# We got DA



## 23 (Apr 23, 2005)

I guess Ballscientist was right all along


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## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

It was confirmed (Fox26's Berman has a videotape of DA's agent saying he will sign with Houston next week).


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## 绿野飞仙 (Aug 21, 2005)

I thought we had already got him when I saw this topic...


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## sherwin (Mar 21, 2005)

A link would be nice.


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## The Future7 (Feb 24, 2005)

Looks like the Rockets just got better.


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

23 said:


> I guess Ballscientist was right all along


He can now die in peace having read that post....

so... uhm.... yay? :none:

We got a talented player for a small price, so I guess I am happy. I can actually picture him playing well w/ T-Mac, and take over the starting spot from Wesley.


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## rocketeer (Oct 7, 2002)

i think anderson is a great signing for the rockets. as long as he can stay healthy and shoot like he did last year from the outside, he should play an important role for the rockets. they definitely look like a top team this year.

pg - sura/james/head
sg - anderson/wesley/barry/head
sf - tmac/anderson/barry
pf - swift/howard
c - yao/mutumbo


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## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

If we start Sura and Anderson we have one of the worst if not THE worst defensive backcourt in the league. Head (questionable), James and Wesley are our only guards who can stop penetration and none of them are suited to guard SG's.


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## 绿野飞仙 (Aug 21, 2005)

T-MAC will be there if the SGs want to do anything.


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## rocketeer (Oct 7, 2002)

Mr. Roger's Cardigan said:


> If we start Sura and Anderson we have one of the worst if not THE worst defensive backcourt in the league. Head (questionable), James and Wesley are our only guards who can stop penetration and none of them are suited to guard SG's.


i don't think that really matters that much(calling them the worst defensive starting backcourt in the league). really, the rockets are going to have a 6 man rotation in the backcourt(5 if head doesn't contribute). sura, anderson, wesley, james, barry, and head are all going to see minutes(barry and anderson probably some at sf too). so even if they are the worst defensive backcourt as you say, they are going to be splitting minutes with a few other guys and even if they start together, will probably see a lot of time on the court apart.


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## chromekilla (Aug 21, 2005)

u guys got him for a cheap price.he is a good player but really injurey prone and too costly for the performance he gave us.overall i think u guys got a steal.
Zidane


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## Ron Mexico (Feb 14, 2004)

anyone know what was wrong with him the last 2 years??

he only played 51 and 47 games,


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## Ron Mexico (Feb 14, 2004)

:laugh: I just saw cardigan's signature


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## Miamiballer2k5 (Jun 29, 2005)

good signing for the Rockets but why do you guys have so many combo guards?


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## Clutch777 (Aug 22, 2005)

Now all the Rockets need is another forward to compete with San Antonio for the top spot in the western conferance.

Hopefully we won't have to wait until next season for that to happen :grinning:


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## Damian Necronamous (Jun 10, 2002)

Does this put Houston out of the running for Sprewell?


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## Clutch777 (Aug 22, 2005)

Damian Necronamous said:


> Does this put Houston out of the running for Sprewell?


Houston was never really in the running at all. Sprewell turned down a 7 million a year contract extension from the T-Wolves. I doubt he was going to take the 1.7 million exception from the rockets anyways.


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## Jamez52637 (May 3, 2005)

Wait, did we get DA for the LLE? how long is the contract


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## smithys1510 (Jul 11, 2005)

im not sure whether signing DA has automaticaly made us contenders for the west


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## bellary (Aug 12, 2005)

Anderson has made right choice

Welcome , Manager


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## Dontizzay (Aug 17, 2005)

This signin will def help tha team. Tha rocks needed him and he came pretty cheap er wut he used to have.


