31 July 2007
Pre-season look at Houston Texans - Part 1 - Offense
Today, instead of sitting around waiting for the Astros not to make a trade that will help them in the future, I have embarked upon a journey of examination. I will look at the Houston Texans roster position by position, starting with the offensive side of the ball. If you sit down and take a look at the Texans depth chart on ESPN.com, or even the one on NFL.com, you can see that the roster has had some serious turnover in the past two seasons and will be quite different this year as well. That being said, it is time to dig a little deeper and see what we can find, starting with the receivers.
The depth chart and roster looks like this, with starters in bold and third and fourth WR in italics:
19 Charlie Adams WR 27 6-2 190 5 Hofstra
14 David Anderson WR 24 5-10 193 2 Colorado State
18 Andre Davis WR 28 6-1 195 6 Virginia Tech
80 Andre Johnson WR 26 6-3 219 5 Miami (FL)
81 Bethel Johnson WR 28 5-11 200 5 Texas A&M
- Jacoby Jones WR 23 6-4 210 R Lane
13 Jerome Mathis WR 24 5-11 172 3 Hampton
87 Keenan McCardell WR 37 6-1 191 16 UNLV
85 Kevin Walter WR 25 6-3 214 5 Eastern Michigan
86 Harry Williams WR 24 6-2 186 1 Tuskegee
Assuming that Jacoby Jones makes the roster, you are looking at a contest between Adams, Anderson, Bethel Johnson, Jerome Mathis, and Harry Williams for the final spot on the team. I give the advantage to Bethel Johnson, with Charlie Anderson and Jerome Mathis as the next two on the list. Now if Mathis shows that he can stay healthy and also shows that he can run routes as a viable extra receiver, then he moves to the front of this list because of his ability on kickoff returns; otherwise he may be gone. But no matter how you look at it there is some talent behind Andre Johnson, and the competition between those in the #2 to #7 spots will only make everyone better.
Now as far as the tight ends go:
87 Mark Bruener TE 34 6-4 258 13 Washington
81 Owen Daniels TE 24 6-3 247 2 Wisconsin
83 Joel Dreessen TE 25 6-4 260 3 Colorado State
88 Jeb Putzier TE 28 6-4 256 6 Boise State
82 Ben Steele TE 29 6-5 260 3 Mesa State
Owen Daniels is the starter, and showed during the first half of the season that he can be an effective target over the middle as well as a reasonable pass blocker. Mark Bruener provides the team with the extra tackle like tight end, and Putzier provides excellent depth as well as another good pass catcher. We look solid at this position. Granted, we do not have a superstar here, but some of the best teams have consistent play from this position; there are very few that stay in the same category as Tony Gonzales, or Todd Heap.
Running Back -- the position that has caused the second most trouble as far as having a healthy body that can provide a consistent running attack:
43 Jameel Cook RB 28 5-10 237 7 Illinois
36 Ron Dayne RB 29 5-10 245 8 Wisconsin
35 Samkon Gado RB 24 5-11 226 3 Liberty
30 Ahman Green RB 30 6-0 218 10 Nebraska
44 Vonta Leach RB 25 6-0 250 4 East Carolina
33 Wali Lundy RB 23 5-10 214 2 Virginia
27 Chris Taylor RB 23 5-11 220 1 Indiana
Patrick Pass
With the signing of Ahman Green, and with Ron Dayne healthy, we have two veteran RBs who can still contribute. Vonta Leach is a very good fullback and excellent lead blocker that several teams tried to sign away from the Texans in the off-season. Chris Taylor, who showed some promise at the end of last season, is out for the year with a knee injury, so the final two spots will probably go to Wali Lundy, and Patrick Pass who was just signed. Pass can play both halfback and fullback, and brings the experience of three Super Bowls from New England.
