what do you think about Leslie Alexander? Ranking from 1 to 10, where 10 points as the best owner while 1 point as the worst owner.
I will say 10. Remember, he made Houston a clutch city by bringing two championships. He also won 4 championships with the Comets. I am sure he wants to win another championship here soon. He's a great owner and he keep trying to improve the Rockets each year as much as he can. He also helps bring another All-Star to Houston in 2013. He cares about Houston communities that he has made some donations and gifts to needy children.
I like Les. He was a bit slow getting us to this point. I understand though. He definitely has the best laugh.
This is probably the most accurate assessment of Les as an owner. Obviously he's not the best because he's not a trillionaire like Cuban, but he's among the better ones out there. Les does a lot of stuff with his limited funds for the team, including buying picks and investing in $$$ball technology. He's also trying to get big name coaches out there to helm the team, JVG and RA are the cream of the crop FA coaches, and while Mchale isn't a X and O genius he's also a high profile guy. People who say he's the worst owner or the bottom 5 owner are either trolls or just dumb. Just ask fans of NYC, Memphis or Chicago how their owners are.
To be fair in your statement he had his fair share of issues with both JVG and RA, drove RA out. He is pretty mediocre when he did not have Olajuwon or Yao..... He is committed to winning without having an absolute master plan how to win or you can call him unlucky. Just because others don't agree with your statement, you call them trolls or dumb. Way to go down the DD road.
And he can't or won't communicate with the media, that is one of the reasons he hired Morey and McHale.... Communication is his weak spot.
The Lin signing really affected my perception of Les. Nothing against Lin but, paying him more than Dragic and trading Lowry smells a little fishy.
There are plenty of NBA owners who just don't care. Their teams are never active or disruptive. Les appears to care. At least he says he does. But the Rockets always find a way to stay under the cap. Was Morey brought in to win a championship or to keep the team competitive without breaking the bank? I'm sure he would say both, but is that possible? The Rockets should have dumped Yao after the 2009 injury, but they held onto him. Did they really think he could be effective at 24 minutes a game or was Les so obsessed with Chinese endorsements that he put the organization in spin mode for two unnecessary seasons. Now we are told that the lottery is unnecessary, that Morey can build a championship without having to go through a painful rebuild, but that plan hasn't worked, nor is there any indication that it ever will. Still, we continue to get more of the same. Instead of dumping K-Mart and developing the kids, Morey hordes his veteran asset until the trade deadline. That isn't what a rebuilding team does. A rebuilding team wants to start losing immediately, because every single lose means more ping pong balls. I think the franchise has lost it's way. I don't believe the Rockets can rebuild without tanking, and I have been making that argument since the Summer of 2009, and each year I am vindicated by another #14 pick in the NBA draft. I'm giving the Rockets another year of Moreyball before I give up on them entirely. At what point does a fan feel like a fool for continuing to support a team which is being mismanaged by an owner and GM who feel they're smarter than everyone else. The hubris is amazing considering there is no track record of success to back it up. Still, it appears the Rockets are kinda sorta maybe figuring it out. They are going to lose a lot of games this season, and probably will draft higher than 14th, but the goal should be a top three pick not a top ten pick. If you're going to stink then you might as well stink enough to walk away with a potential superstar, but Les and Morey apparently think they know a better way even if their way is completely unproven and mires us in mediocrity. Grade A if we lose 60 games Grade C if we lose 50 games Grade F if we tread water
As to the poll itself. Isn't it obvious? A middle of the pack record for three straight years should equal a middle of the pack grade, but I will bump it to six just to be generous.
He has always tried to win and seems to have given the Rockets everything to be able to win. You have to face the facts that Mcgrady and Yao really had the chance to be something special. Both of them going out with injury's and really getting nothing in return for both of them was bad luck not a bad decision.
Obviously the best owner that does not produce results not even the minimal results.... how unlucky he is
I gave him a 4 because he's not the worst, far from the best but still below average. Given the fact he inherited the championship teams he doesn't deserve any credit for those two rings. Consider this: one of the first things he did was fire Calvin Murphy, only to be reinstated after many complaints from fans, change jerseys, a logo, a court that had a great history for one of the worst looking courts and logos the NBA world has seen. He wanted to make his own mark and if we didn't get lucky with Yao in 2003, the Rockets would've insignificant since 95. Bringing the big names over building on a foundation and developing youth is another thing with Les his short term thinking. He thinks he has some magic formula but through the years has proven he doesn't really know what he's doing. You can't fault him for wanting an enjoyable competitive team on the court every year but our success in general has suffered. That's why I still will never believe we are truly going into a new era and Leslie can sit through 2-3 years of being bad to get high picks and back to a championship level. The same with coaches, he rather goes after the big names but doesn't understand that it takes good communication and being on the same page to maintain a good relationship. He has blown it with JVG and worse with Adelman, there's no reason to believe McHale's departure will go quietly and without any controversy. What I do believe though is that Leslie is somewhat loyal, despite maybe having the wrong reasons for it. He has shown this with Rudy T, CD, Yao and obviously Hakeem and teams and players of the past. Bringing back Calvin says something too. He does try to honour great players and the history of the team. He also wants the fans and Houstonians to feel involved with the team and a game experience as much as possible. He is willing to spend money, obviously with making money being the #1 priority. The last thing I will say is I don't know the man personally but he comes across as a real jerk. He has the look of a grumpy old man, is always angry, a man of not many words and even when he makes a speech about something positive, he can make it sound awful. His personality and demeanor don't sit well with me and therefor I will rejoice the day he will not be an owner anymore. You can't fault Leslie for trying, but still he falls way short. We need an owner who is genuinely excited about rebuilding, understands basketball, gives fans what they want and can truly build a relationship with coaches, players etc.
For the millionth time... Lowry (who wasn't wanted/didn't want to be here) for a guaranteed lottery pick is a no brainer. Dragic was b/c of the player option which limits flexibility and is a lose-lose for the team. You may think we should have just gave him the option, but for a team forever in pursuit of the 'big name' financial flexibility is key. Les and Morey are always trying to become a contender. Sometimes there are bumps in the road (Yao's foot, basketball reasons, or idiotic GMs), but they are always trying to make moves that will put this franchise back in position to win a title; which is more than you can say for a lot of teams.
