This season is on Morey. How did we know these free agent signings sucked and he didn't?

My understanding is that Luc has only been able to play about 5 games this year with the Clips.
To lament losing him is ludicrous. People would be whining if we DID keep him and was chronically injured (hello Nene).

He was damaged goods last year after that second shoulder separation. Nope. He needed to go.
Couldn't shoot, couldn't even finish at the rim. Wasn't the same player
At least Ennis can play and run the floor. We got something better than a damaged role player.
Good job Daryl

 

I'd rather have Luc with no shoulder collecting DNPs on the bench than melo or MCW.

At least then I could pin my hope on the bench and think help is coming... eventually. There is no hope with our current bench mob.

 

If we had traded all those picks that were unprotected for Butler and he left at the end of the year, we would have really been screwed moving forward. Chances are we could have still been bad if we had gotten Butler.

 

Nowhere did I say anyone on this board understands basketball better than Morey. I'm saying the opposite -- that I think he was fully aware of the deficiencies/fit issue and just chose to roll the dice. I think I view this as different than what he's done throughout his tenure because of the context and timing. We were truly on the cusp of dismantling a dynasty, which seems like a very weird time to gamble on guys like MCW and Chriss. I could be wrong, but I refuse to believe MCW is the very best you could do at the minimum for a fourth guard in this system.

 

Of all the moves, the MCW move is the head scratcher. That said, I seem to remember a quote from Morey saying that Bzdelik thought he could make something out of MCW.

As for Chriss, it was a gamble on talent. But eyes wide open...it was more about breaking apart Anderson's deal into TWO deals. So that Chriss' smaller deal could get aggregated on a follow up move. So TBD on that.

 

Can't automatically assume he'd be injured right now if he was on our team.

 

Because you didn't know they sucked. You thought they sucked, he thought they didn't, and you were right. Doesn't mean anyone knew for a fact.

 

I see the fault being everywhere. Nobody is NOT at fault.

Paul - for suspensions, lingering injuries, and uncharacteristically lazy decision making on the court in losses this season.
Harden - for regressing defensive effort (probably due to overwork, but some things are basic) and terrible turnovers.
Morey - for signing Michael Carter Williams and filling the back half of the bench with unplayable scrubs, and having the worst offseason of his tenure so far. For knowing that there were two huge holes on the roster - secondary ball-handlers and anyone over 6'10 that can play defense - and not addressing them at all.
Nene - for having a calf injury for two years.
D'Antoni - for first acquiescing to the Melo experiment and then abandoning it quickly. Would've been better to go all-in or give it more time. Also, for awful defensive schemes and zero evident adjustments during losses to bottom dwellers.
Gordon - for regressing shooting and getting blocked at the rim more than any Rocket in recent memory.

The struggles everyone is having are interconnected too, and won't be resolved until a few key pieces are swapped on the roster.

 

I've tried really hard to stay in "wait and see" mode on the Ryno deal, but MAN it's tough when it hasn't paid off in any way whatsoever to date. But yes, I keep harping on MCW because it's not even a Morey-esque move. They really scheduled a meeting with him on the first day of FA and I just... idk lol.

 

We won't adjust nearly as well as other teams, because we are not as athletic as the other teams. Rockets have always been more about skill than athleticism and this freedom of movement rule is killing us because we don't have the speed to matchup with other teams.

 

Right, but I'd want to believe Morey anticipated this. Everyone was wondering if/when CP was going to break down last year. It was an all in year and if we win it all we pay Paul the max happily and if he declines in production nobody cares we have a ring. Instead it was the hamstring pull heard round the world and it altered everything. Everyone said it would happen and after it did the super max suprised me.

 

I'm starting to come around on the notion that Tilman is pulling the strings, and forcing Morey to bargain shop on these role players. He probably figured it was a plug-and-play system like San Antonio, so why spend $25M (+tax) on a bunch of guys that are barely above replacement level.

 

It is frustrating. I am pretty impatient on it. Doubly, while I am watching a game and seeing the team drown.

 

Ennis would be an ok replacement for Luc problem is he is being used as a replacement for Ariza.

 

Here is a frustrating visual.

With CP out of the game, and EG doing his bench rest..... Having Harden and a bunch of spot "shooters" out there and the defense DOUBLES Harden and then having to watch the "spot shooters" try to "do too much" with a dribble drive/pass.

It is brutal when this team only has ONE creator on the floor.

To beat the Warriors they really need THREE creators on the floor at ALL times IMO.

MOAR Creators, Daryl!

 

"We'll have our pick of the free agents"

*Signs MCW, Melo, and trades for Chriss*

Maybe Morey's worst moment of his career

 

"We'll have our pick of the buy out candidates"

 

Which goofball does not yet realize that the owner runs the show??
You don't want to blame Fertitta, coz you can't b**** about "Let's change owners!"
Fertitta is in charge. Figure it out! Morey would have a billion dollar payroll if he was allowed to.

 

Agreed, but part of a GM's job (for better or for worse) is to operate within constraints.

 

The Rockets were great last year but that was lightening in a bottle, that team overachieved.

It’s not so much on gambling on MCW, it’s what else was out there for a one year cheap contract. I think it’s more accurate to say Morey knew the deficiencies and hoped he could retain Ariza and Luc for cheap.

I liked the MCW signing at the time because I hoped he could come off the bench and fit in with our switching system with his size for about 15MPG. Clearly he can’t do any of that.