No Nene needed. Let's start Thabeet at center, trade Martin and/or Scola for picks, and tank. We'd be awesome in a few years.
Nene with Patterson and Chuck would give the Rox one of the best team paint defenses in the NBA. It's not all about the blocked shot stat, guys. It's about how many possessions to you force a turnover or a bad shot and you don't foul. Defense is comprehensive of much more than just one stat. Nene is one of the best big man defenders in the NBA.
A little reminder for those thinking of tanking: Unless you honestly--in your heart of hearts--believe that the Rockets could finish with an atrociously bad enough record to realistically get a top-3 pick, all while not destroying team morale (and the careers of the players they'd like to keep through the rebuilding process) and while being able to attract top free agents, then your strategy is not going to work out quite as you had hoped. In 2009, had the Rockets endured a bad season, missed the playoffs (and that great first round win over Portland and pushing the eventual champion Lakers to the brink of elimination) and gotten the #9 or #10 pick, do you know who Morey would have selected? Terrence Williams. In 2010, had the Rockets been unbearably bad (instead of the scrappy, overachieving team that many fans fell in love with) and gotten the #6 overall pick in the draft, do you know who Morey would have selected? Patrick Patterson. Last year, had the Rockets decided to "tank" a little earlier and got their draft position all the way up to, say, #8 or #9, do you know who Morey would have selected (for better or worse)? Marcus Morris. Instead, the Rockets have been competitive throughout this entire process and STILL managed to acquire "top-10 picks" on Morey's draft board from each of the past three drafts. Face it. Even if you traded away Scola and/or Martin, this team has enough young talent to compete at a level that will--at the very least--keep the Rockets out of the dregs of the NBA. Why, then, should the Rockets suffer through a horrible season of losing--but not at a level capable of actually getting a top-3 pick, all so they can get another player, the likes of which they have plenty on their roster already? Better to WIN GAMES and improve the value of every player in the rotation and the team as a whole. To me, THAT will help attract free agents more than a #7 or #8 overall pick in next year's draft. But maybe that's just me.
Fair points - but I think one of those years, there's a good chance Morey turns that #6 pick into a #3 pick between lotto night and opening day. Oh and by that I don't mean Hasheem Thabeet. Also part of it's just me getting older and having less time, but I can't really afford to invest in scrappy 8th/9th seeders.
Morey has tried to move down the past three years in the draft with no success. Its incredibly hard to move down unless you are willing to give up an all star calliber player or a top prospect. Also, there would be nothing worse as a fan that I would rather witness than being so incredibly bad for more than 5 seasons, and finally landing a Lebron James superstar, then watch him bolt to Miami because the rest of the team stunk so bad. This is the reality of teams that tank to draft a superstar. No players in the NBA WANT to go there, and nobody wants to root for them in the process.
Bima, there's a big difference between #6 or #8 and #1 or #2 in most NBA drafts. Morey really wanted Demarcus Cousin and Kanter. Couldn't get up high enough. However, I do agree with you, we are better off to remain competitive and try to build from here. I think Richard Justice's article may have more to do with Morey trading for future draft picks to get our shot in the high lottery while still remaining competitive on the floor than to actually tank to get in the high lottery. If this season had been burned up with the lockout, our odds would have been fairly high of grabbing a top 3 pick between our own selection and the Knicks selection. I suppose that could still materialize if the Knicks crater, but not likely. However, it is a possibility. One injury to Amare and you've got a shot happy Melo playing by himself up there. It looks to me the logical course of action right now is to play and play hard and see if a deal materializes for Dwight and/or Paul/DWill sometime during the season or after the season.
For those losers who want to tank, it's easy to be a lottery team, just trade away Scola and Hayes. These are the only 2 guys that's making this team click.
Agreed, although the Rockets could not have gotten a top-3 pick with the Knick's pick. It is top-5 protected. I think the Rockets would have had a "puncher's chance" at a top-3 pick in a lottery process if there was no season, although I think the most likely outcome would have been that they got two picks in the #6 to #12 range.
