When compared to what was available at the time the MLE was actually used, of course it doesn't look as bad. Unfortunately that occurred 3 months after free agency started. Don't get me wrong, if you're not trying to win now, that's more than fine.
What stats are you looking at? Certainly not rebounding stats either per game or per 36. Defensively you are certainly not looking at opponent FG% literally anywhere on the court. What stats are you looking at that say that Patterson is a better rebounder or defender than DMo?
I am honestly trying to remember which MLE guys signed last season I would have wanted the Rockets to have. Maybe Shaun Livinston? But he got snatched up really early in free agency while the Rockets were still sorting out the Bosh/Parsons mess. It's not like that Rockets didn't add players, it's just that they used devices other than the MLE to do so: BAE for Smith, S&T for Ariza, trade (with TPE generated from Lin deal) for Brewer.... plus other deals. This year, too... Not many difference makers going for MLE or less because many teams have cap room so they can offer something like $7M/yr to a guy like Lou Williams, beating out teams with only MLE to spend. And I'm not so sure that I even want Lou Williams (a 6'1'' SG) that much.
noone signed with the MLE last year helps the team get closer to the championship last year. So instead of not using the mle at all, he took a chance for someone who may contribute that year, AND for sure be a good trade chip the year after. What's so hard to understand?
i have asked multiple times and haven't got an answer: for those who don't want to give KJ the MLE, and wish we would've used it on another player or a point guard, who would you have preferred we use it on?
Yep. Also, remember that once the Parsons situation played out, the Rockets had to regroup and agree to terms with Trevor Ariza on a deal that (initially) required cap room. Only after further negotiations with the Wizards were the Rockets able to acquire Ariza via S&T, thereby opening up the MLE to use. By that time, most of the top MLE-level talent had agreed to terms with other teams. Insinuating that the Rockets somehow passed on a bunch of great players is mostly just revisionist history.
Ariza signed with the Rockets on July 12th. Aminu signed with the Mavs on July 23rd. Kostas is a good player, but Aminu is better thàn him. Aminu's contract with the Mavs was for 2.1 M 2 years.
The problem is no one knows who is and who isn't a difference maker necessarily. Morey has made it his calling card to acquire players that weren't previously thought of as being useful and then see them flourish. If anyone suggests someone they may have wanted to sign that off-season, that player is automatically discounted because Morey didn't ostensibly want them, so they must not have been worth it. To think that there is no one available in any given off-season that Morey could identify as being worth at least part of the MLE and could contribute meaningfully to the team's success in that year does not seem reasonable. Yet we have the majority claiming it must be so because that is the route Morey has chosen to take. Where that theory falls flat is when you consider that Morey may have different motivations, i.e. prioritizing the future or 'flexibility' over putting the best possible team on the floor in that particular season. That is where the disagreement comes in - some people would rather go all out to win in the present rather than hope for Melo, Durant, etc. to decide they want to play here. To me the latter appears to be having too big an influence over what we choose to do with the MLE lately. Of course if we end up taking on a Lawson and his contract, that could all be moot and I would be happy to be wrong.
This is spot on. Morey's signing of Kpap to that 2nd year n/g contract basically "extended" the use of the MLE for anoher year, by transfering that value into Kpaps n/g contract. Smart allocation of resources.
You're nothing but a propaganda stooge for Morey. Signing a scrub to an MLE was a "smart and innovative allocation"? Get outta here.
Stuckey, Lou Williams, Mo Williams, Jeremy Lin, Aaron Brooks even Jameer Nelson is more valuable than KJ.
I and many other posters must be propaganda machines too then. Papanikolaou, before the injury was a very effective first year player who I believe if given the opportunity can be very productive in his role if he was kept moving forward which he probably won't be and Brewer likely replaced long term. The big question coming into the league that would really make or break him would be his shooting which did struggle. However on another team with more PT I think he will be a fine NBA role player. But his on the court play is besides the point. The signing was never really that much about gambling on Kostas as a player. I'm sorry but if you respond in the way you just did then I'm sure you and other posters alike did I have to assume you have very little knowledge of the NBA salary cap/trade game as it involves these types of contracts which are huge assets. This contract is a huge asset to have and if the Rockets want any shot in trading for a half decent player this Summer/Fall it likely doesn't happen without the Pap contract or without giving up a valuable player like Ariza instead.
If you think Jameer nelson is better then Beverly then you clearly haven't watched Jameer since his Orlando days.
The question was who would you sign with the MLE? No way so I sign nelson to a MLE contract. Not even a BAE.
