If we had adequate play making apart from Harden, and reliable shooting then we could be a darkhorse with a healthy Dwight.
We're judging GMs by Vegas' championship odds now? Is that what passes for logic on message boards these days?
A "dark horse"? I'm not sure you're using that term properly. Despite our shortcomings, we are already in the conversation to win it all if Dwight comes back healthy. We have the 4th or 5th best record in the league in spite of tons of injury problems and some lack of depth. We are a bright, conspicuous horse right now. If this team got better shooting AND another playmaker? We might well be the favorites. That's not a "dark horse". Jus sayin.
I didn't mean another playmaker. If Prigioni does a good job and makes things easier for Bev and Terry, we will get better. The west is very deep, even the presence of a healthy Howard doesn't make us a favorite, but it does make us a contender.
Despite our current record and playoff ranking (which could always change), I'd still put us as having an outside chance of winning it all. We have too many new pieces to integrate; a starting lineup that hasn't seen much time together; a question mark regarding our star center; and a lack of playoff/championship experience as a team, including our coach. But if Howard can just come back healthy and relatively early, we can certainly make some noise.
That statement would be true IF Morey were 100% certain that Howard would come back 100% healthy & continue to play well for the duration of his current contract (at least). That statement is false if Morey doesn't expect a healthy Howard come playoff time or beyond. With a healthy Howard & Harden he has a strong hand to go all in with , with Harden & a broken down Howard , he's the dog if he goes all in. Better to hang onto those assets and wait for a better hand than ace deuce off suit.
Daryl is patient, extremely patient. He can't cash in chips for a second round team, we need to stay flexible until a true talent is available. Goran Dragic would NOT put us over the top, just like he won't put Miami over the top.
durant 2016 Davis 2018 wiggins 2020 okafor 2022. Lets be patient. Lets be patient. Should be our slogan.
We all are on the verge here I give murray till next year and thats it Everyone is losing patience, McHail first, Murray second. If we dont get to conference finals by next year, Murray needs to go
What?!?! Definitely wasn't slow or boring. Brandon Knight and Ty Lawson could have been had. Michael Carter Williams and Tyler Ennis, too. Isiah Thomas and Reggie Jackson. Aarron Afflalo and Miles Plumlee. All pieces that could have made us a lot better. As it stands the Rockets will not contend for a title this year or next (because we won't be able to add anything of significance). So all the eggs are waiting on 2016 FA.
Question for cap gurus: If we let Paps, Brewer, and Smith walk, do we have the cap space to make a run at Aldridge this summer?
I've said this quite a few times before, and I'll say it again: Pro sports is a bottom line business. At the end of the day, it's about what you accomplish...not about how close you got. Context gets thrown out the window. Morey has been the GM of the Rockets for 10 seasons now. In those 10 seasons, the Rockets have won exactly ONE playoff series. That's awful. You can be the smartest guy in the room...you can be the darling of the analytics crowd...but at the end of the day, you better win come playoff time, or else you're just a passing footnote. And all the context and excuses in the world won't matter.
