I'm actually sorta glad Solomon is putting Les/Morey's feet to the fire here, as we head into the off-season, even though I think he could have done a much more informed job of supporting his points. He did it in a dichotomous way, which weakens his message. The Rockets have been saying for years that they are willing to go over the luxury tax, but haven't, and maybe that WAS smart, as long as it turns into success in the long term. Solomon is saying that if we use this summer effectively, and not just talk PR, then this year COULD be a success. But, if we don't "get it done," the excuses are getting old, and there will be a backlash that the Rockets should take seriously. I love Morey's shrewdness in trading and drafting "assets," love the TMAC trade, love the pickups of Brooks, Landry, Lowry, Budinger, Hill, even Taylor and Harris, and that our coaching staff developed them. My biggest gripe with the Rockets the last 5 years was not doing what it took to get Brandon Roy in '96. Morey had just come on, but CD was still running the show. JVG went and won that last game, even though it cost us a key position in the lottery. Then, Portland outsmarted us in getting Roy at #7. We should have done what it took with Atlanta for the #5 pick, which was on the table. We had the assets, but we didn't get it done. Everything would have been different, if Roy had been here, and possibly we'd have already won a championship, and certainly poised to do it again. That's what I DON'T want to see happen this summer ... talk, but not doing what it takes. Since Morey has had full command, he HAS been pretty shrewd and decisive. ... but, this is just as key an off-season as '96, and I'm sorta glad Solomon is putting the heat on, so they do what it takes.
I can't speak for everyone, but Solomon simply made an argument with absolutely zero evidence to back it up, and it upsets people that the crap that passes for a newspaper in this town actually employs someone of his caliber. The major beef I have with Solomon is he talks about it like something else could have been done. We were strapped for cash because of our Gentle Giant and the one and only Tin Man and even still, there weren't exactly any stellar big men available. We tried to trade up to get Thabeet, which would have been a mistake but seemed smart at the time, and made a major push to get Gortat. Nothing seemed to work out, so we had to play the hand we were dealt. A freakin two year old can rant about how pathetic someone is and how things should be better, but it takes a man or woman with some intelligence to not only complain but also provide solutions. All Solomon wanted to do was complain and talk about how he felt "sorry" for the fans for accepting this mediocrity. What he doesn't realize is few are really accepting mediocrity; we simply accepted the reality that we were limited in what we could do this year and performed admirably given the circumstances. If the team ceases to improve or make moves to get better, then you will likely see fans upset. You are correct that there isn't much to celebrate when a team misses the playoffs, BUT the potential of this team is worthy of being celebrated. Aaron Brooks just won the most improved award this year, Luis Scola looks like a bona fide top-tier scoring PF, Budinger shows real promise, Lowry is just a spark plug off the bench, Martin can score with the best of them, Ariza can be a decent role player, etc. All this doom and gloom from Solomon is idiotic and simply makes it look like the Queen didn't catch a game all season and instead just looked at the box score. What?!?!?! Are you really trying to argue that trading an aging Cuttino Mobley, an all style but no substance Steve Francis, and the crap that was Kelvin Cato "ripped apart the team"? Really?!?! Please pass me what you are smoking. Even knowing what we know now, we'd be fools not to make that trade. Francis and Cuttino, and especially Cato, were never going to take us anywhere. Your post was decent until this point. Every team in the league has the goal of winning the NBA Championship. The Yao & Tracy experiment simply didn't work out as planned. It's sad to think about what might have been if the two of them just could have stayed healthy and just couple have shown up in crunch time, but I choose to not think about what might have been. I don't think I would agree with you. Before, we had the stars but no role players. Now, we have the role players but no star. Martin could be a capable enough SG with star scoring ability, but the fear is Yao won't come back and be the same player. If he isn't, then we have to do everything we can to get a big man to replace him. We will simply have to wait and see what will happen. Agreed. Our draft picks before Morey got here were reminiscent of Charlie Casserly's drafts for the Texans. Well just when I started thinking you were on a roll of making some good points, you bring this out. I'm sorry dude, but you are nuts if you think the Artest trade was a bad trade. Hindsight is 20/20, and it is easy to look back and say since we didn't win a championship with McGrady & Yao or with McGrady, Yao, and Artest then we should have never gotten any of those guys in the first place. Yet you fail to realize just how close we really were. We had a ton of money tied up in Yao and Tracy, and last year was now or never. It was time to **** or get off the pot. It's not like we traded for an Artest with a multi-year max type deal. It was a one year deal risk free. And we almost freakin went to the Western Conference Finals! But Yao did what he has done his whole career with us and got injured. So just as I would like to ask Solomon, I will ask you what you think we should have done differently. Don't give me some crap about how you don't like the moves. Tell me what exactly you would have done differently. If you think we would have been a better team with Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley, and Kelvin Cato or with Donte Greene on this year's team, then please pass me what you are smoking. If not, then let's see some suggestions to back up the hatred you seem to have for Morey and for those that support Morey. Carry on.
