Now that it seems likely that our point guard situation will be solved (Brent Barry and/or Derek Fisher will likely be sporting the red and white next year), the Rockets are now in the pursuit for a backup big man to spell Yao and add depth to the frontcourt. Here are some choices as free agent backups: Vin Baker- nice scorer, good rebounder, plenty of baggage- risky choice Mark Blount- rebounds and blocks shots well; young; has athleticism and upside Keon Clark- looooong center; blocks shots well; scores well; doesnt always have his heart in the game Jarron Collins- experienced; nice jump shot for a big man; hustles; rebounds Erick Dampier- likely out of our price range, but clearly among the top 3 big men on the market Michael Doleac- great shooting big man; weak defensively; smart Karl Malone- tough veteran; likely to stay with Lakers tho if he returns Antonio McDyess- injury-prone, but still good for 10 ppg, 6 rpg; athletic; can rebound and jump Mehmet Okur- highly sought after but if he wasnt liked by Larry Brown, wont be liked by JVG Rodney Rogers- tough strong; great shooter; rebounds well; takes charges Stromile Swift- extremely athletic; good shot-blocker; has potential Etan Thomas- tough rebounder; hustler; decent scorer; hard worker Kevin Willis- is solid in short minutes- nice jump hook, good rebounder; tough veteran Samaki Walker- good rebounder; tough defender; horrible offensively I think we should target McDyess and Thomas...if we get Barry we lose a lot of defensive pressure, and we're gonna need a frontcourt focused on defending and stopping penetration, and I personally think Etan is the best fit...I just am not convinced McDyess is completely recovered and Etan would be a safe bet...Others, like Rogers, Swift and Okur, will likely be outta of our price range unless we really are interested and are willing to pursue acquisition thru trade...
Realistically, I don't see us going after either McDyess and Etan. Thomas has been reportedly offered the MLE already and it would take a lot to sign him. McDyess is injury-prone and is not a real center. After our big spending on Barry, I don't think we'd be that fit financially to sign one of these players. My bets would be Baker, Willis, or Clark. All three are veterans who can be very serviceable if they stay injury-free. Willis has already had a short span with us, and would most likely come for a cheaper price. Clark has been wanting to play for a championship team, and he fell short when he took a pay cut to play with Sacramento a few years ago. He is a good shot-blocker and is long at 6-11. Baker, with his stint with Boston last season, showed flashes of his old self and can be a good backup for us. However, his liquor problems could be a setback.
I think it's a stretch to say Samaki Walker is a tough defender... The only big men I like in this list are probably not going to be in the Rox price range, and would probably want to start... They are: Mark Blount - had some crazy numbers for stretches last season Erick Dampier - probably won't want to come off the bench Etan Thomas - tough but Washington will probably want to keep him More realistically we're looking at: Jarron Collins - he's big and not a total scrub Michael Doleac - can shoot mid-range shot Kevin Willis - old, but we really don't need anyone to play more than 10 mins a game I'd say go with Kevin Willis if he's available - he's ancient but he still gets the job done. Howard can slide over to the 5 and play with Mo Taylor sometimes too..
Realistically I'd say Collins.. He's a decent enough player and is probably affordable especially compared to the likes of Swift and Blount