It's not that difficult to move up from the 6-8 spots up to top 5 than from the 14th spot. Take the Cousins draft for example. Minnesota wanted to trade out of #4 where they took Wesley Johnson. Had the Rockets had the 8th pick, I think that pick plus a future 1st and taking on a bad contract would probably work. 14th pick is just too far back. You can still find good players there, but they'd undervalued by other teams because... well, they'd be taken earlier otherwise. As for the next Lebron leaving, he stayed there for 7 years. And that's despite no superstar next to him during all that time. I have faith that Morey can at least put together a solid surrounding cast if we do get 5 straight top-10 picks(as you say sucking for 5 years). I see him drafting more like OKC than the Hawks or the Clippers.
I would rather take a gamble on Fesenko and Yi on far smaller contracts. Offer anything from the minimum to 1.5M for 2 to 3 years. With Yi I'd see how he goes exclusively at center.
All reports are that Morey tried almost exactly what you proposed and still that was not enough to pry away the 4th pick. Morey has said numerous times that trading into the top 5 draft picks is one of the most difficult things for a GM to accomplish, and nearly impossible. You literally have to give up gold to get gold. The Rockets have alot of silver, but very little gold. Lebron/Cleveland is just one example. You could very well use Tyreke Evans, or Ricky Rubio as an example of what you might get if you tank. I have all the confidence in the world in Morey as well to get solid role players like you, but fans obviously think that he's wrong in his approach to getting a superstar to compete on a high level as soon as possible. The fact is, this team is close, one or two players away, from competing at a high level. If you "tank" you are much, much further away from that goal of winning a title.
Yeah, that's exactly what I want. I want Morey to dump K-Mart and Luis, so the Rockets can lose enough games to get a top three pick. And team morale? I could care less. When I hear the phrase "scrappy" or "selflessness" or "gusty", all I see is another ten years of 45 win teams either barely missing the playoffs or getting booted in the first round. I am sick of the Rockets being "the team no one wants to face in the playoffs". I'd rather win another Championship before they wheel me off to a retirement home. At this rate, by the time the Rockets make the Finals, I'll be eating jello through a straw and watching Matlock. Team morale, he he he. Do you think the Colts care about team morale? No, I really don't care about team morale. Hurting the value of our role players? The solution is to trade the "assets", so you'll tank, which eliminates the problem. Nor is there any proof that being on a crappy team hurts a player's trade value. Lastly, NBA history is on my side. You tank, and if the lottery balls don't bounce your way, you tank again, and you keep tanking until you finally get the guy you want. Bima, Morey is not CD. He hasn't been able to swing the type of deals that our previous GM was famous for. It's clear now, if the Rockets want a superstar, they are going to need to bite the bullet and Tank.
Your wish is fair enough. I guess where we disagree is on the Rockets' ability to possibly suck as bad as you hope they will, regardless of how many veterans are traded away. And as for repeated tanking, the team will only get better if they continually add players selected in the #6 to #10 range each year.
Obviously you have never watched Yi play a game of basketball. He is far from being a true post player in the NBA, and is miles behind other Rockets forwards already on the team. He is trash. As for Fesenko, Jonathan Feigan of the chronicle seems to be very high on the Rockets offering him a contract if they strike out with Nene. The deal would most likely be in a similar fashion to the deal the offered Gortat a couple years back, and Feigan tends to be pretty in touch with whats going on in the front office. My opinion though is that December 9th will be a big trade day for the Rockets, and they will prefer this route over signing a free agent outright. Remember too, that they can Amnesty players with existing contracts. Look for them to take full advantage of teams un-preparation to get a center in trade rather than overpaying in free agency. Bigs on the radar in trade that come at a range of different prices - Robin Lopez Andris Biedrins Marcin Gortat Al Jefferson*(high on the list) Anderson V. Asik Mozgov
It's hard to move up 6-10 spots like Morey wanted to. It's much not as difficult to move up 3 spots, because there's a much better chance you can deliver somebody's draft board topper at 6 than at 12.
Lol did someone just suggest Yi? Maybe in like three years if he's developed an NBA game by then. The height and athleticism is always welcomed. But today? Come on lol
Last year Nene had a better offensive rating, defensive rating, win shares and win shares/48 than ANY Houston Rocket did.
But your missing the point. Move up three spots to draft ... Marcus Morris, Patrick Patterson, or Terrence Williams. He didnt make those deals because the players they had much higher on their board fell to them at draft day anyways. The whole argument of the "tankers" on this board is that they want to get the superstar in the draft, but if moving two spots in the draft gets you the same player you would get at 14, then whats the point? I thought you wanted the top 5 pick that is nearly impossible to get?
