I should add to this post it’s not 5 years obviously. It’s 2 years total. With maybe somewhat one more year after that. Depending on when Wall is gone and how well the team is doing. After that the Rockets would have their cap space if they haven’t traded for someone next season to add to green kpj and this years pick etc. It’s ridiculous. It’s obvious to see what this team is doing I saw it before the wall news. It should be even more clear for most now. Draft high for two season. 3rd year is more cloudy depending on how well the young players play next season. Remain flexible cap wise and with assets for 2023-2024
Most astoundingly we are only 2/3s of a season into the rebuild..... The Rockets are juggling a "2 season strategic rebuild" while being predatory. There will be other situations like the Simmons one and situations not thought of yet. Stone is a Morey disciple so nothing is truly nailed to floor right now.
As of now. Im in favor of shooting for the play in tournament with our young core of KP Green and Wood. Even if we don’t make it. Playing to win will definitely bode extremely well for player development. Im looking at Atlanta and Memphis as prototypes for the early stages of our rebuild instead of Minnesota, or Sacramento.
You can play to win and still be a bottom team when you are focusing on a youth movement. ATL and Memphis spent some time wandering the desert in between their last playoff run and drafting Trae Young and Ja, in case you forgot.
Durant won 20 and 23 games his first two years in the league while his team accumulated high quality assets. Nothing about those two years harmed his or any of their young players development.
And they both last made the playoffs in the 2016 season, so they had at least one year of bottoming out before they even drafted Trae and Ja. We have one season of not making the playoffs.
That doesn't contradict what I said. The Rockets don't desire to lose year after year, but they aren't going to lock up their roster to guarantee an even longer period of losing either. The Rockets will be open to be competitive in 2023, but it depends on them having the team to do it/ other teams willing to let it happen. Deciding when a team will be good when that team just won 17 games is futile. The worst thing the Rockets can do is decide they are going to be competitive too soon and end up on the treadmill of mediocrity before descending back into rebuild mode.
Seems to be some prejudices against the word "tanking" so lets rephrase it. The Rockets should have a top 3 pick in the next two seasons.
I think a lot of people forget how it felt to pick 14th year after year and stuck on that mediocrity treadmill ....
The Rockets should be open to the possibility that they will suck. They should also be open to the possibility that they don't suck that bad for two more seasons. Let development happen organically.
Again...Warriors drafted Green in the 2nd round... Because you keep saying "Trade for a superstar" and not even acknowledging that said superstar has to actually want to play here. All these teams mentioned turned it around pretty quickly... To know what? They are rolling the dice on Green as they would any top pick.
More specifically I’m equating both KP and Green to Morant or Trae as prospects. Assuming one or both pan out. Memphis finished 9th during Ja Morant’s rookie year then beat Steph in the play in tournament last year. Atlanta had two bad years with Trae then were the 5th seed last year. A quick turnaround is what I’m idealizing.
I don't know what you're arguing here honestly. I just know if the Rockets were so committed to tanking then they'd do that. Trade Wood and you all but secure a top 3 pick next season.
The Lakers are the Lakers, that strat doesn't even work if it wasn't for Lebron wanting to be in Hollywood and AD as well. We all know that. Grizzlies have a guy that could be the best PG in the NBA in a few years, we don't. That's what's so special about them. They did not spend years and years of tanking to do that. Zion and Ja are great friends, if he wants to leave NOP where do you think he goes? There or here? Be real now. If we're busy tanking and they are busy competing in the playoffs where do you think he goes? The point is several of these teams that people say benefit from tanking, Dallas, ATL, Memphis, all teams named in this thread...did not tank for more than 2 seasons. You say you want 3 seasons of it, okay, cool...but what if all 3 seasons you don't find your superstar player? Okay, what's your plan B? Please don't say "Trade for superstar" because that's just a hope and wish that said player wants to play for a bottom team.
Maybe the Rockets think they'll be a bottom team with Wood on the roster...... Just like Vegas and just like the media.
Picking up KP and drafting Green. Is the equivalent to Atl and Memphis drafting Trae and Ja in my scenario, assuming they pan out. Drafting their guy and how quickly they made the playoffs is what I’m comparing.
Vegas is often wrong just as it is often right. If the Rockets are building their team based on Vegas odds then I don't have much faith for our future...but wouldn't be surprised if that's what they are doing considering who the owner is. The point with Wood is he doesn't fit the timeline. If he plays well he's going to take a huge chunk of your cap and he's a bit older than the rest of the core and also his value might be the highest it is right now at this moment. If the Rockets really were wanting to concede this season trading Wood right now is definitely the thing you do. It also gives more PT to your two young bigs in Garuba and Sengun. Wood might be good enough to push you out of top 5 range, I think he is at least, Rockets main struggles came with Wood being in and out of the lineup, when he was playing they looked a ton more competitive.
You brought up internal development.... that only applies to Draymond but not Klay and Curry? Yes.... every strategy has both it's PROs and CONs. And one of those got lucky with Luka and I'm not really sure the Grizzlies are all that great as currently constructed, certainly still fighting for the bottom half of the playoffs or maybe still fighting for a play-in spot. LOL. Everything is a dice roll.
The point is that your assessment of the current 2021 Rockets team is more optimistic than Vegas and the media. The point is that we really don't know what we have on our roster. We have some promising rookies and young players, that's it.
