04/19/24
June 29, 2006
Crying Foul: You know who made the stupidest moves in the NBA Draft this year? Not Seattle. Not Boston. Hell, even Isiah made a better decision going with Balkman. The winner for the WORST move in the draft goes to the Houston Rockets, sending Rudy Gay (picked 8) AND Stromille Swift to the Memphis Grizzlies for Shane Battier. Has to go down as one of the worst draft day trades ever. Makes very little sense
posted by chemwizBsquared to basketball at 10:23 AM - 43 comments
i commented on this in the link a few spots down but you're absolutely right, chemwiz. this was a terrible decision. i didn't realize charlie casserly was picking for the rockets now. the rockets send an average player form their roster and a young talent full of promise to the grizzlies for a player who is....um.....well, average. just plain dumb!
posted by ksb122 at 11:16 AM on June 29, 2006
I was going to write a rant about how you guys clearly haven't seen Swift or Gay play, but the Sports Guy says it best:
8:22 -- The Rockets take Gay at No. 8, but apparently they're trading him to Memphis for Shane Battier, even though none of the ESPN guys feels obligated to ask the question, "Wait, Battier makes $8 million a year, how can this work under the cap?" Undaunted, Bilas gushes, "Incredibly athletic, he's 6-foot-9, he's got really long arms, a wingspan of about 7-foot-3, he plays bigger than he is, he's got every skill, every piece of ability you would want in a player." Well, except for competitiveness. But hey, who needs that? (Post-draft note: We found out two hours later that Stro Swift was included from Houston's end. Love that trade for the Rockets -- they desperately needed a reliable swingman who could play D and drain 3-pointers. Nicely done. The VP of Common Sense would have swiftly approved that deal.)Gay is a loser who has been coasting on his talent for years, and Swift basically the same, except with the bonus of a gigantic contract. Battier is not a huge talent, but he's a good defensive player and keeps the other team honest from deep. If you think this trade is the dumbest thing that happened in the draft you're not paying attention.
posted by tieguy at 11:21 AM on June 29, 2006
You know I only will accept this deal 100% if Houston goes after one of the big free agents this offseason. If I'm Carrol Dawson I'm on the phone right now with Peja Stojakovic's reps and seeing if he wants to come to Houston. Peja, T-Mac and Yao would be a tough task then for any team, with Battier and Luther Head providing sparks off the bench.
posted by chemwizBsquared at 11:28 AM on June 29, 2006
Agreed, tieguy. Houston has TWO superstars already, they aren't trying to find another one. They are, however, trying to find serviceable pieces to put around those two who will make shots, play defense, offensive rebound, and generally provide a veteran presence with some toughness. I think this was an amazing move for Houston and I like where they're headed if everyone stays healthy. On update: chemwiz....you're crazy if you think Battier is coming off the bench.
posted by smithers at 11:32 AM on June 29, 2006
I would argue Toronto had the worst draft unless Tucker turns into Barkley. Bargnani was a horrible selection.
posted by catfish at 12:04 PM on June 29, 2006
Gay is a loser who has been coasting on his talent for years, WHAT? Your either dumber then Isiah, or smoking crack. UCONN has extreme depth! Gay coasting on talent? This is the same knock that they had against Ray Allen, Rip Hamilton, and Charlie Villanueva. Come on I think it was you that were not "paying attention"
posted by Robb Dubbs at 12:36 PM on June 29, 2006
houston only has one and a half superstars. mcgrady is 27 years old with a 58 year old back. since swift and battier, statiscally, are very similar, i felt it should have been an even trade with the rockets holding onto the #8 pick-whether it was rudy gay or someone else. BUT, they don't pay me to make that decision so i'll just say that i thought it was dumb and move on. it would be nice to have peja, though.
posted by ksb122 at 12:38 PM on June 29, 2006
Swift and Battier are similar? Wow, I gotta call the cable company and find out what's wrong with my reception. Put simply, Swift's a dunker, Battier is a shooter. This was a good move for the Rockets, but at a high price, with Gay looking like he could really be something special. Plus, $8 Mil for a third option?? However, it's time to start running the offense through Yao a bit, and let's see... Slasher, check. Inside presence, check. Shooter, crap. So they got Battier. Not a great pure shooter, but alot better than anything they had. Swift? Well, he should enjoy his 3-4 minutes a night in Memphis.
