Now that the season is over what do you think are the major concerns for the offseason?
1. Yao needs to rest. No play over the summer.
2. I'd like to resign Artest and Wafer.
3. Should we trade Tmac? He will be sought after for being a massive expiring contract.
4. Back up center
Yao isn't playing intl ball anymore, so he'll get his rest.
I think Artest is a done deal. I'm all for resigning him. He's not a good first option but he can damn sure excel as a 3rd option. Hopefully it can be like that next season. We'll probably do with Wafer what was done with Landry last year with a wait and see approach in regards to his market value.
I doubt Les is willing to open his pocket for a guy like VC or anyone within that salary range who is likely to have a decent season or 2 and then become a 3yr albatross. He might have considered it earlier but with this economy no way. I said it in another thread that the fact T-Mac is 20mil+ expiring makes him as valuable as 2003 T-Mac.
Definitely adding some length should be on the high priority list. I believe if we so much as had Mutombo we could have won this series.
__________________
Last edited by Spaceman Spiff : 05-17-2009 at 05:01 PM.
So, because we'll have as little as four and as many as 14 more games to discuss these crazed Lakers, and because Johnny Ludden pretty much nailed things down already, we have to focus on the Rockets.
This team's fans should be beside themselves with pride, because these Rockets never let up. Ever, ever, ever, despite hundreds of chances to. In fact, the most crippling factor to Houston's championship hopes, beside injuries, was over-aggressiveness. Not letting up, when letting up may have been a sound option. Mainly -- or, "completely" -- in the form of Ron Artest, who shot the Rockets out of game after game this year.
Games they shouldn't have won, I submit, but way more than he had to. And certainly more games, in total, than he won for Houston with those bad shots going in, and his defense.
No, the Rockets didn't improve this year because of Artest. He helped, and his average production (once you factor in the defense, the missed shots, the way those shots help start the other team's transition game, and his other strong offensive skills like passing and posting up ... it leaves Ron at about even, about average) was a huge boon at a wing spot that was previously unfulfilled when Tracy McGrady was out last year. He wasn't the biggest reason.
The biggest reason was a late-season insistence on getting Yao Ming the ball, the improvement of young players like Aaron Brooks and Carl Landry, the depth that results from that, and Luis Scola, playing in his prime. Artest helped, and when his shot was on and the national TV cameras were rolling he looked like a star that was putting this team over the top, but the amalgamation of all his contributions doesn't factor nearly enough in Games 1-through-95 as much as the factors listed above.
Which is why, I'm sorry, you have to sell when the price is "high." And I put that "high" in quotation marks, because I think there will be some teams who will look at the way he ended his season (shooting 27 percent over his last four games, while still taking about 15 shots a game; shooting 27.7 from behind the arc in the playoffs, while still taking over six three-pointers a game), and still think this guy radioactive.
He is radioactive. And not because he got in a fight or threw a camera or messed with his coach. He's radioactive because he has the ball in his hands, and he thinks he's a much better player than he actually is. That's a radioactive combination. He also turns 30 in November. This is as good as he's ever going to be.
Listen, Ron Artest played hard for the Rockets this year. He put up with a lot, and he worked his tail off for this team. He played hard, but he didn't play smart. And after a while, you have to stop mistaking activity for achievement. Find a sucker, Daryl Morey. Figure out a sign-and-trade partner, and keep accruing depth for your team.
Even if the Rockets retain Artest, a lot would have to go right for them to win a championship. And it has to happen soon, because Yao and Scola will start to fall off a bit, as will Battier (the "he never had any athleticism to begin with, so why would age hurt" argument never works ... this guy is an athlete), and at some point the talent has to match the will for a championship to come around.
That said, they're a splash away. It doesn't have to involve Artest, though I'd obviously like that. It would have to include Tracy McGrady's expiring contract, which runs over $22 million for 2009-10. Morey has shown great aptitude at finding undervalued talent (did you know Carl Landry is going to make $3 million a year over the next two years?) for a good price, now he has to pull off that great, orthodox, expiring money-for-inspiring talent deal. It's not easy. I know. I'm a Bulls fan.
