I get what Bucher's saying. Both the Rockets and Wolves are hoping to add a/another franchise level player in the next few seasons. The Wolves whether by fault or design have a 5 year contract on hand, while the Rockets now do not.
Really?? Jeff Hornecek?? You're comparing Parson to Hornecek?? Parson is way more athletic and agile than Hornecek, who is mostly a great spot up shooter. Parson can create his own shots and break down defense. Hornecek shoots 3s.
He's not above criticism but let's at least be honest about it. Minnesota has had the following first round picks: 2012 - none 2011 - 2 & 20 2010 - 4, 16 & 23 2009 - 5, 6, 18 & 28 During the same span Daryl Morey has had nothing compared to what Khan had to work with on Draft day. Not even one single top 10 pick. 2012 - 12, 16 & 18 2011 - 14 & 23 2010 - 14 2009 - none - Kahn has had 4 top 6 picks while Daryl has not even had one single top 10 pick. - Kahn flipped Al Jefferson for two Jazz 1st round picks and Kosta Kufos - Daryl buys a 2nd round pick selects Budinger then flips him for a 1st round pick - Daryl buys a 2nd round pick selects Carl Landry and flips him for Kevin Martin and flips Jeremy Lamb, Martin and 2 1st round picks (acquired from used up TMac and Rafer Alston) for James Harden. Essentially He turned Jeremy Lamb, Carl Landry, Rafer Alston and used up TMac into James Harden. - Daryl trades used up TMac to NYK for 1st round pick plus Jordan Hill who he flips for another 1st round pick. (Nets 2 first round picks) - Dary trades Rafer Alston for Kyle Lowery and flips him to Toronto for garuntees lottery pick. So far Ricky Rubio is the only productive looking draft pick by Khan, the book is still out on Derick Williams. Love was drafted by McHale and Khan has done his best to alienate him. Minnesota currently has 6 players at 24 years or younger. It's a nice young team with Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love as its stars. The Rockets are much younger though with 11 players at 24 or younger. At this point the Rockets look like a better team and James Harden is the best player between the two teams. I'm not sure Rich Bucher even knows that basketballs are round, I certainly do not value his very ill informed and uneducated opinion.
I could have included Greene & Lamb, and showed their value as trade chips. I just don't want people to say Greene was a Morey bust, when Morey got very good value for him. What he did with the Kings is fairly irrelevant to us.
Rubio is not a lock for superstar status at this point. Is he that much better than Steph Curry or Ty Lawson, who were both taken later in the draft? I'd say he's the most questionable of the three. Also, Bucher says both teams will have cap room in the next few years. The difference is that the we'll have near max cap space this summer, while the Twolves will only have meaningful cap space after next season if they don't re-sign Pekovic. Our expirings are Aldrich, Douglas, Cook, etc. Their expirings include a core player. Huge difference.
But what does it matter? Do we expect to draft someone good enough to warrant such an extension? Even if they did, they could just be allowed to hit FA to get the 5-year deal. Houston can still trade for another designated player.
When an entire community of fans can possibly come together and conjure up a better article with more informed facts defenitely says a lot about yourself as a sports columnist. Bucher should be ashamed of himself for this mess.
Same Ric Bucher that criticized a fellow espn anchor for suggesting Morey's dismantling of team during the offseason was by design; mocked him sarcastically, accusing him of being a Rockets fan. Bucher lies. He doesn't like Morey. http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=223253
Kahn's point is valid in that their records are similar, despite Love and Rubio missing significant playing time. Imagine if Asik & Harden had both missed roughly half the season to this point or more -- would we be as competitive as the Wolves? No way. Kahn, despite being the most publicly ridiculed GM since Isaiah Thomas, has managed to build a supporting cast around two budding superstars, despite being in a miserable cold weather market, and being handed nearly as big a lump of coal as Morey. The draft records are not nearly equivalent. Kahn was eventually vindicated on Rubio, but even a broken clock is correct twice a day. Morey has unquestionably reaped better value overall, and has been much more shrewd in FA negotiations, all the while maintaining a consistently mediocre ball club, something the Wolves have barely made an attempt to do. Morey could have easily improved his draft position since 2010, however, and was all set to do so this year, until he lucked into Harden. People assume that it was Les' edict to avoid tanking, but Morey was time and again an eloquent defender of his asset-building, mediocrity treadmill strategy. There is nothing to suggest that Morey was being prevented from pursuing a particular strategy by Mr. Alexander. So the "Morey is a better GM because Kahn had better draft position" is decent argument in a vacuum, but isn't really fair when you look at the big picture. All in all, Kahn is definitely learning the game better, and if he can convince Love to stay long term by using the financial savings to build a contender around him, then he will be highly regarded as a GM, but to say at this point that he's been better than Daryl isn't really fair. At this point, calling them about equal would be reasonable.
Morey has found more NBA players in the 2nd round than Kahn has found at the top of the lottery. And if Parsons continues his rise to stardom, he will have found as many stars in the 2nd round as Kahn has found in the lotto (Rubio). What a joke.
Out of all the GMs in the league, why was Morey able to "luck" into Harden? Could it be that Morey had obtained valuable assets in order to "luck" into the deal? Why hadn't other GMs acquired enough tradable pieces in order to "luck" into Harden?
He was handed a franchise player in Kevin Love and the 5th, 6th, & 18th picks in the draft. Actually, it is a known fact that Les wouldn't let Morey tank. Morey has stated the easiest way to get really good in this league is to be really bad, but that we weren't going to lose. He then said there is another way through trading for a superstar, which he ultimately accomplished.
How can you even come to a conclusion like this? Who's to say that someone like Lin or Greg Smith wouldn't step up and keep the boat steady until the 2 came back from injury. It's not like this team is going to say "F*** we just lost our best offensive and defensive players, we suck now!" No! They'd still play the game and find someone else to step in and fill the role. The lump of coal that Morey was given is much more different than the one Khan was handed. Morey had 2 prime all stars that were widdled down to shells of their former selves by injury, with almost nothing in return... no draft picks, no high valued prospects, no cap space... ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!! And to have to come back from that and rebuild a championship contender is no easy task. Somehow after a 4-5 period Morey has chipped away and finally been able to find a centerpeice he's able to build around and make into a contender (eventually). Point is Khan's had the picks and has nothing to show for them put a young Spanish PG coming off a major injury. Morey is working 10x over what Khan has been practically handed damn near every year. That definitely says a lot.
