Dwight update: Not close to a trade with Rockets

I don't think so. I think he has more value at the deadline, so I think Morey will hold onto him at least until then.

 

c'mon man .. I said it would be a miracle ..as in intervention by God himself .

 

He might make it to the deadline,but I'm guessing Lamb would still get plenty of min.,and Martin would just be showcased ..that's what I would do anyway.

 

IMO Martin's a keeper if we fail to land Dwight. Just let his contract expire next offseason and sign him back on the cheap. He can start at SG until Lamb's ready and after that he can take over as a sixth man.

 

80% we end up with Dwight Howard
20% with Bynum
0% chance we end up with neither

 

IMO Bynum does not fit with Lin and Coach Mchale's game.

 

70% we end up with Dwight Howard
20% with Bynum
10% chance we end up with neither

 

If we don't get Howard, that second roster wouldn't be much better either ways.

Martin doesn't have a big impact on games. He's been on terrible teams before. As games drag on, when the 4th comes, Martin usually seems to brick a lot of shots...and PAtterson...after last season...I don't see how those guys would do the Rockets much good.

Top 8 pick for sure with that roster. The only team in the west I'd say that team would be better than maybe the Kings. They'll be better than a few bottom feeders from the East...top 8 pick if they keep Martin...top 5 pick if they get rid of him.

Martin is only worth 2-3 games.

 

When i talk about the team, it's about their future together. This team will be lottery bound after their first season.
Durant did not have players of Jones, White, Lin and Motiejunas' caliber on his team when he came into the league. Of course a team full of rookies look bad now. Then the 2nd half of the season rolls around and things start to change.

 

Underrating both Martin and Patterson heavily. Martin has been on bad teams before, but they never had the kind of talent around him I just listed. Patterson was only so mediocre last year because of his injury, plus the typical "sophomore slump". I think he's going to surprise a lot of you guys this season if he isn't traded for Howard.

Lin is going to be a very solid starter most likely, and Asik's elite defense is very underappreciated.

 

I say we cool it on the Lamb and Durant comparisons. There is a reason Durant was drafted #2 overall. That's not to say Lamb won't turn into Durant, but Lamb wont turn into Durant.

 

In no particular order the 'Tier-1' teams appear to be

LA Lakers
LA Clippers
Memphis Grizzlies
San Antonio Spurs
OKC Thunder

That's already 5 teams that are certainties to be better than the Rockets.

The rest of the West is a bit clogged but who are we better than?

Denver Nuggets

On paper they aren't very impressive but they made the play-offs last year whilst one of their best young players was injured (Gallinari) and have retained all their major pieces and their young talent is now more seasoned.

I put them ahead of us next year

Phoenix Suns

They lost Nash but in the off-season added Dragic, Beasley, Scola, Kendall Marshall.

Beasley may continue to be a malcontent and Kendall is unproven in the NBA but Dragic and Scola as additions alone are, imo, enough to put them ahead of us next season imo.

Golden State Warriors

Bad management, yes, but they were faring well last year until they started tanking for picks after Curry couldn't stay heathy. If Curry and Bogut can stay healthy next year they've already got the role-players around them to make a legitimate chase for a low seed.

Houston Rockets

Additions - Lin, Asik (appears to be the case), Lamb, D-Mo, White, 9000+ PFs
Losses - Lowry, Scola, Dragic, Camby

Asik isn't very proven as an NBA starter and Lin hasn't had many starts (effectively a sophomore) whilst all of our rookies have no experience. We are indeed worst off than we were last year when we lost almost our entire roster whereas most of the 'treadmill' teams have improved their roster.

Our advantage is that we have a young team with lots of upside, a stockpile of draft picks (not so much our stockpile of PFs) and an abundance of cap room. We're not good next season unless Lamb as an Irving-like breakout rookie season, Lin turns into Linsanity mode and D-Mo puts on 20 pounds and plays like a young Hakeem but the beauty is that we may be good a couple of seasons from now like the Thunder.

 

Repped :grin:

 

^ Agreed. And you all underrate Lin as well. Lin alone can beat the likes of the Kings and Bobcats. He never had any problem vs sub-500 teams. He dominated them.

 

Martin as your leading scorer would be lucky to lead that team to 35 games.

He plays no defense, has a bad habit of starting off really hot and then cooling off as time draws on....If Martin was anything other than fool's gold than the Rockets would be holding onto him trying to get him a new deal. As it is though he's pretty much a guy who puts up empty stats.

Why?

Because he gives up about as much as he gives and then on top of that makes no big shots when you really need him to. I guess this is a contract year so he has that going for him...but still he's your primary scorer and if that his his role we'll be lotto watching for most of the year.

As for Patterson. Solid player, still too inconsistent.

The rest of those guys are going to be too young to lead the team to win games. Without guys like Dalembert, Lowry, Dragic, Scola, and later on Camby...I just can't see it happening. I think the Rockets become a bottom 5 team out west and really the only other team I see as bad with either roster are the Kings.

 

I doubt our roster looks similar to this come training camp, even if we drop the ball on Dwight. We have too much youth and too many draft picks not to do something significant. Discussing how our current team would fare when we haven't and probably never will see then on the court sounds like an exercise in futility.

 

Also, Lamb can easily win ROY even he needs to share minutes with Martin. He can compete with best sixth men award with Harden in the coming season IMO.

 

Exactly.

Also for people saying that we are underrating Lin...I think many of you are underrating other players on other teams.

Those teams you mentioned look better than us for the 2012-13 season as of right now.

Asik is very much unproven and I still don't see Lin having a huge impact to make this team a playoff contender. He's a good starting PG though...but it's debateable...

Is he better than Lawson or Dragic? Better than Mayo?

Of course he's not better than most of the elite teams PGs so his affect on games may be negated in the PG heavy west.

 

If we don't get Howard or Bynum what other deals are out there?

I hope no one suggests going after Iggy or Josh Smith. Man if the Rockets do that Ish if they strike out on Bynum/Howard I'll throw up.

If we don't get neither, just look to move Martin and play the young guys.

 

Not Mayo, I meant Conley.

Either way the West is loaded with talented PGs he's going to have to outplay.