Are "Money-ball" teams prone to long winning streaks---and what does that mean for the Rockets?

The 1993-94 Rockets started the season 15-0, and then proceed to play basically .500 ball the next month. Yeah, you're looking way too deeply at this.

 

Arguably the Mavs were the first.

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/nati...ill-dont-believe-best-new-ideas-sports/49511/

And the odds are either OKC, GSW or the Spurs wins a championship before Houston does.

The Spurs have made a quite but determined push over the past several years to build and integrate their analytics departments.

 

Cuban's more of a ball-of-money guy.

 

What happened to DD anyway? Where is he these days?

 

Even if Yao and Tracy were both healthy, I think they just aren't good enough to win it all together. Winning a championship takes a lot of luck and a great amount of talent.

As good as Yao and Tracy were and how much talent each one of them possesses, they both have too many flaws and weaknesses in their game. On top of that, the Rockets didn't have any talent to surround the star duo. I think that's why the Rockets never advance past the 1st round in the playoffs.

The only time they were able advance and almost hand the Lakers a 2nd round playoff exit, the Rockets finally had some decent talent on the team. Despite not having Tracy, the Rockets had some pretty good talents spread evenly throughout their team which is why they were able to do pretty well in the playoff that year. I think Ron Artest that year, was at the prime in his career and he basically filled in a lot of weaknesses for Yao and Tracy.

IMO, if Yao never went down that year and Tracy was his old healthy self along with the combo of Ron and Shane along with the PG combo of Brooks & Lowry, a good PF in Scola with Landry as his backup, the Rockets would probably go all the way to the promise land that one year. But luck has a lot to do with the results.

 

Fine, that's a fair explanation, but you still didn't really explain anything about why you think Mark Cuban getting guys like Vince Carter, Haywood, etc is Moneyball.

Cuban just spends on whatever is available, and hopes it works. To me, he sounds like the complete opposite of Moneyball -- like the Steinbrenner of the NBA. He does not seem like he really relies on analytics and spending wisely at all.

 

17.5 pts and 5.9 rebounds per 36 minutes off the bench for $3 million. Good 3P shooter too @ .369%. Basically Dallas's version of Delfino.

 

Statistics, and Intangibles can not make up for the lack of a true superstar, who can make other players better.
We had an all time great, an absolute legend.Hakeem Olajuwon.
There was no Money Ball, or super stats etc at that time.
He could have led the Rockets to a championship in the current era along with another star Clyde the Glide, and the rest of our role players from that era today.

 

He died in a fire.

 

Except he doesn't get anywhere close to 36 mpg, but nice attempt to stretch his numbers. Are really going to argue that a 36yr old Vince Carter who doesn't play a lick of D and doesn't really care to run any offense or do any of the little things like Delfino is a Morey-type acquisition.

What a silly argument.

Cuban is more like Steinbrenner than Morey

smh

 

Depends on how you define Moneyball. Cuban is a firm proponent of statistics and analytical thought. It isn't all about frugality, for example the Rockets spend far more on scouting than all other teams.

 

I was just pointing out Carter is giving them value for their money. Which is as I understand it part of the "Moneyball" system. Carter is averaging 12 pts per game. He plays a role on their team just like Delfino gives value to the Rockets as a role player.

Delfino ($3mil) has done a lot for us, but lets be honest he's probably making what he's worth. He's a great 3P shooter, but he doesn't drive the ball or draw fouls like Ginobili ($14mil). Ginobili, Carter and Delfino all play about the same number of minutes (24-25) per game.

 

No way, for real? That's sad to hear if it is.

 

Houston teams are prone to peaks and valleys. We've never had a team in this town that has been consistently good for any length of time. I blame part of it on our blue blooded fan base, and the fact that we are a melting pot city with no real culture or ties to local teams here.