I hope they don't choose to stand pat with who we have (Anderson, using Patterson/Scola/Hayes/Hill at the 5 instead of 4). I really want someone with some shot blocking abilities.

So far we've either passed on or missed Jermaine O'Neal -- to the Celtics for the MLE. Brendan Haywood signed with the Mavs, didn't he? It looked like we might get Tyson Chandler for a while, but now he's headed to Dallas for the moment being.

Marcus Camby signing the extension with the Blazers means that they have 3 centers right now -- Camby, Oden, and Pryzbilla. Pryzbilla would be an ideal backup center for the Rockets. He's got the size, defense, and he won't really be asked to score much.

A guy that will be available without a trade that might be had for the right price late in the game is Erick Dampier. In the right role for the right price, he's not a bad deal. Another player who's value will be plummetting is Shaq, but I'm not sure you want to put him on this team. Then again, his plodding style isn't too different from Yao.

I guess one thing that will muck things up is that the Heat are also looking for a cheap center and they are certainly a more attractive place from a competition stand point. Who wouldn't want to play with that cast and get a chance to start? Then again, I'm pretty sure the Rockets can offer more money -- I see no issue with using the full MLE.

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A guy that will be available without a trade that might be had for the right price late in the game is Erick Dampier. In the right role for the right price, he's not a bad deal. Another player who's value will be plummetting is Shaq, but I'm not sure you want to put him on this team. Then again, his plodding style isn't too different from Yao.

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That would absolutely KILL your ability to change gears, go small and run all over the other teams.

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I hope they don't choose to stand pat with who we have (Anderson, using Patterson/Scola/Hayes/Hill at the 5 instead of 4). I really want someone with some shot blocking abilities.

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Blocking shots is way overrated. Probably the most overrated stat in the NBA. The guys that get huge blocks and steals also tend to be the guys who cheat and get burnt or who guess and get burnt a lot.

I'd much rather have a solid defender that stays in front of his man, annoys him and keeps a hand on their face and a hip in their butt like Bowen or Battier. Neither of those guys get many steals or blocks.

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So far we've either passed on or missed Jermaine O'Neal -- to the Celtics for the MLE. Brendan Haywood signed with the Mavs, didn't he? It looked like we might get Tyson Chandler for a while, but now he's headed to Dallas for the moment being.

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There is really no one out there worth getting. I would keep what you have.

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Marcus Camby signing the extension with the Blazers means that they have 3 centers right now -- Camby, Oden, and Pryzbilla. Pryzbilla would be an ideal backup center for the Rockets. He's got the size, defense, and he won't really be asked to score much.

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Portland isn't helping the Rockets out. It is probably going to take a Battier to get him out of there.

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I guess one thing that will muck things up is that the Heat are also looking for a cheap center and they are certainly a more attractive place from a competition stand point. Who wouldn't want to play with that cast and get a chance to start? Then again, I'm pretty sure the Rockets can offer more money -- I see no issue with using the full MLE.

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Problem is that there isn't anyone out there worth the MLE. I don't even think Jermaine ONeal was worth it.

I think the Rockets will resign Scola cheap (b/c no one wants to offer a RFA money) and the Rockets will take all their pieces and move forward.

Miami is close to (or maybe already signed) Big Z. So they have a serviceable C.

I am a bit weary about spending the entire MLE on a back-up C. Morey has put the Rox is a great position to be players in FA next year if they choose.

Just think, with Yao dropping off the Rox only have 18 million (Plus whatever they pay Patterson) committed in 2011. The players?

Brooks $2.9 M
Martin $12 M
Ariza $6.8 M
Hill $2.9 M
Taylor $900K
Bud $900K

You add in Scola at maybe $8 or 9, and Lowry at maybe $4 or 5 and you're talking about around $32 million with most of your positions set. With the salary cap in the mid $50M range, that give the Rox a ton of space to work with.

Shoot, even if the new CBA pushes the hard cap to $45M the Rox would have some room.

I don't know if it's worth overpaying for some scrubby back-up C at the full MLE to cover for when ao goes down. Hayes is cheap, and has proven he can play C over a full season (though he's not ideal). And none of the available players in FA are really value-add at that price.

I would rather see Morey add a young, cheap C with just a little potential, and give that kid a shot at Back-up C minutes. Someone like Ajinca would have been perfect. Maybe even Joel Anthony or Earl Barron. Or a cheap vet like Elson or Oberto.

Slim pickings out there. I'd rather the Rockets just stand pat with what we have rather than reach and give pieces away just for the sake of having a back-up center.

BTW, it's times like this that I want to go back and scream at Morey for the 2008 draft. You have Houston Prospect Deandre Jordan fall into your lap at pick #33 in the second round, and you pass on him for Joey Dorsey??

I know it's only the 2nd round, but that one should have been a no-brainer.

Actual blocked shots is overrated -- having a shot blocking presence is not. You've said it yourself -- you have to control the paint on offense and defense. While guys like Chuck Hayes are good at disciplined man defense and taking charges, he's mostly useless when it comes to protecting the paint.

BTW, morey has said publically that its an off-season priority to land such a player

where's brad miller in your anaylsis?

he's not flashy by any stretch, but now that Z is going to miami, that's one less option for him. he's played in adelman's system before and apparently has a good relationship with him.

and i would give up battier for pryzbilla. there was a rumored deal last year involving pryzbilla and rudy fernandez coming to houston for battier and someone else. and david aldridge reported back in june that morey was again in talks about fernandez.

