# Going small next season



## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

This is something that we did last year against Dallas in the playoffs, and something that has been generating a lot of discussion in this year's playoffs. Teams are going small and using quicker guards to get to the basket. Penetration has been the key to success in the playoffs, as well as mobility in the post (not a big issue before the rule changes). Guys like Brad Miller, Rasho Nesterovic, Nazy Mohammed, Chris Kaman and Eric Dampier are losing minutes to wing players. Athletic SF's like Marion and Josh Howard are playing the 4 spot and it's resulting in wins. 

With Yao's effort on the boards and "sticky" hands, we really don't need a banger at the 4 anymore. We can put 4 guards next to him in the playoffs, create great spacing, penetrate, make sharp passes and even a stagnant JVG offensive scheme will look brilliant. Of course we need size and shooting at the 2-3 to make this work, assuming McGrady will spend some time at PF. A backcourt of Mike James and Brandon Roy provides the defense, penetration and shooting we need. Having Mobley/George/Wells and Mcgrady in the frontcourt makes it nearly impossible to keep 2 defenders on Yao. Swift doesn't really have a place on this team, keeping him is a waste of a roster spot. Luther has to be dangled as trade bait. Juwan Howard is our backup post option, it would be nice to have him off the bench. We could sign and trade for bangers with a shot like Devean George or Bonzi Wells to play the 3/4. All this works because we have a monster in the post, Yao Ming. 



What do you guys think? What players would you look at?


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## Pasha The Great (Apr 9, 2005)

As long as we have an identity, im fine with it.


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## chn353 (Mar 12, 2006)

what about boards?.. i think maybe juwan should still start.. he avged like 7 rebs pr something


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## Gotham2krazy (Nov 22, 2005)

And Chuck Hayes was number 1 in reb. per 48 min.


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

chn353 said:


> what about boards?.. i think maybe juwan should still start.. he avged like 7 rebs pr something


If we could get Bonzi Wells, he and McGrady could take care of the boards.


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## CrackerJack (Jul 2, 2005)

its a really good i dea but when we come up against good rebounding teams like Detroit and Miami this could pose as a big problem for us, but the idea is good if we have a definative big man still able to be used if we need to go big, ie - Chuck Hayes, but i dont think Juwan Howard is really in the mold for the secondary post guy coming off the bench


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## jworth (Feb 17, 2006)

Really good idea. We need to bring in some athletes on the perimeter. 

Juwon is past his time (has been since he was in Washington). 

We need to bring in a big man that can bang and defend in the post but we definitely need to get quicker on the perimeter.


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## jworth (Feb 17, 2006)

Personally I think we should make a run at trading for Corey Maggette and signing Mike James. Throwing Swift and our lottery pick at the Clippers in return for Maggette would be worth it in my mind but I'm not sure the Clippers would do it. Maggette is the physical and athletic player we need on the perimeter and his ability to play SG and SF would fit perfectly into what we need. While he had injury issues this season, he seemed to bounce back from them rather well once he got back on the court for LAC. James, meanwhile, would give us a scoring punch, an outside shooter, a ball handler, and quickness in the backcourt. After that I'd say we should bring Spanoulis over and trade Luther Head for a halfway decent big man such as Francisco Elson. I don't know if all of these things could come together money-wise, but this lineup would look competitive in the playoffs:

PG:Rafer/James/Spanoulis
SG:Maggette/James/McGrady
SF:McGrady/Maggette/Hayes
PF:Elson/Howard/Hayes
C:Yao/Elson/Howard

Smaller/Quicker lineup:

PG:Rafer
SG:James
SF:McGrady
PF:Maggette
C:Yao

Note that I only listed nine guys in the top lineup since I've got no idea who else would fill in the other spots.


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## Pasha The Great (Apr 9, 2005)

i like the idea of maggette but our lotter pick IMO will become our key star in 4 years so I wouldnt do that.

And if we go small, what will we do with Sura? Wasnt he expected to join the team?


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## jiangsheng (Feb 11, 2006)

cornholio said:


> If we could get Bonzi Wells, he and McGrady could take care of the boards.


