All I want to watch is someone that plays hard. Jordan Hill and Hasheem Thabeet, well, I have seen enough of them. Especially Jordan Hill. I will be ecstatic to cut ties with JChill... Play the 20 year old behemoth...
I don't get your point. even if we had signed him (locked him up--lol) he'd be playing for the Vipers right now as only their 2nd best player. What is your point. You actually think he'd get more burn in the NBA had we signed him? It is a non sequitur say Adrien is stealing his spot on an NBA team. That's just not true.
I want Smith to play well and become a bench player for the Rockets. But I don't think he's shown anything more than Adrien in the NBA or D-league. So what's all the fuss about? The Rockets took flyers on the whole class of 2009 and those haven't turned out very well. I'd like Twill to blossom as much as the next guy, but taking a chance on him has only really led to a lot of b****ing about how overinflated his value is. And we did give up a 1st round pick for him, so the situation is a bit different. But guys like Flynn and Thabeet were gained with little risk (we were going to lose Battier and we got a pick too) and now they aren't helping much. The bigs that we have passed on in the draft showed enough that they were drafted. Guys like Asik, M. Gasol, D. Jordan were all good enough to be drafted. G. Smith wasn't even drafted. The situation with him is very different than "I wish we would've taken a chance on D. Jordan!" Most of what it comes down to with this team is talent and type of players. Trade some of our non-defenders for a star (or near star) or some good 2way players. Then we might have a spot for a gamble or two. But remember-D-leaguers aren't worth getting all hot and bothered over. Gerald Green, Pops Mensa Bonsu, Mike Harris...
It has to do with management and their insistence to sign a player that is marginally better, instead of signing the guy with a significant amount of upside, even If he doesn't necessarily fit into the "win now" plans. Read Bima's post that I quoted. I'm not sure where you are getting some of this. I definitely don't think he would get more burn. Obviously Adrien isn't stealing his spot. It has to do with Rockets management and their mindset. Sure, If we are in win now mode, Jeff Adrien>Greg Smith. I'm not so sure we should be in win now mode. Btw, The second best player for the Vipers, after our lottery pick. I am OK with that.
Read my post. If we signed Smith, he would still be on the Vipers. He is on the Vipers right now. Your point is mute. Listen to me. Adrien is not stealing NBA minutes from Smith. Do you actually believe had we signed him he would be on the parent club roster right now versus the NBDL club?
You can say it 1,000 times and you would still be missing the point, he would be Rockets property. Adrein has no one beating down his door, flip it, drop him, and sign Smith and then you would be getting the actual POINT. DD
They hold his NBDL rights if he decides to play in the Dleague....I believe...no actual rights etc. DD
And yet after this grand performance there is no one scrambling for his services on the bench or even to obtain his rights. I totally understand what you guys are arguing, "Make him ours before someone else does!" but don't you guys think if he was gonna be this sought after DM would have already made this a reality? I mean as much as he loves assets, this one be one that he shouldn't let get away as you can't teach size, but he's in the D-League for a reason and if I were you guys I'd stop threating over a young prospect from our minor league team, if our GM hasn't yet.
I'm pretty sure your point earlier was about bringing him to the NBA team to replace Adrien, because we need to let the young potential play. Then you admitted he would still remain a Viper. So, I said "mute point." Now since you admitted he would just remain a Viper, your only point left is we need to lock him up. You're point is vaporizing the more you speak to me. Who cares about missing your point, if you are changing it as needed.
Sorry.... but three times in a row: it's "moot" not "mute" as in a moot point. That makes me want to "loose" my mind. :grin: BTW, "Free Greg Smith!" I don't think the essential issue is which roster Smith is on but rather that the Rockets control his rights. Right now they don't.
don't you get it...I always mute DaDakota's points. point <------------- mute button :grin: Having a non-drafted NBDL free agent locked up to a contract is weird. He needs to be playing for the Vipers,,,not taking up a roster spot. If we like him, we can sign him. All it takes is a 2 for 1 trade or a 3 for 2 or a 1 for pick. I'm sure we have told him to stay patient and we will call him up if he plays well enough for the NBA and if we can clear a spot for him. locking up a Viper ??? really ??? This bored is way too board today to be derailing Smith's thread like this. Spoiler don't loose your mind on the last typo...it was for comedy
I have surmised likewise; there is just no guarantee that someone won't beat us to the punch. Also, it is unlikely that the Houston Rockets are the favorite NBA team of a kid from California. If he continues to show, others will come after him. Do I really have to feel ashamed for being more excited about Smith's NBA future than the future of Dalambert, Thabeet, Adrien, Flynn or maybe even Martin, Scola and Budinger? Lose by 12 or lose by 21... what's the difference? As George Allen used to say, "the future is now." George mortgaged the future; maybe the Rockets should just sell the present? Anyway, I'll root for whomever they put on the floor but my preference is to skew for the future not the present... and take a few risks. Personally I loved Shane Battier but I'd rather have Rudy Gay or whomever the Rox might have tabbed. Had the Rockets kept that pick I wonder whom they would have selected....
knote32, all fair points. But I think you and others are being a little unreasonable harping on the Rockets' "mistake" in adding a guy (Adrien) who is actually able to contribute to a playoff drive in 2012 instead of taking a chance on a project who all 30 NBA teams feel is not currently worthy of a spot on their 15-man rosters. This is NOT a Terrence Williams situation. T-Will has freakish athleticism AND was viewed around the league as worthy of a lottery selection based on his high level of play at Louisville. Even as a pro, Williams showed flashes of what could be in New Jersey and in his short stint in the D-League. Meanwhile, Greg Smith went undrafted, had a nice 4-point, 2-rebound (or whatever) performance in a preseason game during garbage time, gets a double-double in a D-League game, and suddenly everyone's critical of the Rockets' front office for not taking a chance on Smith. As CXbby has pointed out in other threads, making the playoffs will help this team and the perceived trade value of almost everyone on it. So, even if you're not buying the whole "we can win with this team" jargon, there's still an end-game to making the playoffs that more properly aligns with the goals of many wanting a total rebuild. The advantage that having Jeff Adrien on the Rockets' bench instead of Greg Smith is viewed by the front office as helping this organization--both in the short-term AND the long-term--as worth not having Greg Smith on the 15-man roster. If people disagree, they can disagree. But, people, please don't act like the front office doesn't know what it's doing here. They do. You just don't agree. Thabo Sefalosha.
Man do I disagree with that. People won't care if a guy came from a winning program one bit, they will care if they think his skills fit in on their team. True, and I disagree with what they are doing, though I understand it comes from Les and not from Daryl. DD
Go ask the New Orleans Hornets to honestly answer if they viewed James Posey exactly the same as they did before he did EXACTLY the same thing he's done his whole career in the playoffs/Finals. I'm guessing a truthful answer would be that they way overpaid him because of his perceived value to the Celtics when they won the championship. Winning changes people's perceptions. And on the whole Les/Daryl thing, give me a break. I don't think such a relatively insignificant decision as this applies. Overall direction on how to rebuild? Yes. Who's going to be the 15th man? Not so much. I'm not so sure that Les Alexander even knows who Jeff Adrien and Greg Smith are. Morey has enough authority to make a call on the 15th man. If not, I'm pretty sure he'd just quit his job and take another GM position, as he would be highly sought after by other teams.
