[ClutchFans] Morey: Rockets lack third-best player on a championship team

I think Jones or Parsons has the potential to become that third star

 

Having a 3rd star and relying on Dwight's inconsistent game are not mutually exclusive. It doesn't matter who we get, Dwight's play will always be a very big determinant of how far we go. We have changed the structure of our offense so that we can play more in the half-court set, just having Dwight there changes the dynamic of our offense and regardless of whether both Harden and Parsons are on fire, we will always rely on Dwight's ability to provide offense from the post. Having a 3rd star (in Parsons) lessens that load and provides a cushion for some more inconsistency, mainly Harden, who has been up and down all season. People on here are puzzled at about why our offense is in such disarray when Parsons is out, the answer is easy, its because he has been the glue guy and the main source of consistency on this team.

 

Also, if Morey isn't trading Parsons and intends to sign him...it makes the pipedream of signing big time FAs like Love all the more unlikely.

 

My eye test tells me that he is very often the guy who can get things going when everyone else is cold - usually via his patented pump fake dribble drive. He finishes those at a ridiculous rate.

 

Means nothing in relation, simply due to the fact that Bosh's two superior players being better than ours.

If we could trade Parsons for Bosh, we would. Bosh is being severely underrated here in this arguement.

 

Hey, I'd take either Rondo or Lowry.

PG is our weakest position and those players are both solid short-term risks that could potentially put us over the top.

 

Only if we make him a restricted free agent next year.

The two things that will show Morey's hand will be:

1) What we do with Parsons
2) If we use the MLE or BAE next year

Also, if we trade our 2014 pick, that could be an indication that we are making a big run in 2015.

 

What elements would we want in a third star? Outside shooting? Perimeter defense? Point guard duties? I suppose all three would be fantastic.

 

excellent post. i agree with this nearly 100%

 

The third star would have to be at the 1 or 4 spot for starters since we've already got superstars at the 2 and 5 and a star at the 3.

So if we're gonna go star player at the 1 it is troublesome. Because unless we change the core of our offense, the 1 on this team is going to have to be mainly a 3&D player. So the only way I see us acquiring a superstar at the 1 is if Chris Paul magically falls out of Clipper heaven to us. He's the best in the business and is good enough to cause Harden to have to modify his game and fit in more off the ball as opposed to playing on the ball so much. But the chances of that happening right now are slim and none and slim is already out of town.

So another star level point guard could be acquired. But it would most likely mean that we are acquiring him to flip later. And the only significant star level player that is most likely to be available at the deadline would be Rondo. And I would think that if Morey could move out Lin with Asik for Rondo that he'd do it in a heartbeat...simply because Rondo is an asset that can be flipped. I think he'd make that trade and see if McHale could get Rondo/Harden/Dwight/Parsons to gel for a championship run. Rondo doesn't give us 3&D but he does give us elite perimeter D to go along with elite playmaking skills that would give Harden lots of open 3 looks when Harden is off the ball and give Dwight plenty of easy dunks.

Don't see anything else at the 1 that would make a third star player.


So we proceed to the 4.

We need a guy at the 4 that can do 2 primary things at an elite level that we need to be the 3rd star.

The first skill that player needs to be able to do is either shoot the 3 at an elite level (38+%) or shoot the midrange jumper at an elite level (55+%).

And then he has to have one additional elite skill from this list:

1. Play elite perimeter defense or
3. Be an elite rebounder or
4. Be an elite paint defender/rim protector

Any of those skills combined with the primary shooting skill in the 3rd star allows us to fill in any missing pieces with minimum salaried or low salaried surrounding talent. Once we have that guy in place then we can always surround that core with the role players we need. Perimeter 3&D players are cheap if that's all they do. They're available every off season. A big that defends the paint and rim but can't do anything else can be acquired and his lack of scoring ability or rebounding ability isn't critical. He can just come in and give us 15 minutes of D behind Dwight every night. Aging guys like Deke when he was here are ideal. Camby is another example although he may actually be getting a little too old to be effective for more than 10 minutes. Those guys can be signed for mid-level money or a little less. And while they aren't plentiful they are more in supply for championship contending teams because they want to tag along for a ring. And if they lose their athleticism it has virtually no impact on their games.

 

In general, I agree with this. Rondo would be an asset unless he fits in better than expected.

It's been said before...Morey always has a plan at PG. Bev and Lin are solid for us, but Canaan and Llull are waiting out in the wings if necessary.

A star 4 is ideal. My guess is that if Morey had his way, LMA would be the guy. Since he can play at both PF and C, he gives you a little more roster flexibility than Love does.

 

fit for this team
bosh > LMA > love

 

LMA is never leaving Portland now after the ridiculous season they're having.

 

Wouldn't be so sure. They go from having the 6th easiest schedule in the league in the 1st half to the 2nd hardest in the 2nd half. They've also been remarkably healthy.

If they don't make it past the 1st round, I wouldn't be surprised if he leaves.

 

LMA sounds like he is happy with his situation in Portland.

Inside LaMarcus Aldridge - Blazers' MVP candidate talks Portland, contract extension and life

 

A trade hasn't happened yet, why?

A. Morey needs to show that Assik has "recovered".
B. Morey is holding out for a better deal.
C. A deal is in place, but it's not going to happen until the deadline.

Of the three, C seems like a bit of a stretch and A doesn't seem likely, either, so that leaves the most likely scenario, that Morey figures he has little to lose from waiting as long as possible in the hopes that a better offer will fall in his lap.

And if a trade is "imminent", why isn't it happening? What's the holdup? Smoke and mirrors. Reliable sources.

 

Lin is 3rd best player. McHale no like Lin

 

Most deals don't happen until the deadline, because teams are still shopping for better offers and waiting for new guys to possibly become available or teams suddenly needing a guy due to changing circumstances.

The same stuff happens every single year. The deadline is the very last opportunity for teams to make a decision on the rest of their season. So almost everyone waits until the last minutes.

A smaller portion of deals do get done during earlier times, but these typically either minor or situations where both teams think that they won't be getting any better offers later on (and then there is the Deng-Bynum deal, which is motivated by Bynum's contract guarantee date).

 

Even Skip Bayless called Chandler Parsons a "borderline star" today ...Im been saying man Rockets found a diamond in the rough if he goes to another team it will haunt this team for a long time

 

Please don't ever use Skip Bayless as a source for anything.