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[Houston Press] Q&A with Daryl Morey: The Day After

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by fritz145, Feb 27, 2008.

  1. fritz145

    fritz145 Member

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    Hello all,

    Here's the recap of my chat with DM about 90 minutes ago:

    http://blogs.houstonpress.com/ballz/2008/02/qa_with_daryl_morey_the_day_af.php

    and just in case you missed it, here's the column detailing my initial reaction to the news:

    http://blogs.houstonpress.com/ballz/2008/02/a_grief_observed_yao_mings_inj.php

    As always, thank you so much for all the great feedback you've provided. I'll have more from the game, including player reaction, in the morning. 'Til then...

    Thanks for reading.

    JCF
     
  2. Invisible Fan

    Invisible Fan Contributing Member

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    Nice words fritz, and great questions that fans want to know.

    This has been a lousy day.
     
  3. t_mac1

    t_mac1 Contributing Member

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    looks like yao and tmac will be the cornerstones next yr regardless of what happens. morey seems to like the direction of this team IF both of our stars are healthy, which is true since we look like true contenders.

    but for god sakes, can we go through one freakin' season with ZERO injuries. is that so hard to ask for?
     
  4. durvasa

    durvasa Contributing Member

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    Great interview, excellent questions.
     
  5. withmustard

    withmustard Member
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    another great read today Jason. I don't remember reading anything of yours before but your last two posts have really stuck out.
     
  6. Nelly

    Nelly Contributing Member

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    Morey's right. We can't trade Tmac or Yao (like they even considered it) for lesser players just b/c they player more. The goal is to surround them with players who help them succeed and stand on their own. So what if those two take up a great deal of our cap room. Morey's job is to find talent even with our cap restrictions. You can't give up so early on the Tmac and Yao era since they were never surrounded with the right personnel. We were getting there this year but obviously Yao's injury is a big blow. I say give this duo one more chance.
     
  7. saleem

    saleem Contributing Member

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    I'm glad you asked him tough questions. Excellent work Jason.
     
  8. saleem

    saleem Contributing Member

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    We have to clear out cap room to add players along with Tracy and Yao.That's a hard job but the only other option is to breakup the duo. If Tracy can't get us into the playoffs they might have to think about trading him. I hope it doesn't get to that point.
     
  9. IROC it

    IROC it Contributing Member

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    Nice interview. Great work.
     
  10. BlackHalo

    BlackHalo Member

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    Im glad I want Yao and Tmac back next year, This team is pretty damn deep right now and with a couple of pieces in the off-season we could be down right scary.

    Hopefully Yao takes his time off and Is ready to roll next year...
     
  11. rdsgonzo13

    rdsgonzo13 Contributing Member

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    You never make a trade unless you think you can improve the team by doing so.

    The odds of getting fair value for TMac are just slim given his injury history, the perception of his lack of leadership and warrior mentality and his huge contract.

    Now would be the wrong time to break up the team. The last 12 games were the best stretch of ball ever played in the TMac-Yao era. They have the best supporting cast around them, something they lacked in the 2 painful playoff losses in 05 and 07.

    Tracy comes off the books in 2 years. Given that the window for TMac-Yao is probably about the same length of time, I just dont see the point of moving one. You aren't going to dramatically accelerate your retooling or rebuilding by moving TMac in the offseason, given that he's probably gone after 2 yrs anyway and will leave you with renewed cap flexibility after that time.

    And if the idea is to retool around YAO by dumping Mac, you have to remember YAO's window given his foot injuries may not be much longer than 2-3 yrs so you cant exactly afford to get younger players in a TMac deal and wait for them to develop around YAO because he will be in full decline by then most likely and start to become marginalized.

    I think the best play is to stand pat and try to use Bobby Jackson/Steve Francis contracts next yr to try to get one more solid role player (in the backcourt or a gunner type) for a push. Scola and Landry should only be better next year and Battier still has a lot of game left him. Brooks may become a rotational player by next yr as well if the Rockets are lucky.

    TMac for all his criticism hasnt shown a ton of physical decline. He's still very explosive and creative when he wants to be; he just picks his spots now, probably more often than he should.

    You have to give THIS particular Rockets unit (forgetting about the 05-07 seasons which had clearly inferior role players surrounding Yao-Mac) a chance to see what they can do in the absence of a major injury IMO. I think they earned that in this 21-3 stretch.
     
  12. Glacier

    Glacier Member

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    Thanks a lot for your great interview with Morey!

    If Scola and Landry can develop into solid and consistent players by the end of this season, the Rockets will be a contender next year. Playing Scola and Landry more means the decreasing of Yao's play time, which may save his stamina and keep him out of major injury. We just need a playoff where we have healthy Yao and TMac as well as other players in our current roster and see what will happen before we say goodbye to our All-star duos.

    GO Rockets!
     
  13. hooroo

    hooroo Member

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    Lebron is an unrestricted free agent when McGrady's contract expires. Rockets just need to start collecting cap friendly 3+yr length rookie contracts that turn out like Landry and Scola.
     
  14. fritz145

    fritz145 Member

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    You can never say never, but I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for LeBron to land in Houston. A lot can happen between now and then, but right now it seems pretty clear it's going to be a two horse race (featuring Cleveland and New Jersey) for his services in 2010-2011.

    JCF
     
  15. Chuck 4

    Chuck 4 Member

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    Im glad. I dont want either of them to leave. I know thats tough for some on here to say, but theyre good guys and great players. Im not ready to write Yao off as "The Next Bill Walton" and label the guy as unable to stay healthy. Two of these serious injuries he has faced have been freak accidents. Seriously, how can breaking your leg after taking the bump he did against the Clippers last season make you "Injury Prone?" A guy that has been healthy as a horse for a decade in the NBA would have broken something there.

    Do I believe the window is closing? Maybe.

    But Morey has done a good job of eliminating all of our horrible contracts that the previous regime left behind. Seriously, when was the last time we had a team with a bench this deep? Theres no Moochie Norris', or Weatherspoons, or Ward's on this bench. Hell, the two guys that will probaly not see very many minutes are Novak and Gerald Green and many believe their potential is through the roof. If we can hold this team here for the next two seasons, I foresee great things.

    Yes, 24 hours ago we were contenders. Its a horrible, horrible setback. But our future is extremely bright, in my humble opinion.
     
  16. happyricky

    happyricky Contributing Member

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    Great interview, and thanks a lot for sharing with us.
     
  17. xiki

    xiki Contributing Member

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    Actually, trades are made for many different reasons. Look at the deals which went down recently.

    No, do not give TMac away. Trade him? Maybe. It's time to find out what is Tmac, finally and once and for all.
     
  18. xiki

    xiki Contributing Member

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    Fritz hustles, does the hustle. Fritz gets the hustle award.
     
  19. jason2

    jason2 Member

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    we've got almost all right pieces that we need, we just need a healthy season!
     
  20. tigermission1

    tigermission1 Contributing Member

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    If I had a dollar for every time I read/heard this.

    Not good enough Morey, you have a cracked foundation, your two pillars aren't strong enough to carry the whole franchise to the promised land. I understand the temptation to 'soldier on' with the existing plan and hope for a better outcome, but as the saying goes, "fool me once..."
     

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