Need to be aiming for worst record next year. Scoot or Wendy. Gordon and Wood need to be gone. Play the younglings. The year after we have gobs of cap space and will have a good idea of the type of players we need to add in free agency to supplement our foundation pieces. Top five picks are an extraordinary opportunity to add significant talent. We have the ability and the excuse to be bad, and we need to take it. Our timeline is basically self written by the circumstances of our cap situation and future okc pick obligations. To deviate from that to establish a "winning culture" is nonsensical.
I think most are underrating how good Jaylen Green is going to be next year. If Sengun puts on muscle and works on his 3, our offense will be special. If we somehow get Jabari I think we will be a play-in contender for sure, unless Silas is really as bad as he has looked. Green can be a 25 ppg player and a good two way player next year. Replace Wood with a decent rim protector and this team will be competitive night in and night out.
Rockets will be just as bad next year. The makeup of the "best" players on this team are kids. Add more into the mix and it's another year of getting their feet wet. Another mid to low 20 win season on the horizon
We'll be bad again.. probably mid to late lottery bad, unless the dreaded sophomore slump hits everyone, then were in position to tank for the Frenchie.
I expect us to be at least bottom 8 next year. I expect Gordon and Wood will be moved in the offseason. So being able to compete next year would depend on either being able to trade for a disgruntled star or making a pretty incredible signing in free agency. I'd call both of those possibilities long shots. Finally, the kids would need to continue to make significant progress.
Probably closer to Pacers/Kings this season bad vs race for the worst seed. I'm going to guess the Rockets win 28-32 games next season. I can't imagine that's play-in good again. This year was atrocious in the west after the top 7. Being 7-10th worst still gives a solid chance at sneaking into the top 4 picks. honestly I think winning enough next year to sneak into the play-in or even playoffs would be awesome because it means our guys took that step. Having Jalen in place is enough for me to convince myself that winning is solid. It's not like we'd be winning with Victor Oladipo and John Wall as our best players. If the Rockets get a top 3 pick this year? I honestly don't care after that.
I seriously can’t believe anyone doesn’t want us to tank next year. It’s one more year. Going to a play in game does nothing for us- near term or long term. Green Segun Top 5 pick (if we didn’t screw that up by stupidly sweeping Portland) Top 18 pick Take on no money that goes beyond 2023. Eat the bad contracts. Trade anything not nailed down for future picks- not because we want to make them, but as a store of equity for later moves. Clear the salary cap to something like $40,000,000 (basically your guaranteed draft Pick money) Pick top 5 in 2023 after tanking. sign 2 max level FA. your team then becomes: Green Segun 22 high lotto 22 mid first round 23 high lotto Max FA #1 Max FA #2. Use future picks to grab 8 and 9 man in the rotation types and then minimum salary types to fill out the bench. Boom- that’s a title contender type team in 2023-24. Or at least the basis for one. this is beyond obvious. This is attainable. It’s right there in front of them. Don’t be stupid and mess this up.
what's the point in watching next year ? Will any of our guys be allowed to get better ? Will we sit them if we win too much ? After weve been a bottom team for 3 straight years and our draft picks have shown little in the way of proving winning NBA games we are all of a sudden going to lure 2 max FA ? Who even are the max FA ? Ive looked , class of 2023 look OK . Bradley beal , kyrie irving ? Zion ? Fred van fleet ? You likely have to trade for one ... and that doesnt mean having cap space , that means having contracts you can trade.
Green for better and it didn’t mean winning. The same can happen next year for him and Segun, plus the 2 guys we draft this year. We can have lots of player development without winning. It’s not even that hard to do. Don’t play vets that help the team win. Don’t sign players. Sit guys down for load management and fake injuries post allstar game if you are in danger of winning 29 games (like OKC has with SGA).
Not disagreeing with your post other than the SGA part. Just don’t think any of our guys are in his position. I think SGA is more willing to be held out now that he’s on his 5 year 172 million extension.
It’s not that I don’t get your logic . But I don’t wanna watch it . What if green or sengun actually gets good enough to have us win games . You want Silas , or coach who’s job is to try to win games and get better , to sit guys that will help us win ? what if we are too good before ASB ? Green fake injury ? I don’t mind if we throw away a few games at the end of the year . But my whole point is that tanking isn’t done in the last 10 games. It’s a year long effort . If the goal coming into next season is “we must get another top 5 pick” then I think that’s a failure . I understand the OKC and wall factors too . Hypothetically speaking if we had our own pick in 24’ too should we tank then ? If walls contract lasted another year ... or let’s say we trade him this year for a contract that goes a year longer but we get a 1st . Should we tank one more year ? At some point you have to purposely stop being bad . The sooner the better imo . 2 years is enough . If we are so easily willing to go from 2 to 3 . Hell what’s another year of tanking on top of that ?
I think odds are good that tanking and developing will clash a lot more next season. If Green and Sengun make typical gains, playing them will likely keep Rockets from a high lotto pick. Tanking will really depend on if other things don't happen. If the Rockets end up with someone that is going to be like Green this year in draft, tanking is likely in the future. If the Rockets get Jabari who I think would be an instant impact on the Rockets, I think Stone will try to throw tanking out the window as pick won't be early enough not to try to get someone good on a salary that doesn't prevent a max free agent in 2023.
I've read that he could be the best center prospect EVER. https://defector.com/victor-wembanyama-the-worlds-best-basketball-prospect-looms/
What's funny about such a steadfast statement is the lack of flexibility. He's literally mocking people who don't agree with him. We have zero control. I'm cool with whatever, and if you aren't? That's cool too but don't put others down who view something different. If the Rockets stink? Awesome, high pick. If the Rockets stink but stink less? Awesome, high pick but maybe in the 8-10 range with a chance to sneak in vs a locked in top 6 pick like we likely will get this year. If the Rockets stink but are good enough to lose a play in game? Awesome, a pick in the 10-12 range with a chance to sneak into the top 4 vs a locked in top 6 pick like we likely will have this year. If the Rockets are good enough to actually make the playoffs? Awesome, this team is going to be a beast for the the foreseeable future and something went very right.