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## darkballa (Sep 19, 2003)

YAY!! We now have a good moderate sized shooting guard. Now all we need now is that PG that will sign for the LLE


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## hitokiri315 (Apr 30, 2004)

I heard that his back injury last year was fabricated by the blazers because the wanted to showcase all of their young talent and not care about winning a ball game. So the only thing to worry about to me is the chemistry. Bringing all these new guys in could either help or hurt the chemistry. Time will tell.


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## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

2 years, $3.5 million. Something close to that figure.


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## TManiAC (Dec 19, 2004)

Solid pick-up. Best available man for $1.7 mill. Finley and Spree were pipe-dream type acquisitions and we would have likely ended up with nothing and a thumb up our backsides if we would have continued to pursue them. The fact that they are washed and older is also a big reason why Im glad we didn't sign them. I like that this DA signing is a short-term contract. CD and JVG have had a stellar offseason adding Swift, Head and Derek Anderson to the core. We've become significantly faster, younger, and more athletic without sacrificing the veteran presense on the team.

Adding Luther Head and Derek Anderson also makes Sura and David Wesley available (read expendable). Some may think that we just assembled the worst backcourt in the NBA, while Im pretty sure we made a big improvement with minimum cost.

Theres still alot of room for improvement and there are many more options should JVG feel he needs to make a change. Im hoping we make that two-for-one trade that we've been hearing so much about. Wesley, Sura, and Badiane could round out a nice package for a young athletic swing to complement TMac. I'm still a fan of DerMarr Johnson and I hope we take a look at him (Wesley + Badiane for DJ S&T $15m/3yrs? Denver would receive a $1 mill trade exception that could help land them Spree).

We could also choose to waive Moochie and Ward as it seems nobody wants these two. This would free up roster space for Dion Glover and Lonny Baxter. I would also like to see the Rockets bring in Spanoulis soon.

All in all, the Rockets F.O. has been making very wise choices. Im happy with our offseason so far.

Welcome to Houston Derek Anderson.


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## Clutch777 (Aug 22, 2005)

TManiAC said:


> Solid pick-up. Best available man for $1.7 mill. Finley and Spree were pipe-dream type acquisitions and we would have likely ended up with nothing and a thumb up our backsides if we would have continued to pursue them.


Finley was released using the Amnesty provisions, which means he still gets paid 60 million over the next few years. Players released this way could not double dip into two contracts. The only advantage of signing another deal is that they would get paid quicker. But I doubt Finley cared whether he got three million more this year as opposed to getting paid later.

I still think the Rockets should have pursued Finley. Right now, the Rockets are a top three western team. If they added Finley, they would instantly become the favorites along with San Antonio. The Rockets could also offer Finley a starting job, while SA and Miami would only offer backup jobs. But I guess it's too late now :verysad:


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## TManiAC (Dec 19, 2004)

Clutch777 said:


> Finley was released using the Amnesty provisions, which means he still gets paid 60 million over the next few years. Players released this way could not double dip into two contracts. The only advantage of signing another deal is that they would get paid quicker. But I doubt Finley cared whether he got three million more this year as opposed to getting paid later.


My understanding is different. That they get paid by their previous contract, but that their status is free agent just as any player on the waiver wire. Thats why we can afford to pay so little because money is apparently not an issue for these overpaid players.

still, if 3-4 title contenders are offering to pay you, wouldnt you pick the team that pays the most and has the best shot of winning you a ring?


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## mook (Dec 31, 2002)

as a Blazer fan who really isn't much of a fan of Derek Anderson, even I will admit that this is a nice pickup for Houston. he's been a whiner in Portland, but now that he knows his real free market worth, I think he'll be an easier guy to put up with. 

he's now in a good situation where he can play his minutes in between injuries (the guy has missed games in the past because of toothaches, although his back is the biggest problem). 

I view him as one of the best passing shooting guards in the league who is not a star player. it's easier for a guy like Ray Allen or Kobe Bryant to get assists because you really have to respect their scoring. nobody really respects Derek Anderson, and yet he still always ends up with good assist numbers for his position. 

obviously, Finley would be infinitely more preferable, but at this bargain-basement price you really can't go wrong.


