It is not idiotic, it is stupid to not consider the fact that these are human beings and as such will be effected as to how they are treated in their work environment. I mean you say "Who cares" ...well they ****ing care !!! And their performance reflects whether or not they care.....and by proxy, the ownership should care, because people can see that the players don't care and thus stop buying tickets, which makes Les care.... Everyone should care, because if people are not on the same page, and are only out to get their own, because the org doesn't care about them, then you get what you have now. A group of talented guys that are not really buying in to what McHale is preaching and look to be just going through the motions - doing just enough to stay on the court, because we have no other options. EVERYONE SHOULD CARE !!!! That is entirely the point, if ownership doesn't care about the players, why the hell would they care about the Rockets? Even Scola said he was hurt, and that he had bought into the teams colors....it is maddening to read that folks don't get this VERY IMPORTANT point. Players GIVE A CRAP about how they are treated.....and their performance reflects that, they have OPENLY complained about Morey's way of doing business... Now, don't you think that OTHER players who are free agents CARE what their peers are saying about Houston? Everyone knows it is a business, but not everyone talks about it being that way all the time and treats their players like it is a business. Nothing personal guys...hey we are just going to trade you whenever we like...don't let your family and kids worry about hearing it on the radio every day, no big deal, it is just business. Yeah, I care......and so should everyone else......Morey needs to work on his ability to keep things more on the down low about trades etc, maybe let the coach talk in the press and shrink more into the background...??? Because the players care, and it shows in our perception around the league as an organization that doesn't CARE for the players. DD
Fortunately, intelligent people have the benefit of understanding situation. DM inherited Broken Knee and Broken Foot. He tried to salvage value out of Broken Knee, but Broken Knee torpedo'd him. He never had an opportunity to salvage value out of Broken Foot. He's never had an opportunity to try a completely different approach - tanking. He's attempted to build a better core - Lowry, Gasol, Nene - but was torpedo'd by Evil Stern. These are all situational facts that have to be considered when viewing DM's record. As someone whol constantly likes to pull out the "I manage people" card, one woudl think you are capable of gauging performance based on more than just ultimate outcome. If you, and completely uncontrollable independent third parties and situations, handcuff your employees, and then you go ahead and fire them for not performing... well, probably sucks to work for you. I'm not saying DM deserves a bonus, or contract extension. I am saying, please stop making crap up and look at the facts? Championship teams treat their players like assets. DM has been severely handicapped in his role as GM. Both are facts... that require at least consideration before judging his performance.
Of course there were circumstances, no one is denying that. Yao and Tmac ultimately broke down. But who avoided drafting a big man knowing Yao Ming had poor feet? Who relied on Tracy playing through pain? Sure you can say that he had no choice due to contracts etc, but maybe someone else would have taken on those contracts because insurance was covering them, maybe a team in financial need would have taken em. Morey is doing a good job, but he is no saint, he has not led the team anywhere better. This is a bottom line league, and he is on the clock. DD
No, it is not his fault.... he did did not cripple T-Mac and Yao. He has not had any high draft picks, and has exhausted every possible trade scenario. He cannot force the owner to embrace tanking. The guy traded air for Scola, Lowery, and drafted Bud, Patterson, Morris, Brooks, Landry and others with middling draft picks... I just do not get it..... I know you are a fickle man... but come on.
dude, when they were happy and trying hard, they're performance reflected the fact that the team is average. Unhappy and sulking... happy and a team, it doesn't matter, this team is what it is. No, you get what you have now because they players aren't good enough. It's been pointed out repeatedly that championship teams treat their players the same way as well. You've consistently failed to prove that there is something unique about the way the Rockets treat their players that is preventing them from winning. Please, provide some historical evidence at least that supports your thesis?? Your analysis of our players abilities has consistently over your years on this BBS has been proven to be relatively off base. Great, you wanted Yao Ming over Jay Williams?? So did a ton of people. Nevermind the fact that Jay Williams had as average a rookie year and might have turned out to be a solid, all-star level PG in the NBA if not for his stupidity/injury. 9 times out of 10, you are otherwise wrong about player evaluation. As you are here. The problem isn't not buying into the system. Sure, there's room for marginal improvement... but that's it. The problem is our "talent" consists of 0 all-stars, only 1 above average 2 way player in our starting lineup, and young players who are trying to reach their ultimate potential of being 6th men type guys on a playoff team. That's not talent... that's a dearth of talent. THIS is what you should be complaining about with regards to DM. Keep in mind, he's been hampered, but for as good as he's done at drafting in the second round, and picking up the Martin and Scola's of the world, there is a serious LACK of talent on this team relative to the rest of the NBA. There's a bazillion other reasons. and?? Great guy, nice player, with awesome post moves. Below average rebounder. Below average defender. This isn't Kobe being pissed off, this is Luis Scola, taking a lottery team deeper into the lottery I guess by acting unprofessionally? This maybe item #1,000 on a player's list of why to choose somewhere as a destination. Dedication to winning would come way way way ahead of this... with money of course coming first. Dedication to winning means, often, treating players like assets to improve the team (see pretty much all past winning teams). You overstate Morey's mouth. He doesn't get on the radio and mouth off. He doesn't outright lie and say we're not trading anyway (which also backfires for management... see Eric Gordon recent complaints), but he isn't the one pimping himself, it's the media, and in a large part, this BBS. It's not DM's fault Stern veto'd a trade that was otherwise approved. please provide some sort of evidence that backs up this statement??