Quarterback is an easy one to talk about:
5 Quinton Porter QB 24 6-5 233 1 Boston College
18 Sage Rosenfels QB 29 6-4 225 7 Iowa State
8 Matt Schaub QB 26 6-5 237 4 Virginia
10 Bradlee Van Pelt QB 27 6-2 220 3 Colorado State
Schaub is the starter, and right now I would bet that Atlanta would surrender about five times what we gave them to get him back. That being said, Rosenfels is a very capable backup, and the third spot will probably go to Van Pelt because he knows the system.
Now to the the biggest question mark on this team, the offensive line:
58 Mike Flanagan C 33 6-5 301 12 UCLA
55 Drew Hodgdon C 25 6-3 309 3 Arizona State
76 Steve McKinney C 31 6-4 302 10 Texas A&M
48 Bryan Pittman C 30 6-3 270 5 Washington
68 Chris White C 24 6-2 285 3 Southern Miss
71 Kevin Barry OT 28 6-4 332 5 Arizona
65 Jordan Black OT 27 6-5 310 5 Notre Dame
- Brandon Frye OT 24 6-4 300 R Virginia Tech
74 Ephraim Salaam OT 31 6-7 300 10 San Diego State
77 Charles Spencer OT 25 6-5 351 1 Pittsburgh
73 Eric Winston OT 23 6-6 311 2 Miami (FL)
71 Atlas Herrion OG 26 6-4 305 1 Alabama
62 Scott Jackson OG 27 6-4 300 3 Brigham Young
69 Chester Pitts OG 28 6-3 320 6 San Diego State
- Kasey Studdard OG 23 6-3 310 R Texas
70 Fred Weary OG 29 6-4 308 6 Tennessee
72 Zach Wiegert OG 34 6-5 309 13 Nebraska
The starting five at this time are Flanagan at center, Pitts and Weary at guard, Salaam and Winston at tackle, with McKinney and Weigert and Jordan Black as the first three off the bench. The one thing that Coach Kubiak wants out of his linemen on both sides of the ball, is for them to be able to change positions; that is why McKinney, Black and Weigert get the nod at this time because they are versatile. The wild cards in this discussion are Charles Spencer, who is recovering from an injury, Brandon Frye, and Kasey Studdard who are rookies and possibly candidates for the practice squad, as well as Bryan Pittman the long snapper and Drew Hodgodon who is learning to play guard. This line is not full of superstars but they are getting younger and more talented. There is finally some competition for spots, which means players cannot just sit back and expect to be starters.
So, in conclusion, with the exception of Schaub, Andre Johnson, and Ahman Green, expect to see plenty of competition for both roster spots as well as playing time once the season starts. The offense will be better this year, if only for the fact that they will be more consistent with another year under Kubiak's leadership, as well as getting some more veteran play makers on the field. If things go well we will see some nice numbers put up by this unit.
What do you all think?
Posted by bweldon @ 07/31/07 11:06 AM | Technorati | Comments (1)
30 July 2007
Cougar talk, anyone?
The voice of UH Cougar football and basketball, Tom Franklin, is filling in for Charlie Pallilo today.
He left this message on CoogFans.com:
Hey gang!
Pallilo is on vacation, and the Astros are off, so I have been asked to fill in along with David Dalati on 790 Monday afternoon (7/30) from 3-7 pm. So if you want to talk Cougars, now is the time!
Given the apathetic fan base, that ought to generate approximately three calls.
But hey, as a Coog fan myself, I'm happy to post it here as a PSA.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/30/07 01:37 PM | Technorati | Comments (0)
Let the purge begin
It has started. The Astros are making changes to their roster in an attempt to keep it competitive. The first couple of moves were not unexpected, but who was involved was a little bit of a surprise.
First the Astros have traded Dan Wheeler to Tampa Bay (the one franchise that is worse than us) for Ty Wigginton. Now look at the start of the article and tell me if this is a move of a team that is the worst in the National League this year.
