Do You Like the Direction of the New Look Rockets?

Don't think there was a choice. Last year's team was good but just wasn't good enough to be contenders. Don't think it would have changed if we kepted the same line up this year.

This year's team (barring Howard Trade) will suck. I just don't us putting up enough offense consistently to make it into the playoffs. Nor being a lock down defensive team with the players we have. However I do think there'll be flashes of potential that can be built upon next year.

 

Thats the Magics fault for surrounding him with terrible contracts

 

It would be funny if Marcus Morris has a good season, and everyone on Clutchfans will hop on the Morris bandwagon again. :grin:

 

This Years Team:

PG - Jeremy Lin 6'3" 200 lbs age 23
SG - Kevin Martin 6'7" 189 lbs age 29
SG - Jeremy Lamb 6'5" 185 lbs age 20
SF - Chandler Parsons 6'9" 227 lbs age 23
SF - Marcus Morris 6'9" 235 lbs age 22
SF/PF - Royce White 6'8" 261 lbs age 21
SF/PF - Terrence Jones 6'9" 252 lbs age 20
PF/C - Patrick Patterson 6'9" 235 lbs age 23
PF/C - Donatas Motiejunas 7'0" 222 lbs age 21
C - Omar Asik 7'0" 255 lbs age 26

Obviously there has to be some additions and the Dwight Howard trade is still up in the air so that could drastically effect the look of the team as well. But just looking at this team, the first thing that jumps out at me is the average age of the team which is 22.8 years old even with advance age of Kevin Martin averaged in. Additions to the Rockets outside of a trade for Dwight Howard would likely be players like PG - Scott Machado age 22, SG Zoron Dragic age 23, C Greg Smith age 20 and SG John Diebler age 24.

I would not mind if we can trade Martin, Patterson, & Morris. and pick up a another decent 7'0 C or draft picks.

then we could play and develop our youngsters.

PG: Lin / Fortson / Machado
SG: Lamb / Diebler
SF: Parson / Jones / White
PF: Donuts / White / Jones
C: Asik / Donut / if we find someone from trade.

A team with lots of potential plus all the picks we have in coming up year. looks good for rockets in future years.

 

Funny thing is, we would have to take a couple of those, not too mention I keep reading how bad Lin and Asik's contracts are. Now if we go get say a Gay type player, then we are copying the Magic with adding on overpaid players. That's what free agency does.

 

No offense, but you are talking out of your ass. This mancrush on Howard has obviously left you blind to reality:

1) Howard does NOT want to play here
2) Howard has never won a championship (sorry but taking a team to the finals and not winning it does not count - that only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades).
3) Howard is a DAMN diva!!

Why take a chance on getting someone like this who will only play a half season or one full season (if he is ready in time) and then leave us with a bunch of overpaid bums like Turkoglu and also with little young talent?

But at the same time, why keep playing guys like Lowry, Scola, Budinger, etc. that are good to solid role players but not stars? I've been sick of this close but not good enough of the last couple of years where we are the 9th or 10th best team in the West. When Yao retired, that is when Morey should have started this plan. Oh well, at least he is now committed to doing it.

I don't have a problem with this team winning 30 games or less because it is a "got to see the forest and not the trees" scenario. Because if we are patient and hold onto guys like D-Mo, Lamb, Rolls Royce, Jones, etc., we will be rewarded. We have to break the cycle of mediocrity and this is the way to do it.

crash - thanks for the thread and great read as usual. Always enjoy reading your posts as they are so informative.

conquistador - for the love of GOD, if I see you say "Maury" instead of Morey one more freaking time, I am going to jab my eyes out. If you think you are being cute by doing that....you're not.

 

Two 2nd round picks via New Jersey? Aren't those from New York?

