had the rockets not traded for Eddie G. we COULD have drafted: Richard Jefferson, Zach Randolph and Jamal Tinsley or even Toney Parker. While it is unfair to look at the situation in this sense, those 3 picks had they been the Rockets to keep could have helped us out with this lack of talent that we have now with the abundance of injuries.
Good point, DJ. But then again, Eddie has 20pt-10reb-3blk potential. He has the potential to be a dominant big man in the Wallace\McDyess mode. The 3 you named are and will continue to be quality NBA players, but I don't know if they have quite the potential Eddie has. Overall talent level vs. potential "impact" player is a difficult decision to make.
Hey I'm big on Tinsley myself, but he and parker wouldn't be the players they are if they were on the Bulls and the Cavs. I'm sure duncan/robinson and miller/rose have a little to do with their success.
And you know, if the Nuggets would have won a draft lottery or two........ Or if McDyess wouldn't have gotten hurt.......... Or if Raef had balls.........
This team doesn't lack talent, it lacks experience and team chemistry. Is Zach Randolph doing anything? The Rockets likely wouldn't have drafted Tinsley because Tinsley was projected to be an eventual starting PG since he was a veteran PG who was one of the best PGs in the country on one of the best teams in the country the last 2 years. So essentially you would have to choose Jefferson or Griffin. I'd rather have Griffin.
Richard Jefferson is a product of Jason Kidd. Eddie's shooting better from the outside than he is. Jefferson is merely Shandon with more hops. I guarantee Shandon would put up as good or better numbers if he played next to Jason Kidd. Torres can fill a similar role, no great loss there. Randolph has great skill down low, ok movement, and good rebounding, but no defensive skills or range on his shot. Griffin has, and always will be a far better player. Then there's the perpetual "we need a PG". Tinsley would proably be getting 3rd string minutes. Do you move a 20 ppg scorer (Mobley) to the bench, and your star PG who wants to play PG for some rookie PG, who has never shown the ability to shoot outside? Mobley won't start at the 3. If and when Eddie fills out into a center, it'll be the Nets asking themselves "what if", and the Magic and Celtics kicking themselves over not putting together a package with their 3 picks
Yeah. Rudy should play Griffin more. And Tierre Brown looked good against Sacremento. He should try to get him in for a couple minutes every game Steve doesn't play in.
I agree with RM that this team doen't lack talent, it lacks team chemistry and experience. Anyone who has read my posts knows that I am a big fan of E. Griffin. He has the personality of a squash, but he is blessed with exceptional "raw" talent. He would be on my Rocket's ALL HUSTLE TEAM along with Willis, Thomas (I love KT, he plays with such heart), Torres (Francis being out) and Mobley. These guys WANT it! I would much rather watch them, Win or Lose. What if's are fun, but, ultimately, meaningless. What is, that's reality. The reality is that the Rockets have three stars with ALL STAR potential: Francis, Mobley, and Griffin. Potential is the key word, because, neither are close. Francis, despite flashes of brillance and exceptional skills, lacks control, maturity, and still makes too many "wherebehead" decisions. Mobley is amazing but also needs considerable refinement. Hold on to your seats, I actually believe Griffin is further along than either of them. He will bloom sooner, if given some minutes (he got nine minutes the other night). If RT would give him 30 minutes night after night, you would see that I may be right. If we had Jason Kidd (and I would rather have Francis), Griffin would be surprising now.
