Remember last year whenever we won just about every game that Harden missed? It wasn't magic. It was Lin stepping in, assuming Harden's role as primary facilitator and shining when it counted. Say whatever you want about Lin's up & down nature, but he delivered in that capacity. That's the idea here. Harden is playing waaayyyy too many minutes, and shouldering such great responsibility while doing so. Adding Dragic would enable us to reduce Harden's workload and have a player to turn to if he ever needs to miss a game. Plus, let's not forget that Dragic is a great locker room player that wants to win. He's not one of these prima donnas that need 20 shots a game or will fight a teammate in the hallway if called out for missing a rebound. He's a player that gets the job done, has a game that mirrors Harden's in a lot of ways yet is skilled and versatile enough to play beside him. Adding Dragic would be a huge win for us. The best part is Phoenix is struggling and will strongly consider dealing him. If/when OKC passes them in the standings, it might only expedite the process. He fits within the Lin TPE, we have the assets to pull it off...he's the guy we should target, IMO.
Harden did very well next to Westbrook and Durant, sporting a TS% of 66%, and being able to take over in the clutch in the series against the Spurs. Morey did visit Lowry in the offseason, whether you'd like to admit it or not. I'm not sure you've noticed, but Harden has had to do all the playmaking on the perimeter. He's visibly exhausted. Asking him to create for everyone, be the leading scorer in the league, and keep up his improved level of effort on defense is unsustainable. Lowry and Dragic can create for themselves and others, but also shoot and play off of Harden. Lowry is also an elite defender to boot and rocks an amazing ast/to ratio, which is a problem for this team. The idea of getting another playmaker is not to get the ball out of Harden's hands, but to add an option so that we can adjust to any defense they throw at him. It will also save him energy. Look at our offensive efficiency and tell me there's no room for improvement.
This worries me too. He needs rest, before he sustains an injury. If he gets hurt. Our quest to advance through playoffs are over. I'd lower his minutes and give him a day off soon.
the raptors are doing well led by lowry asking for lowry is like the raptors asking for harden will not happen
Cost/benefit analysis. Period. The ideal play makers for the Rockets? Canaan and D-Mo. Harden is sitting? Feed the beast in the post. Let "Jet" Canaan create. You all are searching for something already here. And they are here on rookie salaries. No Harden? D-Mo in the post. Rinse and repeat. For $1.5M a year. Not the $7M+ cost of Lowry or Dragic.
So you're going to bet our title chances on the hopes that Canaan can become a go to creator/facilitator and that D-Mo's production doesn't dip? What if the opposing teams start fronting D-Mo? Some have already started doing it and it caused major problems. Paying Dragic 10M doesn't matter when we're already capped. You're thinking in terms of a 35 win team, not a 55 win team.
No, it's not fan rumors and speculation. From a Grantland interview with Kyle Lowry: http://grantland.com/features/kyle-lowry-nba-toronto-raptors-villanova-wildcats-houston-rockets-memphis-grizzlies-demar-derozan-rudy-gay/
While Grantland is an exceptional resource, and may at times get an interview with relevant pieces like Lowry, a meeting is not a FA contract offer registered with the NBA. Who knows what games Morey is playing? Come back at me when you have actual hard evidence of the Rockets interest in a PG who is not D and three oriented. Signed The Skeptic
Cost/benefit analysis? Maybe if Morey's primary goal is maximizing profits for Les. Unless Dragic or Lowry's salary prohibits us from pursuing an even bigger probable upgrade, like Durant or something, then Morey's main goal should be maximizing talent and performance on the floor. Saying that you can replace Lowry's playmaking ability with Canaan is like saying you can replace prime Chauncey Billups with Aaron Brooks, and I love Aaron Brooks. Does this cost/benefit analysis apply to Morey's other free agent targets? If Harden is at his best with the ball in his hands, why do you think we were willing to offer Carmelo Anthony, a pure iso scorer, a supermax salary approaching $20mil/yr? I guess meeting with him was also pure fan speculation.
I would point to other examples, but you've built your fences up so high there is no point. Until one is literally signed...hell not even then. Until a player is suited and playing on game day I doubt you'll believe it. Even then you would probably say Morey is just propping his trade value to trade for Patrick Beverley 2.0.
Cost/benefit analysis. And Morey's preoccupation on obtaining a third star. I do not have the knowledge or understanding to second guess Morey. And did the Rockets actually offer Melo a contract? I honestly do not know. But free agent contract offers must be registered with the NBA. Is there any record of a contract offer? I guess I could look it up. I did look it up. It looks to me like Melo payed a courtesy call to the Rockets and absolutely no offer was presented. I personally cannot believe serious commenters would ever base an argument on such a complete lack of facts. Unbelievable hack.
You can be as skeptical as you like, but with all due respect, you don't have any more of a clue as to what Morey's potential target is than anyone else here not a real "insider," and acquiring a Dragic, or a Lowry, now off the table, makes a hell of a lot of sense from where a heck of a lot of us sit. baller4life315 came up with some good reasons, reasons many of us share, and there are other reasons as well. Tell you what. You come back to "us" with actual hard evidence that Morey doesn't want a big upgrade at the 1 that can effectively steal some of Harden's excessive minutes and we'll view it with avid interest. - And it isn't a reflection on the Toy Canaan. I would love to keep the kid as well. He's showed some real potential prior to his ankle injury, played some outstanding ball. The guy's still a kid, however. Not a deeply experienced player like Dragic or Rondo (who isn't a 1/2 like Dragic or Lowry, just an amazingly effective one when he's healthy), not to mention the late and very lamented Kyle Lowry. In my humble opinion, naturally.
Do you really believe that we flew Melo out here and had him meet with Morey and Rockets staff for half a day without any real interest in offering him a contract? Was that image of Melo in a Rockets jersey just for shiggles? I don't have a copy of the contract we offered Bosh either, but it's fairly common knowledge that he turned us down. I think it's a bit unfair to expect us to provide legal documents to prove that our interest was real.
Really? FA contract offers must be registered with the NBA so that salary cap limitations are taken into consideration. The player has 72 hours to decide. I cannot believe that you all's standard for being committed to a FA is a damn meeting. Mine is that a contract offer was made. The Rockets contract offer to Bosh was duly registered and public. http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2014/7/7/5877953/chris-bosh-rumors-rockets-heat-nba-free-agency Everything else is just smoke and mirrors promoted to actual facts by unknowledgeable and ignorant fans.
There is only one way to gauge real interest on the Rockets part for FAs for the fans. FA contract offers. I would like to politely point out that FA offers MUST be registered with the NBA and then become public knowledge. I find it strange that the Rockets did not offer a contract to Melo or Lowry or any of the "supposed" integral parts of the Rockets free agency plans. This is what real interest looks like. http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2014/7/7/5877953/chris-bosh-rumors-rockets-heat-nba-free-agency IMHO everything else is just a courtesy call, in the great southern tradition. No facts there. Trust me.
Yes, indeed. Dragic can play at both PG and SG. He has already proved that last season along with Bledsoe. His presence would be a big boost for us. I don't think that the Pelicans pick plus Capela/Canaan and the rights to either Gentile or Llull would be enough for him and fillers, but that would be nice.
