Thursday, July 29, 2010

HHR

HHR. Often short for Health and Human Resources. More recently, House, Hasbrouck & Randolph.

If you consider Eddie House, Kenny Hasbrouck, Shavlik Randolph healthy human resources, sure, why not?

If you see 2 unguaranteed names and a Heat crowd favorite who did next-to-nothing in Boston's championship run (postseason WS/48/.086 was 3rd worst on team; see C-blogger Chris Forsberg on EH below fold)? Well yeah. That works too.

But also HHR as in hopelessly hapless rotation. Or, more optimistcally, hopefully, helpful replacements.

Because what you -- rhetorically you, currently I, -- don't see are the versatile, reliable, multipurpose parts that championship rotations usually feature to survive 82 + 28.

House (3pt specialist) isn't Gary Payton (HOF point guard, stopper, scorer).

Jones (3pt specialist) isn't James Posey (3-position stopper, underrated rebounder, 3pt specialist).

Howard (journeyman grinder) is anything but Alonzo Mourning (HOF center, stopper, leader).

And let's not even start the non-starter discussion of Joel Anthony, starting -- "startling," if you (like me) see Anthony as barely startable material on your average D-League team -- center.

Hope? There's always hope with training camps, veteran cuts for drafted rookies, potential trades between December 15 and February 17 (deadline = 3rd Thursday).

And there's always, of course, Horsetrader Pat. When he isn't Replay Riley.

Ruthless, cold, Horsetrader Pat. Who begat Shaq & a championship for Grant/Odom/Butler.

Replay Riley. The stubborn, nostalgic sentimentalist who'll gamble lose (Marion) or win (Payton) on toys once-coveted and denied (ibid. Howard).

Will this -- as the Heat now stand -- be Miami's starting-5 cum 15-strong next April, May and hopefully, June?

Hopefully, not.




Chris Forsberg (ESPN Celtics Blog) on House:

Some quick thoughts after the Miami Heat signed guard Eddie House to a two-year, $2.8 million deal Thursday:
  • [...]
  • Let’s remember that it’s not like House chose Miami over Boston. From all indications, the Celtics’ interest in House (which wasn’t exactly overwhelming to begin with) expired when the team re-signed Nate Robinson earlier this month. Boston certainly covets some additional outside shooting, but it could [use] someone with better size and [much better] defense from the player it brings in to fill a reserve role behind Ray Allen (and Paul Pierce).
  • It’s impossible to write House off after just one down season, particularly considering two years ago he broke the Celtics’ single [regular]-season record for 3-point percentage at 44.4 percent (151-for-340 behind the arc). But the fact remains he was a dismal shooter in 2009-10, connecting on just 34.8 percent of shots from beyond the arc (the lowest since his first two seasons in the league; ironically, in Miami), and 38 percent overall from the floor (second lowest of his career) over 68 games between Boston and New York. House connected on 79 3-pointers overall, which was three less than Rasheed Wallace made during the year. [However,] House should get quality looks next season considering the offensive weapons the Heat now boast.