No one is disputing that Zion has been injury prone this far but it is the only reason a legit #1 pick would even be available. It's like snubbing your nose at 25 year old Blake Griffin because he missed 2 entire seasons in his first 5 years + unlike Zion (who had 61 + 70 + 2× All Star) never played more than 47 games/season during this time period.
But reality proved Blake Griffin had an extremely short and truncated career and just sat around and collected money from the Pistons so in your example Pistons would have been right to snub him, right? They paid Griffin a large contract he was pretty much injured all the time for them.
You are right but Zion has multiple 30 season games played and he never ended a season healthy in his entire life so he is very far from 82 games to begin with.
We are talking about both early in their careers (after 5 seasons). The Blake Griffin that played for the Pistons (after 9 seasons with Clippers) was a shell of himself physically + athletically. This is obviously not the case with Zion.
Correct me if I am wrong but Zion hasnt ended a season healthy or not facing rehab in his entire career. Right? What makes you think it will be different if we get him? I admit Zion is an amazing talent but if he will always get injured before you go deep in the playoffs what is the use of him?
You're a better Rockets fan than me. I thought we were title contenders after the CLE, CLE BOS wins. Now, I just want to see 4 playoff games by locking in the 6th seed. I can't count on the Rockets winning a play in game. The Rockets need to get better next season with a consolidation trade and throwing in the Suns pick or maybe keeping it.
I have already conceded that Zion has been injury prone. So was Blake Griffin, Penny Hardaway, Tracy McGrady, etc. You provide nothing insightful.
Bud is running their starters into the ground. I would be furious if I was a Suns fan, if KD or Book get injured from overuse, not only is this season gonna go worse, but the future will be even less guaranteed. Now as a Rockets fan...I say KEEP IT UP, SUNS!
I thought the Rockets being +4500 all season long for Championship odds was such good value, until we played the Nets. The Nets playing a zone and game planning around every weakness and beating the Rockets twice in a week exposed them. Any team will do this to them in the playoffs. Even if the Rockets win 70% of their remaining games, I still won't think they have good odds at winning this year. The players make a ton of mental errors, even our best guys like Sengun, Tari, and Amen have made ridiculous errors, especially w Fred out. The number of 5 second violations in crunch time is inexcusable, there have been so many instances that they have just gotten lucky and got the win anyway. This team currently plays hard, but not smart. Until they learn to play smart and hard, they will struggle in the playoffs.
Ime is not a witch doctor, he can't protect any player from freak injuries - see Tari, Amen, Alp, Jabari + Fred. But he can demand and enforce players to be in top shape, see Alp, Jalen, Amen, etc.
But it's so much worse than that... Its All-Star Game effort. Shot over 53% from the field and three. Outrebounded Memphis. Its literally every stat. Being a jumpshot team and playing no D keeps other teams in the game and there is no exertion on their part during the game. In the 4th the other team is fresh and if they get hot at all you lose. This is actually a lesson for the Rockets. You can play well for three quarters and then make dumb mistakes in the end. Being a bad shooting team we learn too much from Russell Westbrook and play a lot of hero ball. Instead of having long scoring droughts filled with turnovers and bricks we need to maximize every possession and move the ball effectively, drive, and create. Get easy shots, get the other team in foul trouble, get to the line. Make good decisions.
Alp, Jalen, Amen are all good kids and dont have weight issue. They're not Zion who had weight clauses in his contract and still failed them.
but you also provide nothing insightful. No mitigating reason that will show how Zion will be different on this team other than saying if he wasnt injury prone and ended every year of his career with season ending injury we wouldnt be able to get him. So if we get him and he ends his year with injury like he has done every year of his career how does that benefit us? We have a max deal just sitting on the bench. Oh wait "Ime Udoka" like Ime will be able to turn Zion around automatically. Its not like Pels already tried everything to make Zion mature lol.
Zion is a player I would never trade for under any circumstances. He is not serious about basketball, only not losing his contract. These are world class athletes and if you cannot be prepared to play the game you have no use to any team. This guy has no heart or real love for the game as evidenced by his behavior. He is a far more athletically gifted Charles Barkley with none of the heart. As you stated as soon as his physical gifts diminish he will be absolutely worthless. He is far more likely to turn out to be Tractor Trayler vs Charles Barkley.
