But didn't Blank tell the radio station about the potential failed physical way before they released him? I did not think it was news.
Forget the people that can't see the forest through the trees, this is not a FANDOM thing, this is a "what makes the team better" thing. I firmly believe that he is a difference maker on this team, that he adds a UNIQUE skillset that gives us a distinct advantage. I also concede that his back might be the reason, but I honestly don't think that is the case as tons of people have had that minor procedure and been fine and I know how the Rockets used Luis Scola's knees as a reason to let him go - so, I don't believe his back is all that messed up - especially as the Rockets let him play all of last year....when he was healthy, unless they lied.....I guess, BTW Dekker had the exact same procedure. So, in my mind, you do whatever is BEST for the team THIS YEAR as James Harden's window is now....and letting a VALUABLE talented left handed 7 foot skilled player walk, is frankly downright STUPID!!!! That is not what winning teams do....unless his back is really screwed - so I concede that might be the case. If however, he plays this season without much trouble by it, then the Rockets are idiots for letting him go for nothing as he was only guaranteed this season. This team will not win anything without another big, we are winning now, but once the playoffs start and we face tougher comp, we will get beaten - we really could use a low post scoring option and a center that can shoot the 3ball. Just my .02+.02 cents. DD
Just a TINY sample of .... QUOTE="DaDakota, post: 10807732, member: 331"]WOW- another wrinkle.....so the Rockets are REQUIRING a physical, as part of the match? This is fascinating stuff, so they could still hold out until March, and the offer would expire, and then DMo becomes a RFA again - and signs a new more lucrative deal? Wow - this honestly is like chess..... [/QUOTE] Enoy.
I'm also turning around on this, HP. I originally thought the league stepped in because Morey had overstepped his bounds regarding tearing up the Nets-offer-matching contract and doing another one. And while he may very well have skirted the line on that one, everything that's happened since makes me think that DMo does have some potentially career-ending problem that turned up on the Rockets' and Pistons' physicals. So then the question remains: How did he pass the Nets' physical? Maybe it's because they had a lower standard for "passing." He was only guaranteed for this year -- if he proved healthy, awesome. If not, no big deal, since they had to spend that money one way or another. Even if they saw a potential problem, it didn't matter to them. Then after the league stepped in and he became a UFA again, the Lakers took a look and didn't sign him, giving an odd reason. As for the Pels, the risk (vet min salary) is now finally worth the possible reward. I stand corrected on this. Occam's Razor FTW.
Think about this. They had the right to keep him as an RFA by feigen (and other accounts I think). No cost to them. They could have waited for an pelicans min vet offer and matched, or re-evaluated any offer to decide if they want to match if dmo got other offers. They chose TO SIMPLY CHOSE TO LET HIM WALK UNRESTRICTED. Simply put, they didn't think he was an asset any more.
So you wasted all that time looking up conversational points - wow. Yes, because clearly they only wanted to trade him anyway - which DMo clearly understood. My point still stands if he is healthy then we let a guy walk for nothing, that gets GM's fired. DD
why was it a waste of time? Personally I found the conversation entertaining! though I'm not sure who was making the better points... =p
Even if DMo is healthy, you really, honest to God, think that letting a career 8 and 6 player with an obvious injury history walk "gets GM's fired" even if said GM is currently at the helm of one of the top teams in the league? C'mon DD. You said the same thing about Chandler Parsons. DMo just ain't that good. Can we not accept that by now?
DD, my point is a healthy dmo does not get a $600k offer. Even the lakers wouldn't sign him, and they're the second worst in the league. There's only one explanation that makes any sense at this point.
Lol apparently these are the days in the league where players who play for $600k have an effect on jobs of GM's. Dmo seriously has some of you guys by the balls
Your point will be taken for sure if he comes out and plays gangbusters. Also if the Rockets suffer injuries and have to rely on Nanu & WIltjer and they don't produce. I just want to make the point that it can be taken as a slight to Morey and D'Antoni that they somehow can't recover from losing a player (that I love), at the caliber of D-Mo... especially after his play last Spring and sitting so long in the offseason. Lets be honest about the expectations if he was to come in NOW in January please... and realize he wouldn't be getting minutes over the guys who are excelling with those minutes right now. Also as someone who has back issues, and will need surgery this next year, there is no such thing as "minor" back surgery. Even if it seems simple to someone who hasn't had a simple fusion to correct a degenerative disk, or if someone had great results with a simple/quick rehab, ANYTIME you go under the knife, even in the most simple procedures, there is always either major underlining issues that will come back in the future, or significant risk. The Vertebrae is the like the electrical box for your entire body. People think its like lego blocks that can just be restacked up, but they don't realize the significance from a nerve standpoint. Again... there is no such thing as MINOR back surgery so I'd really wish the D-Mo fandom would please stop trying to underplay that. You don't lose your D-Mo fan card if you acknowledge these basic facts. Its not 2016 politics or anything where you have to defend defend defend in the absence of fact. You can realize that the spinal column is a serious part of the human anatomy, realize he has a potentially serious medical issue that could derail his career(not to mention he's a 7 foot tall human with bad posture to boot. His slouching earlier when he was a Euro prospect concerned me) AND still be a D-Mo fan. I hope he proves all the evidence wrong though and makes Morey look bad. I truly do. Because the NBA needs more skilled 7 footers. We also need to see more Euro success. There is a good pool of talent over there and I feel guys (like Sergio Llull) might stop trying to come over which hurts the Rockets given the amount of resources they use scouting guys like D-Mo, Capela, etc.
