When are we going to start criticizing Rafael Stone?

We don't have any star level player. I don't think Jalen is even a star.

A 20 year old scoring 20 ppg must b some scrub I guess.

I don't really see anyone sayin sengun or green is a superstar yet, the potential is there.

 

@DatRocketFan @fchowd0311 i meant to quote his post. Thought I did, but that’s what I’m talking about

 

scrub? wouldn't go that far. star? definitely not. like the post says upside

scoring 20 ppg without context isn't saying much at all. especially when you need 17 shots to get there. that definitely isn't star

 

Stone needs to -

Cut Nix - find a vet PG
Trade EG Matthews JC (for PG) then let KPJ be backup SG
Resign KMJ
Decide which backup C he wants to keep between Garuba / Fernando

Sengun and Smith can push ball up…but we need better ball handlers and passers .. too many of our players are one dimensional

Tate and KPJ are best ballhandlers followed by Green that still = 5-7 turnovers a game just from them on a good night lol

 

You did. It was the same one I quoted. He then went on rambling trying to explain that's not what he meant and how he was quoting someone else. and reading comprehension blah blah blah

 

He doesn’t like me man, so he’s gonna find whatever reason to argue. All of it bc I call out Sengun, like I do every player on these team lol

 

Stone may be playing this perfectly.

Think about this. As long as Silas is aboard, the teams failures will primarily fall to the coach, at this juncture.
But if he replaces Silas, and things still fail, the blame will likely shift to the G.M..

 

I think the best case scenario next year is we get the #1 pick and a rotation player in the offseason (I'd like to hear the free agent names people think we can get that will be big difference makers, not seeing much). Then one of our young guys takes a step towards being a near all star level player. I think that puts us at that Twolves to Thunder level, outside of the play in.

I just don't see any realistic world where this team is good next year.

Rebuilding can take a long time. You're basically waiting until you draft a star then everything really starts. A true superstar doesn't require a great coach or roster, they will develop themselves. If you don't get that guy and you just start over paying a bunch of pretty good players in free agency, you just jump to being mediocre and postpone the next rebuild for another 5-10 years.

 

Green is a young and upcoming star, because he is averaging over 20 points a game, he has a selfish, unproven point guard next to him and a head coach who will not push or discipline Green as a player. Green’s Elite skills? His elite 1st step! Sengun has a chance to become a Star if Silas plays him more than 30 minutes a game. Sengun is a 20-10-5 type of player if he plays over 30 minutes and run some of the offense through him. Elite skills? Elite passer, Elite post up moves and elite foot work with those offensive moves, he just need to play better defense. Jabari, is an Elite defender and Elite shooter but he needs a point guard to help him. He needs to get the ball at 3 point line, need the ball at the free throw line and he need to ball pass to him under the basket so he can use his turnaround jumper. He is an elite defender! Rodman was not an elite defender as a rookie it is going to take time. I blame Stone now because he does not have a point guard to help our young Stars

 

Silas is going to get a job as an assistant and have a JB Bickerstaff type renaissance with a good team someday.

 

A good GM shouldn't be playing to just keep his job by deflecting blame. Screw that.

Stone should be criticized if he does not relieve Silas ....like this week. Every game that things don't change is damaging the hard work that the organization had to endure to get in a chance to draft two top 2 picks in consecutive drafts.

I don't care about wins. I care about player development, and Stone is ill equip for the job if he cannot recognize the damage being done to the two top talents on this team by allowing Silas to run this team like an AAU all star team.

 

It's not just Silas though. If the pg is the same with a coaching change we will still have mostly the same issues on offense.

This team also needs more steady vet presence. It's going to naturally turn into AAU ball when you have this much developing talent playing heavy rotation minutes at the same time.

This teams needs a coaching change AND a veteran steady ship pg

 

So with that said, what coach do you have in mind that would be best for this current rockets team?

 

Everything Stone should be focused on is what can be done to create a cornerstone star out of Jalen Green or Jabari Smith Jr. That's it... that's the job. This is everything the org and the fans have been wanting since the day we traded Harden. We've endured ALOT to be fortunate enough to get to this point. Every day that Stone doesn't do something that is in the best interest of those two players shows a lack of understanding for what his job is as a architect of a rebuild.

I don't like autocratic GM's and owners at all, but in this stage with this team, I feel there is waaaaaayyyyy too much emphasis on what is best for KPJ, EG, Nix, and even KJM & Sengun.... the last of which I really like. As much as I love Sengun, and as high as I am about KJM, to be honest neither of these two guys matter or should not matter to the GM in regards to importance.

In the end, everything should be revolving around what EXACTLY Jalen Green and Jabari Smith need to be successful.

Stone is failing. Silas is the primary problem, but it becomes Stone's problem when he's not taking charge to be A LITTLE BIT autocratic when it comes to the importance of those two guys getting what they need because of the HUGE investment made to acquire them.