The team needs a scorer, badly. Even with all the improvement this season and a full year from Yao, the Rockets were an average offensive team that was prone to bouts of "83 a game" at times. It needs a high efficiency scorer who isn't afraid to take chances in other areas. Like, I dunno, shoveling the ball into Yao even if the passing angles aren't perfect for the entry pass. That would help.
(Dear basketball gods, please don't let Yao get to 30 before you reward him with someone who has the guts to make a proper entry pass, consistently. Where have you gone, Bobby Gross? Where is your doppelganger, Robert Horry?)
If nothing big happens during the offseason, there's no reason to think that this entire scene can't be played out again. And if a few things fall this team's way, and they end up on the right side of the bracket, we could see this squad get to the third round.
Because a lot of what was missing on Sunday afternoon -- the poor shooting, the wrong guys shooting, falling way short on the glass -- can be fixed with Yao's presence. And the rest should hold its own, even if Artest returns at a modest price, because most of the particulars are near or at their prime, and Brooks/Landry/Kyle Lowry will only get better.
And I hope Von Wafer returns. If Artest moves on, Wafer could have a big role on a very good team. The first team to give him an extended chance, and extended minutes. I'd like it if he rewarded Houston's patience with him.
Tracy McGrady will never play for this team again. He had his microfracture surgery in February, it usually takes 12-14 months for players to come back from that operation, provided the player is young'ish and has a good history of working back from injuries. McGrady fails in both those categories. Even when he was young'ish, and I'm talking about his first training camp with the Raptors, he wouldn't fight through the pain. I don't blame him, but I'm not going to expect him to change now.
So, whether the Rockets trade his expiring contract or not, I think expecting McGrady to return to the roster next spring is a bit of a reach. A big reach.
Even with a top-heavy roster and a lot of win-now talent, this team has options. It also has a few other things that not many teams can boast. An indefatigable sense of will, unending effort, and strength of character. An honest-to-greatness low post presence, a solid coaching staff, and a fantastic general manager. That's a recipe for success. It always has been.
Now we need to see if events can conspire, as they have to do for all the great teams (the Nets drafted Kerry Kittles, not Kobe; the Blazers took Sam Bowie, not MJ; the Spurs had the picks to take a chance on a pair of European guards), to bring Houston another championship. The time for that won't be now, but it has to be soon. Real soon.
He's too old (35 years) and his deficiencies on defense are TOO great.
To get him we will probably have to give up Landry or Brooks in addition to a T-mc.
So say NO to Steve Nash, he isn't worth it.
__________________
Start Kyle Lowry
“It is not about height or size,” Landry said. “It’s about heart, courage and toughness.”
Shane_Battier: I try to prepare for my opponent as thoroughly as possible. I want to know every angle on the man I am guarding to give me an edge. I read many, many pages and go over strengths and weaknesses many times before a game. Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. That is a motto I like.
Yao Ming: When I was young, we were taught not to dunk. We were taught not to stand out from the rest of the team. It's different now. The young guys in China are new age. They want to show their stuff. But I am old-school. It was a big adjustment when i frist came here to play at a camp. The coaches told me to dunk, but i would lay the ball in. Finally, the coaches made everyone else on my team run laps when I didn't dunk. I didn't want my teammates to be punished because of me. That's how i learned to dunk.
Yao Ming: I felt that I twisted my ankle when I feel down. If it was a regular-season game, I probably would have come out and told the trainer we need to look at it. But it was a playoff game against the Lakers. The first home game. I twisted it again in the third quarter. then again in the fourth. I can't blame myself. No true player would want to leave the court in that situation. This was not about Chinese culture or American culture. It was about the culture of being a competitor.
Hell no to Steve Nash. He need to thrive in an uptempo system. Can you imagine Yao and Nash guarding pick and rolls!? I'm quite satisfied with what we have. We would have to give up way too much.