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## Blazer Freak (Jul 11, 2004)

Ron Mexico said:


> anyone know what was wrong with him the last 2 years??
> 
> he only played 51 and 47 games,


He's a *****. If he has to work for his minutes, he just quits. When DA was healthy last season (which was rarely) we forced him to work to get minutes. You know what he did? He quit on us, and he then sat out the rest of the season and had some surgery on his teeth. For about 5-10 games though he sat out and gained DNP-Tooth Ache on the box score.

This isn't a steal, it's not even a good move. DA is injury-prone, overrated shooter, and if he has to work for anything he quits.


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## Blazer Freak (Jul 11, 2004)

Clutch777 said:


> Finley was released using the Amnesty provisions, which means he still gets paid 60 million over the next few years. Players released this way could not double dip into two contracts. The only advantage of signing another deal is that they would get paid quicker. But I doubt Finley cared whether he got three million more this year as opposed to getting paid later.
> 
> I still think the Rockets should have pursued Finley. Right now, the Rockets are a top three western team. If they added Finley, they would instantly become the favorites along with San Antonio. The Rockets could also offer Finley a starting job, while SA and Miami would only offer backup jobs. But I guess it's too late now :verysad:


They could only offer him 1.1 million because they used their MLE to sign Stromile Swift.


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## Bron_Melo_ROY (Apr 12, 2004)

I like the Rockets as the 2nd team in the West but damn, what's their age average? Outside of T-Mac, Yao, Stromile, Luther Head, is their anyone under 30?


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## mook (Dec 31, 2002)

Blazer Freak said:


> He's a *****. If he has to work for his minutes, he just quits. When DA was healthy last season (which was rarely) we forced him to work to get minutes. You know what he did? He quit on us, and he then sat out the rest of the season and had some surgery on his teeth. For about 5-10 games though he sat out and gained DNP-Tooth Ache on the box score.
> 
> This isn't a steal, it's not even a good move. DA is injury-prone, overrated shooter, and if he has to work for anything he quits.


clearly the guy has worn out his welcome in Portland. in truth, he's never been the same since he got leveled by Shaq in the playoffs a few years ago. 

still, though, I think it's something of a mis-characterization to say he's a complete quitter. last year we had Ratliff, Ruben Patterson, Derek Anderson, Abdur-Rahim, Darius Miles and (especially) Nick Van Exel all quit on us to varying degrees. everyone but the youngsters and Stoudamire (who never tires of launching bad shots) had given up. yet if you put any of those guys on a team like the Rockets where there's a real chance to go deep in the playoffs, each would probably show a lot more effort. 

I'd say there's a real chance that Anderson can turn his career around in Houston. I think health, rather than quitting or other chemistry issues, is the real question.


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## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

I tried calling Sportsradio610 today because everyone else in Houston thinks Derek Anderson is the next coming of Michael Jordan, but had to hang up before I was on. There was some guy going on about how Derek Anderson would bring athleticism and penetration to the team, and the radio guy was agreeing with him. I really have to wonder the last time anyone has seen this guy play.


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## mook (Dec 31, 2002)

if that is really what they are saying about him, they are in for a serious disappointment. he just doesn't slash that much to the basket anymore because he knows it'll only end in injury. 

he is what he is, a veteran minimum backup shooting guard. he'll give you some passable defense, some good passing, some streaky shooting. expecting anything else out of him is foolish.


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## TManiAC (Dec 19, 2004)

theWanker said:


> he is what he is, a veteran minimum backup shooting guard. he'll give you some passable defense, some good passing,



sounds exactly like what we were looking for...

He's no "next coming of Jordan." I think thats apparent to everybody and highly doubt people seriously hold him that kind of regard. He's not a long term solution, I'll give you that. But you cant seriously say that he's some kind of downgrade. He is a significant improvement in the backcourt because of his versatility and is a better performer as a SG than Wesley and a better distributor at PG than Sura. 

