How about Clutch, who is very involved with the Rockets, repeatedly saying that Les is the one that wanted the team to compete and not Morey?
Every team has bad contracts. Nothing is sure. It's a game of probability. However, the more talents you have, the more likely you will win on the end. Look how many bad contracts Dallas has got over the years, before and during their championship run. That's the nature of this business. A few bad contracts, unless it's 30 million sitting on the bench in street clothes, won't affect a team's future. But, without a clear direction, without someone, something to build around/on, there is no future, with or without bad contract.
Ill take Clutchs word for it. I am also saying Morey is now actually building his own case against him anyways. Les wants to fill the stands. Thats why he wanted to compete. Now he is barely competing and at the same time the stands are empty. Usually owners act in times like that if those things continue. They replaced the coach twice. So who is next? The GM or the players. Then if that does not work changing the players? The GM.
This team's direction was Yao until this year and the team was being built around him up until then. Morey going out and signing players to bad contracts to fight for a lower seed this year would have been stupid. He was aggressive with the right players like Marc Gasol but because he was restricted he couldn't get him. This upcoming year really is the first year Morey has had a chance to truly build a team that wasn't centered around Yao/TMac. If he just allows the team to stay afloat I completely agree he must go but at this point in time he hasn't really been give a real shot imo.
I might be confused about what you want to be done so let's clear it up. Do you want Morey to be fired right now before this offseason?
Nope. I want him to actually do stuff now. Instead of talking about moving up in the draft. I want it done. Even if the deal hurts him and is a little out of his comfort zone. Not a bad deal. I want to move in this draft. Morey needs to feel the heat? So be it. Until he does something instead of drafting the next Patterson and Marcus Morris again at 14 at 15. He should not settle this time. Overpay. Stop lowballing other teams.
Make a move Morey. thrill me finally. Its been 3 years now. The excuses no longer hold weight anymore. Its time to wheel and deal or get another guy in here who can.
I stopped right there. Bowen and Bogans, or Wesley, or Head, or the long list of below-average players in your starting line up, is NOT building around ANYONE. Is Howard, Wade, Gasol, or even Kobe or LBJ going to win with those players? No, I am not comparing Yao or TMac to any of those. I am just showing you how ridiculous the claim "building around Yao" was. Magic surrounded Howard with young shooters and slashers, that's what called building around someone. Yes, including some bad contracts too. The year we beat Blazers were actually the first year and ONLY year, we had some real talents besides Yao and TMac. Scola, Ron, Brooks, Landry, Lowry, those are quality players, who can contribute OFFENSIVELY when it mattered. Guess what, they advanced to the 2nd round, even without TMac. Flash back to the Dallas series, think about it, even just a little bit better than Bowen at the 4, would have helped them advance. What they needed was just a little bit better than Bowen and Bogans, and you call that "build around whatever".
Daryl Morey I don't think Morey should be fired this season. I think he's done a respectable job and isn't afraid to make a move if he feels it is in the best interest of the team. let's also not forget the misfortune this franchise has endured with career-ending injuries to its 2 best players in Yao and Mcgrady. You don't overcome this overnight unfortunately. If this happens again next season, then I think it's time to move on and give someone else a shot.
The problem with giving Morey one more chance to make the "huge moves" is that even his most mediocre move, e.g. TWill, is greeted in here like it is the biggest move of the franchise in the modern era. His every move has, so far, been greeted by many fans here as if they are "huge moves". If any Morey move is greeted as "huge" then he will never be fired, and the Rockets will be in the same position next year as this year. Time to wake up folks.
This illustrates the faulty logic of the rockets management team. This feeling right now. Using grizzled veteran players to get you within a few games of the playoffs, is the worst possible outcome. You don't make the playoffs and you barely have a shot at a high draft pick. It's the same scenario repeated year after year. The trading deadline fosters this false dichotomy that the rockets can have one foot in the rebuilding mode and one foor in the just trade everybody for dwight rental. How many times over the last couple of seasons do the rockets organization "leak" information that they are willing to accept any star, no holds bar, only to be let down by the harsh reality that nobody wants to do business with the rockets. The Pau Gasol deal was more about raping the Hornets than the Rockets acquiring a big name star on ya'll's own. The only reason that Pau was available at all was because the lakers were getting the best of the deal. This is a rinse and repeat cycle. The facts are the only big name guy the rockets ever brought in was Kevin Martin in recent memory.
So you are blaming Morey for not putting together a good enough team before he even took over as GM? Bowens last year was 05-06 which was before Morey took over. Wesley's last year was also 05-06. That team that beat the Blazers is the Morey built team. He traded for Scola, Lowry, and Ron and drafted Landry and Brooks. You should probably get your facts straight before you start blaming Morey for teams failing that he had nothing to do with.
I agree with you completely. Of course, the bad players you cited were brought in by previous management (Dawson). The good players you cited were brought in by Morey.
Come on guys, really? If everyone is voting yes because he hasn't been able to land a franchise player.. who are y'all looking at? Dwight Howard? Deron Williams? Chris Bosh? Freakin Carmelo Anthony?! We had a shot at getting Amare but Morey opted out because of knee issues or whatever. Non of those established stars are willing to play in Houston because there isn't really a great player to play with. Yes we have plenty of GOOD players but no GREAT ones. You can say Lowry and Dragic are great players but outside of them, what else do the Rockets have to offer? If Les would allow us to tank and rebuild normally we would be fine, teams trade their franchise players typically go for a high draft pick and some players, while we have some good players, we don't have a high draft pick. Unless someone demands to come here, I doubt we're going to make a big splash before the draft. I doubt any other GM would be able to do a better job than Morey has at this point. He freaking traded Vspan (couldnt figure out the game, too bad) for Scola and not to mention Brooks (PG who played no defense) for Dragic. Give him some more time and we'll be fine. We need a better owner to be honest..
Just because you convince you boss to a few things does not mean you will convince to do everything you want him to do. At the time of both of those trades the key parts to get were role players, so Morey could argue that with this role players the team will overall be better, get further in the playoffs, etc. No the argument is entirely different. The argument is we have suck so that we can be good. It's a totally different argument to businessman. The first argument is that this player or arrangement will work better and there is a good chance it will work out. The second argument is that we will certainly suck for now, and there is decent chance after the certainty of sucking we will better. If you controlled the purse strings, even if you trusted your employee, would go ahead with both plans or just one? So basically your saying Morey clock is running anyways, so what does he have to lose if he just goes maverick on his owner and try another route? Except my argument is that he would be less likely to hired again by any team. Now sure, you may not care or like that argument since it has nothing to do with you, and only ensures the Rockets continue to lose. But say Morey goes against his boss and puts the team in a position to tank by putting blah players on the court, when he fired because he: 1. disobeyed direct orders from Les. 2. did not have time to let the tanking play out before Les used him as a scapegoat for tanking. You will then have another GM that Les will make even more certain of obeying him, like, I don't know, some GM who did things like sign Matt Maloney, Mo Taylor, Stromile Swift, Moochie Norris to extreme long term contracts and whose drafts picks make you laugh compared the our current GM. For some reason, I just cannot remember his name. Basically, It would be like your angling for change just for the sake of change, and more often than not your gonna lose that gamble.
These same apologists that absolve Morey of any and all blame for anything that goes wrong will be the first ones to start deifying him and giving him all the credit if something goes right. He can do no wrong. It's a win-win situation for Maury.
