I do give him credit for not panicking — he did a solid job of adding vets for culture (FVV, Brooks, Adams, Jeff Green) without compromising a youth movement. The Jalen Green contract was honestly in both sides’ interest, but Stone did a good job navigating it. This offseason will be his biggest test yet. Objectively, the team has talent, a healthy cap situation, coming off success, and some potentially appealing draft assets. He’ll need to navigate how much weight to put on this team’s first playoff run.
If everything Stone did was obvious you'd have a lot of successful 4 yr rebuilds in the league with lots of young promising talent. Remember when Stone got the team they were the oldest team in the league, had washed vets, the previous GM hadnt made a draft in the last 5 yrs and Harden was doig all he can to sabotage his value and get traded out. To go from that situation to 2nd seed in just 4 yrs not obvious at all IMO. Maybe if you look at it in isolation the moves are obvious, but most complex tasks would be simpler if you broke them down to micro parts. At the end of the day Stone over accomplished what he was asked to do. If running a team is so obvious how come Morey went into the perfect situation and messed it up so bad? He went into a team with an MVP 5 yrs ago. Now they are trying to tank while having 2 supermaxes and 3 max contracts in total. LOL.
This is a very good video (IMO) about this subject... https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxECUUuwF_PfpHATF-_LBPLoJFH15ZFytJ?si=XCGANKr4m7sIZ9WX I clipped the part about @Clutch talking about OKC being the new GSW as far as being the team we are chasing in order to become the top dog. It's really a similar situation in that we have players on a similar timeline and the only way to get to the top is to go through them. Of course They haven't won a championship yet, but to me they are clearly the best team in the league at this point. Anyways, whether or not a trade involving one or more of these young pieces makes sense depends on whether or not you believe this team can organically grow to beat OKC who is on the same timeline as us. Clutch doesn't believe they can, but I would say that a lot of that depends on how this playoffs go. Not just based on how we look, but also OKC...If they flame out in the playoffs again, then all of a sudden they don't look as daunting. Another thing that is brought up later in the video (I'd suggest watching the whole thing it's really good) is that Amen is looking like he is going to be the 1A player on this team pretty soon. Will the Rockets start to "build around" Amen? Which players do or don't fit with him? Sengun may be a casualty because Ideally with Amen you'd like a stretch big that can also protect the paint. OR will Jalen and/or Sengun step up and look like 1A options? Then maybe you have the pieces in house already... These playoffs will be a really good litmus test for a lot of our players and it'll be interesting how the FO responds this off season.
There is too much known and unknown to crown OKC the new GSW and the Rockets the Harden Rockets and not because nobody has come close to win a championship.
I'd like to have more than one playoffs to see who on the team we can build around or not. I'm not expecting much this playoffs - what I want to see is how our players take the lessons and learnings that they will inevitably get in the playoffs and apply it to their offseason training and get motivated to become even better next season. I really don't want to see any significant changes to this team until after next season's playoffs - maybe that's just me... but I still see a lot of room for internal growth (on a 50+ win team btw). Most of our core players still are barely drinking age. Our real championship window begins 2-3 years from now - I'd rather see us make major moves then. Until then, just keep letting our homegrown players grow and build up their confidence (and consequently, their value). If by chance some young major star shakes loose... like an Anthony Edwards or Luka, or maybe someone like Jalen Williams.. then by all means make that move. But short of that.. let's stay the course and give it more time to see what we have on this team. One playoffs is too short for a real evaluation. Edit: just wanted to add. GSW is my most hated team... but they kept their core for a few playoff failures before they broke through (by cheating nonetheless). Either way, they didn't just use one or two playoffs to blow up their young core and go all out for some major star. They instead let Stephanie, klay, and donkey grow together and just added other losers like igoudala and let go of stopgap vets like david lee to switch things up and let their younger core grow into a bigger role.
Well, my post didnt have anything to do with how the Warriors were built...we arent replicating that anyways. But ill bite... First I dont think there's a magic number of playoff runs you have to make in order to decide to move on from players. Dont even need to make the playoffs at all. Its a good way to get further data though. The Warriors made the playoffs two times before they won their first ring. Two off seasons before that they were trying to add Dwight Howard (we got him) and they ended up adding Iggy. The very next year after winning their first ring, they lost in the finals and then got rid of some of the pieces they had just went to back to back finals with to get KD. Also, the Warriors won the first ring with Draymond only being in yr 3 and Klay being in year 4. Curry was the most tenured being in year 6. This is already year 4 for Green and Sengun. You want to wait for a "few" playoff runs and theyd be in year 7 or 8, close to being up for new contracts. None of that matters though or has anything to do with my post. It was about whether or not the front office believes this tean will organically catch the Thunder without making a move for a big name player. The playoffs will just be another data point on top of the data they already have.
