Trading TRob may very well happen because he's a much more valuable asset than PPat. Even if he doesn't work out, there's that.
As for people saying Patterson being replaceable. Perhaps. But I suspect that this will either take a big $ FA signing or cycling through many prospects over at least 1-2 years. Think about all the bigs HOU drafted or signed after Pat-- Morris is gone, TJones hasn't played, White is in RGV, DMo is struggling after finally getting into the rotation, Smith petered out after a hot start. We'd be lucky if just one of them proves to be a consistent performer. When it comes to prospects, you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find a useful NBA player.
Name a struggling lotto pick Morey (or the Houston Rockets in their history) managed to turn around? Fact is, the Rockets won't be patient with Robinson, or any other young player, really. It 's not their modus operandi. Teams that are already bad tend to be ok spending years giving young guys developmental minutes (see Bobcats) but HOU is trying to make a splash in the offseason to become a contender. Robinson really just has the remainder of the season to prove himself or become expendable for the larger cause.
The reason I'm big about the playoffs is because FA signing has been extremely difficult over the last couple of years because the rockets were a lotto team. Tea that are at that point tank and tank hard because that is likely where they will find their franchise player. The rockets spent those seasons trying that and narrowly missed the playoffs and got the 14th pick. Not only did it diminish their chances of landing someone but they got little out of it. Ok they can make the most out of that situation by developing him and hoping he improves... But trading him for a 2nd rounder? You can buy a pick like that. Why the hell did morey even draft him if he was willing to give up on him so soon? Patterson Morris Royce white That's 3 seasons of failure compiled right there to get them.
Good for them. But that is not the question. I am talking about an actual player who turned around his career after struggling as a lotto pick elsewhere.
I didn't say he gave up too soon. I said that Morey got rid of a lot of young players before their rookie contracts was up. On top of my head: Brooks, Lowry, Hill, Thabeet, Lamb, TWill, Landry, Dragic Again, I am not saying that getting rid of them were necessarily bad. But he does have a tendency to have a revolving door of young talents.
I think your thesis is wrong? Patterson is eminently replaceable. We are 5-4 since the trade went through. And 3-1 against playoff teams. We've lost those 4 games by a combined total of 11 points. Sure, we SHOULD have won at least 3 of them (non-playoff teams) - but when you're a young and inexperienced outfit, you tend to lose games you should win. As a starter, Motiejunas is 10 points and 4 boards per contest (compare Pattersons 12 and 5 - in extra minutes) Patterson was a -ve on defence, so not terribly hard to replace there. In fact, the ONLY thing we're missing about Patterson is the simple fact that he was a 3rd year player, and one of the most experienced guys on the team. There's something about having that 'time' in the NBA that helps someone adjust, and learn not to be 'seen' (Rookies get called for stupid fouls all the time because they haven't learned how to hide it yet). In terms of on-court production, in similar minutes, Motie and Robinson are combining to easily out-produce Patterson. You can book it: Patterson will fade away and be nothing, those guys will both be greater than him next season.
Come on. You are better than this. The comparison shouldn't be to the likes of Thabeet or Hill or Squid. It should be other top picks in their rookie years. Specifically, to such players like Derrick Favors, Doneyell Marshall, Drew Gooden, and Chauncey Billups. If you look at the above list, then the floor for Robinson should be quite high. Sure, he's probably not going to be a perennial all-star, but there's a good shot he's near-all-star level.
Favors is still unproven. Marshall never helped GSW win-- became a contributor on a playoff team only after going to Utah. Gooden is a meh player and rather useless for Orlando beyond one good playoff series that they lost anyway (MEM would make the same trade-- Gooden for Mike Miller, every day). Billups the only really special one but didn't become good until he was on his 4th team (Minnesota).
*Ppatt update- 3/10 vs. the bucks- 16mins, 4pts, 3rebs, -9. Oh and if this same exact trade went down on draft night, CH would've been praising Morey.
Not really. Donyell Marshall floundered for 5 yrs in GS before they traded him for Danny Fortson and Bruno Sundov. During his GS years, his TS% ranged from .478 to .484-- worse than that of Rafer Alston. Gooden was bad enough in Orlando that they traded him after 1.5 seasons for Tony Battie. They also threw in an early 2nd round pick, which turned out to be Anderson Varejao. If anything, these guys teach us that you want to be a lotto bust's 3rd or 4th team, when the guy finally figure it out. Rarely do these guys improve dramatically for their 2nd team. Patterson is already an efficient shooter from all distances and a solid defender.
To be fair to Carl he has been saying that he'd be fine with the trade going down draft night because the season would be over. I don't think we could be sure the trade happens draft night though, things change. Sacramento gets a new front office likely soon and then that deal likely isn't there.
After not making the playoffs since 2009, if the Rockets miss it again, it'll be a colossal disappointment. Great teams do not make the playoffs several years in a row. The Spurs are always in it (Top 4 seed event), Boston is still sneaking in despite an injury to their best player, Lakers are even crawling back into it as Utah collapses (a team that also had consistently made the playoffs). If the Rockets miss the playoffs again - no excuses, changes must be made.Great teams do not miss the playoffs several years in a row. Even with a weak roster, and when everyone thinks it's a down year, they make it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsgWQig3qI0&feature=youtu.be
