[ClutchFans] Saying goodbye to Adelman feels like the right move

Folks, there's a big logic fallacy here...

Look at the NBA championship team the last 20 yrs...which one got there by rebuilding - zip!

Rebuilding = tanking = getting the no. pick.
Next, you have to put a winning team to get to the playoffs
Next, you have to hire a great coach or find the missing player to make it to the finals.

All rebuilding guarantees is losing now to get a top draft pick. Nothing else!

 

San Antonio tanked to get Tim Duncan

Boston tanked and got the picks to get Garnett and Ray Allen

 

I've said it in the other main thread, but I have a fundamental logic problem with some of the ideas Clutch posted.

If we want to say Adelman and management were not able to reconcile their views, I can go with that. It seems spot on and I guess, sadly, we had to make a move if the big boys couldn't find a way to play together.

But my two issues boil down as follows:
(1) You can rebuild with a great coach if he wants to be here. I know Adelman was hired for Yao/T-Mac, but he's good with all kinds of rosters (as he's shown.)
(2) He is actually one of the best at player development. Ask Lowry, Chase, Patrick, Chuck, and so on, all the way through his career. If we're just basing this "development" argument on T-Will, oh my. Can we give Adelman a little credit here? I'll go out on a limb and say T-Will will be a headcase for the great majority of his career.

Anyway, if Morey could have budged on listening to a sage basketball mind, and if Adelman could have budged on listening to analytics, we could have had a beautiful thing, but personalities are important, and here we are.

I think this had to happen, and I think Adelman was a vocal part of the decision to leave, but I'm more disappointed and less optimistic than Clutch about our next coach. There are probably some great young minds out there as assistants, but it's a bit of a crap shoot, as the last 40 years of coaching decisions in the NBA shows: 1 in 10, or less, of the "next great thing" pans out in coaching.

EDIT: I acknowledge I know a million times less what exactly is going on day to day with the Rockets than Clutch does, and in some ways, I trust his take beyond my own misgivings. I do think I know Adelman's abilities more than most, since I've been on the west coast, following the Blazers and then the Kings pretty closely.

 

You can rebuild without tanking.

 

I loved the article Clutch, and I agree with Moe here.

I think that the onus here is on player development, something that Rick wasn't to interested in since he needed to win now. There were a whole lot of minutes during this fruitless season that could have been logged by TWill, Hill, Patterson, and Thabeet. Adelman was not interested in that and did not have "room" for some of those players. I think they will find a coach that shares the vision of developing the players we have, whether it is a "name" or not.

 

You are right. I don't think we're gonna tank. I don't think we're gonna get rid of the core and win 15 games next season. I think Morey is going to keep turning over the roster while competing, turning over the older vets for younger potential.

These moves Morey has made have all had some timing. He waited to move Shane until the end of his deal and until Lowry and Hayes had matured to take over the leadership of the team. He got what he could for Shane and moved on. The next big name on the block..........Scola. He's the oldest player and he's got a youngster behind him. Morey's not going to give him away. That's why it may be midseason (if there is a season) before he is moved. Or Scola could be moved draft night to get us another younger piece.

Morey, essentially, is using the Lakers approach. That is, you keep turning over the roster until you get a championship calibar roster, and then you play those guys up until the point where you have to make changes, and then you start moving guys out. LA moved out Shaq when it was obvious that one of Shaq or Kobe had to go. They went with the younger guy and they traded Shaq. And the results do speak for themselves. LA has operated this way for years. Morey is essentially doing the same thing here.

After Scola departs, if we get marginally better over the next season but we don't turn into a top seed, then look for Martin and Lowry to be moved.

And yes, Lowry and Martin could be moved tomorrow in the right deal to bring in a DWill or CP3. Morey would move anybody on this roster for DWill, CP3, or Howard.

He picks up guys like Thabeet, one season left on his deal, essentially an expiring contract next season. The organization will get to know him, evaluate him, try to improve him, and make a determination on whether he will be anything. If they feel he will be something, they'll try to get him to sign an extension for lower money. If he accepts, they've got a bargain. If he doesn't, they will put some lipstick on him, make him look as good as possible and then ship him off before he expires for some other talent. And if they feel like they know he won't be a player now, then they could move him at first opportunity in comination with a guy like Miller to get a quality player off another team, that is a quality player with one extra year on his contract, so they can flip him.

All of Morey's moves are done with another move in mind. They are done to keep his trading flexibility and to keep him stocked with valuable trading "commodities". We'll use that word since Morey says he's never used the word "assets". Same thing. Expiring contracts, draft picks, established quality veterans, and young talented ballers...they're all assets. Morey wants to keep assets on his books, not boat anchor long term contracts that are hard to move because the player is underperforming what he is paid. The minute Morey makes a deal that includes a boat anchor contract, you can bet your last dollar, it is his all in move, he's putting all his chips on the table and saying this is a championship calibur roster. And if he can get a championship calibur roster without taking on that boat anchor contract, well, that's all the better.