I would consider Nash. He definitely keeps himself in shape and is capable of scoring if need be. I do agree about the defensive concerns. If Phoenix was willing to include both Amare and Nash in a deal for TMac/AB and some junk then you have to at least think about it.
I like the idea of Yao/Amare or Amare/Scola or sometimes Yao/Scola/Amare on the floor at the same time. Houston would still need to get a back center too.
The Rockets do not have a draft pick (after the Artest and Steve Francis deals) and are over the cap, giving them only the mid-level exception to spend on free agents. They do hope to buy a draft pick for the fourth consecutive year and also seem more willing to spend in free agency, even if keeping Artest and using all the mid-level exception pushes them past the luxury-tax threshold.
More likely, the Rockets will look for the sort of unexpected deals they made to acquire Artest and Luis Scola in the previous offseasons. More teams are expected to seek cost-cutting, rather than roster-improving, trades.
“I am hopeful we can take advantage of the economy like that,” Morey said. “We are well-positioned with a franchise well supported by the Houston community and an owner (Les Alexander) willing to spend to take advantage of the economic downturn.”
Morey said the Rockets would like to add a veteran guard, depending on what is available and what he would cost to acquire. He also said the team would like a 7-footer to back up Yao but questioned whether it would be wise to devote too many resources to a player likely to get limited playing time, as opposed to finding the sort of “chess piece” Dikembe Mutombo was.
Quote:
Rockets' to-do list
It figures to be a busy offseason for a team that came within one win of the Western Conference finals:
SIGN RON, VON
The Rockets would like Ron Artest and Von Wafer back, but won't break the bank. Could be a long summer.
GROW, GROW, GROW
The Rockets would love an athletic 7-footer who can block shots and hit jumpers. More likely, they will seek a less-expensive role player to fill in when size is needed.
SHOP A BUYER'S MARKET
Any option, from needs to luxuries, could be sought if someone has to dump salary and offers a player they can no longer afford.
CATCH A DRAFT (PICK)
With no picks in the upcoming draft, the Rockets will try to buy a pick again, maybe even a first-rounder.
ADD A VETERAN
Though it's not a top priority, a veteran point guard would be welcome, even if he is the third-team mentor type.
You gotta love that too! On the radio yesterday and today they were talking about how Houston is now one of the huge merchandising teams in the NBA so losing TMac and bringing in a Shaq and Nash would be sweet.
The fact that this team has been making money for several seasons now also adds to the thought that Alexander may be will to go into the luxary tax if need be for next season.
I like Wilcox, I'm not sure he's ideal for a halfcourt/defensive team, though. I'd prefer Birdman. 'Sheed is also worth a look. T-Mac as an insurance covered expiring deal is the holy grail of expiring deals (as insurance money doesn't count towards luxury tax calculations). So this has really worked in Houston's favour (with regards to the economic meltdown).
__________________
"Do not kid yourselves. This Obama guy has a plan for thuggish third-world leaders like Khadafi and Iran’s Ahmadinejad. He got funding to invade them approved in the last $780 billion stimulus bill passed by Congress. He was able to keep his plans secret by detailing them in an 'Obama spending package,' thus ensuring that they would not be read by anyone in Congress or the media." Ron Hart
I'm kinda on the fence with Aaron Brooks. Something tells me this is the best he will be so it might be best to trade him now while his value is high. I think he's a little bit overrated by those outside of Houston right now because of (some of) his playoff performances. If we could get the right deal maybe packaging him and Tmac I would do it.
In terms of a back up center, Rasheed would be nice, but I don't know if he'd be willing to come off the bench. Birdman would be nice too, but that's not happening either.
In terms of the Nash deal, I would do it in a hearbeat if we could get Amare too. I'd even throw in Scola or Landry since one of them would lose their spot anyway.
Offseason Thread [Merged]
Offseason Thread [Merged]
Linear Mode
