I just had the urge to write right now for some reason. Well actually, I thought I’d be up all night working on this paper for Legal Research & Writing but I actually was able to finish that a few minutes ago. It was not my best work, suffice it to say. In fact, the paper was god-awful and will likely be evaluated as such. So nice to be back here amongst dear friends unjudging of worth.
You may also have noticed the new column title. It was suggested by Sohail, a good friend and eligible bachelor in the South-Asian Houston community. For the slower folks in the group, it’s a pun on the popular American fiction icon Huck Finn. This may be a keeper. It may also be removed by mid-afternoon tomorrow.
So how do you like our new shirts? We’re open to any suggestions and have many new ideas in store for the shop. Just send us your feedback on the facebook page.
On to matters of greater import: the trade deadline looms ahead. What does this team do? Honestly, it’s not even really too fun to speculate this year because it’s so wide open. It almost makes one’s head spin. Last year was a rollercoaster in the sense that we first started out thinking T-Mac would bring back gold, then we settled our expectations, then around this same time we came to grips with the chance of him possibly not even being dealt, and then out of nowhere we landed a king’s ransom (…which actually turned out to not be a king’s ransom with some unexpected Knick success.)
This year, you almost have to expect some sort of deal, from Yao’s expiring, to Aaron Brooks, to the picks, to Jordan Hill, to (hopefully) Scola. (Man, I would deal Scola so fast – you just simply cannot retain a 31 year old owed $30million with next to zero defensive capabilities; love the guy, check out the shirt we made in his honor, but you have to deal this guy while you can.)
But regardless, where do you go? ESPN reported earlier that the Rockets are pushing the hardest of any team for Nene, offering young talent and expirings. I’m not sure what to think. On the one hand, I would be ecstatic, but on the other, is a 28 year old a band-aid or a center for the future? How far is this team anyway? Those questions have never been hazier. For what it’s worth though, I don’t think Daryl Morey would ever usher in a total youth movement and usher out all prime-veterans; it’s just not smart business strategy. I think they want to try and build around guys like Martin and Nene who are right in their primes.
My trade deadline wish list is to come away with something for Yao and to dump Scola and AB. Look, I love Scola as a person, but as I said, you just can’t carry that contract while in mediocrity. AB should be self-explanatory: the guy just likely won’t be re-signed for what he feels he is worth so why not deal him? AB is a sad tale.
My final thoughts are on T-Will and this movement to somehow crucify Adelman and ‘free’ the former. I was one of the biggest supporters of the trade, but don’t you think there’s probably something we don’t know about when a guy who got dumped to the D-League for his immaturity can’t get PT from a Hall-of-Fame coach who hands it out like candy to undeserving rookies…? I seriously can’t understand why there are people somehow criticizing Adelman over this. Can’t we put two and two together here? Guy with history doesn’t get time on new team….hmmmm, probably something going on the nature of which pertains to said history. I can’t believe it is somehow being posited in our discourse that Adelman somehow holds some personal grudge against Williams and is holding him out without just cause. Rick Adelman is not obstinate. The guy plays Jordan Hill minutes and Jordan Hill hasn’t properly rotated on a screen and roll in 3 months.