I didn't think so until heypartner quoted ESPN Houston's Facebook post about DMo having told Blank he failed the Houston physical. That looks to be pretty solid source, unless Blank lied.
I think that is what the Rockets used as an excuse - I think they pulled a Detroit and got cold feet, maybe because of the drama, maybe because of the back, maybe because of the money - but I don't believe for one second DMo failed it - as he said it was NOT MEDICAL to Joel - conflicted reports from the pod cast and tweets... - I believe DMo as I know Morey has fibbed in the past a lot about these matters..Carl Landry's knees, Luis Scolas knees...etc..etc...etc... http://www.espn.com.au/nba/story/_/id/18407871/donatas-motiejunas-introduced-new-orleans-pelicans "I've been cleared by every single team that I visited, medically" Motiejunas said. I think the Rockets used it as a "Get out of deal" card, and because of that, and how it screwed DMo and his money - they matched, then unmatched costing him millions - the league got involved and DMo is still talking to them (Per Dmo himself). My only point is that if he is healthy, we ****ed up - we really could use him even as insurance, and I KNOW D'Antoni wanted him. DD
Well, in a way, I don't totally disagree with you. Before all this DMo drama, I used to think that a "physical" was supposed to be a scientific medical exam that would objectively evaluate a person's health. Now it looks like "pass" and "fail" are quite subjective. That said, it shouldn't be totally baseless. Now that I see DMo did "fail" the Houston physical, there had to be some reasons that they felt was not worth the risk.
I disagree, I think at first it was about the money - but after all of that fell apart, he is only months away from Free Agency, so now it becomes about his next contract and he signed to show the league he is healthy and can play. People can extrapolate out based upon numbers but they are missing the bigger picture - DMo has been through the ringer, teams are probably now scared about his healthy (right or not) and now he needs to prove himself by playing. Personally, and I have said this since DAY 1, I think he should have signed the QO, he would have had the "No trade" power he coveted and he would have made decent money and playing in a system that would elevate his stats - he missed the boat IMHO. That said, he now has to move on and play well in New Orleans to be paid more in the offseason. Will be fun to see how he does. DD
This is where you've got it totally wrong. The Rockets didn't match the Nets' offer, then decide not to keep the bonus incentives -- that was the match they did IN THE FIRST PLACE. There was no changing of the mind involved, at least not one after-the-fact. Morey looked at the Nets' offer and agreed to match the parts he was required to in order to keep his RFA. You make it sound like he promised DMo he'd include the bonus incentives, then went back on his promise and backed out of that part of the agreement. Why do you think that? Because you sooooooooooooooooo want to think of Morey as the bad guy, screwing his players over. It fits your well-established narrative about Morey, and "assets", and treats players badly, and scares other free agents away, etc.
Topfive, Come on - you know as well as I do, that the Rockets matching the LEAST amount was a ploy by them to get DMo to move that 2nd year guarantee, and it worked - but you KNOW that will cause bad blood. Then the Rockets reneged on the 2nd agreed upon contract, or the league stepped in and nullified it - but either way it screwed DMo out of his Brooklyn deal - now clearly BJ erred on the incentives - no doubt, and Morey played Hardball (he did not have to if they really wanted him) - so we get to where you have an untenable situation. As I honestly don't care about anything other than winning and losing, and I know for a fact that Dmo adds a dimension to this team that they could use THIS SPECIAL YEAR - I am not happy they released him. I don't like losing players for nothing - sorry, I don't like losing TALENTED players for nothing. And I like Morey - mostly, I just don't happen to like some of the ways he does business, and do think his reputation is not the best among players - you never hear players bad mouthing Jerry West..... Anyway, he is gone - I am not happy about it, and if he blows up and does well - it will piss me off more as he was an IN CONTROL asset. DD
I think Parsons was way better than Ariza and he is......and was before the injuries now the jury is out... Dmo is more a 13-6 guy - you know the same stats we pay 20M for Anderson who also had back/neck surgery by the way. As for fired, I said when you let talent walk - that is what causes GM's to get fired - I am still pissed that Morey hired McHale and then extended his sorry butt.
