I haven't been reading much for several days, but I dug through the threads and I am shocked that no one posted this, which was written on Friday... unless Clutch has banned links to Blinebury http://blogs.chron.com/franblinebury/2007/05/does_tweak_tweak_make_for_more_1.html Try to ignore the writing, and just get to the primary info on Morey's opinion about the status of the roster. There must be at least a little truth in there for him to write this.
Thinking about this a little more... this has to be an endorsement of Spanoulis, Novak, and Lucas by Morey. I don't think it would be possible to look at the regular rotation and say we are close.
Given that Morey knows his statistical analysis really well, I not exactly sure how exactly one would slice these stats and conclude Span, Novak and Lucas shoudl be endorsed: http://www.82games.com/0607/0607HOU.HTM And you can click on the individual player more a more in depth look, too.
no it's more of an endorsement of low salary/high efficiency types like Hayes and Battier - if it's even true at all and not ripped out of context, which it is.
If Morey really thinks that this team is just a few tweaks away from contending then I guess Tmac can plan on never getting out of the first round. Yao either.
Most people thought this team WAS a few tweaks away from contending at the beginning of this season....The team performed as if it was a few tweaks away from contending with 52 wins with Yao and T-mac out at various points due to injuries and a playoff run that was VERY close to being longer...
I guess it depends on what you consider a "tweak." To me a tweak is bringing in another guy or two that doesn't upgrade overall talent. I don't think that is enough.
Agreed, but I don't believe this about the Rocket's brass just because Blinebury blogs it. Morey is a moron if he doesn't believe both Rafer and Chuck must be replaced as starters. I refuse to believe he thinks V-Mac, JL3 and Novak are the answer. Should they get more of a chance to play next season? Yes. But if he tries to sell the fan base that these guys are the solutions to our problems, most people won't buy.
This is a good team, but not a great team yet. As far as "tweaks" go... I agree with Morey as long as he means we don't need to blow the team up and start from scratch...but I wouldn't agree if, say, he thinks all this team needs is a Chris Duhon type guy.
All this is just what I have been saying for quite some time. If I was on the Chronicle I could bring these opinions to you a month ahead of the so called sports expert writers
Tweaking is crucial, when the Rockets added Mario Elie and Sam Cassell it was only tweaking but look how it turned out. The team just needs a couple more pieces...... DD
That's because they were led by a proven superstar who took his game to the next level in May and June, not a guy who cries or a guy who throws the ball away then hits himself on the head.
It's a blog, right ... so it's not a serious report or anything. Can't fault Blinebury for posting his opinion in a blog, even if it's suspect that he really knows what is going on. BUT, while he has it spot on what the Rockets need (PG especially), how in the world can you distance Jeff Van Gundy from the roster problem? This is a fatal flaw to whatever argument he's trying to make. Wasn't it Van Gundy who talked about picking up the phone to call his brother Stan about Rafer Alston well in advance of that trade? Do you think JVG did not sign off on this move? Wasn't it Van Gundy who blasted fans who were critical of Rafer this year? Charlie Frickin' Ward... think that wasn't Van Gundy? Do you think throwing in Boki Nachbar in the Jim Jackson-David Wesley deal was CD's idea? You guys know Boki and JVG had at it a few days before that right? Do you think the #8 pick in the draft AND Stromile Swift for Shane Battier (and nothing else) is a trade that is made if Jeff Van Gundy is not our coach? Stro was dealt as a negative value contract less than a year after we signed him to 5. What about holding on to David Wesley during the injury-riddled 05-06 season when it was a lock you could have gotten atleast a second rounder for him? Did Van Gundy talk about the team chemistry being the big reason to NOT make a move at this past trade deadline? Now we know there was someone he wanted (Mike James?) at the deadline because he said so, but he also said sometimes not making a move is the best move. That wasn't the case this time. In 4 years of JVG-ball, I have never once gotten the feeling that he knows what a future franchise asset is. He has always sacrificed the future for the now. Luther Head only played as a rookie because there was no other choice. Chuck Hayes I'll give you, but JVG cut him once before that. No more roster excuses for JVG. We had homecourt advantage and lost. Again, I lean towards keeping him because, in my opinion, his positives are hard to find in a coach ... but I know he's gone and when he goes, the "blame" better not be 100% on management.
Luther Head also got more minutes after the team decided to ship off Derek Anderson. Same goes with Chuck Hayes without Swift (who, by the way, didn't exactly get treated like an asset in Memphis this season when they were all aobut the assets. If Van Gundy is the source of all the roster moves, the problem isn't so much future vs. now... we know CD and Les knew how to **** up both the future (Eddie Griffin) and the now (Mo Taylor) well before Van Gundy's arrival. Van Gundy's problem seems to be that he makes good use of specialists, young and old, from Luther to Dikembe, with one prominent skill and the Les has been happy getting these guys cheap...
the unhappy list in JVG camp Bonzi Span Mutombo probably Snyder Novak maybe Yao will the management let this pass by or do you guys think the management has an issue with this situation?
Your 100% right on this point. My guess is that Blinebury (in his infinite logic) is confusing his minor knowledge of a little personal friction between JVG and Morey with his own personal ideas vs Morey. My main worry is that there is some truth in his statements about Morey's opinions: Morey could just be sugar coating things with his comments to the press to avoid embarassing his players. He could be delusional. He could right (doubt that). For Morey to consider this team "close", he must believe we have untapped resources on the bench. Otherwise, like Blinebury stated, we are several players (maybe starters) away. I'm leaning towards a combination of both, but I think the team needs 2 more starters to avoid major mismatches in every series of the playoffs.
Same here. Just think about high school talent. How do you judge that? I guess the new rules saved his ass on that one.
Well... that extra year of college scouting didn't save the Rockets from trading 3 picks for he Undercover Brother. Honestly, the Rockets talent evaluation has left a lot to be desired, both in the Rudy years and the Van Gundy years... they will have some hits (Yao's pick, trading for Francis on draft day, picking up Cat, Hayes), but enough Griffins and Turkcans (not to mention paying money for Mo and Cato) to drag down the other talented guys. It seems that the scouting department has improved somewhat from "paying too much for jack-offs" to "focusing too much on one-dimensional players." Yeah, I understand it's not easy to make much out of a 24th pick, a 32nd pick, etc.. but it seems the Rockets have decided to go with guys with one prominent skills rather than overall potential... thus when other teams are picking Parkers, Josh Howards, Tayshauns, the Rockets are getting us some Luther Head... I mean, it's better than Turkcan, but still..