Good point man. But as you stated, that was CD's move, or lack thereof, and not Morey's. I truly believe if it had been up to Morey, he would have done everything possible to get B-Roy. He simply fits the style of player Morey likes to pursue.
I would also be happy if someone is giving Les Alexander the pressure to spend money-- sure don't want to see Scola or Lowry leave due to tax concerns. However, I just wish the message isn't delivered in such an idiotic way that will probably result in it being easily dismissed by Les and so as to be no pressure at all. Sure, everyone wishes the team would not have any regard for the tax, but in the end, what exactly have the Rockets missed out on in an effort not to pay tax? They've used their MLE almost every year, they used the Yao injury exception, they used cash to buy picks, they used expiring contracts (or at least shorter contracts) to eat salaries big and small-- from Mike James to Jackie Butler to Jeffries either because they like the player or to get some asseets, they just traded for a $11 million a year player who is signed long-term. They've exceeded that threshold a few times, actually, just alway managed to trade down to get under it-- generally with deals like trading a 2nd rounder to Memphis to get rid of Francis. Not sure how that affects the team. What exactly do the Rockets have to do to not be "stingy" according to some? Eat Elton Brand's contract in order to get Iguodala?
Correct me if I am wrong, but they can work out a deal where they sign the player for 2 years first then use the EBE to resign for 175% to get the max contract.
A Rockets fan arguing that we shouldn't be proud of having more rings than the Mavs. This is where people like Hilltopper should sit back and realize that people who disagree with Jerome aren't the sheep...
I think you are confusing Hilltopper with HillBoy. Hilltopper is the good poster who provides us with videos. HillBoy, on the other hand...
Artest was a smart move. Morey knew the Yao window was closing and went for it. Seriously, that was a great move, because it had such little downside. Crazy Pills was in a contract year. There was no long term obligation!
OK, you're calling Otis Thorpe and Sam Cassell role players, and everyone else mediocre? Well, I will gladly take the likely ban for my 1994 Rockets when I say: F**k you, a**hole Point Forward, with sugar on top- your opinion sucks.
Yep. Just imagine if McGrady hadn't been so hell bent to ruin the year. We get Carter if he doesn't sabotage the trade with his press conference. Hell, he just calls off the season in Nov, and that's immediately good for at least another 6+ wins and a team that gels far earlier than March.
The Mavs were closer to winning the ring in 2007 than this season. They blew it by getting blown out by the Warriors and now they are even further away this season.
PointForward wrote that the Mavericks were better than the Rockets because Cuban was free with his money. The tables were turned last year when Cuban was also free with his money. If they are better because they spend more money than they shoud always be better.
to which I responded: 9 > 1 9 seasons of the past 10 seasons the Mavs ended up with a better record than the Rockets and yet you referenced the 1 fluke season. thanks for proving my point. Silly, silly bobrek. classy man. For the record, I love those "role" players to death. Absolutely adore them. Every single one of them. But to call them anything better than "average" is beyond homerism. Sammy was a young pup when we won. It wasn't later day Sam Cassell. It was rookie Sam Cassell.
So now regular season records count? Here you are dismissing this years Rockets record but will pull the Mavs past 9 year records to prove your point? All I need to know is 2>0. Let me know when they start handing out rings for regular season accomplishments.
