[The Ringer] The NBA's Most Unconventional Rebuild

John Wall needs to be a backup next year.

 

There is not a doubt in my mind we will not win the lottery. The curse of Tilman knows no bounds. We will hand OKC a top 5 pick.

 

I wonder if there was a wink/wink deal with the NBA. Hey, send Harden to NJ so the league can make a lot of money and we will reward you with a top pick assuming you tank bad enough. If we get the top pick in the draft, my conspiracy sensor will start beeping like crazy.

 

No players born in Utah?? What about KD's evil twin, Devin Durrant?

 

Which the Thunder will immediately trade for three FRPS over the next few years, because they have their reputation to keep.

 

I dont worry myself with his desire to be here due to the state of the franchise. The guy was just hoping to score a roster spot a year ago and now is considered the best asset of an NBA team. He needs to concern himself with staying healthy and continuing to improve and be content with the rest. That's my opinion and I am sure that others disagree.

My view of Wood is similar to yours in that I see him as the third best player on a really good team (second best of a good team). I see KPJ as, possibly, guy #2 on a really good team. With those guys in place the Rockets just need to get guy #1 (where one of the top 5 guys in this draft might come in) and then add some quality role players (see all of those mid to late first round picks and free agency) to build a contender. If you look at many bigs their careers start to nosedive in their mid 30s. Obviously there are outliers but generally. That would give Wood roughly 5 more seasons where he is playing at quality #3 guy level. In 5 years I am not sure that KPJ AND our theoretical #1 are going to be in their primes. And we see nightly what a former really good player looks like when they are on the downside of their career. So the prime issue worries me but maybe not for the reason you stated.

 

I guess they went from a perennial top 5 team to literal no-hope bottom feeder in like...3 months?

But you're right, the fall was unconventionally rapid; the rebuild is pretty conventional (trust the process!)

 

can anyone post the athletic article about Harden posted on the athletic today?

 

Gotta be willing to be a lifelong unpaid intern for Tilman, and be an ordained minister for Cal

 

Good players don't matter if they don't play.

The Rockets are wisely finding little injuries or other reasons to require Silas to use a different starting lineup every night. Then add on the remaining players aren't that good, it works for the tank!!

I see 5 horrible teams.

HOU, SAC, MIN, DET, ORL

Rockets have their work cut out for them keeping players out of the games to stay in that group and to ideally be like 3rd worst as they currently are.

 

I remember when Jeremy Lin was the savior of our franchise, for three whole months between his signing with us as a FA and the Harden trade.

 

Listen, you don’t just get in to that school, you got to have connections. Napalm got his spot by serving as the Minister of the McLemore, showing us a way to bridge the three point shot from before and after Harden. Seen how the threes quite falling for bmac and the whole team since napalm went to school? That’s ok though. He will emerge with a degree and a higher title. His rise in prominence will coincide with the KPJWood era. The future is bright as long as he studies hard and puts forth effort.

but to us on CF, he will always be the minister of Mac.

 

Lol! When shorts were shorts!

 

I wouldn't say for the most part. We don't own 2.5 of our picks and all of those picks are top 4 protected. Successful rebuilds usually rely on top 4 picks and we are at no risk of losing those. Plus we already have tons of draft capital to acquire an available star.

Brooklyn to me is completely different because they went extreme and gave up unprotected picks in 4 of 5 years. The Rockets are giving up 3 top 4 protected pick rights over the course of 6 years. Tatum and Brown would both be Rockets based on our protections and we still have the rights to our picks in 22, 23, and 25.

 

The curse is on the city of Houston not Tilman, Sizzle.
Sports goods love to hate and im sick of it.

 

Crazy for this teams "franchise" huh?

 

I know that but top 4 picks are usually how you turn things around. The Rockets likely aren't going to be a contender picking in the middle of the lottery for the next 6 years. They need an impact player and most of those come from the top 4.

If you go look at current top 10 player lists half of them are top 5 picks. The other half consists of Lillard, Curry, Giannis, Kawhi, and Jokic. Kawhi was picked at 15 and traded for George Hill. Giannis was 15 too. And Jokic was a second round pick. The Rockets already have the assets to get in position to draft those players.

As bad as the Russ trade was Morey thankfully didn't give up the rights to the type of picks that tend to be franchise changers. If there is a game changing player like LeBron, Luka, KD, or AD in the draft the Russ trade won't result in the Rockets giving him away. There is a reason the lottery was structured for the top 4 picks and it's the same reason Morey didn't put those picks at risk.

 

Unconventional = The plan is we have no plan.