[HP]The Rockets RGV Lab

Hayesfan · Aug 19, 2009

Really good perspective article on our involvement in the D-league

http://www.hardwoodparoxysm.com/200...e-valley-is-indicative-of-imperial-influence/

I'm posting the whole article here, but I suggest going over there to get the links embedded in the article too.

I met Clay Moser a year ago at Summer League after he’d been recently hired by D-League squad and surprisingly deep talent pool Rio Grande Valley as head coach. He seemed like a really nice dude, knowledgeable, with a wealth of experience in scouting and minor league experience. Which he’ll need.

Cause he just got canned.

Moser will land on his feet, since the dude knows just about everyone, everywhere, and if Ruland can get back into college coaching, Moser will find himself a gig.

But here’s where this gets really interesting (with apologies to coach Moser; best of luck, bro!). The article quotes Moser as saying Rockets GM Morey informed him that there wasn’t anything Moser was doing wrong, but they had someone more experience they wanted to install.

For the uninitiated, the Rockets purchased the basketball operations of the Vipers, making them the first hybrid model in the league.

(For more on the hybrid model read here and here.)

Okay, now that you’re up to speed, here’s why the Rockets being the first to try this model is terrific for the D-League AND the NBA and puppies and the world in general.

When I talked to Morey at Summer League last year (about ten minutes after I talked to Moser, actually), I asked him about Houston’s interest in owning a team. He told me in GM pressspeak that he’d like to see some more control before they made the investment. The hybrid system gives them that. Stein reported that the average loss for a team is $1 million. That number is staggering to me. Not for how big it is, but for how little it is. Think about this. For 1/16th of what they’re paying Zach Randolph (that’s Zach!) in a year they have absolutely no immediate goals for, the Memphis Grizzlies could have invested in control over an affiliate to develop all that young talent they have.

Anyway, what the quote from Morey concerning the Vipers head coaching vacancy indicates is that the Rockets take this seriously. An overlooked part of this arrangement is that affiliate teams can send down a young assistant coach and let him develop time with the prospects and how to run the offense. Then when those players and that coach are later promoted, there’s already a relationship. It means that the values and conditioning the Rockets want to instill in their system will be present in Rio Grande Valley.

For the longest time, I questioned why the Rockets invested so much money in a team that’s about five hours away from ANYTHING RESEMBLING CIVILIZATION. Now it’s become clear to me. They’ve built their own basketball lab down there. Remember that the Rockets have had more players with D-League experience in the playoffs than anyone else. Aaron Brooks? Yeah, that guy that torched the Lakers spent time in RGV. Same with Chuck Hayes. And Rio Grande Valley is tucked away, so they can train and condition and work on the playbook without any exposure or risk of visiting team personnel. It’s like Morey’s personal Batcave, only with huevos rancheros.

Most NBA GMs are skeptical towards the D-League because they are terrified of sending down a $10 million investment to work with a minor league coach they don’t know in a system they’re not familiar with being handled by trainers they have not vetted. Or in the case of the Thunderbirds in 2008, no trainers at all (and this was while David Kahn owned the team! Get excited, T-Wolves fans!)

The Hybrid System removes that concern. Morey will know everyone involved in the hands on development of their players. He can install a head coach who’s a part of their organization, someone they want to specifically work on developing their young players (get ready for sprints, Chase Budinger!). And while the D-League annoyingly has a salary cap that limits the amount of money they can spend on players (and the stupid CBA won’t allow for what they should, which is an additional six roster spots for D-League assignment that don’t count against the cap unless they’re activated, but that’s a story for another day). HOWEVER, there’s no cap on what Morey can spend on basketball ops. So if he wants to pay a few hundred thousand on a flight of strength and conditioning coaches and turn the team into a year round training camp, he can. If he wants to install state of the art rehab facilities and get top notch trainers to rotate between there and Houston to work with rookies who get banged up? He can do that. The possibilities are endless. And all of those decisions are up to Morey. Control.

