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New Team Direction

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by RedDragon01, Feb 25, 2011.

  1. RedDragon01

    RedDragon01 Member

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    Introduction

    Grades and ratings have been discussed extensively over the past day regarding the actual trades made on Thursday by Morey. Instead of discussing these trades, I’d like to talk about the roster changes that come with them and how they affect our new team identity.

    This seems like a good time to follow up my previous thread regarding my frustrations with our team’s lack of identity several weeks ago: Thoughts of a Trade Weary Fan.

    I won’t focus on the picks or salary considerations. And because we still haven’t added that ‘franchise player’ to the roster, I won’t talk too much about the future, as big changes will surely come once we finally do add that piece.

    I will, however, address how the team make-up is affected for the rest of this season regarding the changes at the point, wing and center positions, as well as the new direction our team obtained by making these three position changes.


    Change at Point Guard Position

    Out: Aaron Brooks, Ish Smith

    In: Goran Dragic

    Some people see this as a lateral move as a BEST case. Others see it as an upgrade, with Dragic showing more potential for future growth than Brooks. You can put me in the latter camp, but not for the same reason.

    It may be true, that Dragic’s ceiling is higher than is Brooks, I don’t know. Potential is always a difficult thing to discuss anyway, as it cannot be objectively measured in any meaningful way. However, I see Dragic as the best of Aaron and Ish plus a defensive tenacity wrapped into one package.

    He provides the clutch shooting that Brooks was once known for minus some of the same level of shooting efficiency overall, and as well has a similar level of transition playmaking that Ish was exhibiting while on the team but with better shooting ability than Ish. The difference between the two others and Dragic, however, is that Goran is known for smart, tough defensive positioning.

    What Dragic’s addition to the team does is essentially clone Lowry so that we can have him starting and we can have his “clone” run a smooth offense with the second unit, helping to develop the young guys on the team by being a playmaking transition point guard. He’s also another 2-way player that really adds to the depth of the team. Finally, we remove the big deficit we had at the point position by adding much needed defense and length.


    Change at Wing Position

    Out: Shane Battier

    In: DeMarre Carroll

    With Shane no longer playing 31 minutes a game for Houston, this opens up minutes at the wing positions. Whether it’s T-Will, CLee or CBud, those 31 minutes will go to some combination of those players (according to Feigen’s tweet today, Chase has been penciled in as the new SF starter during practice). And because they’re all young developing players, that’s great for the development of our team. That’s 690 more development minutes this season than we would have gotten otherwise.

    If you wanted player development coming out of the trade season yesterday, then you got it with this move. In fact, I think that it was this change that finally gave our team direction with the loss of Yao. It means that we are ready to develop our young talent for the future.


    Change at Center Position

    Out: None

    In: Hasheem Thabeet

    I get it. Thabeet has only been a Rocket for a day and he’s already known around here as Thabust. After two seasons, he wasn’t able to get any meaningful playing time with the Grizzlies. I won’t go into reasons why that may have been the case, but I will talk about what we may one day get out of Thabeet.

    The one thing he definitely brings our team is a primary shot blocking presence that we haven’t seen since Deke, if only for 10 minutes a game due to foul trouble. With proper development, as Morey alluded that he would get here, he can at least partially fill in for the “Deke role” from years past.

    He may not be the full-time solution. He may not even pan out over the duration of his contract. But he definitely gives the Rockets someone to work with in an attempt to develop that defensive presence we’ve missed for 2 seasons.

    Getting an impact playing defensive big is expensive. But if you can get them before they are developed enough to become an impact player, and if you have faith in your development system to produce this kind of player, then investing the last 23 games of your best perimeter defender, Battier, may be a small price to pay for the kind of player that could define a team defense down the road.

    He won’t likely ever become the legendary Hall of Fame defensive juggernaut that was Dikembe Mutumbo, but with proper patience and development attention, Hasheem Thabeet may be able to become the face of our team defense for future seasons.


    Conclusion

    These moves clearly signified our team’s identity, at least for the rest of this season. Our new backup point guard will help further develop CLee, JHill, and T-Will. Opening up minutes at the wing position gives more development time to those young wing players. And finally, Thabeet’s presence gives us a long-term development project for that rim protector role we have sorely lacked over the past two years.

    Now, it’s all about development. And I’m certain that that’s something we can all identify with.
     
