He was the GM who cut Jeremy Lin when he made the NBA rookie min. I agreed with him for making that decision. That same year Linsanity happened. It has been well documented how upset Leslie Alexander was during the Linsanity run. Lin only played low 30 mpg and took 10 spg It's not hard to imagine Linsanity part 2 if another team lets Lin play starter minutes of lets say 38 mpg and take 15-17 shots per game. Morey is smart. Does he really want a repeat of what happened last time Lin exploded for another team. Also Beverly only played for the Rockets a half the season. He played backup PG minutes for half a NBA season. Other than that he is unproven. Brooks is a solid PG but he was let go so we are putting all our eggs in the hands of a PG with so little NBA experience. It's also documented how Leslie makes a lot of money in China. The years after Yao and before Lin, Mr. Alexander probably lost a lot of opportunities. There were old threads how Les lost a lot of money when the stock market crashed in 2009 and the Rockets and his Chinese business opportunities are now his biggest source of net worth. Finally Howard needs an attacking PG who excels at the PNR and is pass first. That sounds like Lin to me. In addition one of the top 2-3 reason Howard wants to play for the Rockets is the China connection. Minus Lin that connection is weaker. The 3 years before Lin came here and after Yao retired, the Rockets were not exactly "China's team". Lastly anyone who isn't a hater knows Lin is an average to above avg starting PG. Meaning he can play and helps the Rockets win games. According to Morey, Lin was the 3rd best player on the team responsible for winning games. For all these reasons, I doubt Lin will be traded. Now if we can get Lin for CP3 that would be a different story but he signed with the Clippers. Lets see what happens but if Lin is traded for anyone but a superstar it'll be a mistake in my opinion.
Someone as smart as Morey learns from his mistakes. Smart people value job security as well. There are on 30 NBA GM positions in this world. Cutting Lin when he made the NBA rookie min was a mistake. I agreed with Morey for making that decision at the time. Smart people avoid the possibility of making the same mistake TWICE unless they are positive Linsanity Part 2 will not happen.
Well it was obvious Lin was used for marketing purposes and bringing in China money. If we get 3 all-star caliber players.... you wouldn't need him, marketing wise. Same thing in regards to basketball. Rockets gambled with him in hopes to put up "Linsanity" numbers, but he did what he could and he didn't hit his highs this year. Morey would trade him if the opportunity arrives, before his value drops for good. I really hope we keep Lin. He would work well with Smith and Howard if somehow we can keep him. Dwight / Smith would mesh well in the paint with Lin as he did with Tyson Chandler.
I can see Lin putting up much better numbers on another team. I can still see us trading him. Will be interesting to see what happens
How can he put up Linsaity number playing low 30 mpg and taking only 10 shots per game. He was playing close to 40 mpg taking almost 20 spg during Linsanity. That is what a smart person like Morey will factor in. He knows if Lin is allowed to be the primary PG and playmaker, he may put up some pretty stellar stats. Even with the leash, Lin's stats as a Rocket wasn't bad.
Do you value your job? I do and I'm sure Morey does too. The only time during his tenure he got a lot of flack from the owner was during Linsanity. Other than that Leslie has been pretty happy with Morey who in my opinion is the best GM in the league. Personally I think he will think real hard before trading Lin unless it's for a proven superstar PG. Then it's a no brainer.
Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you do criticize them, they are a mile away & you have their shoes.
I'm quite sure that Les will not be scolding Morey should the Rockets be winning 60 games with Smith/Howard/Parsons/Harden/Beverley while Lin is putting up 17/8 on a .500 Atlanta Hawks team. The reason Les was pissed about Linsanity is because the Rockets were a pile of mediocrity that same year.
Lin is good player but Harden is heads an shoulders better then Lin even on Lin's best day. For Lin to be at his best he needs to be the straw that stirs the drink. I think deep down he knows that and when he hits unrestricted free agency he is going to go to a team that will let him be the decision maker on the floor. Morey needs to get what he can for him while he can.
I can start a rumor too and stay the Rockets are shopping Harden for Lebron. Doesn't make it so. Unless you are calling Morey a liar. He flat out said today he and the Rockets have not shopped Lin. Now that doesn't mean Lin will not be traded. Just pointing out factors Morey will think about when making his decision. Finally to trade Lin will need Leslie's sign off. Lets see if that happens.
Seems to me, the scenario being entertained is where Lin is traded in a package to get Smith. If we don't somehow get back Teague as well, it's a risk, but probably worth it. Harden is going to handle the ball even more. Don't trust Beverley to orchestrate the offense keeping Dwight, Harden, Smith, Parsons all happy. He's not that type of player. I don't see the point of getting rid of Lin just for the sake of getting rid of him as many here seem to want.
Lin was put in a position to be the primary scorer during linsanity because of injuries, as soon as melo came back it wasn't the case. Harden is the best player on this team period and there's no real debate about that, that being said harden should get the lions share of touches and shots. 40 minutes a game on the whole season is ridiculous, 35 to 38 mpg and 10 to 14 shots a game is realistic. If he can sustain a 38% 3 pt and 6 or more assists that's great, but he's just not ever going to be a super elite player.
Relax. If Lin is traded the "Lin fans" will go to his new team. Nobody is sweating it. In fact some "Lin fans" prefer it so Lin can be the primary ball handler with a shorter leash. Now lets see how this off season unfolds.
Morey will only be reviled for trading Lin if the Rockets don't get the stars they want, the team is unable to produce results, and Lin produces on another team. The Rockets have pretty much all the cards this offseason, so Morey is betting on the team's success.