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Actual blocked shots is overrated -- having a shot blocking presence is not. You've said it yourself -- you have to control the paint on offense and defense. While guys like Chuck Hayes are good at disciplined man defense and taking charges, he's mostly useless when it comes to protecting the paint.

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Chuck is not at all useless when it comes to controlling the paint. While he isn't going to win DPOY ever, he does a great job of establishing position, keeping it and not going for fakes. Chuck can't do jack on offense, but will grab the occasional offensive rebound. However, he does a great job at controlling the paint when manning up.

As a help defender, he is much less useful. Kind of the opposite of Yao. Yao doesn't man up well, but he does a great job of changing the play by being so big. He can help by sliding in and putting his arms up. Chuck is too small to play good help D, but does a great job of on-ball D and preventing good position before the ball is dropped to the blocks.

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BTW, morey has said publically that its an off-season priority to land such a player

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That's cool. No one is left out there.
There is Shaq, who is a poor fit.
There is Brad Miller. A viable option, but not worth the MLE.
There is Kwame Brown. I don't think he is better than Andersen/Patterson/Hayes/Hill/Jefferies.
Then the players really start to suck.

Save the money.

Have to agree with the poster who brought the Dorsey decision. i'll admit I was excited to see if Dorsey could translate his game to the NBA but that didn't work out. Deandre would be a big athletic presence which would be nice.

I'd rather the Rockets get a young guy with upside at this point. Seems like they would just be wasting the MLE on what's left.

I have to believe Brad Miller is their target and has been for a while. I know he had dinner with Adelman a couple of weeks ago and Morey has met with him. Plus you have the Miller-Adelman connection from Sacramento days.

I hear the same about Brad Miller, I think it is obvious now that they will target him the hardest.

Wouldn't Miller also hold the second unit back from running too?

they are gonna throw undersized pfs at the problem like they always do

hth

I tend to agree with guitar here. I think sitting tight until the trade deadline is prob the best option at this point.

honestly, i'm not sure that given yao's injured past, you can afford to wait until the deadline.

i can't imagine a brad miller contract would be for the full MLE, so it's not like that is going to cripple them from making other moves.

and yes, miller would slow down any uptempo, change-of-pace offense, but they can always get that by going small for stretches in a game.

I haven't read all this mumbo jumbo. Did the Roxs get smart and get rid if Yao. Like I hoped two years ago.

^

Soup, you realize you just restated exactly what I said, don't you? Chuck is good on man defense, but he's useless when it comes to protecting the paint on help defense unless it means taking a charge. He doesn't alter anybody's shot, block shots, intimidate, or anything. This team needs more than one guy that can guard the paint and protect the rim. All the best defenses have a guy like that -- Orlando has Howard, Cleveland has Varajao, Spurs have Duncan, Charlotte had Chandler, Lakers had Bynum/Gasol, etc.

While the free agent pool may not be exceptional, we're talking about a freaking backup here. If the price is right, then you do it.

I don't think Joel Pryzbilla is unattainable. The Rockets have a lot of assets to offer to any team in a trade.

I hear you Hotard, the question is this. Is that the best use of those assets? To go and trade assets for Prysbilla that might have a much greater value in a Feb trading deadline?

When teams that have just over spent in the feeding frenzy and find out that they dieing on the court and on the fiscal end of things?

Maybe we hang on to those assets and end up trading for an Okafor at the trading deadline for a Jefferies, another expiring contract and a draft pick?

I think that might be much better then burning assets for Prysbilla.

Maybe not, I'm not sure what's going on in Portland since they fired their GM (which I think was pretty stupid, I thought he was a great GM and Portland just got snakebit last year with injuries). What do they want? Financial flexibility? A veteran alongside Roy who's good defensively? A second scorer in the back-court to take pressure off Roy?

I have heard from a source close to the Rockets that Morey has only one FatHead in his office and that player is Ricky Rubio. Something may happen there. I saw the presentation that the Rockets made for the 5 FA targets this summer that the Rockets put on IPads and it was really sick. Of course it didn't work, but i'm trying to get a copy to post on here. I think everyone will get a kick out of it.

I think we all need to realize the obvious answer is there, wagging a finger in our face saying, "I'm rested and ready, and your 1 true answer!"

Well, Morey figured out the back-up Center:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5388602

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LAS VEGAS -- Veteran center Brad Miller has agreed to a three-year contract worth nearly
$15 million with the Houston Rockets, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.

The Rockets were always considered a strong contender to win the summer race to sign Miller. He attracted interested from numerous teams but was strongly lobbied to move to Houston by Rockets coach Rick Adelman and guard Kevin Martin after the trio's success in Sacramento.

The third year of the contract is partially guaranteed, sources said.

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Line-up now looks like this:

Brooks/Lowry
Martin/Bud/Taylor
Battier/Ariza/Jeffries
Scola/Patterson/Hill
Yao/Miller/Hayes

Looks like the Rox could use a 3rd PG, but that's about it.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5388602

Good situation now with the bigs.

i like it. definitely not a flashy move, but i think miller is a solid addition.

good addition

Didn't know he was 34

I wanted the Bulls to re-sign him.

Agree with soup... Blocks are overrated. They should only be added to the stat sheet if they lead to a change in possession.

Also, Miller won't hurt the running game. A good passing (outlet pass) post will help a team more than a fast running post. The Rockets have enough athletes to fill the lane without him crossing halfcourt.

solid lineup to make the playoffs this coming season