You're absolutely right. Jalen had the moment primed and ready after his huge game 2, and he wilted and got progressively worse. No excuses for him, he aint it.
Relaxing is for losers and retirees. We have the core players and assets to go for something special right now. This FO needs to act with urgency while the picks we have are still perceived as valuable. I think the return Phoenix gets for KD will probably make them mediocre. The league will engineer a Lakers comeback with Luka. Hell, Giannis, may end up there. Don’t put anything past these mobsters. FVV at minimum and possibly FVV and Jalen need to be upgraded this off-season at a minimum. If Wemby stays healthy and we stand pat, SA will surpass us. OKC is built for a long run of contention. Memphis has a really good core. I’d be worried about them if they had better management. Sitting on our hands is not an option.
OKC is built for the long run because they didn't try to trade core pieces for a Giannis. They added guys like Hartistien to the young core. MVP Shai was the 10th seed just 2 years ago. I've said it multiple times but KD should only be the really target because the low cost we can probably get for and fit Thunder didn't crash out for a superstar to hopefully contend for only 2-3 years. They kept improving the guys around the core until they were ready to take over for the long haul. Shai wasn't sh*t until he was 25
If this was Jalen Green’s first or second season in the league, I might agree with you. He’s in year four. How long does he get to become a consistent, reliable scoring option? Six years? Seven years? The age excuse is weak. He entered the league at 18, and the fact he entered so young doesn’t give him forever to develop into the consistent scoring threat the Rockets desperately need. Elite players don’t take this long to demonstrate that ability. That said, you don’t give up on Green for nothing because of his play in this series. However, if you can upgrade by getting Devin Booker with Green and a pick or two, you consider it. If you can get Giannis and move Green down the offensive pecking order, you do it. If Phoenix is very reasonable about their Durant asking price (two first-round picks of value or so), and you can move Green down the pecking order, you consider it. Lastly, Jalen Green is not James Harden. Harden is one of the best heliocentric offensive players in NBA history and an elite passer/offensive mind. If Green is not scoring well, he does not bring the same passing nor vision to the table.
No, they traded him because they couldn't afford to keep him. They would rather pay Durant, Westbrook and cores Collison and up and coming Steven Adams.
Not remotely similar - Harden was coming off the bench, there were numerous offensive weapons ahead of him and that is also the playoff where he got blasted in the face by Ron Artest's elbow and likely had a concussion. The Heat had prime James/Wade/Bosh and Harden was their third option on offense, as KD and WB averaged almost 60 points a game in that series. Jalen Green has been miscast as the #1 option, because the Rockets lack a #1 option and hoped he would grow into it - after 4 years and numerous flaws in his game, it has become abundantly clear it isn't likely that will happen. It isn't Green's fault - he plays and works hard, same with Fred - they just need to be put into position to maximize their strengths. The best case scenario for the Rockets has been for Green to become a franchise player - so now we move onto the more likely scenario the last couple years, we keep Green and put him in a position to succeed or we trade him in a deal for someone that is more equipped for that type of role.
Green has been in the league for four years. