1. Welcome! Please take a few seconds to create your free account to post threads, make some friends, remove a few ads while surfing and much more. ClutchFans has been bringing fans together to talk Houston Sports since 1996. Join us!

[Poll] Blow it up or run it back?

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Sweet Lou 4 2, Oct 18, 2020.

?

What would you prefer the Rockets do?

  1. Try to make the WB-Harden combo work with a new coach and tweaks

  2. Blow it up & rebuild

Results are only viewable after voting.
  1. Scarface

    Scarface Supremely FocASSed
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    May 14, 1999
    Messages:
    1,310
    Likes Received:
    839
    Having lived through the crappy years of this franchise so many times I vote retool. With James you always have a chance. I look no further than the Toronto Raptors for inspiration. They were the East version of us. They were a really good regular season team but couldn’t get past Lebron. Then they retooled with a major shakeup and everybody gets rings.

    I’d trade Westbrook in a heartbeat for the best package of youth/talent/picks and I would trade Gordon for whatever pieces he brings back and tweaks like that. I would build a young roster around James that he drags to the 2nd round and once in the playoffs the youth and talent starts to show itself. It always works out that way. Look at the kids Toronto and Miami have. Hardly anyone knew them until they started to make noise in the playoffs. They then become big trade assets and you can move them for bigger fish later.

    I know this is the Houston sports fan culture talking when everyone says blow it up but this will not end well because of the ownership instability. From the Oilers trading away Moon and letting go of key personnel because they “choked” in the playoffs and only watching them excel in other cities sucked. The years of mediocrity from the late 90’s until the TMac trade and then again until the Harden trade for this franchise was just soul crushingly bad. A lot of the old timers will not be able to live through another one because with this ownership it will be at least a decade.

    In my opinion you hold onto James for as long as you can and only when he tells you he is not returning do you trade him.
     
    HP3, Rudyc281, DaDakota and 3 others like this.
  2. MettaWorldPete

    Joined:
    Nov 27, 2013
    Messages:
    540
    Likes Received:
    915
    Scarface and Sweet Lou’s posts, even though they disagree, are definitely the right convo to have. Do we blow it up because the team won’t work without a game-changing trade, or do we stay the course and try for that trade because we won’t rebuild successfully absent a miracle?
     
  3. D-rock

    D-rock Member

    Joined:
    Jun 29, 2006
    Messages:
    40,743
    Likes Received:
    64,228
    First choice is to run it back with both Harden and Russ but Rockets need to add Ibaka or Wood. Cannot run it back as is.

    Second choice is to run it back without Russ. Take advantage of thirsty teams like Hornets or Knicks who are willing to give up top 10 pick/young talent for a bonafide superstar still putting up 27-7-7.

    CHA: Russ, House
    ORL: Eric Gordon, Devonte Graham, Jalen McDaniels + 3rd pick overall (Hornets) + future FRP (Rockets)
    PHI: Buddy Hield, Terry Rozier + 15th pick overall (Magic)
    SAC: Jason Richardson, Cody Zeller + FRP (76ers)
    HOU: Ben Simmons, Aaron Gordon, Matisse Thybulle, Mo Bamba + SRP (Kings)

    Harden/McLemore
    Thybulle/Nwaba
    RoCo/PJ
    AG/Bruno (vet min)
    Simmons/Bamba

    Save 2M plus still have MLE.

    3 ball handlers in starting 5, Harden double teams will be thing of the past finally.

    Lockdown switch defense creating offense out of defense. Built to defend/attack Lakers.
     
    Rudyc281, MettaWorldPete and Y2JT like this.
  4. daywalker02

    daywalker02 Member

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2006
    Messages:
    88,837
    Likes Received:
    42,768
    I'd give it a go with Morey but only with Morey.

    Without him, it's a free fall, whatever. May the Lord bless them.

    You can bet there are lots of Yes men around Fertitta, the same as around Trump.

    There should be democratic discussions about it.
     
    MettaWorldPete likes this.
  5. ballplayer

    ballplayer Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Feb 22, 1999
    Messages:
    735
    Likes Received:
    172
    Don't forget Morey got the team in this mess and left the team with the mess. I like Morey and I think he is a talented GM, but i wish he would have stood up to Tillman/Harden on the Westbrook trade if that is indeed what happen.

    Now with that water under the bridge and on the the current regimes headaches. I think this HARDEN/WESTBROOK thing can be salvaged with veterans bigs. The rumor that Ibaka in going to Clippers via S&T for Montrez puts us back at Cousins in my opinion. I think it will become clearer to Cousins once the Lakers resign Dwight and Mcgee. The Schroder for Danny Green deal might put CP3 into a Knicks uniform and I think Rondo goes to the Clippers as well. That leaves Westbrook with no good options for a bigger stage, a opportunity at winning, or your own above .500 team.

    IMO Pair Cousins with Giles, or Nerlens and we have a chance at being at least as good as last year on paper.


     
    MettaWorldPete likes this.
  6. RudyTBag

    RudyTBag Contributing Member
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2006
    Messages:
    28,028
    Likes Received:
    21,123
    Blow it up, but rebuild quickly with Ben Simmons, Danuel House and Robert Covington.

    Use the $70 million from Russ/Gordon/Tucker and find some elite shooting.
     
