Fox Sports Houston: Daily Rockets Update
1) Jeff Van Gundy plans to have Carmelo Anthony ahead of Wally Szczerbiak for the starting SF spot going into training camp.
2) Rockets will keep 2nd round pick PF Sofoklis Schortsianitis and have him compete with Drew Gooden for the backup PF spot. Rockets were one of the worst in the league last season in turnovers and like the Greek's ball-handling and passing skills in the post.
3) Rockets offer backup SF Brian Cardinal a contract. Cardinal will decide tomorrow whether to accept. Cardinal only appeared in 3 games for the Rockets last season while being the primary SF backup in the 2001-2002 season.
Fox Sports Houston: Daily Rockets Update
Quote:
Originally Posted by
BallSoHard
With your disapointing record, where does the team plan to go from here? It seems like you will be following the Knick methodolgy in collecting picks and young players. Is this the direction going forward?
At this point, it will be draft picks. Still have guys tied for next season and outside of the big 3, no one else has much trade value. Training camp hurt my team as everyone got worse outside of Melo and Manu. Didn't see that coming. Also expected younger guys to improve and they got worse. So my depth got worse and a lot of guys are still signed into next season. I hate relying on draft picks because I signed veteran guys to help me win now, but right now I will have two top 5 picks which helps, but not really the path I wanted to go on because I will mix really young players with older players. Disappointing last sim. Really was back-breaking considering I went 5-2 the previous sim with a pretty tough schedule. Not sure why things fell apart this sim, especially losing two home games by 20+ points. I thought the previous sim helped me figure out things with the gameplan, but this last sim messed me up. Hopefully having Melo back helps.
Rockets Looking to Fill Holes on Draft Night
Rockets Looking to Fill Holes on Draft Night
Missing the playoffs the last 3 seasons has allowed the Rockets to acquire high draft choices. In 2002, they selected SG Manu Ginobili. Last season, they selected SF Carmelo Anthony. This season they have the number 2 pick (from the Mavericks after trading PG Sam Cassell in 2002) and the number 6 pick. This team has young players mixed in with veterans. The team is locked in at the PG spot with Damon Stoudamire who is their best overall player and at SG with Ginobili and SF with Anthony. PF Etan Thomas is also locked in with his long-term contract. That leaves the center spot as a potential opening for a rookie.
The center spot is not lacking in quality or quantity in the draft, but unfortunately for the Rockets, C Dwight Howard will most likely go with the first pick. Howard brings inside scoring and a strong defensive presence missing since the days of Rasheed Wallace and Kelvin Cato. After Howard, the 3 candidates with potential at the center spot are Houston native and former UCONN center Emeka Okafor, Mississippi high school star Al Jefferson, and Lativian native Andres Biedrins. Okafor is the reigning national player of the year leading UCONN to their 2nd national championship. He is polished with inside scoring and interior defense and rebounding having the ability to anchor the paint for years to come. Plus, he is a native Houstonian starring at Bellaire High School. Jefferson is a young phenom from Prentiss, Mississippi. The 18 year old averaged 42 points, 18 rebounds, and 7 blocks per game his senior season and spurned college offers from Arkansas and Mississippi State to enter the draft. While not as polished as Okafor, Jefferson brings upside at the center spot. Biedrins is a young 18 year old with no experience in the US. He averaged 18 pts and 9 rebounds per game in Lativa last season and brings potential with his energy, defense, and rebounding. He appears to be better suited later in the first round.
Outside of the center spot, the team is lacking star power at the power forward position and depth across the board. While having depth at PF, neither Etan Thomas, Sofoklis Schortsianitis, nor Drew Gooden bring star potential at the position. Thomas is still locked in for 3 more season while Sofoklis and Gooden are locked in at rookie contracts. The team could look at adding moving one of the rookie centers to PF or go with high schooler Josh Smith who appears to be a SF for now, but could bulk up to a PF in future seasons. The small forward position is locked up with Carmelo Anthony, but long-term depth is lacking. Wally Szczerbiak is in the last year of his 3 year 15 million contract and Brian Cardinal will not be resigned. Duke freshman Luol Deng or Josh Smith could fit in nicely behind Anthony. Ginobili has the shooting guard position locked up, but long-term depth is lacking with veteran Voshon Lenard set to be a free agent after the season and 2002 1st round pick Maurice Evans making a minimal impact. Andre Iguodala, J.R. Smith, Kevin Martin, and Ben Gordon could slide in nicely behind Ginobili providing heavy fire power off the bench. Damon Stoudamire is arguably the team's best player and is still locked in for 2 more seasons. However Speedy Claxton is set to expire after the season leaving a hole at the backup spot. That could leave the Rockets going for Shaun Livingston, Devin Harris, Jameer Nelson, or Beno Udrih.
The Rockets have big decisions to make on draft night. The team could fill holes with young players or even trade picks to acquire established veterans.
Fox Sports Houston: Daily Rockets Update
I may become a "free agent" one day and take over a dead franchise in place of the lakers.