[CHRON] Rockets' similarities to Warriors encourage Morey

some nice Morey quotes in there including ...

and of course ...

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^^we did catch breaks with Chris Paul & Rondo. our stock plummeted when we faced the seasoning ...

 

After the Golden State Warriors finished off the Rockets in five Western Conference finals games last spring, general manager Daryl Morey stood outside the visitors' locker room at Oracle Arena, lamenting what could have been.

At that moment, he might have thought he would attempt to forget everything about where and how the season ended to focus instead on how the Rockets got that far. He would have been wrong. He preferred to remember everything about the Warriors' run.

Four months later, with the Rockets to begin training camp on Tuesday, Morey found himself citing last season's Warriors as role models for this season's Rockets.

Asked how the Rockets could take the steps they could not last season, Morey mentioned the path the Warriors took to the championship.

"You go back a year and look at Golden State," Morey said. "They pretty much brought their same group back, plus a point guard, Shaun Livingston. They weren't the favorites of a lot of people. They came together quickly. They had a great season. A lot of their improvement was just in everyone being together for another year.

"That plus (the addition of) Ty (Lawson) and good health are the main areas for us."

With a roster long known for turnover while Morey landed James Harden and Dwight Howard and then retooled around them, the Rockets now value Warriors-like continuity along with the strategic addition of a second playmaker in Lawson.

"It's always easier," coach Kevin McHale said of heading into camp with so much of the team back. "There will be some learning. Ty will have to learn. But when we run through our sets and run through our drills, (they can get up to speed quickly). I was on a team that had a lot of continuity when I played. Within four or five days of training camp, we were ready to play. It will be nice not to have to start fresh."

GM likes roster

The Rockets are so convinced they are equipped to take that next step that Morey heads into his 10th season with the Rockets (ninth as general manager) uncharacteristically believing he does not need to make in-season moves to contend.

"This is the first time I feel like, without any changes, we're good enough to win it," he said.

This also could be the first time Morey begins a season without flexibility to make changes. The Rockets are "hard-capped," limiting the moves they can make. Unlike last season, when they signed Josh Smith soon after trading for Corey Brewer, the Rockets have spent most of their exception money.

Beyond this season, the Rockets' potential maneuvering could get more complicated. With the enormous increase that is coming in the salary cap next summer, they could be in a position to re-sign Howard if he opts out of his contract and still chase a third max-contract player, with Kevin Durant the prize of the free-agent class. If the Rockets reach agreements with Terrence Jones and Donatas Motiejunas on contract extensions next month, they would have to move those contracts to have that kind of cap room.

Morey would not comment about any talks with representatives of Jones and Motiejunas or any other contract decisions.

The Rockets will pick up their option on a third season of Clint Capela's rookie contract, according to an individual familiar with the decision, who spoke under the condition of anonymity because the move had not been made.

"If you look historically, championship teams have two or three elite-level players, and they're usually together for a bit," Morey said. "I expect this group to be together for a while.

"If this year we don't make it as far as we want, which is all the way to the LOB (Larry O'Brien trophy), I would expect to bring most of this group back, because the group we assembled is good enough to win. We have to prove that on the court, but I don't think you look at it and say there are obvious things that need to be changed for us to be a championship team."

Morey said the Rockets' defense can improve just by having the big men - Jones, Motiejunas and especially Howard - on the floor more often. The offense, in greater need of improvement, could get better with playmaking help from Lawson.

Motiejunas not ready

Motiejunas, however, will not be cleared to practice Tuesday, though Morey said there is a chance he could be ready for the start of the season. After battling fluid buildup in his knee last season, Howard is considered ready for training camp but will be rested throughout the season.

"Our defense last year when Dwight played was good enough," Morey said. "I think Dwight is at the point of his career we need to shift his focus to be like the Spurs - to obviously get a very high seed but also to make sure we get the playoff-level production he's given us the last two years. He's been everything we need in the playoffs when it matters.

"Our offense was not good enough. I do think Ty Lawson will help a lot on that end. I don't think just adding Ty will fix everything. We need to execute better in a couple areas."

Morey said Lawson, who has had two DUI arrests since January, has taken "positive" steps on those issues, though he was not specific.

"He looks good in the offseason workouts he's done," Morey said. "He's focused on himself the right ways. We're here to add to that support system. Things look very good right now. He's doing stuff on his own that is very positive."

Though McHale said the starting lineup will be determined through camp and the preseason, Lawson could help in a variety of ways, similar to how making Draymond Green a starter helped the Warriors.

Stout competition

It could be tougher for a team to break through, considering the significant reinforcements added by San Antonio, greater health for Oklahoma City and better depth for the Los Angeles Clippers.

And the Warriors return a championship team with no reason to expect any drop-off.

Still, Morey is not reaching for long-shot reasons for hope.

"Let's be clear: There's a lot of execution to go from here to there," Morey said. "We have what we think is the top player at two positions (Harden and Howard), and we have very, very solid pieces to work around them all the way to players eight through 10.

"A lot of teams that look good on paper, like I think we do, don't finish it. But we have all the components."

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