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[ClutchFans] Podcast: On De’Anthony Melton and the Rockets 2018 Draft, plus LeBron and free agency

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Clutch, Jun 25, 2018.

  1. Deuce

    Deuce Context & Nuance

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    I love how happy @Clutch sounds with the draft picks. Hate hearing Eeyore Clutch.
     
  2. daywalker02

    daywalker02 Member

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  3. finsraider

    finsraider Member

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    I would say Melo getting bought out is a pretty high likelihood, with or without PG resigning. He could obviously follow Lebron, but I would give us a slight edge given our stability.

    One potential path forward could look something like this:

    1) Rockets get neither Lebron nor PG.
    2) Houston trades Anderson, Zhou and our 2019 1st to Atlanta for Bazemore, then allow Ariza to walk
    3) Houston resigns CP3, Capela and Moute (minimum)
    4) After getting a commitment from a guard for our taxpayer MLE (Llull, Reddick, Bradley, Tyreke), we trade Gordon to a 3rd team for picks
    5) Melo gets bought out and signs with Houston for the minimum (since he's already getting paid big $$ by OKC, i doubt salary will factor in much)

    CP3 /
    Harden / (Llull/Reddick/Bradley/Tyreke)
    Tucker / Bazemore
    Melo / Moute
    Capela / Wright

    This seems like a smart way to "run it back". You get a bit younger (Bazemore vs Ariza), some new blood (Melo, 2nd guard, Bazemore), a little more flexible from a payroll perspective (no Ariza on an untradeable deal and Anderson is gone), and you gain assets (from Gordon trade). Also, it sets you up to be a player for Butler in 2019 (Bazemore + assets).
     
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  4. saleem

    saleem Contributing Member

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    It would be nice to see Trevon and Deng playing not only in the summer league, but in the G-League too.
    Deng has the most upside on offense as a 3. I think his defense is probably a bit like Gerald Green right now. He could learn the Rockets system with the RGV, and Trevon too. Can one of these two players, be converted into a two way guy? If I'm not mistaken, a team can only carry 2 two way players. RJ and Markel would have to be waived or traded after 30 days starting July 1st. I'm pleased to hear that Gary Clark will be playing in Vegas. Has that been confirmed by the Rockets organization?
    I don't think Melo will fit in Houston, even if he is waived. A DH type of situation may arise with him.
     
    D-rock likes this.
  5. Aruba77

    Aruba77 Contributing Member

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    Another great podcast; i'm loving these. One question though ....Tucker as our starting 4? Why not Tucker as our starting 3; it's his natural position anyway. i think it'd be fine to replace Ariza with Tucker; especially if we can find a solution at the 4 through trade or free agency.
     
  6. pippendagimp

    pippendagimp Member

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    i honestly don't get all the enthusiasm and sunshine for our draft haul. but hope i'm wrong
     
  7. saleem

    saleem Contributing Member

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    Melton can develop into a good backup PG, in the G-League/ and with spurts in the regular season. Gary Clark can make it. He plays within his role. I have doubts about Edwards. The SF role even as a backup, requires versatility and a fair amount of consistency on both ends of the floor. Even becoming a 3/D player off the bench, will take a lot of time. All these young players, will have to work very hard, in the G- league. It should be fun to see them develop. I hope Trevon and Deng will join them in the G-League.
     
  8. pippendagimp

    pippendagimp Member

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    i guess in terms of watching RGV games we can be excited, but it's unlikely any of these guys will crack our rotation this season. 2 playoffs ago our lack of backup center depth doomed us against SAS. and this past season having no one to spell CP3 off the bench hurt us in november and then killed us the last 2 games of the season. i'd rather morey put all our eggs in one basket and go all out to win the title instead of piling up roster deadweight (see onuaku) that gives us nothing. i can't even remember the names of all the different scrub backup PG's we went thru this past season, but they were all largely useless :D
     
  9. hongxingli

    hongxingli Contributing Member

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    Leave the guy alone, please, after so many years after he left Denver, I don't see how he can contribute to any winning team. In order to make it work, you have to surround him with 3 and D guy, but he is not as efficient as before.

    Just my opinion, hope he proves otherwise.

     
  10. daywalker02

    daywalker02 Member

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    I want to see those defensive picks develop a proper Offense.
     
