Ben DuBose AKA @TheCat: Opportunity isn’t a lengthy visitor

I too, know exactly what we need to do. I’m also right, as well.

 

This is a team that needs a reliable 3-point threat and has many forward types. I’m reluctant to trade just to trade, but I’m not too attached to veterans or our young players.

we have been quite fortunate to keep everyone healthy. It won’t last forever.

 

Adams $12M expiring
Jeff’s $8M expiring
Jock’s NG $8M
Tate’s $7.5M expiring
Holiday’s $4.5M

And extremely unlikely but it’s also there:
Fred’s $42M & Dillon’s $22M
Jalen’s $12M (poison-outgoing $30-something million, incoming just the $12M)

They have no reason not to make a trade. (I said nothing about a(ny) star!)

Or am I gonna hear like Eric Gordon?
“So and so is too important to the locker room so we can’t trade him.”
“Rockets rejected a trade of _____, considering him too important to their culture.”

 

Ordered by which player/contract I most want to keep (and it's quite different from what I would have thought before last season):

Dillon
Adams
Fred
Holiday
Tate
Jalen
Jock
Jeff

 

I think offensive popcorn players like Cam Thomas and Anfernee Simons would be the type that wouldn't cost us much of our defensive identity in assets while still being young enough to have some upside.

I just don't think Booker is going to be available this year. And I'm not sure I'd want to overpay for Fox since there will be teams bidding him up.

 

They all had a 1A superstar. We don’t even have a 1B. At some point, we will need to make a move.

 

Sengun is our unselfish 1A.

 

It would depend on the player and the asset cost. Would I go after Fox or Booker? Yeah - unless the cost was over the top, I would attempt to trade for Fox or Booker.

I am in the minority that thinks Fox is a better fit.

 

I love him, he can be a 1A/1B at some point, but right now he isnt even an all-star.

 

We’ll see about that in a few weeks. I think he makes it this year. 19-11-5 on the 2nd best defense in the NBA has a real shot.

 

He should be one this season.

He is 11th in the NBA in Win Shares.
8th in BPM
6th in VORP
13th in PER
10th in Defensive Rating
8th in PIE
10th in Net Rating
11th in LEBRON
11th in HNI



I'm probably forgetting some.

But by all kinds of advanced stats, he is at least a top 15 player in the NBA already.

There are 30 teams in the NBA.

It's kind of crazy how underrated he still is, especially by our own fanbase - even by those who like him.

His defensive improvement this year is insane.

I remember that certain people loved to quote on/off stats to make the point that "nope", he might have counting stats, but he isn't helping the team.

Here are this year's on/off stats for the Rockets so far:



And some hustle stats, to top it all off:

He is 20th in deflections, 8th in box outs, 16th in screen assists, 2nd among centers in charges drawn, 8th in the league in contested shots.

 

Whom do you consider a 1A in this list? And whom a 1B?

 

Even without a superstar I’d like to go the OKC route
We’re top 3 maybe even 2 in a rugged Western Conference
Certainly not desperate, just observing the landscape of what’s available
I think the extra roster spot is either for an uneven trade
Most likely a buyout

 

Feel like teams like Cavs or thunder wipe us tbh

 

If we do things right in the regular season, we would only face those in the conference finals or finals. And a lot can happen between now and then.

I don't see any other team in the West clearly above us.

 

Shai and Nikola are on an island of themselves......Alpe close to Top 10 with Jay Dub behind.

 

Since they extended Green and Sengun, they don't "have" to do anything for the next year and a half when they will be forced to make a call on Jabari and Eason.

No need for them to avoid real hardball in any potential trade. Certainly no need to overpay for an aging rental. Gives the in house options as long as possible to take the next step before making a big move.

No true young franchise changers seem like they will get moved in the near future.

 

Fox's defense is a good fit.

 

Bari is over Jalen Green.

A lot of good bench players though between them.

 

All star argument gets dicey if using this as a metric. Jokic, wemby, sabonis, and AD all in front of Sengun. Still hopeful he can make it this year though