 

Lets see from:
Dalembert/Hill/Thabeet/Smith (and later Camby)
Scola/Patterson/Hill
Parsons/Budinger/Morris/TWill
Martin/Lee/TWill
Lowry/Dragic/Flynn

to

Asik/Smith
Motiejunas/Patterson/Jones/White/Johnson/Harrellson/Williams/Brockman
Parsons/Morris/Simpson/Forbes
Martin/Lamb
Lin/Douglas/Livingston

Still have some huge holes but we aren't through yet. Even if the Howard trade doesn't go through and we move Martin for a pick, we look to be heading for a top 5 pick to me as we will have a huge hole at backup SG and backup SF and backup C and a very, very young list of starters. They will be fun to watch though but we just have to be patient.

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Do these Morey tweets indicate the end of <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%2523Rockets">#Rockets</a> offseason? A roster roll call on July 24 gives an impression of finality. <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%2523NBAFreeAgency">#NBAFreeAgency</a></p>&mdash; MoiseKapenda Bower (@moisekapenda) <a href="https://twitter.com/moisekapenda/status/227869393995067392" data-datetime="2012-07-24T20:54:31+00:00">July 24, 2012</a></blockquote>
<script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I don't like the finality. Bring me Howard.

 

No way. We have no rookies in our starting five. Some of you constantly overestimate how young we would be to start the season.

 

Well, for all of you concerned people out there, we have broken the mediocrity cycle. Les gave a nod and in a virtual heart beat Morey torched a roster that had the 9th seed for three straight years. For better or for worse.

Right now Houston sits on an Ocham's razor named Howard. If we fall one way we are top 5 lotto, if we falls the other the Rockets are probably a holy terror come the 2013 playoffs. There in no in between.

Yes, Howard does make that much of a difference. He is better than Bynum on the court in every way but free throws. Next to Lebron, he probably adds more games to the win column than any other player in the NBA. With Asik the Rockets would have a top 3 paint protector in the game all 48 minutes. Who else would you want down low when a fast PG breaks down Lin off the dribble?

For the Rockets franchise this is a defining moment. I just view this as a fascinating story line. I cannot wait until Howard falls one way or the other. Lotto or playoffs? Lotto or playoffs?

 

I'm not going to argue with you guys about adding Dwight or not adding Dwight. I'll stick to the subject of this thread and just say that unless we do, no, I am NOT happy with the state of the roster. We have taken one step backward from last season and mired ourselves in the treadmill. I won't be able watch and hope for the playoffs, nor hope for a top 5 pick. The only possible outcome if we miss out on Dwight is defined by one word:

Meh.

 

22.8 years old. Before we inevitably ditch Martin.

 

I think the direction is still unclear. Morey could trade the farm for Howard, then we could have him and the seven dwarfs (symbol for the little talent that is left). That could be pretty ugly. If we don't get Howard, we are tank city, but it could still be entertaining. I would rather go with the young guys and let them develop. Especially Lin, Lamb, Parsons, and Donuts have loads of potential. With Asik in the middle and Martin back to form, pretty good starting lineup. No playoffs, but fun to watch. And they may do better than expected. With Howard, we become Magic West, all our young talent will likely be gone and we are stuck with Orlando's castoffs and everybody Orlando didn't want from our roster.

 

Kinda what i was thinking... I really don't want Martin back!!

 

If (and when) the Rockets dump Martin they quite possible could be taking a shot at Zeller or Noel in the 2013 draft. Things are not that bad friend. Although like you I am on the Howard bandwagon.

 

Average age of starting 5 is much more than that, and the starting five will be getting the vast majority of minutes.

 

C'mon dude ...seriously ? just sounding pathetic now

The best player will be a 2nd year Parsons ... like that's really gonna challenge for a playoff spot or something

 

Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lin, Omer Asik, Chandler Parsons. All solid starting caliber guys. I think Patterson has a shot to rebound and be a solid starter as well. Those guys together will probably comprise something like 75% of the minutes the Rockets play in the first half of the season. I would not be surprised if the Rockets went .500 until the trade deadline when Martin leaves.

 

Yes, we either get Howard or start to rebuild the team with a group of young players, we are not going to be in mediocre form for another year anymore.