[ClutchFans] For Rockets, winning in 2012 would be nice, but losing might be better

we don't get the Dallas pick?

 

They have to have a top 10 record to give us the pick. I continues for next year.

 

There is a pain in my heart that I haven't felt since the final days of Dream, Drexler & Barkley.

 

“Leslie [Alexander] has an approach I totally agree with,” said Morey. “He really believes that we need to turn the corner while remaining competitive.

So, like many have said, Morey and Les ARE on the same page. They both hope that IF everything goes well, we might have a chance.

At work, you know such thinking is dead wrong. If you rely on "everything goes as planned", you already lose. Why is it different in NBA, or to some fans here, why it has to be different in Rockets?

Tank to get better talents, if one season is not enough, tank two seasons.

Give up everything for a really really good player, and rebuild from there.

Those are the ONLY 2 proven ways to rebuild. Wishful thinking was never the way to succeed, but rather sorry excuses for mediocrity.

 

It's more likely Les put out the approach, and Morey knows that's what he's got to go for. It's not like Daryl could say

“Leslie [Alexander] really believes that we need to turn the corner while remaining competitive. Personally, I think that's like trying to thread a needle through a solid brick wall, but if I want to see the end of my contract, that's what I've got to try and pull off"


I've wanted it for well over a year, and still hope and pray Alexander comes to his senses and signs off on a total teardown.

 

Looks like you were too lazy to read the article in the 1st page of the thread.

http://rockets.clutchfans.net/1901/for-rockets-winning-2012-would-be-nice-losing-might-be-better/

 

I agree. It's one thing to wish the organization would "tank" by getting rid of veterans and playing young guys, but it's another thing for players who are playing for their jobs or future contracts to underachieve enough that they lose 70% of their games.
A season without K-Mart would probably have looked the same, as he was either injured or non-existent on the court for most of the year. Lee, Bud, and Parsons (players who most people were not in favor of trading) played most of the minutes at 2/3 for the year. Scola probably contributed to a few wins, but he still had a down year overall, and I'm not sure we would have played too much worse without him. Lowry only became our most tradeable "asset" by playing all year, and he wasn't someone most people were willing to tarde even for Gasol. When he went out, our team actually played better with Dragic.
My point is that "tanking" with this team would not have gotten us Anthony Davis or even a Top 5 pick. Most likely, we could have gotten to #10 by "tanking," and in the meantime, we would have stunted the growth of the team and instilled a culture of losing.

 

1. I think it's a fair comparison. The Texans outside of AJ and Mario built their team through picks outside the top 10. They were mediocre until we signed Joseph and got a gem in Foster. Other teams like the Lions are finally competitive and a playoff contender mostly through high draft picks. There is a difference in between the way the 2 teams were assembled.

2. I said the Rockets could make the playoffs and be a threat. Obviously, I didn't think we could win a ring. That's silly. I cited the Grizzlies run last season to show that even a 8th seed could contend. For example, the favorites this season are the Heat, Spurs, Bulls, Thunder and possibly LAL. A few others could contend. The Rockets were contenders the year we finally made it out of the first round esp with a healthy Yao but were nowhere close to being a favorite.

Not many people saw this Rockets team losing out basically and dropping to the 10th seed in a matter of few days. It's easy to say now that we should have just tanked from day 1.

 

the best you can get is a good solid player at those picks. however, what we need is a foundation. no way you will find a key piece with these two picks unless you are extremely lucky.

 

I sent the Rockets a very nasty facebook comment.

 

#1 is just indefensible. In the NFL, rookies drafted within the first three rounds (that's almost 100 picks) can be reasonably expected to start or at least contend for a starting spot. In the NBA, if you start as a rookie outside the top 5 you have beat the odds. There is no comparing the NBA to the NFL as far as the draft.

For your last point, a 2% chance to make the top 3 picks in the lotto is better than a 0% chance. Tank on. Basketball reasons.

 

How is it that most of us know what to do, and the management of the Rockets doesn't?

And please don't say Morey knows, because he said he agrees with Les.......

DD

 

1. It's not a fair comparison because:

a. teams move so rapidly from year to year from worst to first and vice versa...this doesn't happen in the NBA unless there are injuries that go beyond the norm;

b. one player changes everything for a team in the NBA...one player makes up 20% of the starting roster. in the NFL, that's not the case. you can add the best player in the league and still be a well below average team.

2. Making the playoffs and being a threat is not in this team's grasp. I'm really sorry. It's just not. Winning a game here or there in the regular season against teams far better than them doesn't change my mind on that. Come playoff time, this little squad would have been rolled over.

3. Clutch (and me for that matter) aren't just now saying we should have tanked. Check the date on the OP. What we could easily see coming was more and more mediocrity. That was, imo, intensely easy to see.

 

No doubt, it is blatently obvious and has been, why the organization refuses to do that is beyond me.

They are quickly losing their fanbase, the Rockets are NOT the Texans.

DD

 

Morey contradicted himself in that statement...but remember, it was a press conference. He's not going to get up at a press conference and say, "my boss is an effing moron!! he wants to rebuild and try to become a playoff team all at once...how efffing nuts is that? this is the mother falcon nba!!!"

but he tipped his hand big time when he said he knew it was easier to rebuild through losing. and he attends enough of those analytical conventions that produce reports on the subject of late to know. he absolutely knows. he's hamstrung by the owner. you know i'm not a morey homer at all....but i think Les is going to ultimately hold him accountable for not being able to rebuild and become a playoff team all at once...and that's ridiculous.

 

I agree, Morey is constantly hiding excuses in his statements, qualifying what he says to give himself outs or to let people know what is really going on behind the scenes.

I personally think Morey will resign at the end of his contract if he is not able to get this thing rolling.....because he has a decent rep and orgs around the league will give him more power to do what he wants.....

Clearly Morey has to do what Les says, Les gave him the job, upped his lifestyle, and let him drive the car around, but now, Morey wants his own car....

And, honestly, I would not blame him....Les is the problem here, no doubt, he has turned into Drayton 2.0.

DD

 

on the other side, morey may have all good ideas but he may not own the lead management skill sets to convince his boss or negotiate with the owner to follow his ideas. to me he should be a superior left or right arm of GM.

 

The bottom-line is that tanking for one season doesn't guarantee anything. Now, it might be a different story to say that we should have tanked for the past 3 years.

The Clippers sucked forever. Teams like the Warriors, Sixers, Timberwolves, Wizards, Kings, Bucks, Pistons, etc have been bad for several seasons. None of these teams will win a ring anytime soon including the Clippers.

The Lakers got Bynum at 10. Bryant at 13. There are countless examples of stars being drafted outside the top 5. To be frank, Morey needs to up his game when it comes to drafting in the lottery. We can get a star outside the top 5.

 

completely against intentional tanking. just like someone said, playing those players you think will be with rox for a long term. whether they get into playoff or not is irrelavent. just stop trading those overhill players with our picks to make rox stay in playoff hunt.

 

Wow. Not to say Clutch was wrong, W22, but the wording of the above sentence entitles you to this.