This thread was stupid from the get go ..... one of the worst threads in the GARM in the last 2-3 years. Most of the complaints were that he didn't make any additions at the deadline, but I agree with the idea of not adding anything yet - This roster needed to percolate a bit before adding the sugar & cream. And let's not act like we have unlimited assets to throw around, that's far from the case and every asset wasted on the now is one you don't have for the future. Hell. they don't even have a pick next year which makes this years pick untradable and the 27 pick OKC has swap rights .... That leaves the Brooklyn / Phx / Dallas picks to make those deadline moves with and unless Stone gets a star back - I'd hang onto them. Not to mention, the right player wasn't available. Stone did the right thing by not doing anything to screw up the future.
This is a false argument as even with a big name player Rox may not catch OKC (even as Rox are currently destroying them as I type this). The Paul George trade for Presti is like giving Superman the Infinity Gauntlet. Morey getting robbed twice as Rox and Philly GM certainly didnt help our cause either. I dont think there is an available big name that will put us over the top comfortably over OKC unless we get Jokic somehow.
Morey had full control when he went to the Sixers. He wasted time getting washed Rox vets I believe almost every Rocket from the Harden era ended up in Philly at one point, even Danuel House. He should have realized Embiid was on a clock and either traded him after he got MVP or went all in trying to win the next 2 yrs. Instead he wasted time doing neither now Embiid is washed. Oh but before he got washed Morey didnt forget to give him his 5 yr max deal. He ****ed up the Simmons trade, getting an injured James Harden and then refused to pay Harden his money causing him to leave. So basically after asking 4 frps, 3 swaps and a young player from SAS for Simmons he just got an injured Harden rental. https://nypost.com/2021/07/30/daryl-morey-asking-price-for-ben-simmons-is-massive/#:~:text=“One GM described it to me as,for the All-Star point guard. Explore More. He signed Podcast P and Embiid to long extensions which handicapped the team. The only good moves he made so far are drafting Mcain and Maxey. Whats worse is he also traded their frp to OKC again, not sure how many picks but if they dont get a top 5 pick this year that pick is going to OKC. The irony is Harden is a lot better than both Podcast P and Embiid combined but he is the guy Morey didnt pay. Morey's tenure in Philly is Billy King-esque. People kept mocking Stone saying Eli Wheatus was the guy who kept making the good moves but looking at Morey in Philly seems like he is the Wheatus puppet and not Stone. I am sure I could have done a better job than Morey even with no GM experience.
When did I say Morey was an owner? Stone and Morey are both GMs. GMs are the ones who make the moves not the owner so why do you keep insisting Moreu isnt an owner? What does being an owner have to do with Morey's bad moves as GM? You are the scorned lover of Morey thats why you are making this strawman argument that he was never an owner when nobody even said that to begin with. It tears you apart to see what he has done in Philly thats why all you can say is he isnt the owner like thats supposed to mean anything.
Sorry - but yes a lot of it was obvious, especially after ownership allowed the team to bottom out and tank. Stone had to trade Harden and had multiple teams after him. I would have personally taken the Sixers deal for Maxey - but the Nets offer was overall similar. He gutted the team and payroll - brought in a clueless coach. Brought in a couple risky long shots (Porter) and then drafted the best available player in the lottery. Stone and Rockets were lucky the Green pick was top 4 and didn’t convey - Green or Mobley was the obvious picks at #2. The next year Jabari was the obvious pick… as was Amen the year after that… and Sheppard was widely expected to go where the Rockets drafted him. So - yeah when it came to the Rockets lottery picks, there were not any surprising picks or close calls. Eason was a good picks and Stone deserves credit for listening to the analytics guys. I think he deserves to keep his job (as I said), but I haven’t seen anything special from a GM perspective so far, nor any huge mistakes other than trading Allen and wanting to grossly overpay Oladipo and his weird fetish for Porter. Not sure why you brought up Daryl Morey - but he has never been able to completely tank. As for this year - no one knew George and Embiid would be hurt as bad as they have been. If you want to criticize Morey - go ahead.