Near future? What are they expecting? Someone from the minors to come up and be a productive player in the next two or three years? Jose Ortiz is right about one thing: getting Wigginton who can play four positions makes it easier to trade Lamb and Loretta for some prospects. I mean, the player who is closest to the majors as a third baseman is Neil Sellers and you can see his stats at Corpus AA ball. If they do trade Lamb or Loretta, then this guy needs to be given a chance since there is no real young prospect on the AAA team. The other parts of this trade were the corresponding roster moves. Chad Qualls will be the setup man, Mark McLemore was called up to take Wheeler's place in the bullpen, and Morgan Ensberg was designated for assignment meaning he will be traded or released in ten days.The Astros found the player they believe will be their third baseman for the near future Saturday by acquiring Ty Wigginton and cash considerations from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in exchange for reliever Dan Wheeler.
These are the first steps; however, there may need to be more. This team needs to get younger, and fast. If they want to be a contender next year we should see three or four more players moved in the next few days.
Posted by bweldon @ 07/30/07 10:25 AM | Technorati | Comments (0)
27 July 2007
Training Camp is starting and everybody is signed
Today the Texans have their first practice of the 2007 training camp. It begins with everyone signed and here and ready to go. That includes first-round pick Amobe Okoye, and a surprise signing of Keenan McCardell . This is good news because it allows the coaching staff really to get to work from the first minutes of camp and everyone will be going through things at the same time.
The signing of McCardell serves two purposes: it gives the team another veteran wide receiver to pair with Andre Johnson; but it also provides the team with experience and depth at the one position that was the biggest question mark going into camp.
Okoye signed a six-year 17.7 million-dollar contract and was in town and ready to start camp as soon as the deal was completed.
Posted by bweldon @ 07/27/07 09:25 AM | Technorati | Comments (0)
26 July 2007
BUSTED
No, this is not about some corrupt politician who was found to have his hand in the cookie jar (or our back pocket). And yes, this is not about Houston sports but it is something that we can all relate to.
I could sit here and rant about the failing moral fiber of humanity in general, or complain about the fact that cheaters never win, or some other pablum that would have everyone sitting back looking to go to another post. I chose not to do that because it is an individual decision that is made by EVERY PERSON every day. You and I must sit down and decide if we are going to follow the rules. Are we going to run that red light? Are we going to drive five or ten miles per hour over the posted speed limit? We have to decide if we are going to be honest about the change that was given to us by the cashier. We as individuals have to make those sorts of decisions every day, and for the most part we do fairly well. So before we sit here and condemn these gentlemen as well as those in other sports that have been caught cheating, we need to take a look at our own behavior and at ourselves. Would I do something like that in order to be considered the best at what I do?
Please do not get confused here and think that I am condoning these acts of cheating. I am not. Nor am I placing these four riders in the same category as Michael Vick, Pac Man Jones, Tim Donaghy, Rafael Palmiero, or Tank Johnson. Nor are these men in with the likes of Jason Giambi, Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, or Sammy Sosa. Vick and those listed with him have been accused of or convicted of felonies; they are criminals and need to be treated as such. Bonds and those listed with him are suspected of cheating but have never been caught -- well, other than Sosa and his corked bat, but he served his penalty for getting caught. No. These four riders are cheaters. They have been caught and will pay the price. For some it will end their careers, for others it may force them into some other profession and away from what they love and do so well, at which point they need to ask themselves if it was worth it. They have to live with the consequences of their actions, just as you or I do.
Stories on the Tour de France:
Posted by bweldon @ 07/26/07 10:51 AM | Technorati | Comments (0)
25 July 2007
My perspective on Craig Biggio
We all knew it was coming, from the moment he signed the contract for this season. We all knew that eventually one of the good guys would be calling it a career. No. Craig Biggio is not quitting baseball, he is retiring from baseball. There is a huge difference between the two, at least from my point of view. People who play the game right, and play for the right reasons, retire. Those who show that money, glory, and attention are the reasons for their playing quit, for one reason or another. The city of Houston, and the Houston Astros in particular, have been blessed with two players who were role models on the field and for the most part good citizens off it: Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio. These two men played baseball the right way. They gave it 100 percent effort every time they stepped on the field, and when their bodies finally failed as was the case with Bagwell, or when they realized that despite that effort they really had nothing more to give to the game, they both retired from the game, and did so with the same level of professionalism that they showed on the field for over fifteen years together.