His defense is exceptional, despite your berating. His lateral quickness is better than Wesley and Sura (that was a major problem last year). He may be a streaky shooter but it would be unfair to call him a ball hog. He has always deferred the ball to a host of better players on SA and Portland and knows his position as a role player.

What the DA doubters always seem to forget is his relative cheapness. We used so little and risked so little to sign DA. He'll be on our roster for all but two years... a servicable two years... at just $1.7 mill per. He was the best option at that price that was still available.

I think I have every reason to be happy and excited about this signing, it was a great move by CD and co. Considering how we only spent about $7 mill, we were able to acquire Stromile Swift, Luther Head, and Derek Anderson... and in the process lost nobody important from last years playoff cast. Keep in mind that other teams would have paid well over $7 million for just Swift.

An improvement is an improvement, all the more reason to be happy if the improvements costed less than we could have dreamed.


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

Clutch777 said:


> Finley was released using the Amnesty provisions, which means he still gets paid 60 million over the next few years. Players released this way could not double dip into two contracts. The only advantage of signing another deal is that they would get paid quicker. But I doubt Finley cared whether he got three million more this year as opposed to getting paid later.



I am pretty sure that the players who sign from the amnesty provision will actually be double-dipping. The misconception though is that they will get paid the money owed to them in a normal fashion. From what i've read, Finley will get every penny of his 60 million, but he'll only make it at about 5 million a year over a number of years.


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## rocketeer (Oct 7, 2002)

TManiAC said:


> sounds exactly like what we were looking for...
> 
> He's no "next coming of Jordan." I think thats apparent to everybody and highly doubt people seriously hold him that kind of regard. He's not a long term solution, I'll give you that. But you cant seriously say that he's some kind of downgrade. He is a significant improvement in the backcourt because of his versatility and is a better performer as a SG than Wesley and a better distributor at PG than Sura.
> 
> ...


i completely agree. anderson isn't our longterm answer at sg, but he's an upgrade now and will help us for the two years he is here at a cheap price. he gives us more size in the backcourt and another decent player to add to the rotation.


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## Clutch777 (Aug 22, 2005)

JNice said:


> I am pretty sure that the players who sign from the amnesty provision will actually be double-dipping. The misconception though is that they will get paid the money owed to them in a normal fashion. From what i've read, Finley will get every penny of his 60 million, but he'll only make it at about 5 million a year over a number of years.


NBA Amnesty FAQ


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## Hakeem (Aug 12, 2004)

From what I've seen of Anderson, he isn't very good. He certainly doesn't seem an "exceptional defender". I'm not sure he's an upgrade over Wesley. But for LLE, I'm not complaing.


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## mook (Dec 31, 2002)

although a Blazer fan, I've been following Houston because of Yao/McGrady, and I can honestly say I'd much rather have Sura than Anderson run my point. 

Derek Anderson's defense was "good" three years ago, but especially this past year I think "exceptional" is not the kind of word most Blazer fans would use to describe it. he's lost some speed from the injuries, and he frankly looked like he stopped trying at some points. we had the very worst three point field goal percentage defense in the league last year, and although Stoudamire and Van Exel were the most guilty, it's not like Derek Anderson's "exceptional" defense did anything to change that ranking. 

like I've said elsewhere, I actually think this is a good pickup for Houston, especially on a short, cheap contract. people shouldn't have any illusions, though, that he's going to help you win more than three or four more games this year.


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## jdiggidy (Jun 21, 2003)

We didn't go out and sign Kevin Garnett (COULDN'T DO IT ANYWAY!) We went out and signed to promising players to the MLE and LLE we had.

DA supposedly wants to resurrect his career. Let's give him the opportunity before we crap on him. That will come in time.
Swift supposedly has all the talent in the world. The are alot of unanswered questions about him too. Let's give him the opportunity as well.

