Just for fun here's my prediction- PG: Brooks, Machado, Livingston SG: Parsons, Richardson, Z. Dragic SF: Grainger, R. White PF: Scola, Motiejunas, Leuer C: D. Howard, Asik, Smith How it all went down- 2 trades- First trade- Rockets trade Martin, Toronto's 1st round pick, Dallas 1st round pick, Jeremy Lamb, & Terrence Jones for Howard, Duhon Second Trade- Patterson, Morris, Lee(S&T), Brockman, 2nd round pick, & cash for Grainger The overall story- Based on some rough calculations Im coming up with 68.7 in total salary if Brooks gets a 4.5 mil offer for next season. Im not exactly sure how this gets done, but it seems to make sense that this would be the likely framework of a deal I would imagine Morey has in mind realistically. This would make the Rockets carry around the 4th highest salary team in the league. Sounds about right. Based on the moves that Morey has been making to prep for this, its clear to me that Dwight isn't the only thing he's going after. Getting a side kick like Grainger would make perfect sense. There's still enough talent on the roster to possibly make another move at the trade deadline to bring in another all-star type. Maybe Motiejunas, White, or Parsons take another step forward to become something greater as well. Also, basketball wise, this team fits very well around a HEALTHY, and MOTIVATED Dwight Howard. Good shooting, high character, athletic, and some decent defenders as well. There is still enough young talent around that can take a step forward with enough hard work. Lastly, if Dwight and Grainger bolt at the end of the year, you have a young team ready to rebuild from the ground up after the year is up. Still I believe this team, with a couple more tweaks can get pretty far in the western conference, and Dwight would be dumb to leave after all of this IMO. I guess imagine if you replace Roy Hibbert with Dwight Howard on last years Pacers team and thats about where you are as far as talent goes. Pretty darn good for just two trades later.
We only move Martin and Scola, as for Patterson I just completely forgot about him. But with Asik possibly getting matched, I guess Patterson would be our starting center.
Starters PG - Aaron Brooks SG - Jeremy Lamb SF - Chandler Parsons PF - Royce White C - Donatas Motiejunas Bench PG - Courtney Fortson, Scott Machado SG - Shaun Livingston SF - Marcus Morris PF - Patrick Patterson, John Luer C - Greg Smith, Terrence Jones Rockets will win 33 games and get 2 lottery picks (12 & 8) next summer, their own and Torontos. Rockets will score points but have issues on defense. DMo and Royce will both play like ROY candidates. Both will show a complete game offensively and both will be good on defense but there will be a lack of shot blocking. The offense will run largely through Royce. Lamb will put up good numbers on offense but he will get torched defense through most of the season due to his lack of strength. Chandler Parson will be an elite defender and his scoring will be much more consistent mainly due to an improved 3 point stroke and a light of highlight real dunks off of highlight real passes from Royce White. AB will look like he did before he was traded. A great 3 ball shooter, nice mid range stop and pop but not much defense. The bench will feature Patrick Patterson returning to form from his rookie year and Marcus Morris turning into a reliable if not potent offensive option off of the bench. Overall the bench will not be good though. The team will show considerable improvement in the second half of the season and we will all recognize the new direction.
With the new moves, starting lineup may be: PG Douglas SG Lamb SF White PF Jones C Jordan Let's see what the young-uns can do & get #1 pick as well!
