http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistor.../bk/bkn/2810265 <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Rockets scramble to find a replacement for Sura Team holds talks with former Nugget Bowen; ex-Net Harris also in the mix By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle A day after losing guard Bob Sura for the whole of the preseason and start of the regular season, the Rockets moved Wednesday to find a replacement. Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson and coach Jeff Van Gundy met with former Nuggets forward Ryan Bowen at Toyota Center. League sources said that Dawson also has spoken to the agent representing former Nets guard Lucious Harris, but that Harris is seeking a deal worth more than the Rockets can offer. Harris, 33, has averaged 7.5 points per game in his 11-year career. He became a key reserve on the Nets' consecutive Eastern Conference championship teams, averaging a career-best 10.3 points per game in the 2002-2003 season. Sura was expected to compete to start at point guard, but his injury might leave a greater void as a reserve defensively against shooting guards. Though Bowen has been occasionally matched up against shooting guards, at 6-foot-9 he is more of a small forward considered among the league's top defenders. Bowen, 28, averaged 3.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in five seasons with the Nuggets. Other free agent veterans still drawing interest from teams include guard/forwards Dion Glover, Bryon Russell, DerMarr Johnson, Derrick Dial and Rodney White, and point guard Travis Best.</div> Thoughts? I like the Harris idea, Dion Glover isnt bad either. Best and Russel are past their days in the NBA, White is questionable. Other two I havent heard of. It looks like Boki and Gaines will be the odd men out, if anything, I was hoping that they would get more playing time because of this injury. Let's hope we don't spit out anymore 3 year deals to people that don't deserve it.
I like the idea of Harris 4sure. But i'd def be impressed if we cuold get Dermarr Johnson. He's definitely a gamble, but if he can live up to his expectation coming into the NBA, he'll be great. The real gamble is that he got in a car accident 1 or 2 seasons ago, so his injuries were pretty severe. If it weren't for the accident, he would definitely have been a relatively well known name in the nba by now.
Just two weeks and the Rockets are worried? When Sura comes back, whoever was signed will be released anyways, sort of like what we did with Torraye Braggs and Alton Ford last season when Mo Taylor returned from his suspension. I'd say we go for a less costly free agent or just try to let Gaines fill in.
