Glancing at your Post, this stuck out: "The Rockets can easily be in the finals and win next year if they run it back." Really, easily? What about the Dubs/Blazers/Nugs/Spurs/Clips/LBJers, yes!/Jazz? All are strong. Can TheGoodGuys, as structured today, be in Finals'20? Shirley. But no way is it an easy way.
Do you understand the concept of a black swan event? This was that. A black swan event (in its particulars) is always unforeseen but the fact that something of that nature could happen is probabilistic. That was my point. Run it back with some slight tweaks- not bc oh my gosh it’s a guaranteed title, but bc this team is really good and nobody else stands as a dynasty stopping them.
I haven't read through the thread but agree with the sentiment. We let the opportunity this year get away. Keep the core together, improve the Defense (rebounding) and Offensive scheme tweaks. It's now wide open next year. Cohesion and stability will pay off next year imo.
Stuff. Lots and lots and lots of stuff. That’s the point. We don’t know what stuff. Seriously read up on black swan events. Or don’t I suppose you only live once after all and that might be boring. But yeah when you red line human performance with no margin of error over 500 games in the last 5 seasons and expect it to be ok newsflash- it probably won’t be. KD was the warriors redundancy that allowed them to be virtually unbeatable. Once that was gone the question wasn’t so much if something would derail them the question was what. When that became the case it made sense for the rockets to try to run it back to hope they get the breaks and win a title. Also- here’s a hint- KD probably doesn’t get hurt if Kerr doesn’t have to go to the whip so hard with him. They had to do that against the Rockets bc the Rockets are damn good and the warriors lost their redundancies on the bench. Those are not really replaceable which is the point of this thread!
Imo your overrating all teams. Blazers can’t make any moves..... Nugs, we just have their number. Spurs? Ya right Clippers? That’s assuming just like the lakers that they add top end talent. It could happen but their two main targets KD (injuried) and Kawhi( just won the finals) are huge question marks for different reasons. One thing that is clear, the west is wide open and the warriors run is over at least this version of it. Kd is going to be older and coming off an major injury when he does play. Klay should be fine when he does return but the Dynasty is done. I’m sure Morey thinking is much different waking up this morning than it was yesterday. Imo Houston is in the drivers seat to represent the west next season.
The Warriors are a worse team without KD, but they actually seem to match up better against certain opponents, the Rockets being one of them. I think we could still beat them, depending on who they bring back next year, but yeah... Tucker and especially Chris Paul ain' gettin any younger, and we can't keep expecting Harden to get better every year into his 30s. We need help.
their constant movement kills the rockets because they don't have the length or athleticism to keep up with it. And you have to absolutely be discipline and locked in when defending this. that's one of the big reasons why the rockets try to slow the game down against them
I would feel good 'running it back'; I would neither be cocky nor convinced. BTW - - who replaces the Rivers contribution from last season? Is House back and worthy? Who the hey is coaching the team in October? Seems like it oughta be certainly MDA, yet... And should there be a few assistant coaches around, if 'just for show'? C'mon, there's a l-o-n-g time between now and rolling the rock out in 4-months and a lot will happen. Then, a lot more will happen leading into and at Trade Deadline date. And at buy-out time. Ready for the Play-Offs '19-'20?
Now you are just being obtuse. That’s not at all what I said. I specifically said it’s not like there is a guaranteed title. I said the conditions are such that it makes sense to take a shot at it. We are in a dogs and cats living together anything can happen type of world right now.
were the rockets ever not going to take a shot at it? they've been in the title window the last 2 years the instant they got cp3. they're still in that window so long as he and harden are both here. it just gets smaller as they get older
Maybe? I got the sense that trading everyone and blowing it up to punt to a later time and place was on the table, especially as it regards moving on from Paul, or Capela being unplayable specifically against the warriors I see absolutely no reason now to deal Capela as the warriors were really the only team he couldn’t play against. I see no reason to deal Chris Paul for salary relief, only if you are improving the roster in dealing him (a move I can’t imagine is on the table to get better talent while moving on with his contract). I think absolutely there were deals on the table to move off salaries or set ourselves up for the future or something like that, and if the warriors were healthy and intact I’d be fine with that, but now? Nah- being all 5 starters back unless you can upgrade them. And I don’t see any real path to upgrading any of the spots. Sign House. Sign Lopez with your mid level. Hope Hartstein is ready. Hope Clark is ready. Wrap Chris Paul in bubble wrap and hope for the best. If we do something like that we enter the season as favorites in the west. With a lot that can go wrong. But yeah, roll it back
the point of them trading was to get another impact player here which was obviously needed. they were never trading to start over. As long as james harden is here, morey was never going to start over. that should of been understood a long time ago
Dumping Paul was never ever bet going. To improve the roster. Not with that contract. It would be about getting out of salary.
Harden or No Harden, if this team doesn't get bigger, more athletic and defensive rebound the ball, then they're not going to get over the hump.