"I get to go out on top. The 3,000th hit night was the best. I'll never forget that,'' Biggio said today. "I'm in a good place. I think I've done everything I could on a baseball field.'' .
It is the second line in that quote that shows me that Biggio is ready to move on to the next phase of his life. He is satisfied with his performance, and is content with where is leaving the game. Just look at his career highlights: He was on the disabled list only once, and that partial season probably kept him from reaching 3000 hits last year. He played in at least 130 games a year every year except for two: one was the strike-shortened year; and the other was when he was injured and on the DL for the only time in twenty seasons.
Only time will tell if Biggio makes it into the baseball Hall of Fame, but I will let you all decide. Here are his career numbers as of the game yesterday:
20 years with Houston Astros
2799 Games played
3016 Hits
661 Doubles ( #6 all time #1 for right handed hitters)
287 HR (top 5 for second basemen second in HR to leadoff a game behind Ricky Henderson)
413 SB
1827 Runs scored
1160 RBI
.282 Batting Average
1 50 SB - 50 2B seasons
4 more 30 SB - 30 2B seasons
4 Gold Goves @ second Base
Voted starter in All-Star game at both Catcher and Second Base
All of this, and I have not even covered what he has done off of the field with the sunshine kids and other charities.
Posted by bweldon @ 07/25/07 11:35 AM | Technorati | Comments (0)
24 July 2007
Now it makes sense
KTRK-13 posts a story that just begs for what follows:
Be on the lookout for something new and exciting the next time you go to a baseball game at Minute Maid Park.
The Astros have teamed up with Waste Management....
For a season and a half now, we've wondered how Tim Purpura and the rest of the Astros brain trust thought this garbage team was actually a contender.
NOW they tell us it's a corporate partnership sort of deal!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/24/07 11:49 PM | Technorati | Comments (0)
Green delivers on promise
It is always good to hear something positive come out of the sports world, what with all of the garbage that we have been bombarded with. So when this I read this article about new Houston Texans running back Ahman Green, it brought a smile to my face.
No one even said a word before the tears started flowing from Regina Foster's eyes.
She had been sent to the lobby of her office building to pick up a package when she was greeted by Texans running back Ahman Green. He didn't say a word. He just held out an over sized check for $50,000.
Foster knew immediately what it meant. She and her son, Reginald Freeman, 7, finally could afford their own home.
It is nice to see someone giving back to the community. It is also nice to see the story behind where this came from.
When Green arrived in Houston, he wanted the same jersey number he had worn since high school. The only problem was that Jason Simmons wore No. 30 for the Texans. Typically, if players want a teammate's number, they buy it.
Simmons didn't want Green's money. He instead asked Green to put a down payment on a home for a single parent. Green loved the idea.
So Green agrees to give $25,000 of his money to a family in need. But that is not the end of this story.
Green gave $25,000, and Texans owner Bob McNair matched the amount. The total is expected to help take care of the down payment and the first-year of mortgage payments for Foster.
Okay, now I don't know where this woman was going to buy a house, but I know that the money that she received the other day should make life a whole lot easier for her. Let's hope she shows that she is worthy of this act of kindness by two outstanding citizens and football players.
Posted by bweldon @ 07/24/07 03:38 PM | Technorati | Comments (0)
Biggio says he'll retire at end of season
The official announcement will be coming at 3 p.m. today, but most people who have followed the Astros have thought that it was going to happen.
Biggio says he'll retire at end of season
This is here for everyone to post what they will remember about one of Houston's greatest athletes ever.
Posted by bweldon @ 07/24/07 02:51 PM | Technorati | Comments (0)
23 July 2007
Are you ready for some football?