  7. jim1961

    jim1961 Member

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2010
    Messages:
    17,053
    Likes Received:
    12,913
    Report: Rockets believe they 'have to trade' Russell Westbrook
    Brian T. Smith told veteran NBA writer Chris Sheridan in a podcast:

    I know for a fact that the Rockets believe that they have to trade Russell Westbrook. The issue is going to be… Are they able to? Is there a way to calm the situation down? Do they try to trade him, and they have to end up backing off? Because ultimately, they figure out that they’re keeping him in the fold for one more season. …


    Honestly, I won’t be surprised if he gets traded in the next 48 hours. And I won’t be surprised if they go through the draft and free agency, and they try to make it work once training camp starts, and they get everybody in the same building. It’s a very, very odd situation.

    https://rocketswire.usatoday.com/20...believe-they-have-to-trade-russell-westbrook/


    No they dont! This is very uninspiring if true.
     
  8. kiwirocketsfan

    Joined:
    Jul 8, 2014
    Messages:
    636
    Likes Received:
    852
    I voted to run it back. If we can keep Harden (happy) and move on from Westbrook I'd prefer that.

    Getting a Harden level talent is extremely rare, I believe he can be the best player on a champion team, so while we have him we have to keep pushing buttons till we get one that gives us a championship opportunity.
     
    D-rock likes this.
  9. Billy Jones

    Billy Jones Member

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2020
    Messages:
    8
    Likes Received:
    2
    Blow it up and rebuild. Being mediocre for the next decade seems horrible. Try to build a young team while the current players have value
     
  10. jim1961

    jim1961 Member

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2010
    Messages:
    17,053
    Likes Received:
    12,913
  11. Caprah

    Caprah Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2018
    Messages:
    1,228
    Likes Received:
    1,748
  12. D-rock

    D-rock Member

    Joined:
    Jun 29, 2006
    Messages:
    40,743
    Likes Received:
    64,228
    Brian T. Smith is garbage.
     
  13. batkins

    batkins Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Oct 9, 2006
    Messages:
    3,039
    Likes Received:
    1,488
    You don't rebuild when you have no first round draft picks.
     
    jim1961 likes this.
  14. TimDuncanDonaut

    Joined:
    Feb 20, 2009
    Messages:
    13,144
    Likes Received:
    30,817
    DM and MDA leaves. Scent of blood. The sharks are everywhere.

    This is like a private equity firm trying a hostile takeover and strip you for parts.
     
  15. HardenVolumeOne

    Joined:
    May 3, 2020
    Messages:
    5,728
    Likes Received:
    5,540
    Rudyc281 likes this.
  16. ThatBoyNick

    ThatBoyNick Member

    Joined:
    Dec 8, 2011
    Messages:
    28,280
    Likes Received:
    43,345
    I was hoping for retool around Harden with Russ gone, but Harden is already leaking his preferred destination which is the beginning of the end, and importantly that destination doesn’t have jack **** to offer, meaning every day Harden gets closer to expiring the lower his value is, which will be amplified by Harden threatening to walk in FA everywhere that isn’t Brooklyn.

    Smartest move is to trade Harden now for best offer, keep Westbrook and hope he rebounds his value next year with James gone.
     
  17. riko

    riko Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2014
    Messages:
    9,634
    Likes Received:
    16,083
    Westbrook doesn’t like Tillman that’s why he wants out and not the hogwash of not liking the offense which he actually thrived he from December to March. Even if Harden gets traded Westbrook will want out.


    Both Harden and Russell don’t like Tillman
     
  18. ThatBoyNick

    ThatBoyNick Member

    Joined:
    Dec 8, 2011
    Messages:
    28,280
    Likes Received:
    43,345
    That’s good, it should motivate Russ to play extra hard next season so he can pump up his trade value and get his ass shipped out of here by the deadline (which will be soon in this condensed season).
     
  19. Codman

    Codman Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Jun 24, 2001
    Messages:
    6,765
    Likes Received:
    11,710
    James knows that this is his team, if he wants it. James is Htown.

    And, even if there are disgruntled players, it doesn't mean that things cannot work out for all parties.

    Russ is, indeed, unhappy but James is also trying to bring it back together. You're more likely to ring your brother in rather than a "co-star." I'm more concerned with PJ, to be honest.

    Due diligence on Russ' side. Same with James. Same with team (allegedly)

    I'm hearing more of calmer vibe to all of this. But, this is different ownership so it's difficult to anticipate sudden moves. And that's the problem. Those sudden decisions bother everyone on the team.

    Lots of chatter. You know, the regular, expected stuff which would be expected with 2 MVPs. The dominoes fell quickly for the fans, so try to imagine what it felt like for the core.
     
    cerophilik, Deuce, treyk3 and 4 others like this.
  20. HP3

    HP3 Member

    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2018
    Messages:
    22,867
    Likes Received:
    32,132
    It sounds to me like hiring Silias was a very "sudden" move....lol. I did think it was weird that they announced this signing AFTER Morey was reported going to Philly.
     

Share This Page

  • About ClutchFans

    Since 1996, ClutchFans has been loud and proud covering the Houston Rockets, helping set an industry standard for team fan sites. The forums have been a home for Houston sports fans as well as basketball fanatics around the globe.

  • Support ClutchFans!

    If you find that ClutchFans is a valuable resource for you, please consider becoming a Supporting Member. Supporting Members can upload photos and attachments directly to their posts, customize their user title and more. Gold Supporters see zero ads!


    Upgrade Now