[Discussion] The Rockets don't need to do anything

I wouldn't say the Rockets don't need to do anything. What I do believe is that the Rockets don't need to rush or force any changes.
We also shouldn't forget the locker room dynamics, if we're going to trade for someone we have to be sure he won't destroy the locker room balance.

 

agree that we need a trade to consolidate the roster. Agree with OP that we shouldn’t empty the cupboard for a star. Don’t see a blockbuster move that puts us in real contention. Would make sense to trade a couple of wings for a co-starter at PG who can take over from FVV next year and give Reed the longer runway he needs.

 

Good thing he's not going anywhere anytime soon.

 

My question is… when will we ever see the ultimate starting lineup?… the one we’ve all been waiting for.

Amen
Jalen
Tari
Bari
Sengun

 

My guess is never as a starting lineup. Also, the we've all is very presumptive.

 

Basketball is a team game. Fox isn't Ja or Brunson, but he's put up stats on good teams. Fox is a good player.

Now, I wouldn't give up FVV, picks, and Cam to get him (well unless the picks suck), but the Rockets finished outside the play-in last year and it didn't hurt the Rockets players any.

 

well these are the 5 best prospects we’ve pulled from the rebuild and they all play different positions traditionally if you consider Amen a PG. So that’s an assumption I’m willing to make that most of us have an appetite to see this line up some day lol

 

Welcome to what I've been saying since Sengun's first big game in his rookie season. People are confusing their ego's burning desire to call a career out asap vs the actual time it takes to remove and install habits. Months and years. More likely years if it was preceded by 2 years of ignoring bad habits because you wanted Wemby. You wanted Wemby at any cost. This was the cost. You're also the one that says culture matters. This is how it matters. It postpones development temporarily if not permanently.

Just wait. We should have been at this point a year ago, but the timelines are merging. We're ahead of schedule with Ime to make up for Tilman, Silas, Stone and KPJ postponing our future by 1-2 years.

 

Its sad for me to admit this but Wemby being THIS GOOD already and the Spurs already being a ~.500 level team means the Spurs will be up there soon also.

I see the Thunder, Rockets, Spurs and possibly Mavs really dominating the West for a bit.

Wolves really messed up when they trade KAT away for Randle... Raallyt messed up their offense bad.

 

This is a good team already on most nights and a really good team on others. They're deep too. I don't know if picking up a star at the risk of losing that chemistry and depth is a good idea. Truthfully, they should only get better. The shooting lapses are a real concern, but aside from that, this team reminds me of those young Astros teams when that dynasty was first coming together. Might not be smart to screw that up.

 

When they are done tanking.

 

Basketball is a team game. Sengun and Amen are already ready. On teams winning 50+ games, I think Rockets are probably near a 50-50 chance of doing it this season. Amen excels with skilled players. Getting guys around Amen that share the ball will get Amen more touches especially in advantageous positions than he does now. Sure, if Amen was the PG right now, he'd get more touches. The problem with that is that Amen at PG doesn't have someone as skilled as himself playing a wing position.

I get that having redundancy means one doesn't get the most out of players. Some may conclude having worse players solves this problem I don't buy it. Redundancy is a problem mostly with weaknesses and Amen cures a lot of weaknesses in most great players. I'd worry a little on the shooting weakness on the team. However, Fox would most likely mostly get minues from guys shooting about as well as he does, but Fox would add significant rim pressure from the perimeter as well as a better mid range threat than FVV.

I can't see the future perfectly. I just would not want to punt the seasons that Amen is still on a rookie contract.

 

I don't think trading KAT was in their worst 2 moves of 2024. Gobert looks done and extending him really hurts (edft: hurts them. Really helps Rockets who have a center Gobert can't guard). Getting KAT off their books should have allowed them flexibility, but they traded away their last draft capital for a backup PG that only works with Gobert.

 

Why can't Amen start over Jabari? Offense hasn't looked this good all year. You are sticking with a false narrative. Amen is scoring better, rebounding better, and playing defense better. Jalen is being unleashed with Amen in the lineup. By the way, Jalen's hot streak last year coincided with Amen starting. The Rockets are scoring better.

Ideally when Jabari comes back he moves into Dillon's spot, not Amen's. Can you imagine the rebounding with a lineup of FVV, Jalen, Amen, Jabari, Sengun. Jabari is also a better shooter than Dillon. If you don't want to rock the boat with Dillon, then you let Jabari cook off the bench. He can be the focus of the offense off the bench and may actually help him solidify himself as an offensive option next year, instead of just an after-thought.