I love it when the calendar rolls around to the first week of August, for several reasons, one of which is the start of serious football talk. I am not talking about the off-season banter, but the real hardline examination of football, from the High School level all the way to the NFL. Guys and Girls around the country are getting their favorite team jerseys and hats out, checking the schedule to see when training camp starts, and when the games start for real. Houston is no different from any of the other 30 (New York counts only once) NFL cities included. We are sitting around looking at the players who were drafted, the players we traded for, those we signed as free agents, as well as those who have moved on to other teams or careers. We look with anticipation for that first Sunday of the season when all teams have the same chance of reaching the Super Bowl. Then we watch and cheer and scream, and cry, and call the referees names, blame the bad coaching, call the GM an idiot for picking that player, or a genius for drafting that kid in the third round who turns out to be a Pro Bowl receiver. This is the season of eternal optimism and hope, all of which can be swallowed up and destroyed quicker than David Carr trying to avoid a sack. The Chronicle is one of the best at covering our local football team, as well as the NFL in general, so I will not be sitting here looking to bash the articles that are written over the next few weeks; however, I will be posting links to each good story so you can follow the Texans and their quest for respectability in the NFL this year.
Megan Manfull's Training Camp primer
I will be posting on Sundays my personal commentary on each Texans game.
Posted by bweldon @ 07/23/07 01:59 PM | Technorati | Comments (1)
21 July 2007
Jesus reacts to the word of his god
Jesus Ortiz leads off his latest blog post as follows:
I spoke with Drayton McLane at length Saturday, and hearing him made me feel optimistic for fans of the Astros.
That's the sort of hard-hitting material that we expect from Drayton McLane's PR man on the Hearst payroll.
UPDATE: And here's the PR as it appeared in the big newspaper today:
McLane isn't perfect, and he's the first to admit it. But at a time when his franchise is undergoing its worst two-year stretch since his first season in 1993, it's important to remember that this is the man who helped make Houston a baseball town. He deserves patience as he attempts to put the franchise back on the right track.
Drayton McLane is swell! And he must love having a PR guy on the Chronicle sports staff.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/21/07 09:17 PM | Technorati | Comments (0)
20 July 2007
Commentary: Pro athletes must leave their pasts behind
I know this is not Houston sports, but it is something that we all have seen and read about.
Commentary: Pro athletes must leave their pasts behind - CNN.com
It is so nice to see these sorts of commentaries regarding the bad behavior of professional athletes. It is even nicer to see these comments coming from someone who is the same race as the majority of the offenders. Roland Martin is a radio talk show host in Chicago so he has seen and followed one of the worst offenders as his career has gone from talented young player to convicted felon, and that is Tank Johnson. Granted, Johnson is only the tip of the iceberg, but as Martin points out so well, he is exactly what is wrong with society today. Look at what he says:
Casual observers are quick to suggest that these are nothing more than spoiled, rich athletes who revel in the bad-boy side. What they don't understand is most of them were either bad boys growing up, or they now choose to associate themselves with bad boys who don't care about their big contracts and grown-up responsibilities. Their only focus is to party like a rock star.
It would be wrong to suggest that grown men can't make their own decisions, but the fact is the company you keep plays a role in keeping your business private, or seeing it spread on the front page.
He is right on target with these comments, and he also shows that if one of these young men wants to change, he can, but it will require hard and usually uncomfortable choices of who they associate with.
Yes. Iverson still has his tattoos, but I have no problem with that. They are a personal decision on what to do to your body, over which each individual has control. What your "posse" does while living off your hard work and talent is another thing. Again it comes down to hard choices between your past and your future.Denver Nuggets guard Allen Iverson can preach on this subject for days.
When he was in his first couple of years in the league, Iverson was running hard with his "crew," a collection of guys who he grew up with. He told reporters that they often discussed taking care of each other, so when he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, they traveled with him to the City of Brotherly Love.
