I could go either way. I don't fundamentally like tanking or think it helps a lot in most cases: a multi-year tank project tends to establish a losing culture that leads to stars leaving as soon as they can even when you manage to hit the jackpot (see: Anthony Davis lottery). Two teams have won a title with their own top-three pick in the last 20 years - one was the most notoriously well-run org in basketball history and the other had Lebron James. I thought it was pretty dumb to tank this year when there was a 50-50 chance it would be on behalf of another team. On the other hand, there's a pretty short window here before the Oklahoma City Thunder own our souls, and I would hate to go all-in on an immediate 8-seed run, get stuck in the 14-17 pick range with no shot at a title, and then have to blow it all up again right when we're ready to lose 3 straight first-rounders to the Thunder. I'm okay making more smart offseason investments in cheap young players like Wood, seeing how it goes, and if they win games, great, but if not, probably better for us. I voted pro-tank, but I would like to see a better foundation laid than we got this year with the awful offense and massive roster turnover.
I was meaning more so their ability to draft and develop talent. they just cant keep ppl around no one wants to be in Oklahoma
I don't think they intentionally tanked this year. It started with them not accommodating harden on his trade, saying they are willing to get uncomfortable after the GM and coach left, ran, from the Landry's Era Rockets. They then traded for John wall, someone who like westbrook is good based on his athleticism, a shaky shooter who shoots a lot, turnover prone, but worse so he hadn't played in 2 years and was the wrong side of 30. They also hired a rookie GM, Rookie coach(whether you like them or not, cheapest available options consistent with Landry's) while simutaneously leaking to the media that harden was both the problem of the culture and also that they want him back at 100 million. They then flipped LEvert for an expiring Oladipo, claiming he was an all star and then recently said outside of injuries we weren't tanking. I dont know if they intentionaly did anything but like last 3 years jump some loops to make things more financially viable. On the plus side with the pandemic, tanking now when fan interest was already inconsistent made sense, next year makes sense. But to your point about Anthoony davis, he gave pelicans every opportunity to keep him and win there. They cheaped out on talent, staff, support, heck even using Saints Management to manage the pelicans like the step little brother. The year they had the most success, with Rondo, Davis went out of his way to endorse bringing him back, saying he never had the game so easy in the playoffs and Rondo was a huge part in the court and in the lockerroom. Rondo was willing to come back and listen to offers, even discounts to stay. They never came, they chose to get a slightly cheaper Elfrid payton bc their stats on paper look close enough. These guys have a very small window that is the culimination of their life work when they are in their prime, they are not going to waste it to see an owner that is under par for the new nba economics and trying to safe money while he cashes in on your backs, as the stars bring in the lion share of revenue. We've got some exciting young talent. We really need that coin toss to go our way june 22nd and then we get the ball rolling, otherwise or maybe either way with no protections in next years draft, we could get a special talent and thats that we're on our way until the crossroads where tilman may have to spend more than usual in 4-7 years with the punt that he pulled off and then we'll see once again and hope that landry's is successful i hope.
Ohhh, so now you're changing the goal posts because your original statement didn't hold up? You're not a serious person, where's the receipts for your earlier statement? Or are you ready to admit you don't know jack **** about sports?
You absolutely tank back-to-back, then you have Wall as an actual asset, you have hopefully 2 top lottery picks in uniform, plus Wood, plus whoever you want to keep, because you'll have the money to keep who you want and smart buys on the rest. There is no reason the Rockets should compete for anything but the Lottery next year. Unless some crazy **** happens in the offseason.
Tank tank baby. Astros did it and reaped the benefits. We got a jump start with the pics for Harden. If we can get back to back lottery pics I’m gravy.
I think it’s wierd that everyone is moving to Texas and Florida from California and players are moving to New York and California. All their viewership have gone to other States! Maybe Texas will become big market team. Lol
You and I might be the only people who see Wall's contract as an asset in a year and a half. The only thing I'd add to the above is that they keep Olynyk & use their MLE twice in the next two off season's .... that along with the draft picks can overturn the roster dramatically. They can actually ride out Wall's contract , use their MLE in both off seasons , keep Olynyk and pay all their draft picks while staying out of tax territory with a litter maneuvering that should bring them assets rather than cost them assets. The fact that the last time this team used the full NT-MLE on a player was PJ Tucker kinda pisses me off .... those are wasted assets.
Wall can be an asset by then because he is an expiring. That was the issue with Ariza too, we had his bird rights, he was a one year deal which are much more tradeable as expirings. Until then, wall will be tough to move bar some serious rejuvination next year. Kelly would be great, it all depends on what price. He played well to earn him self a nice contract, but does he want to win, does he love his role here, does the money make sense? 12-16 million 2 years-3 years with the last year tradeable would be great imo. im also hopeful for a lottery this year and next year and i think we're springboarded into young annoying to play against talented future team(memphis) then right then. Agreed not using the NT-MLE in 18,19 when we really could've used the talent was dumbfounding to not take a swing when we're close. Right now no one expects to spend, develop this year, get another talent and then to the moon...
I don't know that I'd purposefully tank. As it is, the roster is probably, at best, a 18-22 type of team in the league, and probably will be bottom 10. Tanking would deliberately put us at bottom 4, and I'm not sure we should go down that road again given how tough it is to get out. Having said that, if you look at the vast majority of good teams in the league right now, their core was built off of good drafting. Jazz with Gobert and Mitchell, Suns with Booker and Ayton, Bucks with Giannis and Middleton (acquired via trade for Brandon Jennings, a steal in hindsight), 76ers with Simmons and Embiid, etc. The formula seems to be something like: hit on at least one draft pick with a superstar-level player and get another draft pick that can be a starter-level contributor, make a few strong trades that pan out, and find unsung talent on the waiver wire/g league to round out the roster. I think we have an FO that can do the waiver wire/g league part of that really well, on trades it remains to be seen, and we havent had a first rounder in so long that I really don't know. Aside from that, this playoffs is really showing the importance of big men. Last years playoffs it really felt like small ball was the way of the future, but we're seeing what a force Ayton is in a huge series vs. the Lakers, how the Lakers themselves have to rely on big men like Davis and pairing him with other big men like Drummond and Gasol to make a dent, Jokic, Embiid, Giannis, etc. as the cornerstone of their respective teams, even the importance of a guy like Jonas Valencunas and the role he played against the Warriors in the play-in game and Nurkic defending Jokic and contributing on offense. Right now, we don't have a single "big" on the roster who can actually play any of those guys man to man, and that's a major liability in a division that is stacked with amazing big men.