 

I do understand Adelman's frustration on the Terrence Williams trade. He basically brought in a player that in order to be on the floor, would totally change the dynamic of how his motion-based offense ran. Mid season thats alot to ask of a seasoned coach. Terrence got a shot at playing within the system, and did not execute. Therefore that was that.

However, I wouldn't say that it was player development, or playing young players that turned off Adelman from buying in to the way the front office wanted this team to be coached in the future. Adelman wanted stability in his roster, and did not want alot of change. He wanted to know who he had, and couldnt agree to take the job knowing that the roster that is in place, might be totally re-arranged next February.

I agree totally in what Clutch wrote in this article that it was the right move for the front office to make.

 

are we all speculating the rift btw morey and aldman???

ra's system has been evolved to the point he doesn't need superstar to win game like he did in sac. he just need good players who are willing to follow his system. the key rox hired him is he promised to make life easy for yao and tracy. it means they weren't the focal point of other team defense and they didn't need to pile up their stats to save their star status. they would be a regular player like everyone else on the team.

well, when you look at what morey has been doing, you kinda believe he believes the superstar system in NBA. otherwise, he won't be so desperate to trade a superstar w/ any cost.

does aldman want a superstar? yes. but he will use him no difference from other players. it's rare to see a spetacular player popped up from his team. why? coz his system.

 

This is a great point and bears repeating. Adelman can develop talent. Carl Landry in response to Adelman's departure praised him and credited him with helping him a lot in his development. A lot of posters often complained about how much Adelman just played veterans to the detriment of younger players when you look at what he did with players like Landry, Lowry, Hayes, Budinger, and Brooks (before he became a head case) and its obvious he can work with young players. Adelman obviously wanted to win and trusted guys like Battier and Scola but that doesn't mean he wouldn't give guys like Landry and Budinger significant minutes.

All the bellyaching of T-Will should say more about T-Will than it does Adelman.

 

Lowry and Martin need to be moved before Scola. Especially Lowry that would guarantee the Rockets finish in the bottom 5.

 

Found it very interesting that Alexander wanted to can Adelman after the rough start to the year. Adelman had to have known about it, too. Divorce was already inevitable at Christmas.

 

Thank you. You proven my points...

Rebuilding = tanking = top draft picks...nothing else.
You still need a great GM to put the final pieces around a great player.

Pop was the GM when they got Duncan, then he fired the coach and took total control of the team direction. He knows basketball.

Ainge took a big gamble and traded for the big 3. Instant championship caliber.

Rockets have a decent team. All we need is a big missing piece and that's the job of the GM is to get that missing piece. Morey couldn't do because he's too incompetent or too cheap. Simple as that!

 

Good article.

I see the logic and am not too broken up about Adelman being gone, but part of me would have liked to see what could have happened if we had just gone out and gotten him a big man and a wing. I feel like we probably turned down a deal on the table for Gerald Wallace, considering what it took from Portland to get him. That would leave only a hole at center, in a free agency period in which we could at the very least get Dalembert for some MLE money.

Obviously this isn't a recipe for a dynasty, but right now it feels like our best chance to get deep into the playoffs. Would it be enough? Doubtful. But it would have been worth trying, especially with a great coach like Adelman. Maybe we could have made another trade or two and become something like the '05 Pistons share-the-wealth model (or the '01 Kings).

 

I continue to fail to see the point in losing Lowry, Martin, and/or Scola....just to draft one guy that is a dice roll to become better than them.

Next year's draft looks to be LOADED. #10 pick could net you a possible star. It's boderline hyperbole from me...but it could end up being the deepest draft since 96.

I also think that you don't HAVE to get that superduper star to win. Install a center and SF on the same level as Martin (borderline All Star), and the team will be singing.

 

Totally agree with that if you keep and play your proven core players.
What I am hearing is Morey wanted to Adelman to build the new team around young, cheap players like TWill and Thabeet.

Adelman believe this team can win if Morey (GM) will go out there and spend a few bucks on a super star player. Morey disagrees and tanking is better because its cheaper, the Clippers way.

 

no, I just debunked your points.

Morey and his international scouts are very good. So good that the a Russian Billionaire has been trying to steal them away.

http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-04-02/sports/27060647_1_smart-guy-nets-president-new-owner

Morey has made solid picks more than he's made bad ones. Impatient and cheap?

A Basketball coach does not help or hurt our chances at a FA center. Even with Adelman players passed over us, not for money but for fame. Luck of the draw.

EVER HEARD OF THE SALARY CAP!?!?! Probably not.

 

I'm not in the "trade all the vets" boat, but if they do go that way, I want to see them all traded to a single team. That way we'll see what is the right approach.

 

All it boils down to is that RA thought we were closer to contending than Morey did.

And RA was right. It is written.

 

i don't think morey will limit himself to one way. he will do whatever possible to get a superstar so he can build the team around the star. trading or draft doesn't matter to him. he has been looking for the opportunity.