We played all our games against the Spurs early in the season before they starting playing well. Our last game against the Spurs was when they were 13-9. After their so so start to the season they went 37-7. Watching the Rockets finish up the season as badly as they did there is no real reason to believe that we would be competing with the Spurs.
a blessing in disguise is not being in the playoffs and being pummeled by san antonio like utah wed be wishing for the 14th pick after we got swept honestly
Speaking of blessing in disguise, Brandon Roy comes to mind. Remember the pain of missing him by one pick?
Just put it all in perspective. Lets see, the past few off-seasons have been... Reports have always been: Rockets actively pursuing trade What does this actually means to other teams? Everyone wants to win in a deal, that's why we will never have a true star through trade. What happens: Person we try to trade for absolutely has no interest in Houston, or isn't traded, or goes somewhere else. We have two mediocre 1st round picks in a semi-strong draft, and are apparently committing all of our efforts towards re-signing a guy we traded Aaron Brooks for, who broke out, as our 'star' PG Lowry went out, and was pretty dang good for a few months. Hey! So was Mike James with the Toronto Raptors a long time ago, (just an analogy, I know that team was completely different and sucked way much more David Stern phallus than we did this year) Lowry comes back, not in full form. Everyone now wants Kyle Lowry to be traded, since Dragic was laying pipe, yet we still continued to...kinda lose. So now what do other teams really care about Kyle Lowry when they can just sign Goran Dragic to a larger contract? Who wants an offense only, aging Luis Scola and injury prone Kevin Martin in return to give up a player that can consistently dominate games?? How do we combine our two mid-level first round picks, for a better one? That won't work, we have to add a player in the mix for a really good one, right? Value of players on this team is so distorted that teams probably look at the Rockets' players and say "how would they fit on my team? The Rockets constantly have under-performers step up and all of the sudden become "assets" Saw that with Donte Greene, which was actually a good move, but I think that GM's of other teams tend to ignore the Rockets, as do players, not only because of the past movements, but because of the cost-benefit aspect that is perceived of our organization. I honestly think we have to build a star, not trade for one. We have a long road ahead of us, and as long as this continual mediocrity of 'almost there, but kind of not really' reality remains, we're screwed. TLDR? Too long, didn't read. Then don't read. I'm not DaDakota or BimaThug, I don't analyze every game to a pin point, just the honest thoughts from a different perspective. I feel like we have isolated ourselves from true gain by having no allure for star players to play in Houston, we're stuck in a tar pit, trying to get out by grabbing on to twigs, when all of the big sticks are in a different area. In summation,
Hmmm, three straight years in the NBA lotto looking at the 14th pick. Funny, I don't feel very blessed...
The Real blessing is that we werent matched up with the freaking Spurs... The scores would have been worse...Spurs are the best team in the playoffs from the West...Seriously I really cant wait to see the Heat lose another year...This time Wade will cry...Bosh will have a seizure...and LeBron will...say something stupid...again...
The real blessing in disguise is we didn't trade away Robert Horry and he came back real strong and won 2 championship for us.
I'm perplexed by all the sugar-coating in here. There is no silver-lining. I think this thread is for people stuck in Stage 3 of grief. It's time to move on to Stage 4, depression. I doubt the humiliation that the Spurs could dish the Rockets in Round 1 still isn't equal to the humiliation the Rockets dealt themselves by choking away the season to the likes of Utah and Denver. At least the Spurs are a good team. There isn't much difference between picking #14 and #17 in the draft, but there's a big difference in talking to free agents as a playoff team and as a lotto team. And there's a big difference in player development in fighting one of the best teams in the league in a high-stakes series and watching such a fight on TV. All things considered, I'd prefer getting destroyed by the Spurs right now.
Missing the playoffs a blessing in disguise for sure! Between Miami/NY, OKC/DAL, SA/UTA,...well uh good luck! There are contenders and there are pretenders "Our goal is to make the playoffs." No, no, no!
Then we would be in full rebuild mode.....not more average players and another average season. Missing out on Dwight was a curse.....not a blessing.
Pretty much. If the Rockets made the playoffs it would have hurt our chances of getting the 14th pick.
Only blessing is that we have two first round picks and unless Morey and his team are smoking some of the best drugs South America has to offer, we know they will be targeting a center or offensive capable power forward in the draft or free agency, along with a PG because we all know either Lowry or Dragic are on their way out. We know what we have to do and we have the ability to get it done unless our front office is actually terrible and plan on tanking NEXT season.
..... Undersized PGs and PFs and SFs in the second round..... Would like to have them take a high profile swing man for a change SG-SF
That is another thing, I am pretty sure unless we do a trade, we don't have any second round draft picks. We just have the two first rounders at 14 and the Knicks pick.
I agree! DM has put himself into a nice scenario with tons of flexibility - dependig on who he can procure. Plus with the increase in luxury tax expenses, I think some teams are gonna part ways with some high ticket players and lottery picks will have increased value...