To those who want to trade any part of our core: Why?

Because certain posters on this site freak out and overreact when the Rockets lose a game

 

Back on topic. I posted this hypotheses before.... I always thought that if we do not trade a single one of the current core right now (except maybe the PF rotation... none of the current PFs have really made it "their" position...), the structure of our current core still has the potential to turn out to be like a previous champion.

The Detroit Pistons.

Except with one difference. We have a near superstar on our team. The Pistons didn't have one.

Lin - Billups.
Harden - Rip Hamilton.
Parsons - Prince.
D-Mo - Sheed Wallace (hopefully).
Asik - Big Ben.

And we still have cap space for another near max player.

I always thought the future looked very very good with this core. Bring in a solid backup center, confirm our power-forward spot, get a veteran (whether Delfino, Garcia or someone else) that can take some of Harden's minutes off his shoulders, and we are set to compete.

 

As hard it is to admit, i think chandler wll be the one who should be moved if his defense doesnt pick up next season. We really need a lockdown wing defender to mask harden's suckage and we need parsons to be that guy. I really thought parsons would be our wing defender but his defense this year hasregressed compared to last year. I hope he fixes that next season because he has the tools and size to be a wing defender. If he cant, i would understand if we ship him off for someone like toney allen.

 

You admitted that you just begun to watch the NBA 2 years ago. So lets not start comparing parsons to a HOF just because their stat lines are similar in their second year. Quitten (while not popular for his time in Houston) was an athletic freak and parsons will never have that trait.

The guy that actually reminds me of pippen in frame, athleticism, and skills is Paul George

 

I don't want to move Asik, Harden, Lin Parsons. Asik is a terrific defensive center. Harden is Harden. Lin the PG position is deep but the chances of finding one of his calibre at a cheap price that is good defensively is very difficult. A lot more difficult than fans realize. Also I don't want our PG to be expensive. Teams don't win titles with a superstar PG. And by this I mean the Clippers will never win a title as long as CP3 is there best player. I would rather invest that money we would use for a really expensive PG on a terrific PF that can defend, rebound, post up & run the PNR like a champ. Parsons I want to keep as well. I think as Lin gets more consistency on the offensive end, Parsons offensive touches will decrease & he will have to carry less of a scoring load & he can once again focus back on his D.

 

None of those comparisons make sense lol.

DMO and Rasheed made me lol though.

 

There are a lot of ways to building a championship contender. You can sign superstar FA's ala Miami, or let your homegrown players bud just like Spurs and OKC. Let the Rockets simmer first. They might taste better after that and some careful seasoning. For me, we haven't seen the best from this team yet. We get a glimpse from time to time though. That said, I have still high hopes on either Dwight, LMA or Kevin Love or Millsap. They are the type of players we should go to increase our chances next year. As for McHale I've still got a lot of doubts regarding him. Maybe they'll be answered with his performance this playoffs.

 

Of course it doesn't make sense to you. You probably didn't even understand the point I was trying to make.

I never said that each of those Rocket players are similar to each of those Pistons players. The point I was trying to make is that if all 5 positions are staffed with very good players with excellent chemistry, rather then the 2 superstars 3 role players type of model, we can still put out a team that can make a very strong push in the playoffs.

That is on top of having one almost bona fide superstar and plenty of cap space to work with.

In short, if the Rockets stand pat with our current starters i.e. no trades (except maybe for the PF spot), deepen their bench and make use of the cap space smartly, they will still be a very formidable team.

Just like those Pistons were.

 

Pistons were an anomaly. Why follow that model? I'd rather trade for and stack superstars and we're almost guaranteed to be contenders aside from the low % chance we end up like the Lakers. Morey has said before he'd do anything to get a superstar so I'm guessing he likes the superstar model too.

 

We traded our whole core last year and we are much better this year.

I agree that in order to win it all, you have to keep a core together at least a couple years. But that core needs to have more than one superstar.

 

Something could always happen, an injury for example, but then the media will spend the next 20 years saying the Rocket's third Championship has an asterisk. They already have the playbook down pat.

But Harden is a kid, only 23, and Miami might have to dump Bosh, so you load up and see what happens. Time might not be on our side, but I don't see Miami winning several in a row. I don't think that's possible anymore.

 

An anomaly that actually won a championship, and was highly competitive for several more seasons thereafter. Oh, and didn't they beat a superstar studded team in their championship year?

Hell, didn't the Mavericks win with only one superstar? Or were they an anomaly too?

The first Rockets championship also comprised one superstar surrounded by some very good players.

Many superstar teams did not and do not win championships.

Ultimately, sure, if the right superstar is available at the right price, I'm all for trading up. But if no superstars are available, there is nothing wrong with standing pat with the current core and finding smart ways to improve the team. The current team as it is, has the potential to be the next 2004 championship Pistons. They also have the flexibility to significantly upgrade.

I'm not worried at all for the team whether we stand pat or do a big trade / signing or two going forward.

 

Yeah, those 3 championships were anomalies. That's why everyone makes a big deal out of all of those wins. Look at the majority of championships in the last 25 years as a whole. The 2+ stars model is what works. You know it. I know it.

 

Man, you are comparing one of the best defensive team in NBA history with OK offense to a very good offensive team suck at defense.

 

There is always a "chance" to build a championship team no matter what you do. Heck, give me a few hundred years as the Rockets GM with my incredible clutchfans knowledge, detailed draftexpress scouting reports, and espn trade machine, and I bet I can build a championship team.

The actual GM, though, has to work with time constraints. If the way your method has, say, 10% chance of being successful, then Morey must make a trade if the resulting trade makes it 20% chance. And he must not make trades that make the odds go down.

And history has shown that the odds of contending/winning a championship goes up A LOT when you get an extra star. Lakers with Shaq/Gasol? Celtics with KG/Allen? Miami with Shaq? Rockets with Drexler? Morey's job is the increase the odds as much as he can, not hope to win the lottery.

 

I would keep the core....if you think about it, Rockets more than likely will end up with 45-47 win record this season. Next season (barring any serious injuries ofc), Rockets win record for regular season prob would be around 55-60 wins. I would put down 7-8 losses this season due to new the team having all new different players having to learn to play together as well as the coaching staff learning how to best use there players, 7-8 losses due being the youngest and most inexperienced team in the league. So add 45 + ~15 = ~60. I know this is a very very rough estimation, but can you honestly see these same group of kids getting less than 50 wins next season?

 

See the problem is when people are saying our core is 6-7 players. The core is Harden and maybe Parsons. We need dominant bigs. That's the only way to win. If we can get Bosh with Asik, I can live with that. But we can't have Asik and Scola. That will never win. I mean Scola is great but we have to be realist.

 

Totally agree. Hope Parsons become a better defender.Rocket needs some tough defender

 

:grin:

 

Because even though Harden is not in his peak, he is good enough right now to try and build a championship team around him.