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BONZI! Wells agrees to join Rockets

 

Rockets pull off coup in signing free agent guard Bonzi Wells at bargain price

 

 

 

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2006 11:54 PM CST

 

By Clutch

Copyright 2006 ClutchFans.net

 

 

The Houston Rockets pulled off a major acquisition just days before the start of training camp.

Better yet, it cost them virtually nothing.

 

According to ESPN's Ric Bucher, free agent guard Bonzi Wells has agreed to join the Rockets by signing a 2-year, $5 million offer that includes a player option after the first year.

 

The fact that the Rockets could sign a player of Wells' caliber for so cheap -- even if it's just for one season -- is staggering, but given that he plays the position where Houston's roster is the weakest makes it a double whopper.

 

After averaging 23.2 points and 12 boards in the Kings 4-2 series loss to the Spurs in last year's playoffs, the 6-foot-5 Wells clearly was expecting a huge free agent payday as he even turned down a $36 million offer from the Kings.

 

No pun intended, but that backfired royally.

 

The Kings pulled the offer and signed John Salmons with the money and no other team stepped to the plate offering that kind of bank to Bonzi. As a result, Wells fired his agent and hired Merle Scott of BDA Sports to replace him.

 

Wells averaged 13.6 points on 46.3% shooting, 7.7 boards and 1.81 steals last season with the Kings. He enters his ninth NBA season and the Rockets will be his fourth NBA team after Portland, Memphis and Sacramento.

 

In Houston, Wells will clearly start with Kirk Snyder as his backup. While he is not the three-point threat that the Rockets sorely need at the position (33.5% career three-point shooter, shot just 45 times from long range last year), he's got size, can crash the boards, is an efficient scorer and, most importantly, is a strong defender.

 

In fact, a lineup of Bonzi, Tracy McGrady and Shane Battier, with Snyder coming off the bench, gives coach Jeff Van Gundy an arsenal of thieves and defensive specialists he can turn to. With Yao Ming and Dikembe Mutombo watching their backs, the Rockets have a chance to be a very special team this year on the defensive side of the ball.

 

I know its football season right now, but this lineup just makes me want to watch the rockets play the mavericks that much more

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it's a big move for the rockets and it surprised me a lot that bonzi was signed for that cheap, because his play against the spurs last playoffs was pretty good. Looks like the rockets may make a decent playoff run if van gundy can organize this team into a concentrated effort of good defense; if not, then this team may go the wrong way

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It's a good pick-up but let's see how long long T-Mac and Yao stay healthy before we start putting them back in the West elite...

 

Bonzi might be most ignorant athlete ever...he and his agent were looking for a 50 million dollar deal, then turned down a 36 mill doll deal, and then waited....and waited....and waited...fired his agent....hired another....and signed a 2yr deal worth 5 million....Now that my friends is good negotiating...:lol:

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PG- Rafer Alston

SG- Tracy McGrady

SF- Shane Battier

PF- Bonzi Wells

C- Yao Ming

 

Not a bad starting five, Houston also has a pretty decent bench to go along with the five. I'm expecting big things from my Rockets this year.

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  • 2 weeks later...

yah, shpanther im not sure what you're talking about, although I don't think his addition makes the Rockets an elite team, he definitely will help offensively---the guy can fill it up--but he has to stay out of trouble, he was basically run out of memphis and portland....

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Originally posted by spursfan2142

the guy averaged over at least 20 points a game against the spurs in the first round of the playoffs last year, I would say that he is pretty good

 

1st of all Bonzi did average 23.2 points against the spurs, but he only had 2 good games one scoring 38 and another 28 the rest of the games he scored less than 20, and during the regular season he is a nobody, throughout his career hes averaging 12.8 points a game. i dont know aobut u but those are not very good #'s.

 

2nd his #'s have decreased every year with his career high in points coming in 01-02 which was an impressive 17.

 

3rd if Bonzi plays the PF position the rockets will be in trouble i dont know if you know this but he is 6'5'' thats not very tall.

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he will help the rockets be better though simply because he brings some consistent offense, and after what he did against some seven footers in mohammed, duncan, and nesterovic, then I guess a 6' 5" frame isn't too much of a problem for him. Plus, who's to say that he'll decrease his stats again this year, because I think they may go up after he has seen the playoffs and is probably hungry for more this year.

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Well first, for most of his career Bonzi has come off the bench so that 12.8 pts a game doesn't neccessarily indicate his value when he's gettin big time minutes, which he is certain to get with the Rockets...as far as the PF goes, I agree he is not a viable PF regardless of how well he fared in the playoffs, but I'm also pretty sure that JVG isn't planning on using Bonzi at the PF position all too often---more like if he wants to go really small, and even then he would still play out on the perimeter---but this whole notion that Bonzi won't help even a little bit is ridiculous----its cool and all to go to nba.com and throw out some stats to us---but lets look at the big picture and realize that one thing the Rockets couldn't do last year was score points, especially when Yao and/or Tmac was hurt---bonzi can score and will score if he's given touches, and playing alongside T-mac can only help due to the constant double teams that he draws, not to mention the double that Yao commands, added to the fact that battier is a deep ball threat--- bonzi is a slasher and with t-mac and battier he'll have space to slash and then if help comes, he can dish to Yao---Bonzi will help the Rockets win ball games

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  • 2 weeks later...

hmmm well the 12.8 i didnt average his first season where he didnt play that much, the reason why i dont think he will help is that tmac and yao are going to have 80 85% of the touches. yes bonzi will score some but i dont think that the rockets need him to win, but who knows thats why they play the game and hopefully the lakers will win it all

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