This sounds like a fantastic method, except the Rockets are NOT a team that a "disgruntled star" would request to be traded to. This has always been the downside of Morey's method - the way players are traded (or enshrined like Harden was) is a bit extreme and we are nowhere near contender status to be a desirable trade destination. With the CEO and GM resigning, any player looking in will not view the team culture favourably. Top this up with the fact that Chris Paul is a key figure in the NBPA, we treated him like crap and he is still salty about it and rubbing salt in Fertitta's face every time he can...
Compete. If they suck, they suck. But next year nor the next hour is promised and I don’t want to see my team intentionally tanking multiple years in a row. Screw that.
True but the disgruntled stars have always wanted to go to Miami, LA or Brooklyn now apparently. But just like landing Chris Paul in a disgruntled star trade if you have stars already other stars want to join. That’s why you need two top 4 picks so badly. Those are your young stars to attract the disgruntled star.
How anyone could have watched even a small portion of this last season and say it was a result of injuries is comical. The fact it is coming from our GM is borderline insulting. We were bad. We made lots of bad moves and paid for it this year, and depending on a coin flip we may not have much to show for it. Let's hope we get a high pick and then also do well with our later first round picks. Even so, hopefully next year will be better but we still won't be good. I'm praying that a contender has an injury to a guard and will give us something at next year's deadline for Gordon. And Christian Wood, even though I've liked him this year, if he has another good start to next year I would look at moving him as well at the deadline and should get a pretty good return. We will probably need to fully embrace a young guy movement for a couple of years to turn this back around, instead of trying to make stupid short sighted moves to try to chase an 8th seed and first round playoff exit
really with the way the lottery has been reworked... a team could try to compete - and if its not happening, then go into tank mode mid season - and still end up in the mix for a top pick... It doesnt seem necessary to tank outta the gate like it used to be... whether you have the worst record - or the 3rd worst record - you still have the same approx 40% shot at the top 3 picks... 4th or 5th worst record you still have a better than 30% shot at the top 3... Try to compete... there's always time to tank if we suck... hedge your bets... dont spend assets on short term rentals going into the season if you may end up tanking - but make your decision by trade deadline... not during the off season...
The problem you face with the tank method is the guys who we do end up getting are going to bail the first chance they get so it will be a perpetual cycle of getting talent only to lose them after their contract is up.
By tanking, I don't think it necessarily means losing games on purpose. I think it's more of what you're describing at the end. They players on the floor will be trying to win the game but the front office won't be investing resources into building a team that will be better in the short term than the long term. Like don't sign Duncan Robinson. Don't sign Andre Drummond. Don't trade for anybody over the age of 25. Don't lose on purpose but at the same time, don't feel pressured to immediately build a team that has any hope of winning more than 20 games.
If they get Cade or Green this yr in the lotto and Holmgren in the Lotto then Houston will once again become a destination place for disgruntled stars. Plus Stone will have picks and KPJ/KMJ/Tate/Wood to trade for this disgruntled star. All it's going to take is a little bit of luck. I wish they hadn't traded Paul not only because he's been healthy and playing great. But you're right trading Paul will hurt the Rockets pursuit of FA's.
As has been said, I think they'll try to win next season to no avail. Watching the kiddos progress will have to suffice for the fans. If they know whether guys like Porter and Martin are rotation players or more and how they fit with whoever we are able to select in the draft that will be a success.
I hope the losing tank mentality is over. I don't want to become the next Minnesota and I couldn't stand watching games this season.
its a fine line... I'd say still sign free agents with an eye to winning - just dont go handing out long fat contracts to older guys so as to maintain your flexibility... not saying go into luxury tax or anything like that... but field the best team you can without giving up future assets like draft picks... fwiw... i think we purposefully lost games this year... i think we sat guys saying they were injured... i think Wall was the tank commander whose job it was to derail any momentum within games... for one year - whatever... we just had major turnover and once Wood went down it made sense. But I dont want to see this next year. I'm fine playing younger guys and enduring the growing pains at the expense of a few wins - but not in pursuit of some unknown draft pick for some unknown player who going to totally change the fortunes of our team...
Tank, since for the next 5 years we'll only have our own 1st rounder next year and control our own destiny. We're not currently good enough, have to hope we get top 3 picks this year plus next year. Then hopefully one or more of the players we drafted turned out to be good and help to turn this franchise around.
I believe the Rockets have their 2023 pick as well. Two picks swaps and a picked owed in the 3 years after that.
You just contradicted yourself .... Both Wall & EG are negative assets that cost picks to move. You want to move them and accumulate picks how exactly ?. People need to forget about the idea of trading Wall this year .... EG maybe , if he rehabs his image over the first half of the year but Wall , no one is taking that $91.6m off your hands for anything short of multiple #1's. Buying him out is also impossible .... its an instant $91.6m cap hit that Cant be stretched. If they find a way to trade him that doesn't involve giving up multiple #1's and taking back multiple toxic contracts Stone should be GM of the year.
Tank or not, we need to keep developing KJ Martin, Scoot(KPj), Armoni Brooks, Jae'Sean Tate and DJ Wilson. I say keep putting the young guys on the court and the draft picks. It's not about tanking, it's about developing our current talent whoever they are. Also, stop trading draft picks. Young, cheap talent is what we need to develop. Our next big contract should be a rookie signing a max deal. Don't chase star power, develop it.
There's several young players with good potential on this roster .... KPJ , KJ , Tate & Wood. Olynyk & Thomas are good players. The rest of the roster is exactly what you called it .... a buncha misfits. But those 5-6 guys have the beginnings of a solid rotation, they just need a lead dog and its hard to get those guys when you have 53% of your cap tied up in EG and Wall who's contracts are so toxic no team will take them while they contribute pretty much nothing positive on the court. They have a solid foundation in KPJ , KJ , Tate , Wood , Thomas & possibly Olynyk. They can add a quality player with the NT-MLE (preferably a quality Guard) , BAE and whatever they do in the draft. That's a good start for the 22/23 season when you can again use the MLE and finally clear Wall & EG from your cap without throwing picks out the window. The Rockets are back in the playoffs in 22/23 .... IF they use the tools at hand (MLE's in both years , draft picks and expiring contracts)
So do Kwame Brown, Hasheem Thabeet, Anthony Bennett, Greg Oden and Darko Milicic. Nice try though. Just another person who's evidently never played a sport in their life.
