Do not assemble a specific roster. What should the Rockets' overall offseason plan be?

Could we assemble all assistant coaches first before we go to that?

Conley jr. should have been last year.

I know Tilman shoots for the moon without spending too much ...... but I would settle for less, like being solid.

Hierarchy is key....even if it means knocking Green down a peg.

My reasoning for someone like Whitmore, Jarace, Miller was to solidify the roster, I am good with Amen, just takes longer.

 

The overall broad direction I want to go in is defense and rebounding. If we are going to continue with Jalen and Sengun, and I think that's a very safe bet, they need to be surrounded by plus defenders. Jabari certainly wasn't that last year but I'm hopeful he can become that.

So that leaves us with a PG and SF starting spot to fill. Maybe Tari will improve enough to take on the SF spot? That would be the best case scenario. I actually like both Tari and KJM.

So that leaves the PG spot. Porter could probably work as a PG in some situations, but not on a team as young and inexperienced as ours.

What do we do for PG? I'm 100% against giving Harden a 4-year max. Does he want a 1+1? If so, that's more palatable. But in any scenario, Harden doesn't fit in with my overall direction of wanting more defense and rebounding. In that interview, Jalen didn't exactly seem elated to play alongside Harden, and Harden could be a poor fit with Sengun (we know Harden will sooner grow wings and fly than he will make a hard off-ball basket cut).

I suppose that means we should draft a defensively-capable PG and sign a PG veteran willing to be backup and provide mentorship. Is that CP3? Conley? Maybe Conley is the cleanest fit, but I wouldn't be surprised if he wants to go to a winner. Are Scoot or Amen capable of being plus defenders? I honestly don't know.

Outside of that, signing a good defensive vet to fill in the gaps also sounds good.

So overall direction: defense and rebounding.

Do that by:

• Not signing Harden
• Signing a mentor-y PG to be our backup
• Draft a PG who can become a great defender
• Filling out the rest of the roster with vets who are strong on defense

If someone wants to point out that if this team adds, for example, Amen, Conley, and Grant Williams, we will still suck ass.... I would agree. I think it's more likely than not that no matter what we do, we'll be watching the Draft Lottery next year hoping we keep our top 4 protected pick.

 

The goal should be to pick a direction.

Do you build around your best players....or do you build around your highly hyped top draft picks?

Do you bring back an over the hill coach killer cancer?

Do you believe in Sengun's long term upside or do you think the team needs to move on and find a more athletic big?

The answers to those questions will determine the path forward.

 

I would argue that 3 of the conference finals teams didn't run an offense based on a "primary playmaker" in this playoffs. Jokic runs the offense in Denver but Lebron/Butler/Tatum have been more play finishers. Those 3 teams ran plays on offense to get players open in spots they can be successful. It wasn't one guy setting everything up.

Unless the Rockets draft some dynamic playmaker that breaks down the defense on every drive, the Rockets should just build an offense with sets that get players open and not rely on one guy.

That's part of the reason you get a guy like Udoka. If we wanted a simple offense where you just give the ball to one guy and he goes to work, we could have kept Silas.

In terms of transactions beyond that. I think you draft the BPA at #4 (I like Miller but he may not be available). Then, you use the cap to get the best available veterans without compromising assets and hedging towards youth. I like going after Cam Johnson because it serves 2 purposes (improves our team, worsens the nets). The only thing I would wince at is loading up on SGs or PFs since we already have Jalen/KPJ and Jabari/Tari.

 

You have to stay young and hope that Jalen, Jabari, and pick #4 develop into stars. I would take Amen at #4 with the hope that his passing would make Jalen and Jabari better.

The last thing I would do is sign or trade for anyone over 30 just to raise our floor. I wouldn't worry about the 2024 pick at all - it's a bad class and the pick is top-4 protected anyway.

We do need a PG though. If we don't take Amen, I would package #20 and the Brooklyn picks to get Anthony Black or Cason Wallace.

 

I’d like to see them add a PG and some credentialed shooters. While I understand the need to aim for the playoffs next year, I’d like for the pieces they add to be young enough that they can stick around for a while. I’m not big on the Harden option.

 

So the way I think about it is and I believe trade acquisitions are as likely as FA signings:

1) Sign or acquire any players worth over $40m/season and they should be worth it for the entirety of their contract. People like Jaylen Brown for example. I believe Green and Sengun are going to take on a lot more offensive responsibility so there's not much more room for more than one person who needs the ball in their hands.

2) Other than that, sign value deals with hard working 3&D role players at any position. These assets should be easily moveable for the entirety of the contract. Here you find the Brook Lopez and CP3 types. My #1 priority is a rim protecting C with no major offensive deficiencies. My #2 priority is a PG.

3) Everything else is not better than remaining patient with our cap space. Don't overpay someone who is close to the max and needs luck to be worth it. Don't ever pay a role-player who needs to be hidden defensively or offensively unless it's cheap and for the bench. Here's where you find the Cam Johnsons and the Hardens of the world. Maybe even Austin Reaves now that he seems locked at $25m. We have to be very careful here. I'm optimistic about Reaves, but objectively we should do our homework.

