Stone has done a great job drafting, I'm not calling his draft selection and Udoka luck. I'm saying that Sengun being the best player drafted in the past 3 years is, Stone didn't know Sengun would be this good, it was an amazing draft pick.
What does that mean? No gm knows how each pick will pan out. Putting yourself in position to have lottery picks isn't luck
https://rocketswire.usatoday.com/20...iew-rockets-executive-eli-witus-as-future-gm/ That is precisely the reason Eli Witus should have been named the GM and not Stone, Stone was just the Senior guy who was next in line after Morey...... Eli is the smart guy in that Office. Stone does not even look like a GM, he looks like a big bald executive who is bossing subordinates around. Maybe Witus cannot face the media or whatever the reason is.....
Precisely, Gergin. A lot of inside voices pointed to that. In general Eli was considered the smarter person. Rafael might have authority and looks like a rich guy.
Sengun was projected to go a bit higher than where he was drafted - if I remember correctly, he was expected to go between 9-12. As he fell in the draft the Rockets mobilized into action to trade up to nab him. And most us Rocket fans were ecstatic!
Whether Eli or Stone I don't think either of them were expecting to draft the best player within the next 3 years and possibly even longer.... It was a great pick...
Not many heard of Monte McNair outside of Houston too and he did well with the Kings so far. I would bet on any of those smart young guys.
Credit to Tilman as well thou, many thought Tilman would get in the way and he's actually gotten out of the way for this org to succeed and given them all the tools to do so...
I agree. Stone is both extremely lucky and good. We have dodged a lot of bullets in the Stone regime. Stone isn't a super genius strategist like Danny Ainge or Presti, but by his mix of luck and skill he is one of the better GMs IMO. Off the top of my head some of Stone's lucky picks: 1. Getting high roll on Jalen's draft (could've given it to OKc) 2. Oladipo refusing Rox star extension (Huge) 3. Getting top 3 in Jabari's draft (top 4 is Ivey or Murray which is a huge drop-off from 1-3) 4. Harden going on his system rant right before FA. I'm sure there are a couple of others but I can't recall them at this time. Of course there are also moments of buy low opportunities like Wood, KPJ, Dillon Brooks and Udoka but I attribute that more to skill.
Doesn't matter how much Eli insisted if Stone didn't like Sengun he wouldn't be drafted. The reality is the Rox FO are all under Stone he deserves credit for whoever made those moves. Think about it Eli Wheatus was also under Morey but everybody acts like Morey did every move under his regime. Now Morey is gone suddenly Eli is the hidden mastermind? Just give credit to Stone just like everybody gave credit to Morey before.
I am waiting to put Stone on the Family Mural. Newly Integrated Member of the Fertitta family.....Stone-Fertitta.
