We need a lights out, pure shooter with relatively young legs for consistency and volume minutes and a play-making point guard with a decent jump shot. Having Motiejunas would have done wonders for us I feel. Get healthy big guy. I very much like this team as it was this season.
To me, a healthy Rockets team has the best talent in the league. We must also admit, Western Conference is actually getting weaker by years, only Warriors, Rockets, Grizzlies and Thunder are legit, the rest of teams are either past the prime(Spurs, mavs) or pretenders(clippers, blazers). I hope Morey will keep this group of players and what we need are: (1) HEART I don't see Harden will mature and suddenly have a heart. Posters were saying this is a learning curve in the other thread but Harden was the reason Thunder lost to the Heat few years back. He was young back then but now again he was missing in action again. I doubt he will learn. You either have it or not. Since we can't do a heart transplant and Harden is the cornerstone of this franchise, this will lead to my second point (2) Leadership Looks like there is a power struggle between our stars, harder and howard, and both of them just don't have leadership quality in them. We need to look elsewhere. The best way is to solve this, is changes from the coaching staff. Mchale just don't have it and too laid back. We need a strong coach to install leadership and discipline. I believe this will help the team a lot. Another minor issue, I don;t think Dmo and Jones can coexist. One of them need to be traded for a ball handler.
This team needs: A power forward that can box out. Another person that can run the offense besides James and Josh Smith. Another shooter. And Discipline. Then they will be for the next level.
Needs.... Capella needs to bulk up and spend the summer with Dream. Capella has great foot work and could be a top center if he works hard and develops post strength. Practice FTs too. Smith and Howard....FREE THROWS dang it...make 100 a day before you go home...sheesh. Harden, learn to rely less on ISOs....passing the ball to moving players keeps defensive teams like the Warriors from being effective. Also work on your defense. TJ, consistency or bye-bye. Find a YOUNGER, great shooting, TRUE, point guard...keep Beverly and Terry as backup pgs. We need to free Harden from running the point most of the time as he did in the playoffs. He is not a point guard. His efficiency numbers tumble when he's trying to run the point. Also he struggles with his 3 pt shooting when running the point.
As good as the available PFs look, I think DMo should be our guy going forward. We need an upgrade at pg and a lights out shooter off the bench. Whats Troy Daniels up to?
I wouldn't mind pretty much the same team, give them one more shot. Honestly McHale has done well this season, but a lot of our mistakes are due to coaching imo. It seems rocket play better with their backs against the wall. A lot of times they blow big leads too. McHale is improving though.
Underratedly, Capela an essential key to this offseason. I think he is our most valuable (realistically speaking) trade asset, more so than any pick we can offer. His play the end of the season skyrocketed his value. I'm very excited to see how he improves this offseason. He could really be special, but I understand why the Rox may need to move him now. I think he can be a central piece to a huge acquisition.
Get healthy and stay healthy... Get a PG, we will not win a championship with two grandpas running the point...
Stuff we've been saying since the trade deadline: We need a new starting point guard. That solves so many problems it's not even funny. 1) It allows Beverly to play maybe 20-25 minutes a game coming off the bench as a 6th man/energy guy. That's the kind of role he can excel at. 2) Doesn't let the defense swarm on Harden. 3) Similarly, it cuts down on Harden's minutes and usage- which I think played a significant part of his struggles during the Clippers' game 6 and tonight (although I do also attribute that to a lack of maturity and or killer instinct. But that will hopefully come with time). I also think we need an improvement at the PF, either from Jones and/or DMo improving more or from another trade. As someone said in another thread, Smith Jones and DMo are like Bev- they're good as 6th man/energy guys. They're too inconsistent to start. I think those two things, in addition to the lessons the guys (hopefully) learn from this series and the season as a whole, can make us legit contenders. If I'm Morey I'm putting both picks this year, maybe a pick next year, and Jones out there for a PG upgrade, it's that important. A PF will be harder to get, but we might be able to snag one from any disappointing teams around the deadline.
Moreys analytics is really crap.. it doesn't measure heart. His best player just broke a turn over record in the playoffs in a must win situation. If you want a major change.. change the GM. It's about time the Rockets dump analytics.
1. The PG from Notre Dame Jerian Grant, has all of the tools and is 6'4" 2. Improving Capela 3. Swing for fences and move Tjones, Dmo, Ariza if and only if we land LMA 4. Create a motion offense for more ball movement and back cuts. We are too easy to play with James going one on one. The 2 biggest weaknesses against good teams are James going one on one and D12 posting up.
Lawson or dragic would be my top targets. Reggie Jackson would be 3rd. A pick and pop big like amare would fit well also.
