I am not saying that it is a good idea or we should do it. I am just wondering if it is an viable option? I was having a discussion with a friend when Yao could be out next season and Tmac likely to be out for a significant period of time as well, should we try to save money both for the 2010 free agency and possible getting a lottery pick instead of making the playoffs and loosing in the first round? I have not checked, but does anyone more knowledgeable than I am please inform me whether next years draft is going to be deep enough to make tanking an option?
Even if it were a good option I can't see this team tanking. They have so much heart that I couldn't see them not giving 100% every game.
Unless we fire Adelman, I don't see the Rockets going into full tank mode. We still have the coach and the personnel to play good defense every night, so we will have a chance to win every game we play.
1. The Rockets won't have Yao. 2. The Rockets won't have Tracy. 3. Morey has said the team will clear salary cap for a 2010 free agent. 4. The West is loaded. 5. The Rockets are going to be one of the smallest teams in the league. All that adds up to the Rockets being a lottery team next year.
Thats what i was thinking when I was talking to my friend. What i worry is that rockets trying to redeem this coming season by signing an average player. I would rather we become a lottery team this coming season and have a chance to really win it in a couple of years than to have a average team which gets knocked out in the playoffs in the first round. With the current team without yao and tmac (again assuming Tmac coming in the second half the season), we are pretty much guarenteed a low seed if we make it into the post season, in other words, with no real C, and only tmac to create (maybe brooks and ariza if he really improves in the off season, but i doubt either of them make a significant improvement), we are pretty much sure to loose in the first round. What is the point?
No, This team is still capable in gaining a playoffs spot. It would be a journey this season but this team can and will bounce back. This is not even the team yet. Morey has a few tricks in store.
it will be pretty hard to "tank" with the talent level that we have. i think we can add a center like zaza then we can be a 37 to 42 win team.
Whats your defenition of tanking? Mine is losing on purpose to get a better chance at the lottery. If thats the definition and the Rockets did that, I would no longer be a fan. I wanna see them go out and try there hardest every night. I don't go to see my team lose on purpose. I go to see them try hard and win. I rather see the Rockets try their hardest and get 14th place in the NBA so they would be w/o a playoff spot and be stuck with basically no chance at a loto pick then see them go out, tank and get a loto pick.
You are abosalutely right...I agree 100%. Even without Zaza, I can see the current team being a 35-40 + or - win team. But my problem with this is that what is the point of 35-40 wins?? I can see the current squad (again assuming Tmac comes back health and motivated) making the playoffs. Maybe even 45 wins. BUT WHAT IS THE POINT OF 40 WIN SEASON??? 8th, 7th, 6th seed? in other words we are playing lakers, spurs, denver or portland. You think we can beat them in a seven game series. even with zaza, i don't see much of a chance. maybe portland or denver (BIG maybe) but lakers and spurs, we have no chance. Again a likely first round exit (maybe second round if we lucky). I really don't see the point. We won't resign Tmac. We most likely to resign Yao. But if we get Zaza, we would have less much for the free agency to get a real impact player. So IMO, if next years draft is good/deep, I would have no problems with saving money and missing the playoffs. In my eyes, first round/second round exits are still failures. Might as well get a chance at the lottery.
My greatest fear is the Rockets ending up in no-man's land. Either just missing the playoffs or barely getting a whiff of it as a 7-8 seed. Because this team definitely still has talent and grit to not give up and play with honor. But without enough firepower to take us all the way, we might end up in a position in next year's lottery that is pretty worthless comparing the salary we'll have to pay that first round pick and the odds of that guy living up to his billing. On the other hand, if we can lose enough to get say, within the 6 worst records in the league, you gotta like our chances to win the lottery since Stern CANNOT let Houston, and especially a team with Yao on it, fade into obscurity for any prolonged period of time.
Screw tanking. 1. Lakers 2. Spurs 3. Blazers 4. Nuggets The other 4 spots are still up for grabs, even without Yao and T-Mac, our team is still capable of grabbing the 5th seed in the west.
My bad, by tanking, I do not mean the players loosing on purpose, but by not signing anyone else significant. I can see us missing the playoffs if we don't have tmac (most of the season) and yao. We would struggle to score the ball.
I am not saying they are unable to make the playoffs. like someelse said, i am afraid of the rockets in the bottom 4 spots. You honestly think we have a chance without yao (assuming tmac healthy, ariza, scola, brooks, battier) in a 7 game series? You might, but I don't. I worry another 1st round exit and we end up where we are again. I want us to save money for a free agent and have a chance at lottery.
the bad thing about us tanking is we would lose lose a year off Arron, Luis, and Carl's extremely friendly contracts. I know Luis deserves at least double, Landry deserves almost double, and Arron's could skyrocket 5x. Every year we say we have a contender on PAPER. I'm not going to write them off just because we say it looks bad on paper now. I'm waiting for a Battier trade any minute, i'll wait to decide about tanking after seeing who we get.
All the more the Rockets should make a run for it. Use their expiring contracts to get much needed help. It will take a lot of tinkering around but Morey can do it.