4) If we find ourselves in a situation where we must meet a salary floor or we've struck out on FA's a lot, then sign players to large deals that are only guaranteed for one year so that we can pursue trades during the regular season and if nothing materializes we have cap space again next season.

 

I want to build around the core we have right now.......and if someone BEATS THEM OUT so be it.

KPJ at G
Green at G
Tari at SF
Bari at PJ
Sengun at C

I would try to find pieces that fit around those - a shot blocking big is missing - and if there is one in the draft (Lively) or in Free Agency (Lopez) then go get him.

I would draft knowing that those players are NOT going to be starters this year and will need to develop on the bench and in the Gleague....and if somehow they beat out one of the above starters so be it........

I think a new coach is the biggest upgrade and we got the biggest possible.....now we need to find missing pieces which give our roster flexibility.

DD

PS. Notice that both guards are just guards....we don't need a PG or a SG - if the system provides the shots and Sengun is the hub, we just need guys who can defend and shoot......

 

The Rockets' offseason goals should be to:

• Find another key piece in the draft. I think we should sit tight at 4 or trade a few spots down if there's a trade to be made. I'm not in favor of drafting up for Scoot. Not because I don't think Scoot's a good player. I just think that Charlotte or Portland would want too much. Why would Portland want to do a trade with us anyway? There's no one on our roster we could offer them when their goal is to build a contender around Lillard. Anyways, there's still going to be a good player available that the Rockets can add to the roster when Wemby, Scoot, and Miller are off the board.
• Find two good veterans to add to the team. There are a lot of options here that could open up. The two most urgent needs are PG and Center. We need a rim protector at the 5. Sengun should be moved to the 4. I'd like to see Stone go after someone like Jakob Poeltl. But what happens if Charlotte drafts Scoot and seeks to trade Lamelo? If a huge trade opportunity like that doesn't happen, I would prefer to stick with KPJ for another year but try to bring in another young promising PG that is a restricted free agent (e.g. Tre Jones, Ayo Dosunmu). There should be a lot of options available besides James Harden

So the theme is really to continue to build around your key draft picks (Green, Smith, and Sengun), and avoid taking a shortcut by signing Harden. Your core should only be on the trading block unless there's an opportunity to trade for another more established young star that we could build around. Unless an opportunity like that arises, Stone should stay the course and continue to build the structure for a team that could become a dynasty. He doesn't need to hit a home run, he just needs to get a few base hits that result in players being added to make the roster improve from a 22-win team to a 40-win team next year. Any GM worth his salt should be able to assemble a 40-win team. If Stone, can't do that...we need new management.

 

Draft a twin

Try to do a sign & trade for Cam Johnson and try to include Dewiddie in the deal if we don’t plan on signing Harden

I just need a twin, Cam, and a vet point in Harden, Conley, Dewiddie, and a vet big man and call it a successful off-season

 

Nice work OremLK.

I’m feeling more of a hybrid approach with regard to the options you’ve listed above.

we should definitely try to aggregate our non-core assets to get as good of a player as we can; essentially consolidating assets for a core piece that fits our time window. I don’t know who that will be, but we need to do that. Basically anyone except #4, the Brooklyn picks, Jabari, Tari, Green, and Sengun.

If we think there’s a franchise player in the draft not named Wemby, we should sacrifice assets (even core assets) to move up.

then I’d fill in holes with FA’s. This FA class is trash when u look at a realistic list of who’s available. We need to find culture setters and leaders like Josh Hart, not guys like James Harden.

So to summarize:
1). big consolidation trade for another core piece
2) do whatever it takes to get the 2nd best player in the draft (if he’s a franchise guy)
3). Fill in the rest of our needs with team-first vets; prioritizing a point guard, a defensive rim-protecting big and 3&D perimeters defenders.

 

Trade down and take Wallace.

Pkg Porter and 20 to move up for Lively.

Throw money to Reaves and Johnson.

Trust in the process. The growth.

Don't fk it up with the Vegas, strip club fat boy.

Let Udoka do his thing.

 

1) Shine Harden... if the guy wants a 1 or 2 year deal - we can talk... but he can shuffle on with that 4 year fat contract desire elsewhere - end of story. Personally, I dont like the man, i dont trust him to stay engaged - but he's a huge talent... but i aint tying 4 years of max money up in this dude - just so he can pull the ripcord and start enjoying retirement early... 1 or 2 years where he's gotta maintain a certain level of production for future earnings - maybe... but being the team that gives him his last money grab - pass!

2) Get a PG...
A) if we can move up n grab Scott, i'm all for it - depending on cost... im not giving up future multiple frps or nothin to move up 2 spots.... but id package 4, clips pick, kmj and maybe another asset or two...
B) if the price for Scoot is too high... look for a vet. i'd pay for Van Fleet... or give up some assets for a trade... but we need somebody setting the table... a game manager more than anything... somebody who can get others going...
C) KPJ - id love him as 6th man... depending on who gets moved maybe he has a spot in the starting lineup... but he aint runnin starting point going forward...