So while it sucks that Moser got booted, this may end up being an egg and omelet situation. And anything that helps push basketball development that results in more cheap, productive young players and fewer overpriced, older players is a good thing. I mean, sure, they’re not 20 and 10 guys, but maybe they won’t do this either.
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HPD · Aug 19, 2009

"Triple A Team" of the ROCKETS .. i like the idea and i think Les Alexander made a good move by buying into the D league concept...

other teams WILL follow once they see the concept working....

BasketballReasons · Aug 19, 2009

I like the fact that the Rox are always kind of a step ahead in these stuff. All the Stat's Morey has on players people would die for it. Now this.

BaMcMing · Aug 19, 2009

I wonder who Daryl has in mind to replace Moser....?

Adelman's son?

or Dean Cooper?

No Chance · Aug 19, 2009

I must be dense but what is to keep a player that the Rockets have developed, to keep him from going to another team after the Rockets have spent 2 or 3 years of time with him from signing with another team just when the Rockets are ready to bring him up to the Rocket team?
Seems like they need to change the CBA before investing much time and effort with a future prospect.

shastarocket · Aug 19, 2009

No Chance said:

I must be dense but what is to keep a player that the Rockets have developed, to keep him from going to another team after the Rockets have spent 2 or 3 years of time with him from signing with another team just when the Rockets are ready to bring him up to the Rocket team?
Seems like they need to change the CBA before investing much time and effort with a future prospect.
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If its any consolation, I don't see NBA teams fighting to sign a D-league prospect regardless of domination (i.e. James White)

Carl Herrera · Aug 19, 2009

Are the Rockets gonna devote resources to developing a new team trainer and team doctors at RGV?

rocketsmetalspd · Aug 19, 2009

5 hrs from civilization? The Valley or El Valle is great place with the best beach South Padre Island in Texas. If you like hot temps and high humidity this is the place for you and only a few miles from Mexico.

ralphacy · Aug 20, 2009

The RGV aint that bad.

5 hours, i guess he is talking about San Antonio. I live in the valley, in the city of mcallen and its not that bad, i mean its not awesome but its not as crappy as they make it out to be.

Im just so happy that the Rockets are going to be involved with the Vipers. I hope that there will be new converts to Rockets fandom. There are too many stupid bandwagon Spurs fans in this place, its suffocating. Everywhere you turn, its spurs spurs spurs. I hate it. At least I can take comfort in the Rockets store in Mcallen, yippee.

rocketsmetalspd · Aug 20, 2009

ralphacy said:

The RGV aint that bad.

5 hours, i guess he is talking about San Antonio. I live in the valley, in the city of mcallen and its not that bad, i mean its not awesome but its not as crappy as they make it out to be.

Im just so happy that the Rockets are going to be involved with the Vipers. I hope that there will be new converts to Rockets fandom. There are too many stupid bandwagon Spurs fans in this place, its suffocating. Everywhere you turn, its spurs spurs spurs. I hate it. At least I can take comfort in the Rockets store in Mcallen, yippee.
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Yes the there is Rockets store but the damn thing has Spurs Jerseys for sale WTF. Oh well I just hope local fox sports will be televising Rockets games this season instead of the Spurs.

BetterThanEver · Aug 20, 2009

rocketsmetalspd said:

Yes the there is Rockets store but the damn thing has Spurs Jerseys for sale WTF. Oh well I just hope local fox sports will be televising Rockets games this season instead of the Spurs.
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WTF.

Morey should have fired the store manager before firing Clay Moser.

ralphacy · Aug 20, 2009

rocketsmetalspd said:

Yes the there is Rockets store but the damn thing has Spurs Jerseys for sale WTF. Oh well I just hope local fox sports will be televising Rockets games this season instead of the Spurs.
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Well its better than nothing. Yea fox sports will be playing the Rockets games only if the Mavs and the Spurs are not playing that night. Im getting the leauge pass.

Al22ex · Aug 20, 2009

It's an NBA apparel store. We have 90% Rockets/Vipers stuff in our store, and one wall that has items from a few other teams... lighten up

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[HP]The Rockets RGV Lab

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