Per KHOU.com, the Houston Rockets have waived Pops Mensah-Bonsu today, in a money saving move for a team currently over the tax. Despite only having Luis Scola, Chuck Hayes, Carl Landry, David Andersen and Brian Cook as healthy and inactive big men (with Yao Ming injured and Joey Dorsey in the D-League), the Rockets decided they'd rather have an empty roster spot (and only 11 healthy players) than keeping Pops.
The fact his contract was unguaranteed also factored.
Now, as the avatar may suggest, and as I may have already mentioned about 86 times, I'm British, specifically English. And Pops Mensah-Bonsu is a player on the Great Britain national team, one of the few bright spots on their recent . As such, my views on Pops Mensah-Bonsu may be unashamedly biased.
But I'll say it anyway; Pops can play.
Wherever he plies his trade in this world, Pops makes things happen on the court. "Things" can often include bad stuff, such as turnovers, airballs, ridiculously amibitions drives to the basket, and silly fouls. But making things happen is also a good thing in a big man, and something that's often overlooked in a league that seems to have a bizarre fetish for old stagnant farts that doesn't contribute on the court in any significant way. You know the types.
Mensah-Bonsu always sports a great rebounding rate, can get some points through sheer hustle and athleticism, and has a good handle for a power forward. He is prone to the occasional delusion of grandeur, but he causes turnovers, wins possessions, scores some baskets, grabs some rebounds, blocks some shots, and is disruptive around the basket. That ties in with the way the new-look Bulls try to play. And no team can have enough of that.
The Bulls were reported to be at least "discussing" the possibility of bringing in another big man after Tyrus Thomas got injured, and their most recent game against the Raptors was a painful reminder of the downsides of such a short rotation. Pops Mensah-Bonsu is an NBA calibre big man, available for the minimum, who could contribute to the team in spot minutes. The fact that he's British is a nice bonus, at least for me.
If you don't like the Pops idea, but might consider signing an extra big man, there are other candidates. Available shooting power forwards include Rob Kurz, Anthony Tolliver, Austin Croshere, Paul Davis (although he lack three point range), Linton Johnson and Donyell Marshall; more conventional big men available include Lorenzen Wright, Justin Williams, Calvin Booth, Courtney Sims, Jared Reiner, Dwayne Jones and Robert Swift. They all have their issues, but it's a shortlist nonetheless.
Of course, any signing doesn't have to be a big man. As any Derrick Byars devotee will tell you, the Bulls could use some perimeter shooting right now, and there several wing shooters on the market; Morris Almond, Wally Szczerbiak, Chris Lofton, Rashad McCants, Demetris Nichols, Gerald Green, Desmon Farmer and Dionte Christmas are but some of the names. Other available players include Antonio Daniels, Jamaal Tinsley, Dan Dickau, Malik Rose, Darius Miles, Brevin Knight, or any of these guys.
But they're not British, so they're all inferior to Pops.
Filed under: Uncategorized
Tags: Britain, chicago bulls, free agency, houston rockets, Ideas, Pops Mensah-Bonsu
Mark,
I like Pops.
That being said, I can't figure the Bulls management out. It seems logical for them to add a big-man or a shooting guard at this point. Will it happen? Your guess is as good as mine.
If Daryl's leaving a roster space open, watch out for a 2-1 trade. And if McGrady's legitimately back, that means they're over-loaded at the 2/3 slots.
I still cant believe the Raptors let him walk. The Rockets didnt even give him a fair shot at helping as he never got any minutes. I would love this cats energy, he can rebound and do alot of dirty work. Sign me up Mark.
Mark as for the shooters you listed, Wally just had knee surgery and is contemplating retirement.
Having not been to your country in about 14 years I'm a bit curious to the subtle difference of being British and more specifically English? Aren't they one and the same?
I once heard someone say Donyell Marshall understands basketball more or as much as anyone he'd ever met. I think that someone was KC Johnson, although I could be wrong. Struck me as odd, he also said he cared more about his own stats than almost any player he'd ever met. Such odd contradictions that it stuck with me.
England is a country. Britain is four countries put together for the hell of it when it suits us.
So, People from Wales are British? Also, when do you sleep?
Yes, and when it's dark.
Ah, I see. But aren't you watching Bulls games when it's dark? At like 1 am?
It's dark a lot this time of year.
fair enough