You either think we're fine and things will work themselves out come playoff time. OR The way we're playing now is evidence that this team is fatally flawed and not a real contender. Where do you stand? Choose wisely!
Think it's more of a roster issue than any other. Yeah, MDA's short rotations suck and runs players to the ground, but this team would look much better if our role players could capitalize on the Harden double teams, we miss so many wide open shots and have probably the worst ball handlers out of Harden and Westbrook, ever. Also, we have only one/two above average defenders, the rest is porous. Having said that, I don't know if we will be able to solve this through trades, since we have 0 salaries to trade other than Capela and he has actually been ok. Tilman chose the worst time to go cheap and now that Harden is off rhythm we look like a middle of the pack team. Still think we have a high ceiling if Westbrook and Harden are on, but this puts a inhumane pressure on Harden and he's 30 already, don't know if it's fair to ask him to be Wilt Chamberlain every freaking night.
We don't have the salary or picks to upgrade our defense that's the problem. The overall defense peaked in 2017-2018 with Paul, Ariza, Tucker and Luc Now we are left with way older worn out Tucker, House, Mclemore, washed up Gordon. We have no length, athleticism, hustle or IQ on defense. We can't get stops in even if we try our best because we are too small or too stupid
It's not a simple issue, but what we can control I truly believe we should see what we can get for Capela or maybe even Tucker, since we're obviously not paying the man and maybe we shouldn't. As much as I love the guy, we need size at the 4 and more on offense than just a corner specialist. We cannot stand pat and both have played well enough to get us something in return. Might as well take a risk here at the deadline. Then coaching change definitely needs to happen unless a miracle happens and MDA starts to figure things out. Sign a solid defender at the deadline as well as trade for a big 4 with either Capela / Tucker and I think we can make some noise potentially. Nene can also nab us something so this is do or die for Morey.
Banana boat but not after 2018. - FIFY A lot of help at the trade deadline. which will lead to Coaching change lead to GM change..... and so on. It's all connected IMHO. Chain reaction that is probably not going to happen either. We are not fine and I am still not worried, will sort itself out.
Coaching/philosophy change.. I cant stand watching the Rockets play this year... it's such bad basketball.. I dont blame Harden for how he plays because hes good at it, but hes been enabled by Morey and Dantonio to the point where it's all he knows.
Are you asking about this season or at the end of the season? If it's the former then a coaching change right now wouldn't make sense and would add another wrinkle/hurdle to the season. We need help...actually we just need talent.
Voted the third option, but it would have to be a perfect scenario to me to give us a real chance to compete, which means adding something good without losing something good, which likely also means going into tax territory...which is also means it's probably not happening.
I was actually for trading Harden if this season didn't go well, but we traded all our future assets because Tilman forced Morey to get f'n Westbrook. If we traded Harden, kept all our picks from the CP3-WB swap and hovered at the bottom of the standings for a few years, we would have been fine. I would've loved to see how Daryl hands a full rebuild. We ****ed ourself by sacrificing our future flexibility. We will trade for Westbrook but cut rotational players to save money. We are going to be entering a dark era of Rockets basketball with this tyrant at the helm. I fully expect Morey to say "**** this" and go to the Knicks or Lakers.
I’m somewhere in between “need a little help at the trade deadline” and “time to blow it up.” The Rockets must add quality talent and length at the forward positions and have limited assets to trade. Therefore, they are going to have to move a big piece (Capela) to get what they really need. If I could get an elite 3&D small forward (Covington) and a competent rim-running and rim-protecting center (Nerlens Noel or Richaun Holmes) in a three-way deal for Clint Capela, I’m pulling the trigger.
I've watched Rockets basketball for 20 years. I know what a championship level team looks like. We had one in 2008-09 until Yao went down against the Lakers. If he didn't go down we win a ring that season. Second time was 2017-18 when CP3 went down against the Warriors. Same thing. This team is not comparable to either of those teams. We don't have the talent, discipline nor the leadership.
Im ready to blow it up. I just don’t see it anymore. I just don’t see Harden as someone who is willingly to make the decisions needed to win it all. I just don’t see us having the assets to do anything.
I can't vote and am squarely on the fence. On the one hand, there's no way I see this current bunch winning a ring. On the other hand, I remember very well all the many lousy years of hoping mediocre first round picks would turn into someone transcendent like Harden. They usually don't. It's easy to spend 10 years locked in the 7-12 slots of the western conference. Ugh.
The only light I see in this tunnel is the ability to tank next year if Harden wants out for whatever reason. All of our traded first rounders are top 4 protected so it's still possible to rebuild sooner rather than later.
