per basketball-reference.com Rockets (team)..........TOV (rank).......Ast (rank) 12/13 (Harden 1st yr w/ team)............................16.4 (30th)...........23.2 (6th) 13/14...................................16.1 (29th)...........21.4 (18th) 14/15...................................16.7 (28th)...........22.2 (9th) 15/16...................................15.9 (27th)............22.2 (16th) 16/17...................................15.1 (25th)............25.2 (3rd) So if Harden is the gold standard......it takes a few years. And we are putting out there two newbies at PG in the form of Porter jr and Jalen Green. This is why I say try to win as much games as possible.... who we draft In the off-season isn't going to have us leapfrog that dreaded 8th spot. Like walking through the cemetery; we have to go through it some time. No way around that middle of the road 8th proximity. If you try to load up.....the contracts of Jalen Green, JC, Garuba, and Sengun may be up by then. End up with perpetual losing.
1. A lot of us were telling y'all this whole time that this is how tanks go. It isn't instant gratification. To completely rebuild takes time. We are probably even ahead of where we should be at this point in the rebuild. It's not often there are so many promising young guys on the squad after year 1 of the tank. It just feels like you're asking us to explain what anybody who has ever paid attention to a true rebuilding team already knows and what we've already explained to you all time and time again since the rebuild began. It won't happen over night. I remember thinking it was hysterical when some of you guys were talking playoffs before the season started. But yes. We are realistically looking at a few more years of 20-30 win seasons. 2. Tillman didn't slowly destroy this franchise. He did it very rapidly. Took him less than 3 years to dismantle the team entirely, from GM to Coach to players. I think that's pretty unprecedented. 3. HOW DARE YOU SAY ANOTHER CHRISTOPHER ISN'T TAKING US ANYWHERE!!!!!!!
It isn't my plan- it is a theoretical construction of what the Rockets appear to be doing right now. Valid point regarding coaching, but there is a tension there. In early stages one may not want a "good" coach (ie who wins lots of games) if doing so means reliance on structure over player development . Also, a "good" coach may have no desire to coach a team that may only win 25 games. There are other jobs available for them. If losing is part of the process, then so be it. It may be convenient to blame the coach, but just because they have a lack of available veterans to consistently win games doesn't necessarily make them bad. Call me nuts, but I want the max chance at drafting Jabari Smith.
Good news: Rockets bench will be among the best in 3 years once we accumulate starting caliber talent... Bad news: Aforementioned Rockets bench are and will be playing as starters until then
You always want a good coach. These are the types of posts that kill me about SIlas because it is boiled down to "well we're rebuilding" as if holding him accountable for his terrible job is negated because we are rebuilding its simply ridiculous. Secondly the Rockets are not developing players AND they have no structure. Its not just about wins and loses so that actually negates your "we shouldnt have a good coach" take. Good coaches develop rookies to be good players.
The reason it is complicated is because some people think that we may have that guy already. Some people bring up how young Jalen Green is and how he's better than Kobe at this age. Others think Sengun is That Guy and he is being stunted by keeping him on the bench. Now, most young stars in recent years have shined from the get-go in their rookie years. Donovan MItchell and Tatum (2017), Luka and Trae (2018) Ja (2019), Lamelo (2020). We don't have that type of rookie that is setting the league on fire, so it is quite possible that the Front Office is putting up with the terrible product on the floor because they don't think we have That Guy. In other words they think the same way as you do, and are going for max lotto odds. As a life-long Rockets fan, I have no choice but to sit down accept this "strategy". But I find it disgusting!
Don't know about anyone else, but if CBoard or KPJ are in the starting line up next year I'm not sure I'll be watching at all. That's a very sad truth to spit out. They are taking the fun out of it.
