***Official 2009 Houston Rockets Off-Season Thread***

Letting Artest go was a youth movement, Yao may not be back and TMac is as good as gone, we will be good but not contenders until we get some better players.

With Brooks, Lowry, Landry, Scola, Ariza, Dorsey, White, Taylor, Budinger youth is served in H-Town...Those are good players, I think White will be special...

Add Battier & Hayes as veteran defense stoppers (not to mention Ariza isn't bad)

Still need a center though...even is Yao plays in 2009. What about Zaza?

If McGrady or Yao or both come back & play in 2009, then that changes everything, we go from an average team to title contenders...

IMO, Ariza's a poor fit on a team that doesn't have someone that can create shots for him. He's similar to Battier in that respect. I think that Hollywood's right in that this is Houston trying to go toward a youth movement. I don't think the Ariza deal is as much for this year as it is for the future.

Hope he does well. I'll be cheering for him against everyone but the Lakers. But I think the fact that he struggles creating his own shot might make things difficult on him.

This went just about how I figured and smartly so. Artest is gone and we get a similar player, but younger and less baggage, for a reasonable price. Why do I get the feeling now that the same laker fan boys that have been saying how great Ariza is will suddenly think he sucks? Anyways he's a good fit and shows we are building for the future, which as I said earlier is the right way to go. Shold be a good fit with Bosh when we sign him next summer.

Originally posted by TX9R:
This went just about how I figured and smartly so. Artest is gone and we get a similar player, but younger and less baggage, for a reasonable price. Why do I get the feeling now that the same laker fan boys that have been saying how great Ariza is will suddenly think he sucks? Anyways he's a good fit and shows we are building for the future, which as I said earlier is the right way to go. Shold be a good fit with Bosh when we sign him next summer.

I don't think anyone's gonna think that he sucks, but as I've said for awhile now, a very large amount of his production in LA was the result of the attention that Kobe drew. He doesn't have anyone to play off of in Houston, and will struggle on offense as a result. Eddie Johnson feels the same way.

Originally posted by LA9erFan:

Originally posted by TX9R:
This went just about how I figured and smartly so. Artest is gone and we get a similar player, but younger and less baggage, for a reasonable price. Why do I get the feeling now that the same laker fan boys that have been saying how great Ariza is will suddenly think he sucks? Anyways he's a good fit and shows we are building for the future, which as I said earlier is the right way to go. Shold be a good fit with Bosh when we sign him next summer.

I don't think anyone's gonna think that he sucks, but as I've said for awhile now, a very large amount of his production in LA was the result of the attention that Kobe drew. He doesn't have anyone to play off of in Houston, and will struggle on offense as a result. Eddie Johnson feels the same way.

I disagree, it's not like Houston thinks or expects him to come in and carry a scoring load of any kind. He's there for defense, passing, and hitting open threes in the Adelman system, which we can finally run. It uses motion and passing, not really using guys who create off the dribble. What he won't do is jack up ill advised bad shots like Artest did. Again this move is for the future.
You know Morey will land one of the big FAs next summer, a solid supporting cast already in place will be enticing, along with money that will be free up. Bosh wants to play in Texas and Houston will be the only team with the money after what Dallas and SA have done this offseason.
I think this move actually works for both teams, Artest can do well when not asked to be the number 1 option which is why Morey never even offered a deal. LA needs to capitalize now while they have a 2-3 year window so it makes sense. Houston needs to rebuild with youth and land a big FA, so keeping Artest wouldn't have been smart. Win-win for both teams.

Originally posted by TX9R:

Originally posted by LA9erFan:

Originally posted by TX9R:
This went just about how I figured and smartly so. Artest is gone and we get a similar player, but younger and less baggage, for a reasonable price. Why do I get the feeling now that the same laker fan boys that have been saying how great Ariza is will suddenly think he sucks? Anyways he's a good fit and shows we are building for the future, which as I said earlier is the right way to go. Shold be a good fit with Bosh when we sign him next summer.

I don't think anyone's gonna think that he sucks, but as I've said for awhile now, a very large amount of his production in LA was the result of the attention that Kobe drew. He doesn't have anyone to play off of in Houston, and will struggle on offense as a result. Eddie Johnson feels the same way.

