KFDM COOP Posted June 27, 2008 Report Posted June 27, 2008 Draft picks could upgrade team's versatility The only things missed from the old neighborhood reunion were plates of hard shell crabs and some hammers to crack them open. Donte Greene and Joey Dorsey, a couple of kids who grew up on the streets of Baltimore, held their brand new Rockets jerseys for the cameras, wearing broad smiles and likely different expectations for their rookie seasons in the NBA. Greene, 20, enters the league after just one college season at Syracuse, long and angular, with a body and a game that need to fill out for the future. The 24-year-old Dorsey could take the floor next season and make an immediate impact with a physique and a personality that are as subtle as a battering ram going through a door. “I wouldn’t compare myself exactly to Tracy McGrady,†said the 6-9, 222-pound Greene in a soft voice. “I’m more of a Rashard Lewis type. Tracy McGrady is one of the top players in the game. I want to learn from him, Yao Ming, Rafer Alston, Shane Battier, some of the vets. They’ll be a blessing to me to help my game grow.†The 6-7, 265-pound Dorsey grinned. “Ray Lewis with a basketball,†he said, comparing himself to the hard-hitting NFL linebacker. The pair of rookies is the product of some deft and frantic maneuvering by the Rockets brass on draft night, turning the No. 25 selection in the first round into two live, potentially-productive bodies and an additional future second-round draft pick from the Memphis Grizzlies. “It went according to plan,†said Rockets general manager Daryl Morey. “In terms of what we wanted to come away with from the draft – a wing and a big, a balance of future and now – we got two players who we like a lot.†The Rockets see Dorsey, who played in the NCAA championship game for Memphis last season, as somebody who can spend time at both the four and five positions, giving them an active, large body on defense as a forward and a player capable of spelling Yao at times in the middle. While Dorsey may be short in stature for a traditional big man, he’s got the wingspan of more than a 7-foot and an aggressive, explosive style of play that the Rockets have craved in recent seasons. “I worked all summer on my offense,†said Dorsey, who averaged just 6.9 points a game for the Tigers last season. “I was trying to show people that I could score the ball. “But I think my defense is gonna be great for this team. I’m a defensive specialist. I’ll come here right away playing that defense with energy.†Greene, who’s done most of his shooting from the outside, sometimes questionably, is a bet for the future by the Rockets on a player with great athleticism and raw talent who could pay off dividends down the road. Barring injuries or unexpected developments, it would be surprising to see him crack the playing rotation for significant minutes next season. “I think it’s gonna tell when we get out on the court with the other players,†said head coach Rick Adelman. “I think what both of these guys are gonna find out, once they get on the court with our guys, is there’s gonna be a lot of competition. Our guys play hard and go after it. If they pick that up from the guys and are willing to work, there is an opportunity to play. “You look at last year with (rookies) Aaron (Brooks) and Carl (Landry). They both stayed with it. That’s what I told Aaron and Carl. You have to stay ready and be prepared in case you’re needed and they were. These guys both have talent. Now they have to learn what the NBA’s about.â€
shorttexas1 Posted June 30, 2008 Report Posted June 30, 2008 With this Dorsey pick it looks as if they are going to try to play Landry at some three... He is athletic enough, but we need to check his handle and passing abilities. Is this the end of Chuck Hayes? He is difficult to shop because we paid and undersized forward very well!
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