  11. Clutch

    Clutch Administrator
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    Personally I base it off expectations -- they only had the 46th pick of the draft. I think they did very well considering that. If the Rockets still had their first round pick and took Melton at 30, Evans at 46 and picked up Clark, I would think it was a solid draft.
     
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  12. BimaThug

    BimaThug Resident Capologist
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    FIFY.

    Agreed. It's all based on expectations and relative value. If the Rockets took Melton #1 overall, it would have been a terrible pick. If they took him with, say, the #23 pick (around where he was mocked by many), I'd say it was a so-so pick. If they took Melton at #30 (had they never traded away that pick), I'd have said it was a good pick at that point in the draft. But to get him with the #46 pick? That is an incredible steal IMO.

    Could Melton end up failing as a viable NBA player (it's hard to call someone a "bust" who gets taken in the bottom half of the second round)? Sure. But the upside is there, and such upside is rare in a guy available with the #46 pick.

    As for getting Edwards ("their guy" at #46, apparently, and clearly someone the Rockets had ranked as at least an early second rounder) for $1.5 million cash when other teams had to use multiple future second rounders to get early second rounders, that is another example of getting tremendous value relative to expectations.

    On Clark, using the Cam Oliver situation from last year as an appropriate point of comparison, the team once again came out well ahead of expectations with that pick-up.

    I know it is harder to get excited about these sorts of "smaller" moves when you have a 65-win team capable of contending for a title and with little/no room for rookies to make meaningful contributions. But if you look at these things by comparison to expected value, it gives one reason for optimism.
     
  13. pippendagimp

    pippendagimp Member

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    maybe i'm just disappointed we were unable to move up for vanderbilt or even thomas. guards like melton who lack a jumpshot are just not playable in today's nba. he is only 20 so i suppose there is time to develop one.
     
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  14. Deckard

    Deckard Blade Runner
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    Just finished listening, guys, and it was an excellent discussion of who we got in the draft and after, along with some speculation about LeBron and Melo. As Bima said, these were "smaller moves," but smaller moves with some high upside in Melton, an excellent shooter in Edwards, Clark on a 2-way, who could surprise, and a genuine roll of the dice with Duval. Keep the podcasts coming! :cool:
     
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  15. saleem

    saleem Contributing Member

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    He has been working on improving his jump shot with skills coach Drew Hanlen. Drew is a former point guard at the university level. I don't know which university he attended though.
    Melton's shot is not broke by any means. I think he can get better in time. Lucas can help him out a lot. There is some reason for optimism, but we will have to be patient.
    I hope Deng will be a pleasant surprise in the summer league. A 6'7" long, athletic and wiry forward who can score efficiently and pass with ease, along with college experience, don't usually go undrafted. He played well after Donovan Mitchell joined the Jazz this year. Defensively, he seems more like Gerald Green, running down to block shots at the rim. I think he is better than Issac Bonga, who has a 3 inch advantage on him. No harm in trying Deng out.
     
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  16. Rocket River

    Rocket River Member

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    QUESTION: Would it be better for all concerned if OKC and ROCKETS Traded Melo for Ryno
    Rather than OKC Cutting him and Rockets picking him up on a minimum?

    Rocket River
     
  17. Down19

    Down19 Contributing Member

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    we'd honestly be worse off by 1. Ariza isn't only better than Bazemore, but a better fit because of his defense. Bazemore is more of a 6th man playmaker than a 3 and d wing. 2. Trading our 3rd best scorer vs arguably the most talented team in NBA history for draft picks, does not seem like the best idea. If we're trading EG, it better be for a star. 3. Llull is never coming over. That's not a thing. I would be happy if we got one of the other 3 guys you mentioned, not to replace EG, but to play with him off bench. I think Redick here, already played with CP3, and one of the best shooters in the game, would be awesome. Tyreke would be a really good 3rd PG/wing. Bradley would be a really good pairing next to Harden I think. I think getting Melo to sign here to play off bench behind Ariza would be nice. We need to play our whole hand again, and not worry about future assets. How often are we going to win 65 games and take one of the best teams ever to 7 games?
     
  18. Down19

    Down19 Contributing Member

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    Paying Ryan Anderson 20 mil isn't usually in your best interest. I think if we gave them a first and second tho, then they'd really have to think about it
     
  19. Down19

    Down19 Contributing Member

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    Vanderbilt isn't really a big man and he didn't hit a single 3 in college...
     

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