I disagree, it's not like Houston thinks or expects him to come in and carry a scoring load of any kind. He's there for defense, passing, and hitting open threes in the Adelman system, which we can finally run. It uses motion and passing, not really using guys who create off the dribble. What he won't do is jack up ill advised bad shots like Artest did. Again this move is for the future.
You know Morey will land one of the big FAs next summer, a solid supporting cast already in place will be enticing, along with money that will be free up. Bosh wants to play in Texas and Houston will be the only team with the money after what Dallas and SA have done this offseason.
I think this move actually works for both teams, Artest can do well when not asked to be the number 1 option which is why Morey never even offered a deal. LA needs to capitalize now while they have a 2-3 year window so it makes sense. Houston needs to rebuild with youth and land a big FA, so keeping Artest wouldn't have been smart. Win-win for both teams.

I agree that it's a win-win for both teams and he's there for defense, but...who's there for offense? He seems kind of redundant w/Battier, IMO.

And letting Artest go was a smart move, no doubt.

Originally posted by LA9erFan:

Originally posted by TX9R:

Originally posted by LA9erFan:

Originally posted by TX9R:
This went just about how I figured and smartly so. Artest is gone and we get a similar player, but younger and less baggage, for a reasonable price. Why do I get the feeling now that the same laker fan boys that have been saying how great Ariza is will suddenly think he sucks? Anyways he's a good fit and shows we are building for the future, which as I said earlier is the right way to go. Shold be a good fit with Bosh when we sign him next summer.

I don't think anyone's gonna think that he sucks, but as I've said for awhile now, a very large amount of his production in LA was the result of the attention that Kobe drew. He doesn't have anyone to play off of in Houston, and will struggle on offense as a result. Eddie Johnson feels the same way.

I disagree, it's not like Houston thinks or expects him to come in and carry a scoring load of any kind. He's there for defense, passing, and hitting open threes in the Adelman system, which we can finally run. It uses motion and passing, not really using guys who create off the dribble. What he won't do is jack up ill advised bad shots like Artest did. Again this move is for the future.
You know Morey will land one of the big FAs next summer, a solid supporting cast already in place will be enticing, along with money that will be free up. Bosh wants to play in Texas and Houston will be the only team with the money after what Dallas and SA have done this offseason.
I think this move actually works for both teams, Artest can do well when not asked to be the number 1 option which is why Morey never even offered a deal. LA needs to capitalize now while they have a 2-3 year window so it makes sense. Houston needs to rebuild with youth and land a big FA, so keeping Artest wouldn't have been smart. Win-win for both teams.

I agree that it's a win-win for both teams and he's there for defense, but...who's there for offense? He seems kind of redundant w/Battier, IMO.

And letting Artest go was a smart move, no doubt.

Again, I think the offense can be OK simply by being able to run Adelman's system. If you look, we were much more effective in scoring w/o Yao because the ball moved around instead of guys standing around. Where it hurts is crunch time where you need a go to guy, but we're playing small ball next year anyways.
As far as Battier, honestly I wouldn't be surprised to see him moved, his name has come up enough already (Rubio would be nice). If they keep him, it's similar to last year where we have 2 guys to rotate on D on the other teams' best player. Not a bad thing, nor are either costing us a lot of dough.

Originally posted by TX9R:
Again, I think the offense can be OK simply by being able to run Adelman's system. If you look, we were much more effective in scoring w/o Yao because the ball moved around instead of guys standing around. Where it hurts is crunch time where you need a go to guy, but we're playing small ball next year anyways.
As far as Battier, honestly I wouldn't be surprised to see him moved, his name has come up enough already (Rubio would be nice). If they keep him, it's similar to last year where we have 2 guys to rotate on D on the other teams' best player. Not a bad thing, nor are either costing us a lot of dough.

Yeah, I guess you're right in the respect that the Rockets are neither building for this year, nor are they done making moves. IMO, Morey's one of the Top 3-5 GMs in the game, but has been dealt a HORRRRRRRRRRIBLE hand, and has done the best with what he has. Getting T-Mac off of the books will be his first opportunity to land a star.

