The relationship between Morey and McHale was inappropriate. Can you imagine Popovich or Phil Jackson following the GM's orders to only shoot 3 pointers and layups and limit mid-range jumpers to the extent they did. I'm not saying the strategy is bad but the deployment of the strategy to such a rigid levels was odd, very odd. -Les is More(y)
Yesterday Morey looked stunned. He looked like a guy that realizes that he's spent years building a team to be a contender, and he now knows what he built is a train wreck. He thought this was the year. Now he knows it's probably back to the drawing board. Oh sure, he's going to say things like he "believes in JB" and all that. But he knows this team is broken. Furthermore, I think he's wondering if Harden is the right player to build around. He's spent so much time putting this team together, it must be a shock to realize it's probably not going to be successful. I don't know if Morey even wants to be involved in the next rebuild.
Les needs to back away from the pink slips. Morey would have a dozen job offers before he had his box packed in toyota center.
his arrogance was his own downfall. Part of being a member of a team, yes he is a member, involves understanding one's own weaknesses and strengths. He dismissed coaching from the start and should have realized that while it involved him being less hands on, it would have been better for the team.
Sure... but in reality, THIS is the team Morey has built. Its basically done... they're either going to win with Harden/Howard, or they're going to need to start all over. If Morey's strategy doesn't work with this team... you have two options. Find a GM/coach who doesn't have an ideology so polarizing that can possibly salvage a Harden/Howard core... or you blow the whole thing up and start all over. If you had to choose one, would it be Morey or Howard/Harden?
This team isnt performing but don't blame it all on Morey.. Be so dumb of Les to fire this guy whose making moves to consistently improve the roster.. ya it might not always work out but hes making moves that we all see as solid moves for the most part. if u want a guy like carroll dawson giving mega deals to cato and contracts to guys like moochie.. then ok back to the bottom dweller team we go!
Nobody is getting rid of Morey... but you do realize there's a middle ground between him and Carroll Dawson.
Agreed 100%. Just looking back, yea we might not have good players across the board but there's something to be said about continuity and consistency. Turning over your roster under you catch Aces could work (see: Harden) but then you don't get enough time to develop chemistry on the court.
Totally understand your point about analytics not being able to tell the whole story. But analytics did not totally miss the possibility of this happening. In my opinion, there were analytics and the lack of analytic data that predicted this. Case in point #1: Capela. He played 90 minutes in the regular season last year. Not enough data to evaluate whether or not he could hold the fort down for 82 games. So there was no reason to think we could really depend on him as the only backup 5 on this roster. We had no analytics to support that kind of thinking. Case in point #2: Rebounding. Analytics had already told us very clearly that Dwight was the only proven plus rebounder on this roster and that Terrence/DMo were way below even average rebounders, and Clint was unproven. Analytics very clearly showed that we were going to have rebounding issues this season. We're currently 28th in DRB%. Case in point #3: 3-point shooting. Lawson 36.5%, Thornton 36.1%, Bev 35%, Brewer 29%, Ariza 35%, Terrence 31%....these are your floor spreaders. All of them poor to average 3-point shooters. Your one plus 3-point shooter (JET) is the same age as his 3-point shooting percentage (38) and he can't D up. We simply don't have great 3&D guys. You may be able to categorize Ariza as a great 3&D guy but he's really not a great 3-point shooter. Analytics very clearly show we do not have good enough 3&D players around Harden and Howard to be successful. Combine these factoids with watching players play and knowing what kind of defenders they are without having analytics to support what we know we can see along with knowing what the other teams in the West did on the offseason and it's not too difficult to see why we're here. Analytics can't tell you everything. But you can usually find analytical support for what you know you see on the court.
This is the man the Rockets need to go after to be their new GM. He's available and has experience building an actual championship team for Houston. In Steve Patterson We Trust!
Definitely did a great job in the draft but man didn't he come close to getting Seikaly and Rice for Dream?
Calm down. It's laughable to suggest the Rockets need a rebuild, doubly so in this age of free agency. The Rockets have a roster that's the envy of over 80% of the league. Harden just needs to get his #### together.
Morey's belief that talent trumps everything else is in question, but I don't see him in the hot seat. You do the harden trade every time and hope that he eventually matures. Everything I see points to hardens attitude, he wants to be the best but he doesn't know how. His legacy depends on winning,not how many endorsements he gets.
Other than swapping Smith for Lawson, it's the same roster that won almost 60 games, in the brutal WC, in spite of missing key players for half the season. Then they gutted it out over the Clips and made the Conference Finals. This has nothing to do with analytics. This is about a superstar athlete who's pulling his team down with poor play and poor effort. Remember that everyone loved - loved! - the trade for Lawson, and Smith took less money to live in LA. Morey isn't the problem. James Harden is the problem.