Stone maximized tanking by bringing in Silas and even ensuring we played Daishen Nix lots of minutes (As Silas complained to Wall). Not every GM will be that proactive and thats part of the reason we got high picks Jalen Amen and Jabari. Our best player Sengun wasnt an obvious choice, thus team would prob still be in lotto if we didnt get Sengun. So even at the start your premise is already wrong. Going after Udoka he could have chosen Nick Nurse or a bad coach like Rivers. Udoka wasnt obvious he just coming off a scandal. He was also a desired hiring, Stone had to convince him this team was worth coaching.Thats not obvious since Rox were the worst team for 3 yrs straight. The signings of FVV and Brooks were widely criticized so def not obvious, giving FVV an unguaranteed but 40M deal hasnt been done before so it isnt obvious. Steven Adams, Stone got him for just 3 2nd rounders so not obvious. Our bench brigade Tate, Jock and Jeff arent obvious. You mentioned Sheppard but the reason we got Sheppard is cuz Stone picked the Nets deal. So not obvious you yourself wanted Ben Simmons lol. What a horror show that would have been with Simmons making the max but not being able to play or even play well. How are the Sixers and Nets deal even similar???? You realize we wouldnt have cap to sign FVV and Brooks if we were paying Simmons max salary? Not to mention will we even get Udoka of a cancer like Simmons is on the team? It would change everything for the worse. Jalen was a bad player his first 2 yrs, was one of the worst defenders in the league and also not very efficient offensively. He only became good thanks to Udoka and the winning mindset by our vets. If we had Ben Simmons instead of our vets he would be a bust by now. Speaking of Max everybody though Sengun would get the max and JG also wanted a max cuz Cade, Mobley, Barnes and Wagner got the max but Stone got them both to sign for less than max. Thats not obvious Morey gave Embiid on one leg and.Podcast P maxes. I only mentioned Morey to show you running an NBA team isnt obvious. You can mess up even the "obvious" moves. Trading for PHX picks that wasnt obvious. Lots of people hated it at the time and it is paying dividends now. The only obvious things you mentioned is Stone picking up the ranked guys top 3 in lotto. Thats just a small part of what he has done as GM and thats not the main reason Rox are so good so quickly.
That's why you're not GM and also why you don't have enough credibility to imply anything was obvious. You would've taken Maxey/Ben Simmons and I'm GLAD Stone wasn't dumb enough to take that offer for Harden You mean he tanked? The same exact thing you'd applaud Pop and the Spurs for doing in getting Wemby/Duncan/Robinson Yeah you're definitely a idiot. Every GM has analytics teams they help them. Presti deserves credit for listening to his too lol. The Dillon Brooks signing was a risky move that the whole league laughed at, now it's one of the BEST signings we've seen. You guys wanted Stone fired a year ago for drafting Jalen, not making deadline moves this year, now we're 50 wins in and hes done nothing special lol. He'll never win with guys like you bro
I could not have said it better myself. The Rockets were also on a time line before they had to start giving their picks away. The reason is the previous GM (and the owner) made a horrible trade. Once their picks start going to the Thunder Stone proceeds to get the 3rd pick and likely 9th pick this season. With the Nets swap, 2 suns picks and mavs pick on the way later. I think Stone did a master class in turning around this team.
You realize that Stone was part of the Morey team (previous GM lol) They were one team before, and to this day, a lot of Morey's team is still intact. The things that went out of the windows were Morey's asset management, treating players like robotic assets, lowballing, and his trigger happiness, that are the only things that went away. Morey was an entertaining guy, and Stone is a stiff guy. But his whole team is still there.
Yeah its kinda funny that dude keeps saying Stone did nothing but obvious moves and then says he still wants Ben Simmon over the Nets package. Talk about irony.
https://www.thedreamshake.com/2021/...n-announces-resignation-following-2021-season So CEO, the assistant GM and even Chuck Hayes dont count as part of Morey's team? Thats nit even counting the guys who left prematurely like Hinkie. Theres a new FO team now yes there are holdovers like Stone and Eli Wheatus but there also new blood like Fertita Jr. Not sure why that is relevant though.