Speaking of which, something to chew on regarding McGrady...

It's estimated that he'll be out for the first half of the season next year, which means that a good chunk of his contract will be paid for by an insurance company. That makes him doubly attractive because he's not only a massive expiring contracy, but a cost-conscious owner could trade a lot of salary for him, and end up saving $10M+ in the process. Could be an opportunity for the Rockets to acquire some nice talent, or they could just wait for the summer of 2010.

Originally posted by TX9R:

Originally posted by LA9erFan:

Originally posted by TX9R:

Originally posted by LA9erFan:

Originally posted by TX9R:
This went just about how I figured and smartly so. Artest is gone and we get a similar player, but younger and less baggage, for a reasonable price. Why do I get the feeling now that the same laker fan boys that have been saying how great Ariza is will suddenly think he sucks? Anyways he's a good fit and shows we are building for the future, which as I said earlier is the right way to go. Shold be a good fit with Bosh when we sign him next summer.

I don't think anyone's gonna think that he sucks, but as I've said for awhile now, a very large amount of his production in LA was the result of the attention that Kobe drew. He doesn't have anyone to play off of in Houston, and will struggle on offense as a result. Eddie Johnson feels the same way.

I disagree, it's not like Houston thinks or expects him to come in and carry a scoring load of any kind. He's there for defense, passing, and hitting open threes in the Adelman system, which we can finally run. It uses motion and passing, not really using guys who create off the dribble. What he won't do is jack up ill advised bad shots like Artest did. Again this move is for the future.
You know Morey will land one of the big FAs next summer, a solid supporting cast already in place will be enticing, along with money that will be free up. Bosh wants to play in Texas and Houston will be the only team with the money after what Dallas and SA have done this offseason.
I think this move actually works for both teams, Artest can do well when not asked to be the number 1 option which is why Morey never even offered a deal. LA needs to capitalize now while they have a 2-3 year window so it makes sense. Houston needs to rebuild with youth and land a big FA, so keeping Artest wouldn't have been smart. Win-win for both teams.

I agree that it's a win-win for both teams and he's there for defense, but...who's there for offense? He seems kind of redundant w/Battier, IMO.

And letting Artest go was a smart move, no doubt.

Again, I think the offense can be OK simply by being able to run Adelman's system. If you look, we were much more effective in scoring w/o Yao because the ball moved around instead of guys standing around. Where it hurts is crunch time where you need a go to guy, but we're playing small ball next year anyways.
As far as Battier, honestly I wouldn't be surprised to see him moved, his name has come up enough already (Rubio would be nice). If they keep him, it's similar to last year where we have 2 guys to rotate on D on the other teams' best player. Not a bad thing, nor are either costing us a lot of dough.

I agree about Battier. It seems he the the Rocket that GM Morey is shopping the most. I've heard rumors about Rubio, Rudy Fernandez (personal favorite) & others.
Battier is due 6M & has alot of value, so now is the time for Rockets to deal him.

One thing, I don't agree with in general is that since Houston lost Artest & both McGrady & Yao are out, everyone says we are headed for the lottery???

I mean this is the same team that WITHOUT T-Mac & Yao were the ONLY team to take the Lakers to 7 games...Because of the system & team chemistry the Rockets will be good next year & I expect them to make the playoffs. Plus GM Morey is still not finished & the Rox will make another move this offseason.

A point on T-Mac, the last report that I heard was that he was on schedule & would be ready to go by training camp. I feel that Yao will miss most if not all the season, but I actually think McGrady will play for the Rockets...

Oh & I'd be shocked if GM MOrey trades T-Mac, I truely believe that he & Les Alexander (Rockets owner) still want him around. Battier is closer to being shipped than T-Mac, I think....

Originally posted by sarpp:

Originally posted by TX9R:

Originally posted by LA9erFan:

Originally posted by TX9R:

Originally posted by LA9erFan:

Originally posted by TX9R:
This went just about how I figured and smartly so. Artest is gone and we get a similar player, but younger and less baggage, for a reasonable price. Why do I get the feeling now that the same laker fan boys that have been saying how great Ariza is will suddenly think he sucks? Anyways he's a good fit and shows we are building for the future, which as I said earlier is the right way to go. Shold be a good fit with Bosh when we sign him next summer.

