IMHO - We have our core - who should play and who could go

...which makes this thread completely useless, imo. Thread should be made at the end of this season or at the beginning of the next, provided we arent tanking for a top 5 pick.

Players should be judged when they have at least one NBA season under their belts...not anointed as the best player on a team when they haven't even played a single NBA minute.

Jabari was bad in the summer league, fans soured on him. Jabari played in a total of one whole preseason game before tweaking his ankle, and now he's the best player on this team, according to some?

Come on, man.

 

Jabari defensive abilities alone is enough for folks 2 consider him a part of the core. He is for me. Might b blowing my load too early but I honestly think Jabari is that good.

 

“Jabari (Smith Jr.) and I are the cornerstones of the Rockets,” said Harden Green. “The rest of the guys are role players or pieces that complete our team.”

 

For players drafted in the lottery, I think they'd have to be considered part of the core, unless otherwise proven. I think that skews into a person's bias, especially if that player hasn't played a single minute or if it's been a season or two and he hasn't really developed yet (see: Michael Porter Jr.).

I'm not saying Jabari shouldn't be part of the core. I'm just saying, he shouldn't be considered the best player on the team right now, since he's played 0 legit NBA minutes, as of this point.

 

Jalen and Jabari are the only 2 I'm locked in on so far. Eason has been great but being great in summer and preseason hasn't historically been a great predictor of future success. Still, I'm hopeful for Eason. KPJ and Sengun? I'm also hopeful for both, but I'm not betting any money that they'll be a solid contributor to a winner in the next few years.

 

If this is true then Green needs his a$$ whipped by some of the “role players”, his mentors & coaching staff. Even if it’s true there is no reason to say it. This can’t help team morale. Hopefully one day he will get that he NEEDS all his TEAMMATES to win.

 

KPJ, green, Jabari, Eason, sengun

I honestly think we should let go of Christopher to Utah for Conleys expiring next year that’s just 22mil. He can mentor KPJ, green, Tyty coming off the bench

KPJ/Conley/Tyty
Green/Gordon
Eason/Tate/2023 lotto
Jabari/KMJ /2023 lotto
Sengun/Bruno

That should be a affordable team

Green- Max

KPJ- unless he just outplays green over the next couple years he’ll honestly probably a little less. Only place he’ll probably be a starting point guard and he loves Houston apparently. I think he knows he needs that family vibe stability in his life. He ain’t leaving John Lucas

Jabari- Probably max. If he can’t create his on shot it’d be hard for me to say max but he look good

Sengun- last night was a toughy for him. Might be able to get away with less than max. He’s kinda like KPJ in let’s see how well you can play nba center. I’d let him go to RFA but we’ll see

Tari- might make Sengun and my boy KPJ expendable depending on how well they develop in their position honestly. Kid looks stout

Tate & KMJ- Expendable

Bench after 2024 should just be vets and Nets lotto picks

 

He can shoot it and make a dunk and layup but that is not elite yet.

He will be progressing but to proclaim him as an elite offensive player after college.... and then mention LBJ in the same sentence.

At least I am not that wise.

 

The only core players on this team right now are Jalen Green and Jabari Smith, that's it.

Some other players might get there this season, but until then this team is not good enough to have core players outside their top draft selections.

 

We have 6, maybe 7 players I feel good about

 

He had it right! I corrected it

 

The CORE TWO - these are must keeps that we will build around.

1. Green - kid is looking like a win (can actually see the work he's put in over the summer)
2. Jabari - his measurables plus his desire to play D is enough for me. If he can continue his dead eye shooting throughout the season he may be rookie of the year and the teams best player

NEED TO SEE MORE...

3. KPJ - appears to be playing under control and is doing a good job of balancing scoring with getting others involved, but the little voice in the back of my head still worries about his decision making
4. Eason - If he can keep that motor throughout the season, scoring without the ball in his hands then he is indeed the steal of the draft and moves up to the core group
5. Sengun - Needs to become more versatile offensively (outside shot), while playing smarter and with more effort on the defensive side. I believe he can do it and since the Rockets aren't challenging for a title anytime soon I would stick with his development as it's hard to find bigs with his vision and post skills
6. Bruno - We need a big that is a lob threat to make our PNR play more effective, plus he has been surprisingly decent rim protector
7. KMJ - Athleticism through the roof and appears to have improved his 3pt shot...yep keeper


That's the core I would keep and develop, everyone else is meh for me.

 

My take-

The Core is only Jabari and Jalen. Or really, the idea of what they'll become. Hopefully an efficient 30ppg scorer and a 2-way all-star big. That's who you're building around and towards.

 

Pretty much this. It's a lot of wishing and hoping at this point.

And I'm hoping Green starts to confirm this season that he's the Rockets' long-term answer at the SG position.

 

Right now we are still in the rebuilding process - every player could be traded/cut. I think right now we are looking at a core of 5, including Sengun. It will be interesting to see what happens to KPJ. His contract is up after this season and he might be expensive to sign. This will show us, if the organization believes in him or not.

Other players like Christopher, Martin, Garuba etc. will get time to prove their worth or increase their trade value. I still hope we trade Gordon soon and I hope for his sake that he is going to a contender. I would much rather get the young guys minutes. I think we will know a lot more about the future of this franchise after this season - will we get another high draft pick and maybe even a chance at Wemby/Scoot? Will we be able to sign/trade for a major piece? Will we try to grow organically, believing that we already have all the major pieces we need?

 

KPJ isn't far away from becoming a core player and Tari Eason can definitely become one in a year or two. Sengun is good enough off the bench.

 

Aside from the fact that OP has four guys in his "Bottom 3," this trade feels like a cleverly disguised anti-Sengun thread.

Look, the guy has some flaws in his game, but he still 100% feels like part of the core. Overreacting to one preseason game is asinine. Even if he doesn't fully pan out as a starting center long-term, he's at least an incredible weapon to have off the bench and someone who will earn a spot on a playoff rotation somewhere.

But given how this team could be built long-term with elite defensive forwards around him, don't rule out his chances to keep the starting 5 spot.

 

Core: Jalen, Jabari, Sengun, KPJ
Up and Coming stupid to trade: Eason
Role players you only trade to get back something much better (not picks) Tate, KMJ, JC
Role players you keep if trying to win this year trade at deadline if not: Gordon, Favors
Developing players you keep: Garuba, Fernando, tyty

People need to cool their jets on Fernando over Sengun that is seriously beyond the realm of seriousness.
Nix, Matthews are just bench fodder. If you need the roster spots get rid of them.

 

Those aren't the same people dude. Clutchfans isn't a monolith construct.

A vocal minority thinks Jabari is overrated because he can't dribble.

Another vocal minority thinks Jabari is an Allstar defender when the only NBA level talent he guarded smoked him (Banchero)

Everyone else is somewhere in the middle.

 

I can see that. What I like in him is that you can see a maturity in him that translates into a leader and person that sets the bar for things like disclipine and ethic. The kid is going to do good.