to keep Bowen on Artest is analagous to them having to keep Bowen on McGrady. Same situation. Even if we are assume that you are correct, and they are similar, the fact remains that with JUST Battier, we would still have the problems I addressed earlier.
Catch the latest news on NBA Blog, a journal of hoops-related commentary, news and analysis, and reader-driven discussions. 9/29/2006 04:28:00 PM How Far Can Rockets Go? McGrady's pointing to a brighter future now that Wells is on board. AP Can a team that finished last in its division a year ago now be considered the favorite to reach the NBA Finals out of the Western Conference this season? No. Expecting the Houston Rockets to make that kind of leap may be asking too much, especially in the Southwest, the most loaded division in the league. But adding Bonzi Wells to a lineup that already features two All-Star starters certainly means the Rockets should finish in the 50-60 win range this season ... provided, of course, those star players stay healthy. As last season suggests, that's a big if. But forget the impact that Wells (and the other key acquisition, Shane Battier) will make during the regular season. Whether the Rockets finish first or last in the West doesn't really matter. The key here is that if the Wells-Yao Ming-Tracy McGrady threesome is clicking going into the playoffs, absolutely no one will want any part of the Rockets. Wells was a playoff monster last year, averaging 23.2 points and 12 rebounds in the Kings' six-game first-round loss to the Spurs. McGrady, you'll recall, was an even bigger playoff monster the year before, averaging 30.7 points and 7.4 rebounds in a seven-game loss to the Mavs. Upon reaching the playoffs next spring, both players will be properly motivated. For Wells, it will be for financial reasons -- to make up for misreading the market this offseason when he turned down a five-year $37 million offer from the Kings, ultimately settling for a two-year, $4.5 million deal with the Rockets in which he can opt out after this season. Wells will need another huge playoff performance (and will need to remain on his best behavior) in order to attract a big-money deal. T-Mac, meanwhile, will simply want to get past the first round, something he has yet to achieve in five previous playoff appearances. Against the Mavs in 2005, he didn't have the supporting crew he does now (Wells, Battier, an improved Yao). If he averages 30 and 7 again, the Rockets should have no trouble advancing this time. In 1999, Jeff Van Gundy's Knicks became the first 8th seed to advance to the NBA Finals. If Van Gundy's Rockets finish 8th in the West this year, a similar run wouldn't be as big a surprise. But let me hear from you. Do the Rockets have what it takes to reach the Finals? Or will depth and health still be a problem this season?
Bonzi's plaoyffs resume is much like his regular season resume-- some good, some not so good. 5 games does not make him a certain playoffs superstar. My pt is that 3rd scorer is not as important as having finishers off Yao or McGrady. Having garbage guys and finishers will help greatly no matter what. Bonzi in recent years is also just as effective as a 3rd scorer overall as Juwan Howard. So I would not go into the season expecting 15 efficient ppg from post ups from him. Without Wells, Snyder would have to step his game up and turn into a starter and do the garbage work. Might still have to do it if Bonzi gets hurt again.
great write-up Cab. I am so eager to see what product the Rockets put on the floor this November. Preseason can't come any sooner. I hope the Rockets can start this season strong, have a healthy mid season and go on a tear right b4 the playoffs. McGrady, Yao will have to prove that they can stay healthy...I will drink to that. Cheers.......
i beg to differ. what this team desperately has needed more than finishers is another guy that can get off his own shot. that becomes plain as day as soon as mcgrady goes to the bench and teams start fronting yao ming. as far as your comparison to howard - i would take the howard of a few years ago in a heartbeat. it's just the howard of today who is worthless.
The best thing about the Bonzi trade is that if we do a lot of damage, there will be more FAs next season who'll take a lesser offer in the case Wells does find another team. Just like the Kobe-Shaq Lakers...
