I'm surprised there hasn't been more analysis on this team. Rarely does a team go from contending to complete collapse without significant aging or losses (just DMo). Remember we were better than the spurs, clippers and probably cavs too last year
Talent really drops off after our big 4. James, Dwight, Trevor, and Patrick are all players that could play a role on a contending team whether it's as a main piece, complimentary piece or a role player off the bench. Dmo isn't ready, but he is showing that he can be in that group. The rest of the guys I don't see being useful on any playoff team anymore. Jones. Lawson. Brewer. Smith. KJ, Capela, Dekker, and Montrezl are all too young to make an impact, so by default it's bad. If you can only play 13 players and 4 out of your 14 are youngsters...it's not a good look. I give it a D. Glaring weakness. The weakness is no reliable bench, and not a good enough starting unit to make a difference and that's mostly because we don't have a starting 4 or else we'd be average maybe. The coaching is also poor too.
I actually totally think we have the talent to be a 60-win team. It just hasn't been harnessed, something has been lost (obviously defense, turnovers, FT shooting etc) between last years WCF and now that I've never seen happen before. Whatever the case, I like most of our players a lot actually, and think that they could easily be better utilized in SOME kind've system. Since we run NO system, no one will look consistently good besides the star players. Get the right coach, someone who will enforce and motivate, discipline and mentor... give them a reason to run and to try and fight. Yes, everyone needs their own inner gears to come out ready, but without the right leadership even the best warriors will fall.
The more I think about it the more I think last years WCFs run was a fluke... I think if they would have played that clippers series 100 times they probably would have lost more times than they won. And in the long haul I think that would have been better for the team, us winning that series led to the front office thinking we were super close when in reality I think we are a step below that.
Grading the Rockets Roster http://fantasmanegro.sportsblog.com/posts/13307590/grading-the-rockets-roster.html
Exactly why I can't say he is top 5 since many teams have stopped playing traditional Cs and instead play hybrid PFs (eg. SAN, GSW). In light of this, who would you choose? Lamarcus or Dwight? AD or Dwight? Green or Dwight? And players that are closer to traditonal Cs like Drummond or Dwight? Cousins or Dwight? And traditional Cs like Gasol or maybe even Jordan? Even looking at KaT, Gobert or Vucevic is a tougher choice. Tough to say Dwight is top five... so top ten seems pretty reasonable.
Bev: C- Harden: A Ariza: B Smith: F+ Howard: B+ Brewer: D- DMO: C Capela: C+ Terry: C- TJones: F Harrell: C+ KJ MCDaniels: C- Dekker: ???
I remember someone posted an predictive statistical analysis of all our players at the start of the year that showed Lawson would be awful and we all laughed. Wow how accurate that turned out to be!
D-, you can't have a below .500 team this late in the year and be anything higher without massive injuries which we really haven't had.
