I do think it's funny seeing people with the mentality "rockets are tanking? Really?? How stupid!! What losers!! You play to WIN!!!!!" And now it's, "dang now that they have some interesting players I think I'll watch" group come. It was very predictable
Still see a ton of losses next season. Those Silas sets aren't mostly because Silas is dumb.... Plays will mature as the team matures. We do have something special brewing if they all pick up Jalen's work ethic. That's the secret sauce.
My dream is that by next summer, Jalen and (insert name of other young core guy or two) will have stepped up their games to the level that we might not need a superstar FA to guide these kids to the promised land. Instead, Stone could focus on finding a 2nd- or 3rd-tier guy to help lift the entire squad. For example: signing a Middleton instead of having to deal with a Giannis and the way nearly everything would by necessity change upon arrival.
Looking at the FA lists for 2023 and 2024, I feel like we will be much better off developing (and then paying) our own young players.
Agreed which is why it was a great time to build through the draft. I just hope we don't get desperate this next off season just because we do not have our pick.
Green has NO chance to be good because they lost games at the of last season. If they would have won 3-4 of those it would have changed everything. Oh well close it up. You will hear the same thing this year. If they end up with the 3rd-6th worst record or so, "the rockets should have been higher and almost if not into the play in tournament, playoff experience!!!!" Then the Rockets get lucky again with top 4 pick. Or, use say the 6th pick and the Nets picks to get the second pick to add a guy that can "get his shot" like Paolo to add to "shot getter" Green, along with Eason,Sengun,Jabari to round out the starting 5. Then proceed to make the playoffs for the next 10 years.
The thing I am anticipating the most are the forced accelerated rebuild guys. They will come up with trades that helps us now but really isn't better for our future than adding another top 6 draft pick to either draft or use in a trade. If the trade explanation starts with "Rockets need to add... " they're already missing the big picture I believe. Let's be real from the start... Rockets will not make a move for a guy that makes us 2-5 wins better before the trade deadline unless if he is a young promising player - ex: Scottie Barnes (very... very low chance of happening) If Rockets come out the gate early and are already a top 7 team, then sure. Will that happen? Very very low possibility. If we are a 11th seed and might have a chance at the play in, still probably unlikely to make a move in attempt to push us forward. Rockets staff are already making statements like, "we had a few 19 year olds last year and we got younger." That's the truth. This will be the last and final year where development trumps what I would call empty wins. Fortunately the way our roster is currently constructed I believe most wins will be meaningful, whereas last year if we were winning with Shroeder, Gordon, Mathews, Nwaba playing heavy minutes then it felt perplexing. 2022-2023 will be exciting and I can't wait to see these guys go after it. We have a good combination of potential star talent, potential all star talent, elite two way players, cap flexibility, players battling internally for playing time (healthy competition)... I also believe we won't finish bottom of the league so we will also get a sense of meaningful improvement
If the Rockets got the 5-7th pick next season. Along with all of the Nets picks with perhaps 1-2 of the young guys thrown in. What are the most desirable 3 players to add? Is there anyone even that good that would perceivably be obtainable worth that? Luka/Morant is not obtainable in any way that is feasible. A player like Anthony Edwards doesn’t fit. Evan Mobley just doesn’t make sense to trade under the circumstances. I suppose Eason/Sengun/KPJ are going to be evaluated this year to see who is most likely to be replaced by a draft pick or trade/FA signing. I would guess chances are 2 of them will be long term starters.
What? Is the OP saying that we aren't going to fight over whether Mobley is better than Green or Paolo/Chet is better than Jabari? Get out of here!
I think that is the argument for remaining flexible. It seems every year 1 or 2 stars become available and are looking to move teams. We might not be the best place to go, but we might be the best place to go that has the best package available to offer. I doubt even if Luka becomes available Dallas would be interested in trading with us, but if you're Rockets you throw in all the picks, salary, a young guy or two and we would probably have a core of 3 young guys (Luka/Green/Smith core??). Again, Luka is extremely doubtful. The only argument I could see is they don't have some great squad built around Luka. They are a team that found a franchise guy and made early desperate trades to win earlier instead of getting that one or two extra pieces in the draft. If you're Luka and you see what Rockets are building around Green... you might be a little jealous. You see ATL just traded for Murray while your team just landed Wood, you might be a little jealous. If Evan Mobley or Anthony Edward's were to become available (almost just as unlikely) I'd throw a lot at then in a heartbeat haha. Again, I doubt either becomes available though. If I were to guess Lillard, Beal, Anthony Davis will all be available in the next 2 years... but I don't really want any of them haha :/. Things change quickly in the NBA though. Players become available out of nowhere (Murray to ATL, Durant just requested a trade, etc). If Tatum, Jokic, Giannis, or some superstar becomes available (all highly unlikely) we'll be in better position to get them with a top 6 pick, Nets picks and our young core than some top 50 guy and our young core.
The dream scenario is in about 2 season find a guy that 25-26. Hasn’t won a championship. Is a top 25 player pushes someone like Sengun to the bench. I wouldn’t do it. But Zion is interesting. Scoot Green Eason Jabari Zion bench: TyTy Sengun Tate You can’t pay all of these guys anyways lol
That would be fine if you're just looking to light money on fire, Sengun would still start the other 60 games every season after tubby gets hurt.
You guys poo-pooing my Myles Turner trades but are actually talking up a Middleton and even a Zion trade instead?
He was so selfish, I get he’s playing for his job but he went about it all wrong and probably ( most likely) turned a lot of ppl off in the org (summer league or not)
I really do not think Luka is jealous of the Rockets at all lol. We have a couple of pieces in Green, Eason, Jabari, and Sengun is a bench NBA player. That is really all we have, everyone else can end up NBA journeymen including KPJ and JGup. We are really far from competing, and will lose a ton of games, and still need to build, I do not think Luka would be jealous of our Nets picks either, as fans we have a lot to look forward to at least. Maybe he would be jealous of a team like Memphis, what Ja has around him and the fact they were even younger than the Rockets last season and looked like a cohesive well coached group.
I wouldn’t do it. Says it right there. I also said 2 years from now. Zion though is a risk I wouldn’t take. It’s a risk that with what the rockets could be a championship. I dunnos
You are right Memphis is a better example Long answer short to your 'not jealous of Rockets', I think it's possible by 2024+ Rockets will have a team that's easy to be jealous of and viewed as a top up and coming team to watch. Today this very second? Nah not yet Again, I highly doubt Luka would want out and Dallas would never trade with us, so it's kind of a wasted example I came up with.
Exactly, Ja was on younger team than Rockets but was still competitive in playoffs. Adding more even younger players is not going to help Ja become more competitive. The timeline excuse just leads to losing culture.
Then I dont understand the point of the discussion, like Stone said, Rockets are not one piece away from contention. And investing completely in the Wembanyana sweepstakes will just lead to heartbreak imo. You should always be adding talent when opportunity arises.