posted by LostInDaJungle at 12:45 PM on June 29, 2006
i said statistically, go look at their career stats.
posted by ksb122 at 12:49 PM on June 29, 2006
Crumbs sending Elton Brand to the LA Clippers in exchange for Tyson Chandler in Chicago was a draft day disaster. Cheer up, Shane Battier was good at Duke.
posted by 1651 Naismith at 01:17 PM on June 29, 2006
Bargnani was a horrible selection. Unless you've watched him play, or scouted him yourself, I don't see how you can make this judgement. mcgrady is 27 years old with a 58 year old back. since swift and battier, statiscally, are very similar, i felt it should have been an even trade with the rockets holding onto the #8 pick-whether it was rudy gay or someone else. I would argue that while Battier and Swift's numbers may be similar, Battier is a better defender and a better 3pt shooter. All around he's a better fit for Houston. As for Gay, he may be a talented scorer, but he's not going to be playing NBA level defense out of the gate, which we know Van Gundy will demand. Also trading the pick means not having to pay a guaranteed first round salary for a player who would be sitting while Battier gets minutes.
posted by lilnemo at 01:28 PM on June 29, 2006
No no no no no! The worst pick was Darko over Carmelo, Bosh, Wade and anyone else in the top 10! When given a pick, especially that high, you take the best player available! The Knicks failed to do that by taking Rolando Balkman (Orlando Blakman in disguise and rejuvinated) over Williams! WTF?!
posted by bkdet at 01:35 PM on June 29, 2006
we (the rockets) definely need another person like peja to be on our team because u cant count on mcradys back to hold on for more than 82 games -i dont like this shane batteir i mean we could have gotten adrian griifin from dallas who is cheap and a great defender and can score -can ben walace play power forward that would be awsome to have him next to yao -http://groups.myspace.com/diehardrocket if u are a rockets fan and u have a myspace gop to that websitw
posted by Barry-from-H-town at 01:37 PM on June 29, 2006
On update: chemwiz....you're crazy if you think Battier is coming off the bench Call me crazy but I did say that say Houston has Yao, T-Mac AND Peja. Battier can play the 3 or 4 spot on the floor, and Howard is still a servicable player for the team (one of the lone bright spots in last season's 'disaster'). However, Houston's prime free agent target is not the sweet shooting Stojakovic but the eccentric combo guard Mike James. James has expressed interest in returning to Houston and would add a spark to the team...along with a bull dog mentality that was missing last season.
posted by chemwizBsquared at 01:40 PM on June 29, 2006
IANAS lilnemo but I have watched andrea play, live as a matter of fact, & he's obviously a great player but I don't think his game translates to the NBA. 12-4-1 w/ a block or two is the future. There were better options.
posted by catfish at 01:47 PM on June 29, 2006
catfish, the other options at the top weren't much better. they all had/have question marks. having watched lamarcus aldridge play at texas, i don't think he had much more upside if any. morrison-questionable defense/athleticism. tyrus thomas-questionable shooting, still young and raw. shelden williams-questions on size in the post. i don't doubt your assessment of andrea, there were just no real standouts this year.
posted by ksb122 at 01:57 PM on June 29, 2006
Rudy Gay never really lived up to his hype in College - always seemed to follow up a monster performance with an o-fer offensively. But ... Charlie Villanueva was absolutely brutal at UConn at look how he has performed in the NBA. Rockets may have mortgaged their future in hope of a ring next year. Looks like they are attempting to follow Lakers' structure back when they had Shaq, Kobe, and Rick Fox as the shut down defender / assist man and occassional 3 point threat. Battier is a similar type of player to Fox, just no where near as good.
