Rockets-Warriors Post-Mortem: A Simple Report Card

Just not as horrible as people would have you think
At this point . . . the differences between the two teams
is probably coaching

Rocket River

 

This post is awesome. And thank you for taking the time to output that data and for posting your line item takeaways.

On Minutes: In general in the playoffs teams tend to lean in heavy on their starters. Is MDA any different vis-a-vis other coaches? Is MDA more extreme?

Would MDA give more minutes to bench players if Morey provided MORE players MDA could trust? That is what I am wondering.

The PJ Tucker data juxtapose the Capela data sure is something.

 

Yeah, adding another high ceiling player is important. And the other important things is having *8* 16 game players. A rotation of 8 guys that are playable in the playoffs.

 

CP3 wasn't the same player he was last season. His inability to shoot really hurt us.

Other than that, MDA constantly proves to NEVER trust his bench. I mean that Spurs series were he played 7 people? Ridiculous. We actually had a good bench this year...

 

Agreed
If D’Antoni wants to try again with predominantly guards.....I would then fire him.

People think Rockets turnovers were a sign the system needs to go....well the Warriors had 4 less. Guess they need
to change their system as well.

I’m a believer that adding SF’s (plural) would have helped increase the rebound edge even greater towards the Rockets. Steals as well.

The need for more point guards was suppose to 1) run off the 3-pt line and break down the Warriors
rotating defense.....Shump/Rivers/Gordon/CP3 did a poor job of that. 2) avoid TO’s as they are better ball handlers.
It may have attributed to more TO’s as we dribble attacked against lengthy quick defenders.

Give me 3&D SF’s.......2 dribbles (run off 3-pt line) side step or pass again. SF’s can do this offensively just as
easily as guards. And SF’s present longer targets in those cross court passes over/by SF length defenders
that the Warriors present.


I don’t purpose a coaching change or a system change. Since we more than likely lose keys bench guys to
free agency.....I wish to targets athletic lengthy wings 3&D.

 

I agree 100 percent.

 

So in short, Mike got out coached and cost us the series.

 

Faried has already proven he can't defend, especially in the post. He esc not the player we needed to beat the Warriors.

 

Faried has already proven he can't defend, he wasn't the answer.

 

I'm kinda with you . Moreys punt in his first try didn't help . Granted , Ennis and MCW played in playoff rotations in the east , so maybe there WAS talent there .... but the fit never was . MDA was never able to create a role / niche for them and they weren't good enough at what he wanted for us to keep them .

BUT . Ennis given away for free isn't certainly a tilman move vs Morey .

And that Brandon knight deal . I mean wtf . I guess if you wanna believe that we got shafted then go ahead . But even then ... the best we could get was shumpert !?

I'd rather keep knight and the first . Knight is expiring this year while shumpert is a FA that we have to resign in order to trade for someone better lol . If we don't keep him , we basically gave up a first and an expiring this year to get out of the tax . Definite tilman move . Morey would have definitely preferred either -A* using more picks to get a better player than shumpert (or on a worse contract.) OR -B* keeping knight to use as a chip this year .

Also , as you know I'm kind of in the "MDA won't play depth anyways camp."

Maybe if we get guys as good as rivers has been this year , and regular season luc from last year . But those are MASSIVE underpays . Rivers played like a starter for us . Luc played like a starting SF last year .

You can't ask Morey to pull a starting caliber, two way , guy out of his hat for vet min every year .

This year , at times, both Clark and house looked like starting caliber forwards . But the second Clark went cold he stopped getting PT and never got consistent pt the rest of the season . House's path is even more ****ed up . That I do blame Morey for .

 

@ApacheWarrior a tall two way reliable SF/SG is needed, a spacing C/PF would be very useful too.
Rose as a backup for CP could help us too. We have too many needs, and no cap room.
That's on Morey.

 

I can’t predict the future me friend, but the winds are moving some tea leaves.

Why are the Rockets cutting all the coaches? Cost cutting move? Push for D’Antoni to quit?

If D’Antoni is being squeezed out, is it because he pushed for much of the personnel like MCW, guards and
little to no Wing size?

Did they do it D’Antoni’s way.....smaller size has us close to the Warriors but it seems like the Rockets are slightly
inferior to them, where as last year the sense was the Rockets were better (if CP3/LMaM had not been hurt and
Ariza not fizzled out at the end).

Yes, many many questions my friend. John Lucas worked with Capela; but Roy Rogers was also instrumental
in Capela’s development. Roy Rogers is a big mans coach. Is Capela going to be around much longer? Traded?

Will Gordon be around?

Is Nene going to retire?

Will FA rights be renounced?

Will Non-guaranteed contracts be cashed out or traded?

D’Antoni would want to keep things as is; big change would probably require D’Antoni to exit.

