[Friedman] Failure to Launch for Rockets

Good article. I like how it ended.

 

Locker room problems ahead? Hopefully not.

 

He is too clever for that title...

 

parsons was the guy who organized team activities both during the season and offseason, got guys together on the road, and tried to create the family atmosphere that successful teams play with. the rockets locker room has some very strong and in some cases difficult personalities. if nobody steps up to make sure everyone is on the same page, it could be a very long season.

 

The Rockets do not build like the Spurs - the Spurs would not have let Leaonard become a RFA.

DD

 

Because they already had their title contender assembled. Derp.

 

I'm guessing the title was more ESPN than Friedman.

 

You're overlooking the fact he just put the Finals MVP on the same scale as an over performing second round pick. Super derp.

 

Parsons was a big loss but he can be replaced. Ariza's defensive presence will be a nice addition. I'm not as concerned as I was before. We still need a 3rd piece according to Morey and I think he understands the team and NBA basketball much more so than people on this message forum.

 

that comparison is unfair. the spurs have been extraordinarily fortunate over the last 20 years. drafting David Robinson and have him play a long and relatively injury free career, then having the one lottery season in which they happen to get first overall draft pick, then drafting tim duncan who has played a long and injury free career. that almost never happens.

stability is important to build culture but most teams dont lack for stability because they don't want it, they lack for it because of injury/attrition.

the rockets could have had the same type of culture if they had gotten the #1 overall draft pick after the hakeem era and immediately had a foundation for the next generation. and they almost did with Yao, except he got injured. thats what normally happens.

the spurs are the anomaly of anomalies.

 

At least he didn't go to ESPNDallas.com...

Smh...

 

Parsons is no Leonard.. They were close at one point but Leonard took his game on both sides of the ball to level parsons can only dream about .. And if he signed for the max I'm pretty sure they would let him go.. Spurs def don't overpay esp when they know they can maximize guys in their system..

 

Kawhi is much better than Parsons, and he's 22.

 

There are several reasons the Rockets might of let Parsons out of his contract and having a little trouble working with teams.

1. Agent - Whose to say that Fegan, didnt tell the Rockets...no Dwight if you dont redo the Parsons deal after this year. Think about it....Dwight missed out on 30 mil...which hits Fegan in his pockets. Then Parsons signs that crazy deal with Dallas, and it's been said that Fegan helped draw it every way that he knew MOREY hates

2. Morey Praise- So many articles the last few years...have praised Morey on the deals that he has made. Basically almost every trade he has completed has been viewed one sided in the Rockets favor. Now other GMs are starting to think twice when Morey comes knocking.

 

This is what I'm concerned about. Parsons was the glue guy for the Rockets, both on and off the court. It seemed like all the other players viewed Parsons as their best buddy. Parsons had a way of bringing everyone together, and I really viewed him as the leader of the team.

 

I work in science. I do research, and there are a ton of times where I have gotten an amazing result that is not reproducible. The San Antonio Spurs are the epitome of a non-reproducible result. Their model required so much. It required years of David Robinson being loyal to the organization. It required an unusual down season at just the right time to draft Duncan. It required a coach who had absolute power over the team but still managed to send them in the right direction. It required loyalty from their respective big three, loyalty that kept Duncan from pairing up with Tmac in Orlando to play with him and Grant Hill. It also required a poop ton of luck too. That model is not sustainable, and to try and compare the Rockets at any junction to that model is lunacy. If we are going to shoot for the moon and model ourselves after unattainable models, why aren't we in constant pursuit of the next Michael Jordan? Why don't we put all our eggs in that basket? Isn't the Bulls model of getting Michael Jordan and then winning titles with him more attractive than the Spurs one? It's about as easy to emulate as the Spurs model.

 

Ironic that mr glue, mr team first, mr don't just look out for número uno, goes to nightclub with mark Cuban in the first minutes of free agency to sign a poison pill contract that screws his former team mates whether the rox match it or not.

I always say actions speak louder than words. Maybe he said the right things in the locker room. But when it came time to back up what he said, he stabbed his team mates in the back. He also stabbed them in the back with his play and mouth in Portland. He's got a lot of growing up to do. Given he is a mav now, I don't care if he does. I hope our players grow up and teach him a lesson about real team spirit. Go rockets.

 

what we should be concerned about (and hasn't been talked about) is that chandler was happy to leave. not just "ok, i'll go to dallas because its a good career move"

ive read a lot of CF the last few days. its amazes me how much people project onto these players. chandler was not a diva. he wasn't especially selfish or all into himself because of his modeling or whatever. he was a pretty cool, normal dude. players liked him because he was fun and down to earth. thats why it sucks so much to have cuban steal THAT guy. he had a lot of value to the rockets just as a personality. it was still smart not to match that ridiculous contract though, don't get me wrong.

tldr: CP was not the most important player on the team from a basketball metrics standpoint, but probably the most important personality among the players.

 

boom. exactly. well put.