posted by cixelsyd at 02:07 PM on June 29, 2006
Well congratulations, catfish, you're smarter than Bryan Colangelo - 2005 NBA Executive of the year. I'd start putting my resume together. I think the juries out on the pick - but I don't think that the rest of the NBA is laughing at the Raptors. Bargnani wouldn't have lasted 4 picks, from what I've read - Chicago may have taken him over Thomas, and Portland would have taken him as well. In this years draft, The idea was Bargnani had the greatest potential to turn into a superstar. There were more sure things out there to be sure - Roy, Foye and Morrison are going to have immediate impact I think - but none of those guys has the potential to do the kind of things that Bargnani can, if things go according to plan. This was a confident pick. And Toronto is going international. They're tired of having players turn their back on them and quit. From now on, it's players who want to come, not ones that have to be convinced. And I'm a big supporter of that.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 03:28 PM on June 29, 2006
Didn't Bargnani(?) have 13 points and 5 boards in 22 minutes against the Raptors two years ago? So, I would think Catfish is establishing a baseline of what he might do. He's already performed better than 12-4-1 in half a game against an NBA team. (Well, barely an NBA team.) Did I mention we got Hornachek, Oops, sorry, Redick.
posted by LostInDaJungle at 03:40 PM on June 29, 2006
Your Mr Colangelo also quit during the middle of the season w/ the Suns, & to my knowledge has as many nba rings as I do. Every team is going international, that's hardly news. What exactly about Bargnanai do you like besides his long range shooting?
posted by catfish at 03:42 PM on June 29, 2006
Well from what I see, Bargnani has a frame he's still growing into. He's got range, can shoot, pass and take it too the hoop. He may not be Dirk's equal as an athlete (few are), but unlike Dirk, Bargnani does have a little bit of a post game coming into the NBA... Although with Chris Bosh and Charlie Villaneuva on the squad, that may not be as necessary as we think for the Raptors. And Chicago had Tyrus Thomas pegged...they took LaMarcus Aldridge and STOLE pieces from Portland...I salute their thievery.
posted by chemwizBsquared at 03:48 PM on June 29, 2006
This guy couldn't even make 06 all-euroleague, hell even trajan langdon pulled that off. If you wanted a 7 footer who shoots jumpers then you got your guy. Roy, Foye, Aldridge & maybe Armstrong will have better careers. I see it's your team so I'm done bashing.
posted by catfish at 04:44 PM on June 29, 2006
Actually catfish my team's management is not worthy to lick the boots of Toronto's (Houston) I just think he looks quite promising...this years draft had very few NBA ready guys (Roy, Foye, Morrison) surrounded by a lot of projects...I am getting the same vibe I got in 2000 with this draft...lets hope that these guys turn out somewhat better if you know what I mean.
posted by chemwizBsquared at 04:50 PM on June 29, 2006
chem I'm a coog (90) & a rockets fan. I'm riding weedy but he's gone hiding.
posted by catfish at 04:54 PM on June 29, 2006
ah, really catfish...I'm currently working on my undergrad at UH (class of 2008 hopefully) and am a life long Rockets fan...I guess I just got caught up in the hype of the trade...now that I realize it, this deal was a good move to clear up space for the team to get back Mike James (who did blend in well with Yao and McGrady). Just sometimes what that Rockets front office does shocks me.
posted by chemwizBsquared at 06:08 PM on June 29, 2006
No, the Warriors made unquestionably the most stupid move by getting yet another obscure big man in the first round for the THIRD year in a row. Not content with just one unknown big guy, they picked another obscure 7 footer in the second round. The Warriors made no attempt to plug the gaping holes they have at offense or defense, hoping that if they get enough tall guys on the team, the height advantage alone will give them both.
posted by irunfromclones at 06:35 PM on June 29, 2006
In this years draft, The idea was Bargnani had the greatest potential to turn into a superstar. Teams can't draft raw high-schoolers, so instead they draft "great potential" foreign players. What is it about NBA GMs that makes them hate know quantities? Hopefully we'll get an idea of how much Andrea can play in the NBA right away. You're going to hear Darko comparisons if he sits much, but that seems inevitable with Villanueva in front of him.