    2 people like this.
  2. J-16

    J-16 Member

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    Cool story bro!! ¦D
     
  3. tamericus

    tamericus Contributing Member

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    Been saving that one havn't you?
     
  4. onreego

    onreego Member

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    Good points made here. Doesn't seem like the first person replying even bothered to read the post. It sucks that the only thing we have to look forward to for now is just the young players developing but it's a process. I'm willing to wait and see if thabeet pans out (I really hope he does). The staff and the organization has the tools to make it happen, it's just the desire from the players to work hard. Here's to the future.
     
  5. RedDragon01

    RedDragon01 Member

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    Thanks. Ya know, three weeks ago I wasn't sure I'd be able to stand going through a development process. But oddly enough, now that all of the pressure from this past trade season is behind us, I feel like I'm ready to watch the Rockets develop these young players.

    I don't have high expectations for Thabeet, but I do have hope for him to develop into a nice defensive specialist.

    Here's to the rare opportunity to watch the Rockets from the launchpad, so to speak. :)
     
  6. greenhippos

    greenhippos Member

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    This needed to be a poll post with one of the picks being "in the crapper"
     
  7. jump shooter

    jump shooter Contributing Member

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    You forgot that will probably see a change in coaches next season, as I think Adelman is gone. Its going to be an interesting offseason.
     
  8. Rocket River

    Rocket River Member

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    Thabeet simply needs to work with Chuck Hayes.
    I think length will block shots
    he needs to learn leverage and positioning

    I think Chuck would not mind mentoring the kid either.

    Rocket River
     
  9. rockets934life

    rockets934life Contributing Member

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    Youth and rebuilding...it was a tough choice to make but glad it was finally chosen.
     
  10. waytookrzy079

    waytookrzy079 Member

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    I can't say that i disagree with you..

    I think the moves definitely helps us short-term and long-term. The keys of this trade, i think, was really the future first round picks.

    Hypothetically, lets say Thabeet, is indeed a bust...we got a first round pick for an aging vet who was not going to resign here and we got a first round pick for a shoot first PG who was going to probably demand close to $6-7 mil which is more than we'd wanna pay.

    And if Thabeet turns into a more consistent version of Dalembert and can provide a good 8-9ppg/8-9rpg/2-3bpg, i'll more than ecstatic!

    Here's what I think will probably happen tho...We'll probably end up playing the young guys this year to actually raise their stock. Once the Draft rolls around, i expect Morey to be hard at work again, and try to package those drafts+players for a top 5 pick, or possibly for the marquee player we're looking for.

    In a dream world...the Hornets get a new owner, then moved to a new city, and the owner begins to shed salary and looks to trade away CP3 and Okafor. Then the following year, use Okafor to use in a SnT for Dwight... BAM!!! we're back in business!! :grin:
     
  11. IBTL

    IBTL Member

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    I think Rick is going to go with Thabeet and Miller like he has done with Hill and Miller. I hope this means no more hill. I also would like to see Thabeet and Scola. We can have one defensive type in the middle, and one offensive player in miller or scola.I hope they let Thabeet play and take major defensive minutes at center.

    one question is whether hayes can guard the 3 or lee can guard the 3 since we are losing defense with battier gone? If we can put out a lineup of Thabeet Hayes Scola martin Lowry that might be interesting at times.

    I would also like to see them try Thabeet Scola Lee Martin Lowry
     
  12. RedDragon01

    RedDragon01 Member

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    Actually, I wanted to focus on the rest of this season and not get into our direction for next season, primarily because I see a lot more change in the off-season, as waytookrzy079 already pointed out.

    In fact, it is likely that the Rockets will attempt to make another move during the Draft to either move up for that star piece, or to trade for a bonafide star, giving us even more uncertainty as soon as the regular season ends for us. As well, talking about too much regarding the team next year without knowing who the coach is is almost an exercise in futility. ;)

    But until the off-season hits, I'm happy we have a direction now.


    Thabeet has so many things he needs to work on. Learning leverage and positioning might be two of those things, especially considering his current bulk/size. And Chuck might be just the one to do it.

    However, I will reserve some judgment on the guy until I see him play some games with the Rockets. Unlike me, I'm sure the Rockets already had a great idea what this kid needed to work on before trading for him (at least I hope they did).
     

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