 

I would probably name Hollins the interim coach after I called him in the office, and told him why the decision was made, and be crystal clear with what this team needs. The need structure, and they need a more methodical system that is built around what is best for Jalen and Jabari Smith. I would tell him to yank players like Garrison Matthews if they take a stupid 3 that isn't open within the flow of the offense. I would tell him if KPJ waives off the play, you yank him, and put in Nix or TyTy. I would tell him that I don't care if Boban is playing PG. If they don't play the right way.... THEY DON'T PLAY.

I don't care if the team doesn't win 1 more game this season because they don't put themselves in a position any longer for "Garry Bird" miracle 3's or EG 3's from half court or KPJ step backs. I would tell Lionel Hollins..... COACH these guys as if they are high schoolers if you need to, but actually coach them.

I think Hollins is best equip to be that guy in the interim, and in the offseason interview like crazy, and do NOT choose a softy like Silas who is probably better suited coaching a veteran star driven team where it's all about stroking the ego's of players like Lebron, or Whomever.

 

I actually don't believe you're getting structure in a full rebuilding team. especially one that has a roster full of guys that could still be in college. That's one big part of the growing pains of a team in this stage. Structure requires established players where things fall in line and guys understand who to follow. something that happens organically. This current team at this stage has none of that. And it's literally what these guys are still trying to figure out. It's only a collection of possible hopefuls

Tbh there isn't an NBA coach at this level that makes decisions that way of the talk of yanking. Leashes are a lot longer. Well none come to my head in the modern era today. we do have to remember its a players league era now

 

Alot of (even Mediocre) NBA team's have survived without a true PG on the floor. System's can generate enough offense to be competitive. Yes you do need some veterans to run systems so I do agree they do need more veterans but I don't think modern NBA offenses are as difficult as solving Nuclear Fusion.

The damage was probably done back in September in training camp. In those two to three weeks, you have the time to put in place sets, and plays. Then in the preseason and first few weeks you coach to the system.

Silas came into last season and this season with the notion that he NEEDS to make the plays as simple and as free flowing as possible in order to let the youngsters flourish. I think that was fundamentally flawed, and was the original sin. Honestly... this is a ROCKETS problem too, and has happened every year since Adelman left, and McHale started the "just let players play" style. It's cultural at this point, and will be hard to break with how it's coached up and down the line. We are still jacking up 3's like we are the Harden/Morey Rockets when we have one of the worst 3 point shooting teams ever constructed.

So yeah...it definitely does go beyond just Silas. It is a culture and identity problem too. I'm not saying Stone needs to be fired, but I do think it starts with him digging his head out of his 2017 a$$ and waking up to the realization of what needs to be done.

 

I've watched some Spurs recently just for kicks to see how Pop is handling his (probably less talented) young team, and I see some similarities, but I definitely see a "Yank" style of coaching that Silas doesn't have the cohones to do. Of course... It's Pop and he's one of if not the greatest coach ever so I get that's not the greatest comparison.

However I do think Hollins at least has enough old school coach in him to provide a bit more structure, and hard nose coaching they just aren't getting with Silas.

But yes... even Pop with the Spurs has alot of the same issues with his young team too so I get that it's impossible to be truly structured, but a little bit might go a long way. And frankly I've stopped caring about fairness within the flow of the offense too. There's too much riding on Jalen and Jabari, and the organization needs someone who can be more autocratic in developing plays for those two to get good looks without being chuckers. How really was Adelman able to get the shots he got for Kevin Martin within a system and Steve Silas can't get some type of system that helps who I think is an even more talented player in Jalen Green?? I find it hard to believe that Kevin Martin was some sort of BB wiz on the court and Jalen Green is a full on dunce who can't make back cuts, and come off screens.

I get that the NBA is more free flowing and Iso driven now, but I do think a little bit of structure and discipline at this stage of their careers (even if it leads to us winning 10 games instead of 12) is what is best for Jalen Green and Jabari Smith.... who are the only two players we should really care about at this point.

 

Perhaps the old Lionel Hollins but not this one though. Especially when hes already been around these guys and flipping the switch to suddenly be hard nose isn't something I see would happen imo.

For me the rockets need to find that 1st #1 guy before anything else. I dont think much changes until that happens, whether its coaching change, shift of play etc. We know teams can be stuck in this stage for a long time, while others luck out and find their guy much sooner. But hey that's the cost and risk of going through a full rebuild. It's entirely possible the rockets luck out and get wemby and he turns out to live up to the hype. Or whoever the next guy is in the draft 5 months from now. but regardless someone from the fold needs to emerge and prove they are that guy to move forward as a franchise

The funny thing is Silas is probably the last coach that actually disciplined and suspended their own players in wood/kpj last year. We saw in miami butler literally in Coach Spo's face talking nonsense during a game and nothing happen after. GS didn't even suspend Green for punching Poole at a home practice and even the entire world saw it lol

 

You have ignored that by this season the blame already started to shift to the GM.

It's happening.