Bill Simmons underestimating Morey and disrespecting Capela at the 2014 NBA Draft

Jeez, I remember watching this draft, but I didn't remember the amount of shade thrown at poor Clint.

Morey wanted to stash Clint overseas, but Clint bullied his way onto the roster. Smart.

 

that should have been the first sign that clint meant business and would not be denied.

 

Well that was the rumor. i don't think it was ever officially reported

 

Let this also serve as a reminder to all the fools who keep saying late first round picks don't matter to a contender.

Capela was the 25th pick. He will now get paid $20 million per this offseason. Cost-controlled players are the true life blood of building a long term winner.

Even the Warriors were able to get Jordan Bell early in the 2nd round. He may not be a huge contributor this year, but in 2 years he could be another Draymond in the rough.

I wish Morey hadn't traded our first round pick for a one-year rental in Lou. We could have had a young Kuzma, Hart, Ojeleye, or Bell in our development wing right now.

Morey also gave up another first-rounder for Paul when our negotiating position was so strong against the Clippers.

 

Kuzma was taken with the pick right before ours.
Its a shame we didn't buy that 2nd round pick from the bulls tho.

 

I gotta give Simmons some slack on this one.

It was obvious then that Morey was doing his best to unload cap space to sign a big free agency (Chris Bosh Upvote Party) then re-sign Parsons with Bird Rights. The whole NBA world knew Morey was either going to trade that 1st or draft a euro-stash.

Capela was very unknown at the time. Very raw. A lot thought he would be atleast a 2 year stash so he could bulk up and home in on his skills before going to the NBA.

I remember a lot of people on this sub were angry when reports came out that Clint wanted to be on the team right away. Blaming him for hurting our cap situation lol

 

Okay I've had this pointed out a million times and I understand.

I was only suggesting the possibility of potentially drafting Kuzma had we kept the pick and he was still available. That's why I also mentioned Hart, Ojeleye, and Bell who were all picked after our selection. Again, the important idea is that we should have kept our picks to replenish with young cost-controlled players.

 

Check that draft and you will find several good players taken after Clinty including The Joker who painfully was taken right before Nick Johnson.

 

Great Scouting. . .
Great Pick!
Great Development

Rocket River

 

#markmywords #yulec

 

1st dont matter when your #1 in the league. Better players that are already developed are lining up with paycuts for a chance at a dub

 

The Dwight Howard experiment was worth it because of how big of a role he had in developing Capela's game.

Capela really took off when he began trying to emulate him, and found himself capable of finishing the same plays that were designed for Howard.

 

I disagree.

First round picks if drafted correctly are an invaluable asset regardless of what selection number they're drafted at.

For example, Ariza who is a great veteran and a glue guy, will be a free agent this offseason. He's 32 years old and will command at the very least the full MLE at $8 million.

Had the Rockets drafted a replacement in the first past few years, then they would have a younger and cheaper option with cost control for 4 years and restricted free agency.

The point is that a team must always have some development going on for the future regardless of where they are in terms of contention.

Short term thinking is what often kills a team's chance at long term success.

The best run franchises like the Spurs keep finding quality players in the draft and are always planning for the future. That's why they've had 2 decades of winning seasons.

 

Agreed with this.

If Clint was drafted anywhere in the 2nd round, no one would have batted an eye. But the fact that he was taken in the 1st round, was a huge reach. Even as he showed improvement each passing season, his first two seasons were a painful work in progress. Now, he's totes gucci.

I'm not sure how to search for threads, but I'd love to see the "Clint Capela drafted by the Rockets" thread, started in 2014. I'm sure the majority of the posters, that night, were scratching their heads at the Capela pick.

 

It's amazing how far he's come in just over 3 years. He was dreadful in the first half of his rookie season. Now he's a contender for Most Improved Player, on track to make anywhere from 12 to 20 mil a year this summer, and part of a Big Three that's 33-1 when they play together.

 

LMAO those are some epic quote pulls. Gracious.

 

I think the feeling was we needed a legit playmaker rather than a green Dwight replacement that wouldn't cut it in win now mode

 

There were some who actually liked the pick.

 

Gotta credit our player development staff too, we do well overall with our picks.