Where did I say anything about winning? I'm talking the basics, offensive and defensive schemes, running basic plays to put the kids in the right position to improve their game. Fundamentals. Holding people to account for ****ing up those fundamentals, not just grinning on the sidelines like everything is rosy. Why is this so hard for people to understand? I'm not even talking a "good" coach, I'm simply talking about a competent coach who does the basics and fundamentals. We don't have that. Seriously look at the difference between our rookies and the other rookies taken high in the draft. There's a HUGE gulf in their development levels, why is that? What the Rockets are doing right now is ****ing TRASH. Our players aren't developing, we're actually getting worse as time goes on. The whole "let's keep drafting til we get talent" is a r****ded perspective when we never develop the talent. There are a lot lesser talents than Green developing a lot better because their coaches actually GIVE A ****, that's the difference. People really need to stop trying to paint it as a "you don't know about rebuild" narrative, it's pure nonsense, COACHING ****ING MATTERS.
You realize it's not even half way thru the end of year 1 of the rebuild right? You are already talking about 20 years of losing seasons? WTF! Look at rebuild efforts on the league and see how long it took them to build a contender and then you'll have your answer how far we are from the end game.
I agree you always want the best coach available!! I didn't want Silas at the time of hire. I wanted JVG - but that was to try and compete with what we had. Silas has actually exceeded my expectations... which might say something about my opinion of him.... yikes! We have guys putting up stats right now and improving small areas. I'm hoping we flip stuff at the deadline for future assets. If we get lucky with the #1 pick, it is then time to seriously consider a new coach at the helm.
Our biggest issue is that we have young players and a bunch of guys that can't play two basketball. Going into this season everyone should have known that Eric Gordon was the only reliable two player on the team. KPJ is not a good defender. Green is not a good defender and probably won't be until he puts on size. Wood is not a good defender. Theis was supposed to be one of our better defenders but you can't play him. I honestly don't know how people thought this team would be anything but terrible based on the roster construction. Young guys and players that can't play both sides of the court is always going to lose you a ton of games. No coach in the league could make this team good.
I was shocked by some of the optimism from people. This team was never going to be good. Rosters like the one the Rockets have are never good. Young guys and bad defenders don't win you games.
You are not reading what we are saying are you? We are rebuilding so that is not our biggest problem. How the coach is developing the players is our biggest issue because we are in a rebuild. WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT WINNING AND LOSING.
Exactly this. My own personal expectations were to not be on an upward trajectory until 2024. No idea what other people thought was going to happen.
I'm looking at Suggs and Kuminga and I don't see how their fundamentals are any more better than Green. The other players taken high in the draft already had good fundamentals Mobley, Cunningham, Barnes, Giddey and Wagner all have good fundamentals defensively, it's written in all their scouting reports these guys are good defenders to begin with. The reality is you just don't know rebuiid. The season started last October 19. it's basically been 3 months. Realistically and logically you won't see a drastic improvement on rookie FUNDAMENTALS in 3 months of action as their time will be spent learning the plays, and on top of that Green got injured so that's 1 month off for rehab. If all it took is 2 months from a "proper coach" to turn a rookie into a polished vet every rookie would be playing like Tim Duncan or Kobe by their 2nd year LMAO. PS. You don't even got a clue there's are separate coaches teaching skills and fundamentals first of all there's John Lucas who is the head of player development. Then you got Jeff Hornacek who is a shooting coach and finally you have Rick Higgins. All 3 of these guys are former players and have years of experience already so they know their fundamentals. When you are blaming the wrong person then you know you don't even understand wtf is going on.
So basically, you're quoting me to rant more nonsense that has nothing to do with my post and make up **** I never even said? Go **** yourself and quit quoting me you dumbass c u n t.
I read it and I said what our biggest issue is. Trying to develop KPJ into a PG isn't an issue. They need to know how he fits on this team. Wood will be up for a contract soon. They need to know how he fits on the team. Green and Sengun are going to be on this team for a long time. They are under team control for a long time. Complaining about them not being the center of the offense this early in the season is silly. There is a ton of time for that.
It has every thing to do with your post. You said Green has less fundamental development than other rookies taken in the draft and it's all the fault of Stephen SIla who isn't even the skill coach who is teaching the rookies the fundamentals. Read my post again maybe it'll enlighten you enough to grow a brain.