But instead of truly loving him like a brother and protecting his back, they made his life even more difficult. The team, and subsequently the NBA, got tired of the arrests and police interrogations, and told Iverson to cut his ties with his past or lose the gravy train he was riding on.He got the message and changed.
Martin is correct. And if more people learn from what Adam "Pacman" Jones and Tank Johnson have done in continuing to pollute their lives, they can learn even more from what Iverson has done to clean up his life.That's really what the problem is for guys like Vick, Jones and so many others. Many grew up poor, and it was their athletic talent that kept them from falling victim to the streets.
See, the money is irrelevant here. What they are most afraid of is losing the support system -- no matter how detrimental -- and then being branded a traitor for turning their back on the guys who were there when they had nothing.
You don't have to admit it, but that's a serious guilt trip that can eat some folks alive.Everyone is tired of their acts. Now it's time for them to decide whether saying no to their "friends" is worth losing everything they worked so hard to get.
Posted by bweldon @ 07/20/07 02:50 PM | Technorati | Comments (0)
GM admits to being confused by team results
The headline says it all: Situation perplexes Purpura. The general manager of the Houston Astros cannot understand why his team is playing like it is. Well, Mr. Purpura, even I can tell you what your problem is. Your team is not as talented as most of the others in the baseball right now. I can count on one hand the number of players on the Astros roster that other teams would love to add to theirs; however, three of them are signed to long-term contracts that make trading them difficult at best.
What talent? Outside of Oswalt, Berkman, Lee, Pence, and Lidge right now we do not have much talent that is outstanding. Loretta and Lamb are good role players but are not 600 AB everyday players. Biggio, Williams and Ausmus are getting old. Lane, Scott, Bruntlett and Jennings are average at best, and virtually worthless on the trade market. I could go over the rest of the roster but it would be more of the same."It's totally unexpected," he said while working the phones from Houston. "In some ways, you can't believe that we are where we are given the kind of talent that's on the club."
True. But what are you going to have to do to make up 14 games in the standings, besides sell off half of the farm system to do it? That, and you are not going to get out of it if you keep doing the things that you are doing, like signing free agents that cost us draft picks, and making trades that mortgage the future without finding ways to keep the minor leagues stocked with talent."The fact of the matter is bemoaning our fate right now and wallowing in our misery is useless. We have to find a way to get out of it and not give up hope and continue."
You cannot get younger players that will help this year. What you need to do is look for players who are one or two years away from being in the majors. Get them, and have them in the major league camp next spring and see if they can compete and win jobs."If we're going to get younger players that can help you this year or next year for example, the cost is going to be a little bit higher," Purpura said. "It doesn't make any sense for us at this point to look to next year and make (wholesale) changes on the club. We've certainly got a core of guys, and we have to improve that core."
What you do is admit that this season is a loss, contact the teams in the race and trade those players that have some value, like Loretta, Lamb, Wheeler, Jennings and maybe Bruntlett. Then you release or send Scott, Lane and Ensberg to the minors, and bring up the kids that are in Double A and Triple A, like Troy Patton, Josh Anderson, Juan Gutierrez, and others to play for the rest of the season and see what they can do. The problem is that Purpura does not like to rush the kids in the minors; however, by the time they get to the bigs they have maybe 2 or 3 seasons in them before they get to 30. Statistics show that 90% of all ballplayers' skills start to decline by the age of 30, and most players have their best years between the ages of 25 and 28, with pitchers having a shorter period of peak performance.With the non-waiver trade deadline 11 days away and the Astros 14 games behind first-place Milwaukee, they are in a precarious position. Do they try to make a trade that will help them make what would be a miraculous second-half push, or do they approach the deadline by looking to the future?
Here is another link to a story on what the Astros need to do to get better, and it says the same thing: surrender this year, admit to the fans that you are not doing well, but don't blow up the team. There is a core of players here that can be a winning team; however, we need to stop looking at short-term solutions and give the younger players a chance. You never know -- we could have the next Roy Oswalt down in the minors waiting to show us what he has.