posted by dusted at 12:21 AM on June 30, 2006
Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I haven't seen Bargnani play, aside from the same highlight reel that everyone else has seen, and there's no point in resting any opinion on that small piece of evidence. But 7-footers who can shoot AND move aren't bad assets. That's the rep. No one is suggesting that he'll step in and make this team better immediately. They traded for Rasho Nesterovic for a reason. Bargnani is a project for sure. So was McGrady. Your Mr Colangelo also quit during the middle of the season w/ the Suns, & to my knowledge has as many nba rings as I do. Every team is going international, that's hardly news. That's wonderful thinking. You're right. I should value your opinion just as much. Really, I think you're just as qualified to evaluate talent now. Seriously, dude - you should be running a team. I has no idea all these basketball guys were so much dumber than you. Damn - what's it like?
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 08:12 AM on June 30, 2006
fuckin drama queen you are weedy. And yes I think a lot of folks on this site can evaluate talent including myself. I bet euroleague is available on a cable package up there so why don't you check it out before you spout off.
posted by catfish at 08:34 AM on June 30, 2006
But do you have an actual evidence to show you can spot talent? I could watch a player dominate in a European league all season long and not have any frame of reference to know how that would translate to the NBA. How do you figure it out? Hint: if your response contains something along the lines of "fuckin drama queen", don't bother.
posted by yerfatma at 08:47 AM on June 30, 2006
you know it's mainly about the system. all these players are incredibly talented. don't bait me.
posted by catfish at 09:02 AM on June 30, 2006
fuckin drama queen you are weedy. And yes I think a lot of folks on this site can evaluate talent including myself. I bet euroleague is available on a cable package up there so why don't you check it out before you spout off. I don't recall spouting off. I recall being told that you and Colangelo are in the same business - evaluating NBA talent. Hey, take heart, you may end up being right, who knows? But, dude, seriously, you write as if this is all a no-brainer. I would tend to disagree. But, I'm hardly the expert here, apparently. You make declarative statements like I make sweet sweet love to your sister - constantly and poorly.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 09:25 AM on June 30, 2006
don't bait me. You've picked a poor nickname for someone who doesn't want to be baited. Also: your mother.
posted by yerfatma at 09:32 AM on June 30, 2006
you've picked a poor nickname for someone who doesn't want to be baited. yeah i tried to lighten it up. no success. good luck & nice weekend to both of you.
posted by catfish at 10:00 AM on June 30, 2006
don't bait me. You've picked a poor nickname for someone who doesn't want to be baited. Touché!
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 10:03 AM on June 30, 2006
Ah, no worries. I didn't get your tone. Stupid printed page.
posted by yerfatma at 10:43 AM on June 30, 2006
What is this, metafilter? All of you off to your rooms!
posted by dusted at 11:28 AM on June 30, 2006
gee dad all i said was a horrible pick now there's some pasty canadian hippy trying to insert his funny money in my sisters coin slot.
posted by catfish at 01:55 PM on June 30, 2006
Now, now, hang on... I'm not pasty. Well now that I take a closer look... Damn. What am I, allergic to the sun? (Psst. Luke Ridnour and Ray Allen to Toronto for Charlie Villaneuva, a couple of expiring deals, two new practice nets and a gift certificate good for one free case of real beer. Keep it on the DL.)
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 02:18 PM on June 30, 2006
Does the beer come off our salary cap? Just sayin'...
posted by smithers at 02:48 PM on June 30, 2006
What no complimentary set of eyebrows? That could run afoul of the CBA.
posted by lilnemo at 02:52 PM on June 30, 2006
who do the houston rockets think they are? The Texans? Terrible draft choice. Gay will be the ROTY next season. WAR MARIO WILLIAMS!!
posted by dmontez1392 at 11:28 AM on July 01, 2006
Nope. The Knicks still win the stupidest moves contest. Balkman was a huge stretch in the first round. At least you can understand where the Rockets are going with this move. They want someone who can contribute immediately. They certainly gave away way too much to get him, but it doesn't rise to the live of Isiah-type idiocy.