we should pursue blake griffin in 2017 free agency

Harden is an adaptable player and D'antoni is a genius offensively and has a very creative mind. Mike can easily design an offense that incorporates both Blake and Harden, and Harden could easily play alongside a player like Griffin. That's not even a concern for me. I'd rather have Griffin on defense than somebody like Ryno, and Blake's 20+ ppg and playmaking from the PF position could take our offense to an even higher level.

His health is a concern which is why I said he'd be a risky signing. I'm not dying to have Blake Griffin on the Rockets (PG is the prize for me), but he would definitely make us better and would be a legit 2nd option for us so I would not be upset if he did end up here. Adding Blake to this team would push us into the 58-62 win range IMO if he could stay healthy which is a big if.

 

Yeah maybe but are we just gonna ignore Morey, Les, and Hayward's connection when it comes to esports passion???

 

Our training staff did a reasonably good job of keeping Ryno, Gordon, and Nene healthy.

Ryno played in 72 games which was the 2nd highest of his career.

Gordon played in 75 games which was the most he's played in since his rookie year.

Nene played in 67 games which is the most he's played in since the 10-11 season.

Blake only missed 4 games in his 1st 4 seasons in the NBA. He has been injury prone the last 3 years. He's played in 67, 35, and 61 games the last 3 seasons (although 1 of the reasons why he only played in 35 games was because he broke his hand punching that equipment manager). Maybe our training staff could get him closer to 70-75 games played.

 

If all it costs us to create the space is dealing Anderson, then I'd do it, even with the potential flaws taken into account.

I would try to get Hayward first, Millsap next though. If those two don't work out, I would try to get Galo @ $16m. If that doesn't work out then go for Griffin.

Let's not kid ourselves. You can sit here and make an assessment that looks more like a list of weaknesses but that's not how anyone should make decisions and it's certainly not how Morey does. Griffin is an elite scorer at the 4 and for years when we've been begging for a defensively competent 4, Griffin gets listed here as one of those guys who you need a good defender to contain. It's pretty damn obvious that Griffin can develop a 3pt shot, it's very likely that Rivers - a coach with archaic strategy - has not encouraged Griffin to develop his range, it's very likely that spending 25% of his time on the perimeter could also result in fewer injuries. Not to mention he would make a good small ball 5 in some circumstances just like Nene - who spend a large part of his prime as a PF, can slot into the 5 now. (Note: took a look at the stats, Griffin is already hitting 33% of a career-high 2 3pt attempts, he is well on his way to developing that shot).

He is an upgrade over Anderson in every area except Anderson is 10x the 3pt shooter Griffin is. He is not the best solution to improve our roster, but it can be made to result in a team that wins more. And the biggest oversight in most analysis here is: how difficult/likely is it to improve on a starter on a team that won 55 and is the 3rd seed in the West? Not easy at all. The likelihood of signing Hayward is low. TONS of teams will be competing for Millsap, Gallo, Griffin. It is HIGHLY likely that if we don't get any of those guys, then we will get only marginal parts to add to our team and we are not marginal parts away from having an elite roster. We have to take every opportunity we can get to inch towards a more talented top 7-8 group of players.

So while I feel the concerns about range and injury, beggars can't be choosers. Morey and MDA would take Griffin in a heartbeat if he agreed to join us and I have total faith that MDA would turn Griffin into a scoring machine who can pass from the high post, and the other contenders would be annoyed. I would love to have Draymond Green's hands full containing Griffin rather than give Green the opportunity to help on defending Harden and collapse on drives/shooters. Griffin's passing from the high post is a major key - it unlocks another dimension in our offense. Griffin is getting 5 assists per game in a Rivers offense. Think about what MDA could do with that skill - think Amare Stoudamire-light with Boris Diaw's passing ability.

 

a year ago i'd consider blake. now i would have to give a HELL NO. if theres anything gms learned from tmac and yao, its to never build around injury proners. if u have one, sell high, or wait till they're high then sell.

we need another go to scorer but it cant be someone who cant rely on. id rather roll the dice on harden being the only star player than gut the team for another one hoping they dot get hurt

 

blake griff too injury prone. i'd much prefer simmons

 

Looking like the only realistic target imo. Anderson is infuriating me right now. Griffin is so dynamic. As a small ball five he would be amazing.

Not convinced he can stay healthy or develop a three point jumper though.

 

Agreed. If we were flailing about with no direction(like the Clippers ironically), then maybe you gamble on a guy like Griffin. But the Rockets are coming off a 55 win season. They're in the 2nd round of the playoffs after a 4-1 series win over OKC and they have a very real shot at the WCF. Why in God's name would you roll the dice on Blake Griffin? He disappears in 4th quarters. He can't play 70+ games in the regular season if his life depended on it(remember, he missed his ENTIRE ROOKIE SEASON!). He's had season-ending injuries the last 2 years in the playoffs. And he relies heavily on his athleticism which is starting to deteriorate thanks to all of these injuries and his age(he just turned 28).

I absolutely think we can do better than Ryan Anderson at the 4, especially for 20 mil a season. But Griffin is not the answer. Yes, I think he could play an Amare type of role in D'Antoni's offense. And if healthy, he would contribute for this team and maybe even help them advance far in the playoffs. But the risks are so huge with this guy that I'd prefer to look elsewhere to improve at that position.

 

If Blake Griffin goes to the Rockets I quit watching them.

 

Buy super sixth men Zach Randolph better. Black bear.

 

Can we actually trade Anderson or is his value low at this point since he's playing bad?

 

I wonder what the Wizards are going to do with Otto Porter since they have Kelly Oubre in the fold.

 

Another injured prone?

 

Resist the urge & pass.

 

I'd go all in for Hayward. Try to move Ryno and Trez and picks to get a first Rd pick and take Markkanen or TJ Leaf.

 

lmao i wanna do the same with ryno going 0-50 from three in the 1st round https://i.redd.it/jyvhm4tlomty.jpg

 

i dont even think we can get bennett for him

 

aint no urge unless you ajunkie. op's a junkie. take those needles away from him

 

TJ Leaf is a possibility if the Rockets can get a pick in the 20's, but Lauri is a top 10 pick. How are the Rockets getting a pick that high?

 

I'm rooting for MonstaTrezz to develop his corner 3. Helluva lot cheaper than The oft-injured Blake Griffin!