Posted by bweldon @ 07/20/07 10:29 AM | Technorati | Comments (0)
19 July 2007
It's official. Francis rejoining Rockets
Chron.com has the story up. Steve Francis is signing with the Rockets. His contract will be similar to the one Bonzi Wells signed last year: two years for about $6 million, with an opt-out option after next year.
The comments seem to say that Francis is looking to be a winner, and is willing to do what is needed to be a team player. Now he has to prove it. Time will tell."I think he sees this as a rebirth, as a restart of his career," Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said.
"It's a combination of a variety of factors including the fit with the team, a comfortableness with the organization and a familiarity with the surroundings," Fried said. "He has a home in Houston. In so many ways, it has remained his home, despite some interim stops, Orlando and New York.
"For Steve, it's coming home."
"Steve has a sense we're real close. We think he can be a big part of getting us there. I always thought it was a long shot. Credit to Steve, he chose what he thought was the best chance to win over options that were better financially.
ESPN the Magazine also covers the story.
Posted by bweldon @ 07/19/07 03:06 PM | Technorati | Comments (0)
Do the Rockets need Steve Francis?
That is the 64-dollar question coming into today. According to the Houston Chronicle article, Steve Francis has narrowed his list of team choices to four. In no order, they are Houston, Dallas, LA Clippers, and Miami Heat. Now I pose this question: Is it more a case of him needing the Rockets more than us needing him? The reason for bringing this up comes from looking at the other teams that are finalists on his list:
Dallas: There he would play shooting guard. What with Greg Buckner and Maurice Ager at that position, again winning and playing time would not be an option. That, and Dallas is still picked to make a deep playoff run again next year.
LA Clippers: Okay, where do I start on this one? Point Guard: Sam Cassell is old and breaking down, and Shaun Livingston is coming off major knee surgery. Shooting Guard: Cuttino Mobley is Steve's buddy and best friend from his days in Houston, and Doug Christie is old and broken down. No problem getting playing time; however, the team is one that could make the playoffs or fall off the map depending upon how the team progresses through the season.
That leaves Houston: He would be sitting behind Alston and James at the point, and T-Mac and Bonzi at the Shooting Guard position. And they have Aaron Brooks also in the mix for playing time.
So again I ask the question: Why is Houston on his list? Maybe because he is looking to redeem himself in the eyes of the city where he started his NBA career? His agent says money is not an issue and I can understand that since he just got a $30-million buyout of his contract in Portland. If he does sign with the Rockets he will need to eat a really big piece of humble pie. This team belongs to Yao and T-Mac and he will be just another part of the pie, not the whipped cream.
Posted by bweldon @ 07/19/07 10:49 AM | Technorati | Comments (0)
Rockets get Kudos for best off-season in NBA
According to ESPN.COM's John Hollinger, a team from Texas has had the best off-season of all in the NBA, and it is our own Houston Rockets.
Improvement. That's the name of the game in the off season, and it comes in all shapes and sizes. Teams can get better in a variety of ways -- through holdover players raising their games, through trimming dead wood from the previous season's roster, or by adding talent through the draft, trades or free agency. And sometimes, it doesn't even take any of that -- it just takes a different general on the sidelines pulling it all together.
But one thing remains constant: Standing pat is a formula for failure. In a business in which careers tend to be brief, it's imperative to constantly bring in new blood. Just ask the Miami Heat, who were so giddy about winning a championship in 2006 that they brought back the same roster last season -- and watched their aging crew fail to win a single playoff game in one of the weaker title defenses in league history.
The thing is, he is so right. Even when the Rockets won the championship in 1994, they made changes, which included trading for Clyde Drexler, and that helped propel them to a second title. But according to Hollinger the Rockets have done the best job of making adjustments to correct the problems they had last year, and we all know what those were: stagnant offensive that relied on two players to score; no depth in the back court; and undermanning at power forward. That being said, the team was also facing the first off-season with a new general manager. Daryl Morey, untested and unproven, was handed a team that was both old, slow, and lacking offensive consistency. So all he has done is remake the bench, replace the coach, and actually show that he may actually be the best fit for this team as GM.