3) get a sterotypical center that can be used situationally, more of a defensive rim protector... somebody to jockey with Sengun depending on matchup... maybe some twin tower overlap mins when Jabari sits... idc who starts - it should depend on matchup...

4) whatever other upgrades are available - depending on remaining superfluous assets and/or cap space...id be throwin out 1 or 2 year contracts to bpas... longer if they got upside... but we gotta start consolidating some of these roster spots... see if we can move 4 or 5 quarters for a dollar kinda thing...

 

Develop a team defensive identity, find a point guard.

The major personnel question in my mind is how we get a legit point guard and who that will be. I'm a Sengun believer but even if you make him the focal point of the offense, he can't do the things a smart PG can do. Someone will need to bring the ball up and initiate the offense but more importantly, you need someone who understands the flow of the game and knows the right time to make the right play, the circumstances that lead to an improvisation off of the normal pattern, the one possession that will change the game. A high basketball IQ guy--one who not only gets the who, what, when, and where but also the why. Sengun can make decisions on where the ball goes during a possession, but I still think we need a point guard to monitor the flow and set things up.

Related, we need to find a role for the talented but not point guard kind of guy in Porter, Jr. I'm also a Porter believer and think he can do much, much better on D. That should be his calling card for the rest of his career. He's shown he is a good scorer but good scorers are more widely available than elite defenders. If he can combine his offensive skills with elite D, it shows his maturity and he will more than make his money on future contracts. At this point he has more potential value than trade value and for a winning team, that needs to change.

We are not going to compete for a championship next year or the year after so I'm okay if we end up with Amen and need to bring him along slowly as a future point guard. The OK City picks are top 4 protected, so I don't really care about them as we have enough young talent and future picks via Brooklyn. If we luck into a top 4 when we should be at 12, that's gravy. I just want to see good basketball and improvement this year.

My main hope is that Udoka instills a top-notch defensive philosophy, scheme, and mentality. If a team can play high level defense, it means they are communicating and moving together, it means they are looking out for each other and there is little selfishness. That directly translates to the offensive side and to the locker room. It also translates to winning. It's a delicate building process with a young team that has been under-coached and allowed to develop bad habits but presumably we have a coach who can make that happen.

I believe the smart move is to develop, so I'm not crazy about bringing Harden back and I think the vets that do come with the cap space need not only an analytics validation but a sociological one as well. The locker room has to be rock solid by mid-season and going forward.

 

1. Take the best young PG in your opinion. If this is Henderson, then trade up and get them if this is amen then take him at four. If both are gone, trade back and take Wallace or JHS.
2. Consolidate #20 and young ancillary players like Christopher for a top 8 young rotation vet or to move into top 12 for a higher potential player. Christopher Garuba Martin are all fine prospects, but there are players around 12 to 14 just have higher ceilings and floors.

Build around Porter/Green/Sengun/Eason/Smith/#4. 1-3 of those guys will become all stars. Three of them project to be + defensive players. 3 of them will likely be average as a high end outcome.

4. Move Porter to the bench. Maybe he starts as SF or SG in the future. For now, we test him in demoting him and challenge him in the 6th man role.

5. Sign or trade for a veteran pg to start. I don’t think this should be Harden necessarily but I do think that there is a world where Harding could alter how he has played in Philadelphia to accommodate this teams, immediate goals and needs. Mostly facilitating an offense that is also carried by Green/Porter/Sengun. There are a handful of options that would work.
6. Overpay Cam Johnson. Huge value there in taking away the second or third best player on the Nets. not to mention he is best friends with Bridges.
7. Give Brook Lopez a massive two year deal. He is the ideal back up center.

 

I was very anti Harden - well, still am - but now that we fell to 4 and Scoot may be out of reach, I guess the albatross contract of a 34 year old Harden might be the only way this organization can rectify 3 years of basically ignoring the PG position.

My preference always required the Rockets magically getting in the top 2. I dont see a path to "success" in the next 3 years that doesn't include Udoka developing the current kids to much higher heights. Sign everyone, dont sign everyone - doesnt matter. In the longer term it's develop or bust, even if it's only to increase the trade value of current assets. You don't tank for 3 years and come out with zero stars and game plan your way to true contention.

 

Udoka said it in his interview with Vanessa Richardson

1) Big(s) that can protect the rim and be a lob threat.
I have us drafting possibly Jarace, Hendricks and/or Lively or Edey. Rockets interested in Brook Lopez

2) Point Guard (Rockets asked every coach interviewed how they felt about coaching Harden?)

3) 3-point shooting from Wing Spot. KPj shot 43.5% in CnS 3's. Udoka says he likes KPj CnS 3's and plans on increasing attempts (playing more off ball). Going after Cam Johnson or Jeremi Grant....draft ?Brandon Miller....move up or falls to us at #4?
___________


Udoka mentioned later he wants to utilize Sengun as a passer. But I wouldn't be surprised if he is traded.

 

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