I'm seeing this debate in several threads and I thought it was clear what direction the FO is going this season. It's all over their marketing and Stone's push to have "fun" this year, so winning is really not at the top of the priority list otherwise Wall and EG would be our starting backcourt. There's no ifs, ands or buts that they are clearly superior players than KPJ and JG at this moment. But the goal (as I interpret it) is to accelerate growth of our young core to develop them individually and to build team chemistry with our young core. I still think this is the way to go especially after 3 preseason games. The Rockets are still a very poor team with EG and Wall starting, so why not find out at the end of the season what you have in your young backcourt. The consolation prize if things don't work out, is another high lottery pick. It seems like a win win to me. To me the real questions are: Does continuing to start Green at SG stunt or hurt his growth vs bringing him off the bench and gradually making him a starter? Same for KPJ at PG, etc.
I don’t think it’s an either/or situation. It’s a combination of developing players while also trying to win games because winning is ultimately a measure of developmental success.
Once upon a time, that was the epitome of the Rockets. The Harden trade allowed Rockets to develop young players while at same time contending for playoffs. How soon CF has forgotten Harden's first Rockets team: Beard Lin Chandler Asik Playoff team, 3rd seed in West.
Yea like where's the "both" option? Even if these young kids want to "win at all costs" their lack of experience and need to develop will lead to a lot of Ls. The contingent that wants to bring Wall back ....that's a special group.
If at all star break you are 5~10 games out from the Playoffs.. . . you have to make the push I think they will need to develope but that means playing meaningful minutes Getting blown out by 20 every night helps no one So definitely need to push to be competitive Phil Jackson was a "you learn in practice" type of coach Game time being for minor adjustments and seeing things the players cannot see I think we can do that Rocket River
why not both? garuba green JC need a lot of experience... theyll benefit by playing all the g league games as well
We had harden. He alone could carry scurbs to the playoffs. It's unlikely to replicate that type of strategy when we still r looking for our franchise player Im down for playing the rookies as much as possible for experience, if we win that's just extra
I don't need a year of this young backcourt starting to figure out they have huge flaws in their games Starting kp and green sends them the wrong signal they don't have to improve their game cuz they are already starting so no incentive to improve Benching both kp and green for wall and Gordon is not about winning games, cuz your right they will lose with or without wall.....but we should tell kp and green "work on defense and shooting threes in practice other wise you don't start" Now will the rockets do that? Nope . They'd look like idiots benching a #2 pick and their egos along with greens ego is preventing this That's why I hate divas. They think they will avg 30 ppg and be ROY when they are not even the best rookie on their own team Now theis is different because sengun is obviously better and should start over theis Can't put all the young players in a box and treat them the same..that would be stupid The reason I know Silas and stone have no idea what they are doing is simply because they have green starting over Gordon,Josh,and brooks but sengun is benched for theis starting Shows me this coaching staff and maybe stone are completely clueless If sengun is off the bench then so should green. Green is 4th best sg on this team.. Hate to throw the race card at Silas but I do wonder if sengun was black would he be starting? Because I can't think of any other reason I do applaud stone for getting sengun and Josh, but quit showing preferential treatment to green..if you start green to "develop him" then why not start sengun to "develop him"? Rant over
No one in NBA thought Harden was Harden at that time. Everyone predicted Rockets would be rebuilding and in bottom of the West.
Successful organizations should be able to do both. But this team is not constituted to win now, and this is a fact. I think the smartest thing is to have one more year of patience, just one more year, and with the next draft move the necessary pieces to begin to consolidate the team.
Maybe the better question is WHY this team is constituted NOT to win now. And HOW does the FO make the necessary moves to rectify that.
I don't think we've forgotten ..... We just don't have that special player to drag the others across the finish line anymore and Priority One is to try and fast track the development of "someone on the current roster" into that transformative player. This whole roster is all about potential .... I just don't know how much you can fast track these teenagers .... The mental part you might be able to fast track , the physical part not so much - these are teenagers playing a mans game and they are a few years away from matching that physicality.