I don't think anyone's gonna think that he sucks, but as I've said for awhile now, a very large amount of his production in LA was the result of the attention that Kobe drew. He doesn't have anyone to play off of in Houston, and will struggle on offense as a result. Eddie Johnson feels the same way.

I disagree, it's not like Houston thinks or expects him to come in and carry a scoring load of any kind. He's there for defense, passing, and hitting open threes in the Adelman system, which we can finally run. It uses motion and passing, not really using guys who create off the dribble. What he won't do is jack up ill advised bad shots like Artest did. Again this move is for the future.
You know Morey will land one of the big FAs next summer, a solid supporting cast already in place will be enticing, along with money that will be free up. Bosh wants to play in Texas and Houston will be the only team with the money after what Dallas and SA have done this offseason.
I think this move actually works for both teams, Artest can do well when not asked to be the number 1 option which is why Morey never even offered a deal. LA needs to capitalize now while they have a 2-3 year window so it makes sense. Houston needs to rebuild with youth and land a big FA, so keeping Artest wouldn't have been smart. Win-win for both teams.

I agree that it's a win-win for both teams and he's there for defense, but...who's there for offense? He seems kind of redundant w/Battier, IMO.

And letting Artest go was a smart move, no doubt.

Again, I think the offense can be OK simply by being able to run Adelman's system. If you look, we were much more effective in scoring w/o Yao because the ball moved around instead of guys standing around. Where it hurts is crunch time where you need a go to guy, but we're playing small ball next year anyways.
As far as Battier, honestly I wouldn't be surprised to see him moved, his name has come up enough already (Rubio would be nice). If they keep him, it's similar to last year where we have 2 guys to rotate on D on the other teams' best player. Not a bad thing, nor are either costing us a lot of dough.

I agree about Battier. It seems he the the Rocket that GM Morey is shopping the most. I've heard rumors about Rubio, Rudy Fernandez (personal favorite) & others.
Battier is due 6M & has alot of value, so now is the time for Rockets to deal him.

One thing, I don't agree with in general is that since Houston lost Artest & both McGrady & Yao are out, everyone says we are headed for the lottery???

I mean this is the same team that WITHOUT T-Mac & Yao were the ONLY team to take the Lakers to 7 games...Because of the system & team chemistry the Rockets will be good next year & I expect them to make the playoffs. Plus GM Morey is still not finished & the Rox will make another move this offseason.

I haven't heard anyone say this is a lottery team and I'd be very surprised if that were the case (even though it's likely the best thing for them, chance to land a star coupled woth FA signing would be huge) I think this team w/o those guys is still good enough to beat the dregs of the league and a good team from time to time which should still put them in the POs. there's plenty of talent, just not a go to guy. On any night we have Landry, Scola, Brooks or any combo that can get you 20 plus points and pretty much everyone on the team can hit the three. Personally, I'm ready to move forward w/o Yao or TMac as it is pretty well proven that nucleus will not win it all in any way. And you can forget anyone up top wanting to keep TMac. He's shown no heart but the stunt of geting the surgery just before the trade deadline when his name popped up sealed his fate in Houston, he hung the team and Morey specifically out to dry.

On ESPN 710AM here in LA, they're reporting that there are rumblings that Cleveland's going after Ariza and he may not honor his verbal commitment. Apparently the Notorious Mr. Lee (Ariza's agent) said, "no comment" when asked about Cleveland.

Originally posted by LA9erFan:
On ESPN 710AM here in LA, they're reporting that there are rumblings that Cleveland's going after Ariza and he may not honor his verbal commitment. Apparently the Notorious Mr. Lee (Ariza's agent) said, "no comment" when asked about Cleveland.

That guy is a real piece of work.

Originally posted by StOnEy333:

Originally posted by LA9erFan:
On ESPN 710AM here in LA, they're reporting that there are rumblings that Cleveland's going after Ariza and he may not honor his verbal commitment. Apparently the Notorious Mr. Lee (Ariza's agent) said, "no comment" when asked about Cleveland.

That guy is a real piece of work.

I agree with everything except for the last word.