Actuallly I was once supprised to see T-Mac led in boards and Yao led in points sometime this season.


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## debarge (Nov 13, 2005)

Well I think that sounds good too as another option, not sure if we could pull off any of this though, we just don't have alot of financing options to get these types of guys? I def wouldn't mind JHo off the bench, he jumper is automatic when he's rested, he wasn't rested this past season at all, too many mins for him diminshes his effectiveness. JVG is awful terrible at min-distribution to his main guys. Remember when JJ was money then at the end of the sea. he just didn't have legs, same w/ DWes towards Mar no legs for the playoffs. If JHo were our 1st man off the bench he would excel, he's smart crafty good shooter. He would accept that role after this season of being 'the man' again.

I think the biggest thing is getting a versatile 4 more so than a specialist whose either really athletic/offensive/defensive/boarder/blocker just someone whose adaptable and versatile. 
_3/4s give you options_
Mike D or Troy M from GS
Al Harrington Jared Jeffries Kenny Thomas
Nene or Elson DEN + (and I can't believe I'm saying this Scott Padgett) very doable guys
_2//3/scorers_
Mike James or Morris Peterson for our draft pk? s/tr
Bobby Simmons MIL for Swift (still would have Hayes/Howard at PF)
draft Brandon Roy/Rodney Carney/Rudy Gay/Ronnie Brewer/
PJ Tucker 2ndrd Sheldon Williams 1strd get Brent Barry
Lamond Murray for Swift draft our 2
Q Rich, Q Woods, James Jones + Kurt Thomas


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

Good idea, but if Yao goes down or endurance becomes an issue again then this type of strategy can be a problem. But adding more shooting and athleticism to this team should definitely be our priority nonetheless.

it is interesting to see how the game has changed so much that the conventional big body Cs and PFs are losing their place in the modern game.


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## Pasha The Great (Apr 9, 2005)

But i dont like depending too much on shooting, any rockets fan knows that too often we lose because our shooters had a bad game.. you know the story, one player has bad game and the entire teams confidence is crushed to where all the shooters have a bad game. 

But if we always attacked the basket we wont have to worry about one players bad game ruining the teams confidence because if someone missed the layup there will be someone to rebound and put it back(this is where Chuck Hayes is most useful and if not him we still have Yao and Sura -- two rebounding beast)

If you look at cleavland and the clippers they arent depending on outside shots, they play in the paint with lebron and brand. People say that teams are becoming faster paced and play on the arc like the suns and we need to convert to their game too.. one thing i learned from watching the playoffs is that you cant beat a great team by playing their style, youve get to get them out of their comfort zone and take control by playing a slowered down game.


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## Dean the Master (Feb 19, 2006)

Going small needs a very good PG who can run fast break perfectly. I dont think we need to change our playing style. Instead, we need to force other team to play in our beat.


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## chn353 (Mar 12, 2006)

some1 like spanoulis could fit well then.. apparently his a "tony parker"


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## Gotham2krazy (Nov 22, 2005)

chn353 said:


> some1 like spanoulis could fit well then.. apparently his a "tony parker"


I hate Tony Parker. :curse:


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## debarge (Nov 13, 2005)

Insidehoops.net NJ wants a big man and are looking to package Scott Padgett/Plananiac w/ their 22/24/52 pks? Would we want that for Stromile? I'd take it we would free up alot of money? It said they're looking at re-upping Kenyon, Joel Prizbilla, Nazr Mohammed, Melvin Ely, I think Stro would be enticing for them, they have a 5mil tr exception. We could have several picks available to us? Juwan and Pagdett would give us the shooting from the 4 spot, and we could also draft a more defensive minded 4? Plus our earlier pk, and use the other two (24 52) as trade bait for someone, or in a sign/trade. What do you think? At least we'd get rid of Stro's spot/salary. I feel like there's a market for him right now, later we may be stuck w/ him...  so I want to def look at moving him this summer. 

IMO Jho, Padgett, Hayes is enough at the 4 to get rid of Stromile. We use our other resources to get a fabulous 2 to run w/ TMac??? :clap:


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