What if Morey never traded Rudy Gay. Would we be in a better position will a legit player to attract free agents to? I really think the turning for the worst was started with that trade.
Teflon Morey, the only GM in history that is not at fault for any decision, or teams struggles. Look, I get that he took over a bad situation, and has done a pretty good job, but I think he is not as good as a lot of you think. Even this summers trade for Pau was not a great one, it made the team a possible playoff team, but not really a contender. I don't want the playoffs, as a fan, I want the team to be great again !! GREAT...not mediocre, and so far, that is all we have gotten from him...mediocre...... And we just got rid of a Hall of Fame coach so the GM could bring in his buddy as HC, and name the staff. And don't even go there about drafting Dorsey instead of Deandre Jordan, when Yao's feet were made of glass.....not to mention Morey wanting to draft college players that were productive over guys with height...how is Marquief doing in Phoenix....these days? Anyway, I do like Morey, I just don't drink the Morey can do no wrong Kool aid. DD
Its not a bottom line league. The only people calling for his head are here and they are an irrational lynch mob. He is completely safe.
Oh, I don't want him fired either, I think he has done about a "B" level job, maybe even "B+"...... I just get tired of the Teflon Morey syndrome. DD
What pick was Marquief drafted with again? Which pick did we have again? Yeah, facts are very very important. Context as well.
You seem to be denying it, as your responses below indicate. Fair point, but you're going to lose the DM drafts poorly argument. Given draft position, DM has drafted pretty much as good as one could possibly expect. That he got anything out of some of those picks is amazing. Sure, it would have been nice if picked Deandre Jordan in the second round of 2008... but there are otherwise very few big man "misses"... So, wait a second here... are you saying he SHOULD have treated Tracy MORE like an asset, and traded him sooner, or made other moves sooner? All of which ignores the facts that (1) he couldn't have predicted the severity of Tracy's injury, (2) he was trying to find other options, and (3) he was torpedo'd by T-Mac he tried to trade Tracy. he wasn't allowed to trade Yao. Why is that so hard to understand? You say "your not denying the circumstances"... then go on to do so. Moreover, AGAIN, you are suggesting Morey treat his players MORE like assets with such a statement. Should he not have held their hand through the injuries, said they were sticking by him through thick and thin, and would never think of trading him? Perhaps then we'd attract free agents, right... I agree with you here. I don't think it's his fault, but sometimes you either get it done or you don't.
You are sort of right, IIRC, Dawson was in his last year, and was training Morey, and the Battier move was one that Morey was pushing for, and since it was going to be his team going forward, they went with it. So it was technically CD's move, but driven by Morey. DD
It is getting a little bit tiring to hear about how these poor players might face being traded. This, at its core is, is a business. These players get payed million of dollars and their work performance dictates their market value. Part of that salary includes being a professional and having to accept the fact that they could be moved at any point. It would be severely naive to believe anyone's place is solidified on a team in the current state of the Rockets. I have no pity and no sympathy for the players on the business side of the league because the pay is quite comparable to accommodate relocation. Sulking and being upset hurt the individual output as well as the team output and are solely on the individual player.
They know it is a business, they took the risk, just don't be surprised when the players start treating it like one, and decide that their boo boo is just too much to play with...... While there is not much loyalty in sports, the illusion of it is very important.... DD
While I cannot be counted among the legion of Morey fanboys who worship the ground he walks upon and I am still pissed at him about the Artest deal, in the interest of fairness I must point out that the Rockets as an organization have been badly managed over the last decade. The previous GM (Dawson) who so many here revere basically was an incompetent GM who painted this organization into the corner it finds itself in today. As a direct result of Dawson's mismanagement of the draft and bad FA signings during his tenure, Morey was left to looking for players in the late 1st and second rounds. Dawson's biggest deal - which Morey inherited (the TMac trade) - was poorly thought out and executed with NO plan to replace the 3 starting players lost in that trade. It wasn't until Morey acquired Luis Scola, Kelvin Martin and Kyle Lowery that those positions were finally filled but by then it was years too late. By that time the major justification for that trade - pairing two "superstars" (TMac with Yao) - had completely blown up in the Rockets' collective faces when both players broke down physically leaving Morey to deal with a collection of fair to good bench players, a clueless owner more interested in making money in China than in fielding a winning team and an organization firmly lodged in NBA mediocrity. Which brings us to today.
Nice words, DD. I want to add that this league is also about networking and relationship. That is how Lakers got their last two rings and how Heat becomes who they are.
By the way, how is Portland doing now that they lost their star player in Roy and their number 1 pick in Oden? I mean clearly they have as much trouble as us, right? DD
