[ClutchFans] For Rockets, winning in 2012 would be nice, but losing might be better

so we can't discuss not wanting to lose in a thread about it being better that the rockets lose? any other wise wisdom posting lessons you have for us?

meh, indeed.

 

if we do decide to tank, i think they should make their intentions clear like what the knicks did when they they were clearing cap space for lebron/wade/bosh. all the knicks fans were definitely on board and it did give them some hope

 

Agreed.

Another way to read it is in regards to the 2012 FA class. In the past, this team has not been successful at landing big name Free Agents. Morey lobbied hard to get Marcin Gortat, didnt work out, and put a lot of effort into landing Bosh, which also didnt work out. In fact, our biggest FA in the past few years was Trevor Ariza, which speaks volumes about how unsuccessful we've been in the market.

Marquee free agents typically jettison their old teams for ones that they hope to win a championship with. Unfortunately, the Rockets dont fit that criteria right now.

 

I think more true Rocket support would come from a season of "playing the younger players" than a season of "500 ball with players who won't get you to the next level".

 

Couldn't have agreed more Clutch !

This city needs a REAL contender and a real chnace to win another championship, so front office should put teasing seasons aside and help Houston gain the respect we deserve.

 

The only thing that is bad in tanking is a losing mentality

 

The article is Spot On. You couldn't have said it any better. I would rather have a shot at winning the whole thing down the road, then being happy making the playoffs as a 7th or 8th seed this upcoming abreviated season.

 

You guys are missing the point. Read more closely.

What Clutch is really hinting at is this:

Seven of those guys are free agents. Sign Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Moses Malone, Isiah Thomas, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Shaquille O’Neal. Then we will be the favorite to win every championship... as long as we can get past Dirk Nowitzki.

 

The problem I have with trades are that, outside of max salary players (who every team and their mom are trying to mortgage their future to acquire), everybody who is under contract under the old CBA is theoretically overpaid. Or at least more overpaid now than they were 6 months ago.

Just blanket understanding sports free agency as a place where the free market goes to inflate player salaries may not work in the current NBA environment. I agree with the idea of going all in in 2012 with the cap space we have, but trading for a guy who is already under contract for a few years is not what I have in mind as far as taking the Rockets in a positive direction.

Andre Iguodala? Danny Granger? Rudy Gay? Chris Bosh? Carlos Boozer? Luol Deng? Josh Smith? Count me out on ALL of those guys. By not increasing the max salary beyond 30% of the cap (tax? I dunno) and lowering the mid-level exception, the NBA has effectively forced a market correction upon everybody making money in between the two. Even the value of Kevin Martin went down due to the CBA. Maybe I'm totally off base here, but in my mind I wouldn't be against shedding the larger contracts we have (Martin and Scola) via trade before the rest of the league figures this out.

 

They couldn't even make the playoffs last year in a league where half the league makes the playoffs.

They are losers.

 

If we don't trade what we can to get younger, and increase the chances of getting a high draft pick, we will be sitting there next season depressed when we miss out on ever high profile free agent next year. Give Boston whatever they want for Rondo and Green, Sign and trade Hayes add Scola Lowry and Bud, then Flip Martin for whatever you can.

Our line up becomes (only including important players)
Rondo/Dragon
Clee
Green/Morris
Pat
???

If you can get Asik from Chi town somehow he'd serve as a great future <b>backup</b> center.

This team would be exciting but pretty terrible offensively. We'd end up with a top 5 draft pick, maybe we could get Drummond or Davis filling our need at C. Dwight wants a warm climate contender, I think this team looks way more desirable to him than our current team. Another allstar check, good friend check. Even if we didn't get him at least this team would have a brighter future than we do now.

 

Im not for the rebuilding plan
(the chance for starting a rebulding was last year)
Now its time for win
If we can add Nene or gasol for 10 million per year, our team looks really well
for sure this is playoff team (5-8 place)
and we still have a lots of assest to upgrade the team

Lowry / dragic/ flynn
martin / lee
chase/ morris / williams
scola/paterson / Donatas
nene or gasol /hill /thabeet

If we prove we are a winning team; free agents will come without a call
an upgrade will be more easy, than start all over again

If you want a pick, Dragic will bring some, Lakers/portland needs a PG bad

 

I wonder how the 16 teams that did make the playoffs would have faired if their highest paid player was removed from the team but still counted against their team's salary.

They may have not made the playoffs but they won more than they lost and they did it with a few handicaps, one bigger than any other team in the league had to endure.

 

Lee's inconsistent and disppears during crunch games. I think the Rockets need to shop him hard early if possible traded before the season starts.

 

Keep Lee trade Kmart......Kmart would net you more and Lee plays defense.

DD

 

IGNORE that, do not want to derail this great thread............my apologies to the OP.

DD

 

I feel like I've been hearing that story for a long time- this team is stacked with attractive assets that other teams will want, and that at some point we'll be able to package a number of young up and coming players for a superstar. The problem is that it has yet to come into fruition. Morey's been somewhat more successful around the trade deadline, but past moves have not provided the type of returns we all expected. We've also been woefully unsuccessfully in getting free agents despite many sports pundits viewing the Rockets as a 'team on the rise'- Gortat went to Orlando over the Rockets and we all remember what happened with Bosh.

Teams with lottery picks typically dont trade those away unless another team offers them a superstar/premier player. Teams with superstars usually dont trade them away unless the player is in his last contractual year and looking to leave, in which case we'd have to give a lot for a player that likely wont stay on the Rockets when he hits Free Agency. Those players demand a very high price, especially if Derron Williams is any indication of market value.

I think your approach might land us a guy like Iguodala, Gay, Granger, West, or other 2nd-tier players, but will never land us a player like Paul, Melo, Lebron, or Dwight- the type of players we need to take it to the next level.

Quite frankly, I just cant see us in the championship discussion in the foreseeable future without tanking.

 

Vaids,

I think in order for these ASSETS that Morey has acquired to be worth anything they need to show some stats, and that means playing the young guys....even if it means losing.

Because if Twill gets to scoring some, even if it doesn't help the team that much he is a much more attractive trading chip.

I think Morey needs to make the kids look good to make them more attractive to others.

DD

 

So Clutch basically said the exact same thing as a thread that was already on the front page of the GARM

 

Something that I posted in an earlier thread:

You're right and I agree with you 100%. But do you see the true genius of Daryl Morey? He has taken steps to guarantee that the Rockets are moving in the right direction and making the necessary steps to acquire a superstar-caliber player. What makes people actually think that this team is capable of contending with the addition of a player like Nene or an Igoudala when we didn't even make the playoffs last year with one of the best coaches in the league. McHale has a proven track record as both a terrible coach and a horrible front office exec who's decisions have set the T-Wolves back a good 10 years. The only difference now is that instead of McHale calling the shots, it's a much smarter Morey.

Another point I want to bring up is the fact that the Rockets won't be able to nab the 'cream-of-the-crop' players in the league because we absolutely have NOTHING that would attract any of those types of players (i.e LBJ, Wade, Kobe, Durant, Rose, Paul, etc). So, the best way to obtain these top-flight players is through the draft and as many people have pointed out before, we need do better(actually worse, by losing more games to obtain a higher pick) than our perennial mediocre status. McFail is the perfect man for the job, because he'll play the young players that we have (cultivating talent) while losing a crap ton of games without actually trying to tank games. This is the perfect cover by Morey.