Bottom Line: Very successful offseason. We didn't get crap and we didn't pay through the nose either. The core players who got us into the playoffs is still here plus we added DA/Swift.


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## 23 (Apr 23, 2005)

the Wanker, I like this guy, he's a pretty good poster. I appreciate all of the honest info you've been giving us here.


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## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

TManiAC said:


> sounds exactly like what we were looking for...
> 
> He's no "next coming of Jordan." I think thats apparent to everybody and highly doubt people seriously hold him that kind of regard. He's not a long term solution, I'll give you that. But you cant seriously say that he's some kind of downgrade. He is a significant improvement in the backcourt because of his versatility and is a better performer as a SG than Wesley and a better distributor at PG than Sura.
> 
> ...


I can't disagree with you when you say he was a bargain, the only problem I have is that we are using our final roster spot with a redundant option. He has nothing on Jon Barry except stamina; I was hoping we could pursue a bigger defensive minded player since that is one thing we are missing on the perimeter. I'm still hopeful we can bring that in with our expiring contracts.


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## Blazer Freak (Jul 11, 2004)

JNice said:


> I am pretty sure that the players who sign from the amnesty provision will actually be double-dipping. The misconception though is that they will get paid the money owed to them in a normal fashion. From what i've read, Finley will get every penny of his 60 million, but he'll only make it at about 5 million a year over a number of years.


And in a player like Finley's case who has a huge amount left. When players are cut, they get their payments spread out over years, and Finley's woulda been 15 years until he got his last paycheck from that huge contract, so it's believed that Cuban and Finley worked out a deal where he would pay him more money up front if he didn't go to a Western Power, so I doubt he would come to Houston if they had the MLE.


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## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

Now this is killing me:


> Buckner has been offered Denver's $1.67 million exception with a second-year player option for $1.85 million. Buckner is seeking at least half the $5 million midlevel exception but has indicated a willingness to sign for the lesser amount.


 
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/nuggets/article/0,1299,DRMN_20_4022944,00.html


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## TracywtFacy (Mar 29, 2005)

Bron_Melo_ROY said:


> I like the Rockets as the 2nd team in the West but damn, what's their age average? Outside of T-Mac, Yao, Stromile, Luther Head, is their anyone under 30?


Valid point but crucially our four core players are all still young, which is what's important.

Glad to have DA, we've made a few bargain-basement deals lately, I'm sure he'll be a valuble contributor. Our team jelled real well last season on the fly, hope all our new additions can do it also this season. But as long as Deke's on the team, I'm sure it will be a tight group regardless


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## rogue (Jul 5, 2005)

Well I don't think our 'old age' is an significant issue anymore. We've covered it up nicely now by adding younger/more athletic players at several positions. Stro was the key cog, no disrespect to Juwan at all, but also by adding DA we now a have a real prototypical 2guard to take some of that pressure off Mac for driving and slashing in for offensive rebounds, and leaking out on the break. All this cynic crap about him being 'washed up' is just ridiculous, spree is washed up but even he will play better in a better system like Detroit. DA will re-energize his career in Houston, TMac and DA will gel together nicely, Pippen and Jordan basically. I would hardly call just turning 31 an old player, and injuries, don't even think about that stuff. Injuries happen, and you deal with them, we just didn't have the personnel last year to deal with them. Now we will, if David W had not been playing 38-40 minutes last year he would've been fresher and more on point in the playoffs, this move cements us into at least the conf.finals, more likely the western conf.finals against San Antonio.


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## rocketeer (Oct 7, 2002)

rogue said:


> DA will re-energize his career in Houston, TMac and DA will gel together nicely, Pippen and Jordan basically.


uh. pippen and jordan? if DA turns into pippen, the rockets are going to win the next 5 titles. but that isn't going to be happen. anderson is going to be a role player. i'm expecting a decent 20-25 minutes a game, not a star player stepping into a huge role.


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