KD isn't bolting, in fact, he's taking a discount to keep that core intact. We just have to accept the fact that there isn't a team that can beat them in the west so we should focus on regular season instead of the playoffs.
Time to blow this team up, unless they can score Anthony Davis. To beat the Warriors you need to collect 2 really good bigs, jump shots vs layups.
To beat the Warriors you will likely need at least two MVP calibre players and a small collection of star level players. The best the Rockets can hope for is that one of our young players such as Capela develops into some kind of freak and becomes the best center in the game (not likely to happen) and that Morey adds us another or if we keep Gordon and Lou Williams they both need to average close to 20 ppg. We're certainly not winning any titles with Ryan Anderson at 18 million per year, though. Rockets need to trade him for sure, possibly package him with Lou Williams or Gordon and try to upgrade that way. Otherwise, we just have to hope that Golden State falls apart somehow which isn't likely to happen. Either way, this Rockets team will still be fun to watch in the regular season just as they were last season so maybe we just lower our expectations and appreciate the fun scoring bunch that we have while knowing that any chance at a title is minuscule at best.
Well... better 12-6 than 13-0. It's something. And maybe the day comes, that the Warriors lose a key player in the postseason (if Draymond goes down, they're doomed), not always their opponents, Kawhi lately. You may be able to hide one below-average player on the court, Pachulia at this time, but two is more of a challenge. Agree with your part on the peak, they'd still be the front-runner without Iggy, but at least things are getting easier for their contenders, not harder. And teams can rise just like the Warriors did. Who can seriously say he saw that coming five years ago? What would've happened to a Rockets fan on a neutral fan forum who said in October Houston would finish 3rd in the West and with the 3rd best record in the league? Regarding Livingston: Basketball reference says 12.9%, nba.com 13.5% - but it doesn't really matter at this point, since we both said, he's replacable. Just not easy to find equal value under the circumstances mentioned.
Yeah. I think teams can rise. But to me those teams are Bucks, Jazz, Spurs (still... especially if they add another piece), TWolves (I know still a bit away but not that far. They are on the cusp. Really stacked with young talent). To your point on the season and its success vis-a-via expectations, etc. as I've explained in other threads. It was successful... but ultimately illuminating as to long term prognosis in a way that is VERY deflating. Cause this Rockets team can't rise like the warriors because they do t have any other extremely high upside players developing on their squad. And don't have the cap space to acquire top tier FA - could make the cap space for one but there is no real top tier FA this offseason anyway. Also regarding GSW they have things that can improve too. Klay and Dray specifically have even more upside. All of them have ability to continue to improve on chemistry. They have some young guys that have upside in that system, etc.
lol; the fact that we are having this debate this off-season is hilarious to me. How many folks said it last year: doubling down on the win-now strategy by mortgaging our future and spending massive money on players like Ryan Anderson, was a trip to the mediocrity treadmill for the next 3 years? how many time did folks say, we'll be a playoff team, but not a contending team? And there were so many of us that wanted us to invest in the draft and rebuild for something special; rather than the strategy of just adding vets around James. And now, even after a season which wildly exceeded everyone's expectations, where we probably played better than our talent, we've come to the realization that we aren't going to be real contenders until we get some better foundational pieces to go with James. I just think it's funny. so many of us were saying this last offseason. some of us don't think making the playoffs should be the goal. some of us actually want to get back to wiinning an actual championship. what do we do a year or so from now when Harden is a FA and he looks around and sees nothing but over-the-hill vets, while the young talent other teams have collected through the draft is finally contributing and creating the ability to win now as well as win in the future? Some of us said that the org was not willing to do the tough work of rebuilding, and that's why we continue to be a good team, rather than a great team. I blame Les and Morey. While i think Morey is a good GM, i never agreed with his win while rebuilding strategy. The spurs are the only team i've seen do it...ever, and that is because they continued to draft well and added players to a steady nucleus of Duncan, Parker and Manu. We never had that kind of nucleus because we don't believe in using the draft to build contending teams. it takes too long for Les' instant gratification mind-set. Enjoy the mediocrity treadmill the next 2 years. Yes, GS is a super team, but honestly they are where they are because of the draft and several losing seasons. Until we begin to realize that you build contending teams through the draft, we won't win another championship. But we are content to neglect the draft and sign players like Ryan Anderson. lol; we don't deserve to win a championship.
What I grew to hate is the Morey draft strategy to mass draft undersized PFs and PGs. You have to start getting a grip and learn to draft by need some day. Top 6 talent of the draft Marcus Morris instead of Leonard my ass.
I do too, even though I don't agree with you much. They need better, multiple skilled players. They have a lot of specialist vs basketball players. We can all talk about what we think would make the team better. More needs to draft better also and the team needs to develop players better also.
Not to mention he was in shouting distance of Klay and Paul George. Hindsight is 20/20 But that Morris vs Leonard was a monumental miss. Losing a healthy Chandler Parsons hurt also.
And I'm fine with it. We needed to remove the stink from our doomed 2016 campaign that saw multiple players and coaches have their careers fall off of a cliff. The MDA regime and changes we made, despite the likelihood we overachieved, were a net positive. We're much more attractive to potential free agents and trade targets now than we were a year ago at this time.
One name, two words. Sam Dekker. The warriors have no idea what's coming at them next season. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KbHPe6PdKhA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
It's actually entirely on Les because he refuses to let Morey tank. If it were up to Morey and Hinkie (when he was still here), we would be tanking the last 4 years and drafting all these amazing talents. 2011-Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard (Morey ****ed up here and drafted Morris) 2012- A. Davis, Lillard, Draymond Green 2013- Giannis, Noel, Gobert 2014- Wiggins, Embiid 2015- KAT, Porzingis Now we're stuck with a team that will be fun to watch in the regular season but will never get past the Warriors while all these other teams that have been tanking hard will have a solid core when Lebron/Warriors age out of their prime. Warriors were tanking hard every season before 2012. It wasn't until they had a core of Curry, Klay and Green before they started winning. Bottom line is that Morey/Les got extremely lucky in the Harden trade otherwise we'd be narrowly missing the playoffs every season and overpaying for glorified role players the last 5 years.
apparently the playoff ratings are up. That's equally or more depressing than the whole ring chasing in your 20s dilemma. Nothing is going to change.
Here is a good article related to this topic: http://www.realclearsports.com/arti...ndup_did_the_warriors_kill_the_nba_98497.html Excerpt: It would be an overreaction to predict that the Warriors will win the championship next year -- and the year after that. Just as luck played a huge part in allowing the Warriors to become as good as they are now, luck also helped them avoid stiffer competition: Injuries crushed Western Conference foes, allowing the Warriors to face a San Antonio Spurs team without Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard (after Game 1). Moreover, the Spurs were lucky enough to face a Houston Rockets team featuring an out-of-gas James Harden. If Durant's injury had occurred two months later, leaving him out of the playoffs, this is an entirely different conversation.
Doesn't pass muster. Tony Parker is great, but past his prime. I think the Kawhi injury CLEARLY would have meant no 14-0 record. But there's no indication at all that it would mean anything more than that. Remember, the Rockets destroyed the Spurs game 1 as well. Beyond that, that's an argument for the Spurs... not the Rockets. The Spurs definitely are not without hope. Think there's at least a legit potential they add another solid player this offseason as well. Regarding the KD injury. The Warriors were still dominant without KD this year. They were dominant the last two years without KD. The Warriors are still the odds on favorite to come out of the West without KD. Their biggest risk is that Steph goes down, because he makes the whole offense go more than anyone... but even then.. it's not really a risk unless two guys go down.