Brooks Martin Parsons Scola Xxxxx. No clue asik will be matched Bench Tony Douglas / machado Lamb Jones/ morris White/Patterson D mo / Greg smith
Not trying to predict next season's roster. That would be like guessing the number of gumballs in a gumball machine. Just going to comment on how wild it is just how much we're starting over. ----- Four rotation players gone (Dragic, Lowry, Camby, Dalembert). Two starters being actively shopped (Scola, Martin). One starter/sixth man type already gone and one about to be S&T'ed - both rotation players (Budinger, Lee). That's, as I pointed out in another thread 8 out of 9 rotation players gone. Only Chandler Parsons is left of our top 9 players last year and Patrick Patterson is the 10th. We didn't have an 11th (Boykins? Smith?). And don't think for a minute Parsons, Patterson, all our rookies, all our picks, not to mention all our about-to-be-waived scrubs aren't on the block and available. I think Parsons would sting but they'd do it (and regret it forever). Maybe Les just told DM to start over from scratch. If that's the strategy, that's fine. I'll be a lot less interested in Houston Rockets basketball for a few years, but that's fine. If they're trying to compete, and we actually field a competitive roster this year, and even more if we make the playoffs, I will be freaking amazed. And I will completely flip the rather sour opinion of Morey I acquired around the Adelman fiasco and that has only grown since that time. (I frigging hated the Gasol trade and was ecstatic when Stern stepped in, as shady as that was.) There were some guys though that I really can't believe we let go. I can't believe we let Dragic go. Especially Dragic. He never got minutes and when he finally did he was amazing. He has not hit his ceiling. Not even close. We gave up a potential top 10 point guard in the NBA, a potential all-star IMO, over a player option. That was foolish. And then we lost Lowry too, though I have to approve of that trade just because such value for it. Lowry is also an up-and-comer though, the lord's not finished with him yet, and he is going to be a very good player for one team or another. This might not be a popular opinion, but I think Budinger is worth more than an 18 pick and I'll miss him too. When he was moved to the bench, he really thrived. I hate it when we find a diamond in the rough, develop him, and then let him go. I thought he improved this year a lot and I really loved his game and his attitude. I will miss him playing for our team. I don't really understand getting rid of Lee because he's also on the good side of the fence with regard to age, talent and contract, but okay. I feel like Rockets fans have overrated him and I won't miss him that much, though he was a tough and valued player. I don't really agree with getting rid of Scola because I'd just never agree with getting rid of Scola. I am too much of a Scola fan. He is EXACTLY my ideal player -- he hustles, he gets better with age, and he is a GAMER. It's not like he's asking a lot of money. Houston Rockets basketball is a lot more entertaining to me with him on the team. I know I'm irrational when it comes to Scola, but I am going to wear black the day we trade him. Martin I'd amnesty if we don't find a trade partner. He is a perfect example of the type of player I DON'T like. He is the opposite of a gamer and he is soft. He is talented but he doesn't work to get better. So he is average and sluggish. But just talented enough to demand a decent contract. No, thank you. We already had a Scottie Pippen and it sucked. We don't need another one. I do hope though, for his sake, that he goes to Minneapolis. Because he actually did play pretty well in Adelman's system. I'll miss Bear and I'll miss Camby but I understand why they're both moving on and I understand why we want them to move on. After all, we've got Dwight Howard to develop (according, apparently, to Morey's wishes)... Just (as we did with our other players)... for some other team.
Starters PG - Scott Machado SG - Kevin Martin SF - Chandler Parsons PF - Donatas Motiejunas C - Brendan Haywood Bench PG - Tony Douglas, Shaun Livingston SG - Jeremy Lamb, Gary Forbes SF - Royce White, Marcus Morris PF - Terrence Jones, John Leuer C - Patrick Patterson, Greg Smith Rockets might win 20 games and get 2 lottery picks: HOU #3 & TOR #8 next summer. Complete rebuild going in for Shabazz Muhammad!!:grin:
Prediction: 1. Sergio Llull 2. Jason Richardson 3. Parsons 4. Motiejunas 5. Howard Preference: 1. Raymond Felton 2. K Martin 3. Royce White 4. PAt PAt 5. Dwight Howard
DJ Augistein C.Lee Parsons Patterson Dwight Bench Macado Lamb/J-rich Hedo Big Baby Davis Donuts/ scrub FA
PG Jeremy Lin SG Jason Richardson SF Donatas Motienus PF Big Baby Davis C Dwight Howard I know Lin is a "Lin-g shot" but I'm still hopeful.
Brooks/Duhon Lee/Richardson Parsons/White Motiejunas/Patterson Howard/Davis Yeah we're not giving up Parsons, Patterson, or White. I don't buy it for a second
^ I also think the above is a pretty good team by the way. I don't know that it's a championship contender yet, probably needs a little more work for that, but should be at least 5th or 6th seed in the West.
@Thirty2zero @CourtneyLee2211 @hidoturkoglu15 @Motiejunas @BrandonJRouth Guess Twitter isn't big up in Kansas.