Let's look at what Morey has done, step by step:
1) Replaced Jeff Van Gundy with Rick Adelman. That alone is a positive, because JVG was too single minded and it was apparent that he had lost or was losing the team;
2) Signed Adelman, causing Bonzi Wells to return for another year. This is positive because Wells is still a scorer, and when he is playing well he is a solid 15-20 points-a-night player.
3) Stole Mike James from Minnesota for Juawn Howar. Now I like Howard and his professional approach, but he is slowing down and is neither a good rebounder nor as consistent a defender. James, on the other hand, can light up the scoreboard like Vinnie Johnson used to do with Detroit.
4) Traded Spanoulis, for Luis Scola, and Jackie Butler. Butler gives the Rockets another young center and he can give Yao some more time on the bench during the season to help reduce the pounding he will take. We may lose some scoring with Butler but he is a good defender and can rebound. Scola is the jackpot in this deal. He gives us a young talented power forward that this team has not had since Otis Thorpe was here with Hakeem. Scola is only 27 and is a world class player who has been one of the top players in Europe for the past five years.
5) Drafted Aaron Brooks, a super fast point guard, who will in time hopefully be our answer to the Steve Nash/Jason Terry type of point guard that causes havoc for the defense when he is on the court.
With all that he has done this off-season, Daryl Morey has placed his mark on this franchise and it is a good one. Now the question is will all of the pieces fit together and produce a playoff series victory or is it all one big failure? Only time will tell, but so far the outlook is positive and I like that.
Posted by bweldon @ 07/19/07 10:11 AM | Technorati | Comments (0)
Greetings from the new kid on the block.
When Kevin posted a couple of week ago that contributions to the BadSports section seemed to have slowed down I contacted him and offered to lend a hand, or keyboard as it is. Well Kevin was kind enough to say yes and after all of the technical configuration was completed I was given the keys to the car and told to have fun, but try to be a good boy as well. That being said, I was trying to decide what topic my first post was going to cover, then after coming as close to writer's block as I have ever done before I figured I would make the first one a quick introduction, and see what struck me as interesting after that. So enough small talk, on to the topic ME.
I have been a Houston resident for almost 37 years, I remember when Houston had two newspapers and two good sports sections. I have seen Luv Ya Blue come and go, the Rockets win two championships, the Astros make Nolan Ryan the first one million dollar a year player. So needless to say I have been around, and I am a true sports fan. I follow and support the Houston Professional sports franchises through good times and bad. I try to remain objective, but being a fan makes that hard. So with that out of the way I want to thank Kevin for the chance.
Posted by bweldon @ 07/19/07 08:44 AM | Technorati | Comments (5)
16 July 2007
Chron: Minute Maid is cool like Wrigley!
I was catching up on my sports reading this morning after a few days out of town, and this observation from Drayton McLane's man at the Chronicle nearly made me choke on my coffee:
The Astros under Drayton McLane haven't won a World Series, but he has provided consistent winning. Billy Wagner might have been right that McLane has been more interested in competing than winning, but nobody can deny the Astros have been one of the most competitive teams in baseball under McLane's ownership.
Minute Maid Park has become a place to be in Houston. Some might even call it Wrigley Field South, where fans are now showing up just to participate in the ambiance.
Err, yeah.
And all those parking lots, grassy fields, and vacant buildings in the downtown area are a lot like Wrigleyville too.
Right!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/16/07 08:58 PM | Technorati | Comments (1)
03 July 2007
Quiet
A reader emailed last night and pointed out it's been awfully quiet here.
He's right.
The Astros have sapped my enthusiasm for local sports posting right now, and the podcast doesn't seem to want to come back from hiatus.
Maybe we should open Bad Sports to some new posters, since it seems like all of us are kind of burned out right now.
Any takers?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/03/07 07:53 AM | Technorati | Comments (2)
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