Let's Accurately Assess Morey.

I know it's very hard for some of you to think without getting emotional. But Morey will likely be the GM for a long time to come. So, do try and think about this with a clear head.

There's a thread on Morey's signings after Howard. But I don't believe that paints the whole picture. Let's discuss how we got to this point and if Morey is the lowest tier GM (as 160+ people on this board have voted).

Daryl Morey took over for the Houston Rockets around the time of their brutal first round loss to the Jazz in 2007.

Since then, here is his track record:

http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/teams/Houston-Rockets/10/Transaction_History/2007

2007-2008:

-Jeff Van Gundy not brought back as Head Coach.
-Rick Adelman hired
-Traded V. Span's rotting corpse for Luis Scola
-Signed Steve Francis
-Acquired a second round draft pick on draft night
-Drafted Aaron Brooks and Carl Landry (both played a huge part in 09)
-Re-Signed Chuck Hayes (huge part of our team for years to come)
-Traded Kirk Snyder for Gerald Green
-Traded draft right to Sergei Lishouk (who?) along with Bonzi Wells and Mike James (who?) for Bobby Jackson

2008-2009
-Drafted Donte Greene (and acquired a second round pick for next year)
-Drafted Joey Dorsey
-Traded Donte Greene and Bobby Jackson for Ron Artest
-Signed Von Wafer (Troy Daniels before Troy Daniels)
-Signed Brent Barry
-Traded Rafer Alston for Kyle Lowry

2009-2010
-Signed Trevor Ariza (lolz)
-Drafted Budinger, Llull, and Jermaine Taylor
-Essentially traded the "corpse of T-Mac", Carl Landry, and Joey Dorsey for Jordan Hill (#8 pick in that year's draft) a multitude of future picks and Kevin Martin

2010-2011:
-Drafted Patrick Patterson
-Re-signed Kyle Lowry and Luis Scola
-Signed Brad Miller (his worst move ever imo)
-Traded his failed signing: Ariza, for Courtney Lee
-Acquired Terrence Wiliams (former lotto pick) in a trade
-Traded Shane Battier for Hasheem Thabeet and a first round pick
-Traded (a declining) Aaron Brooks for Goran Dragic

2011-2012:
-Adelman not brought back, McHale hired.
-Drafted Marcus Morris and Chandler Parsons
-In a round about way, traded Brad Miller and the #23 pick (Nikola Mirotic) for Donatas Motiejunas and Jonny Flynn
-Signed Greg Smith
-Signed Samuel Dalembert
-Traded Flynn for Marcus Camby
-Traded Jordan Hill for Derek Fisher and a 1st round draft pick
-Waived Derek Fisher

2012-2013:
-Traded Budinger to Wolves for #18 pick in draft
-Traded Dalembert and #14 pick for Leur, Brockman, and Shaun Livingston along with #12 pick
-Drafted Jeremy Lamb, Terrence Jones, Royce White
-After deciding to clean house...Sign and traded Courtney Lee, Marcus Camby, and Goran Dragic. Got some minor picks back (Toney Douglas as well)
-Amnestied Luis Scola
-Traded Kyle Lowry for a 1st round pick
-Signed Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin
-Signed Carlos Delfino
-Traded 1st round pick (from Lowry deal), Jeremy Lamb, and Kevin Martin for James Harden and filler
-Traded Pat Patterson and Toney Douglas for Francisco Garcia and Thomas Robinson
-Traded Marcus Morris for a future second round draft pick

2013-2014:
-Drafted Isaiah Canaan (first year under Morey's tenure we did not have a 1st rd pick)
-Traded T-Rob to Blazers for junk
-Signed Dwight Howard (the biggest FA signing in the history of the organization)
-Signed Robert Covington
-Signed Garcia, Casspi, Brooks, Camby Brewer
-Waived Brewer
-Signed Troy Daniels
-Traded Brooks for Hamilton
-Waived Greg Smith, Signed Josh Powell
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Okay, this list isn't exhaustive, so if you see anything that needs to be added let me know. Ill gladly update the OP.
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I only have a few points to make.

1) Morey has an excellent track record of turning our dead weight into quality players

2) Most of the Rockets' own draft picks are rotation level players for playoff teams now

3) Aside from this year (due to salary cap limitations after signing Dwight Howard...oh that pesky salary cap) the Rockets have had consistently good role players under Morey

4) In all those years we have only not had our 1st rd pick ONCE. Somehow we managed to keep our draft picks and acquire two superstars.
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I want to see a logical argument against Morey. He has already acquired the stars he has been searching for in Harden/Howard. This summer he can focus solely on role players.

He has an excellent track record of drafting/trading for solid role players. I will agree most of his signings have been very subpar. Let's see what he does this summer though.

 

Neither McHale's nor Morey's time with the Rockets is over. A summer that allows him to get the role players this team needs (as he did in 08 before we had that amazing run in 09 that you always seem to reference) will do this team wonders.

We can revisit that thread again later. I stand by my points in it.

 

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That's kind of completely ridiculous. Especially after one year.

That's the equivalent of those people who hire the best money managers out there to build them a portfolio. All the assets in that portfolio are poised to do well. But initially the return isn't what was expected. So then those people sell at a loss and blame the financial planner.

^That's akin to what would happen if owner's standards were not followed and the fans' evaluations were adhered to.

 

I don't think the point of the offense is to not take long 2's period. It's just that the average player is very inefficient at taking long 2's. Harden/Lin/Parsons took their fair share of long 2's during the series. Those are also (not so) coincidentally our best "mid-range" players.

For the average role player, taking a shot at the rim is much more efficient. If not that, then spacing the court and taking 3 pointers is the best case. I'd venture to say that most NBA teams in general employ that technique.

Furthermore, the Blazers took roughly as many 3 pointers as the Rockets this series. So, what's the argument again?

The differences in this series from the "offensive philosophy" standpoint are as follows:

1) Lillard hit ~50% of his 3 point attempts. That is a staggering percentage considering how many he shot
2) Harden shot ~25% from 3.


3)Our players missed wide open lay-up after wide open 3 pointer after wide open lay-up after wide open 3 pointer.
4) Portland's players missed their fair share of open shots as well. Especially Wes Matthews. The difference is that Portland created numerous second chance opportunities to somehow convert those misses into makes.

 

I'm willing to bet $20 to the tip jar that if "Moreyball" and McHale are in place for next season that arena attendance will be roughly similar (let's say to within 5%) to where it has always been.

If you or anyone else wants to take that bet, let me know.

 

Who hired the coaches again?

I'd also say that without a doubt complete credit goes to Adelman for Brooks.
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But what about Landry/Lowry/Dragic/Parsons/Patterson/Asik/Daniels?

None of those guys were necessarily dead weight. But, they weren't exactly the same players before their time with the Rockets.