Who is putting out rumors of CP3 being traded to Lakers? Suns? Just rumors or “where there is smoke there is fire?”



There are a lot of free agent talent this summer? Some that I’m watching or looking out for:
Point Guards
Elfrid Payton made 3M last season
Walter Lemon jr: 6 gms/ 6’3”/ 28 mins a gm/ 14 pts/ 4.5 rebs/ 5 ast/ 44 FG%/ 40 3P%/ 77% (FT%)....$99 thousand
could Morey get him cheap?
Beverley: says he still bleeds Rockets red: made $5.007M last year/ 40% (3P%)/ 30 years old.
Barea: 34 years old/ made $3.71 last year/ 30% (3P%) but 37% (3P% previous year. Rockets pest like JET was).

Shooting Guards
D Rose was tremendous, that’s why I think he will be out of our price range: 30 mins/ 18 pts/ 4.3 ast/ 37% (3P%).
Anything is possible......I saw Cousins go to the Warriors for dirt cheap.
T Ross: 6’7”/ 28 years old/ 15 pts/ 3.5 rebs/. 38% (3P%)/ 88% (FT%)
Danny Green: 6’6”/ 10.3 pts/ 4 rebs/ 46% (3P%)
Hood: 6’8”/ 36% (3P%)
Burks: 6’6”/ 36% (3P%)
JJ Redick: 18 pts/ 40% (3P%).......I think he is going back to one of the LA teams.

Small Forwards
Botanical Bogdanovic
Ariza
Justin Holiday
Garrett Temple
Wayne Ellington
Hezonja
Aminu
DeMarre Carroll
Harrison Barnes (player option)
Wilson Chandler

Power Forwards
JaMychal Green
Mike Scott
Morris brothers?
JaKarr Sampson

Centers
Looney
MeGee
Brook Lopez
Robin Lopez
Nerlens Noel
Gortat


Too many good players........Salary Cap is going up but I can’t see everyone making Bukko bucks. Morey will
have to work his magic......whether we stay pat or make major changes.

 

MDA will always be out-coached in the playoffs. It’s why I’m okay moving on, though I don’t expect it.

 

Great points my friend. MCW and Ennis looked like straight Morey moves to me. He raved about MCW. I hope he will learn from his mistakes.

 

You can put the loss on MDA and his tight rotation.

But on the other hand, do we blame MDA for not trusting players whose abilities are overmatched in the playoffs?

Would MDA trust *better players?* is the question. And if so, get to work Morey and Tilman "Whatever It Takes" Fertitta.

 

You are probably right. MCW was with the Bucks in 15/16 when D’Antoni joined the 76ers (Dec ‘15).

Morey also got rid of MCW for nothing. Morey won’t fire himself.

Just saying, coaches come in wanting to bring in their guys as coaches. Because D’Antoni was out of the league
and without leverage he was forced to take coaches Houston wanted.

IMO the Lakers wanted to talk to Thibs to lure Jimmy Butler but nothing developed.
What if Jimmy Butler has made commitments to Houston thru back channels (Harden); but only if Thibs is hired as coach?
This lets CP3/Harden/Butler run the offensive show while he concentrates on the defensive schemes?
Piece together a roster around Harden/CP3/Butler because the cupboard would have been emptied out to obtain Jimmy.

What if a CP3 trade could materialize? Harden/Butler/Tucker core and some piece or two from a CP3 trade.
I believe the Rockets are throwing out some rumors to see if it can build any traction towards a CP3 trade.

Morey has set up a nuclear option:
_____________________________
Hartenstein/Gary Clark/Frazier as non guaranteed contracts (partials).
5 to 7 trade exceptions accumulated
D House rights could be renounced.
Assets in Capela/Gordon......if you trade Capela, you can trade Gordon to almost equal a max player contract.
Tucker could definitely Net a return as an asset.
Nene rumors (from his camp I’m guessing) that he is leaning towards retirement.

Cap holds: GGreen/Faried/Shumpert/Rivers.


If no Thibs, then the play isn’t to attract Jimmy Butler.......another top free agent perhaps by using another coach?
Durant probably a Knick
Kyrie Irving either a Knick or Laker
Kawhi goes to Clippers only if he can recruit another star to join. Stay with Raptors or reluctantly joins LeBron.
Jimmy Butler rumored to LA (undetermined whether Clippers or Lakers yet). Not finalized-Rockets have a chance.
Does Boston trade for AD if Kyrie leaves......AD probably doesn’t want to go to Boston if no Kyrie.
............No Kyrie and all players traded for AD makes Boston the Pelicans of the north. Same BS different team.


Can’t wait to see what Morey has up his sleeve. Probably remains the same with a push for resigning Rivers as our big signing. Lose GGreen, Faried, Shumpert and House.

 

Tell me about those offensive rebounds in the 1st half that kept the game close without curry