With all the hate about money thrown around and us signing two guys who can 'just' shoot and are injury prone, I remain very positive. Here is why: we didn't wait around on Horford and Durant to make their decision! I was sure this was again our fate, waiting on them while good FAs get signed. In years past, we would have waited and Ryan would have gone to the Kings while Gordon might have gone to NY. For years we've also complained about Morey not getting personnel to match our direction with threes, lay-ups and FTs. Guess what? He got some great shooters, who can light it up, catch and shoot guys who also hit their FTs. I get the skepticism, the negativity, mainly about length of the contracts and money + health, but since we are not rebuilding and this is what Leslie wants, Morey got 2 good guys and that's all we can ask for at this moment. Could we gotten others? May be, but a lot goes into these decisions. We threw the max at Horford, maybe made some calls to Lee, Teletovic etc. Remember this: Morey is not done! Though he might be on his way out, because these are not the flexible contracts Morey doles out usually, but my guess is Leslie forced his hands and Morey understand with the cap going up, these deals are not that bad and money was going to be spent regardless. He alluded to this in interviews. All in all, just be happy we quickly snatched two potentially good players on decent contracts (yes Anderson is getting too much, but Gordon too little probably) and embrace the all offense D'antoni direction. Or else you will get a heart attack, before the season even starts Just my 2 cents.
He's not done? I don't see much else happening anytime soon. Maybe sign Tyler Johnson? (Which would be sick). And then offload some of the scrubs for more cap room or a piece?
yeah we can still get joey dorsey and see if josh smith wants to make a comeback. i say keep the deals small this time in the 8-12m range and only 3 years. none of that overpaid 4-5 year crap
If Morey wanted, he could stretch-provision Brewer and cut his cap hit by 5 million. If DMo doesn't sign here, that's 4 million more to spend. Ariza's contract could be folded into other contracts and traded. Hell, going back to Brewer, his contract could be a little more easily traded now because at 8 million a season (BLARF!), he looks like a dude cleaning windshields at Hillcroft and 59 compared to some of these players with their new deals. So I'd say Morey is not likely finished yet.
Get outta here OP.. your positivity is not welcome in the GARM! lol Seriously tho... i'd like to be as optimistic as you, but if the Rockets are in "win-now" mode like they keep saying they are, I have a hard time seeing how Anderson and Gordon move the needle so much to make the team contenders, regardless of the moves that haven't yet been made. Still hoping for the best tho!
They took our flexibility from the team with Anderson and Gordons contract they don't make us nowhere near contenders but watch how les sit up there with MDA and say this line again we are to play fast uuuuugggggghhhhhhh why just why
Most of the posters here are stupid. What can the Rockets possibly do? Harden pushed Howard out...tough to get anyone else here when you do stuff like that. Harden has to show people that he is still the man and guys will want to come here again. I can't believe people are upset Horford didn't choose us. Did you see that guy play? He is not a max player...solid but not great. There is reason why Atlanta did not give him the max...they saw him everyday. If Atlanta wouldn't give him the max.....Morey is a genius....he will figure out something....he always does.
With a few teams going to struggle to reach the salary floor, the assets given away to take on salary will be minimal.
Yeah, I don't understand all the negativity either. I was called "negative" for saying we had zero shot at Durant, but that was just trying to be realistic. Being realistic again, we did about as good as we could do in the FA period in today's NBA, given our current state as a team. The top tier FAs can choose their team, and we are just not in that tier. So the only criticism that makes sense to me, objectively, is that we should have gone Sixers style tank, but that would mean trading Harden or understanding that he will leave in a couple of years. the management didn't want to do that, and we know Les has sworn off that approach, basically. So this is the best Morey can do. Roll the dice on players that are, with a lot of luck, going to stay on the court and have elite skills when they do. If we show improvement (say, somehow winning 46 games next year, with steadily improving play with a good offense during the season), then we look slightly more attractive to free agents next summer. That's the only plan that makes sense, absent total rebuild. And on the Horford front. We tried, but he was never going to come here. Also, the Celtics should get some criticism honestly. Horford is now moving past his prime rapidly, considering historical comparisons. He's already 30, and they'll be paying him a boatload of cash at age 33 when he might be averaging half his minutes and production. So they're gambling on the next two seasons, when the Celtics are arguably not quite at contender level yet otherwise.
I just don't think you should ever rebuild. You can spend another 20 years trying to get a guy like Harden. Look at teams like Milwaukee, Charlotte, etc.. who would kill to get a guy like Harden. NBA is the toughest sport to build. The draft guarantees you nothing.
I agree he's not done....might get a trade or two in there...but he didn't wait because there was no need to..guys committed quickly..only KD is left and he hasnt granted a meeting.
I don't agree with the Rockets direction, mostly Les dip**** meddling in the coaching hire which stuck us with Pringle basically not even bothering to investigate possibly better fits, which, could IMO portend doom, along with the Lawson pick disaster and the DMo recession disaster. But....what's done is done. Tactically I don't see how you can argue with grabbing two good pieces for D'Antoniball at good prices in the context of the insane prices today, both of whom represent vast improvements over the junk that we rolled out last year.
I am too ! It's funny how this board has been crying for Andersen for years and now he's here and everyone is mad !!!!!
To be honest, I long ago got sick of that word. "Flexibility." The "f" word not forbidden on Clutchfans.
It's just ****ing hard to land free agents. People don't realize but these guys have so many options to choose from.
A healthy squad with a Bledsoe or a healthy squad and a few upgraded backups, and this team won't be half bad. Not to say they'd contend, but they certainly will be a playoff team. With reliable shooting and Harden, no reason to think this roster, if healthy, can't compete for HCA in the west. We've got the Spurs to compete with, that's about it.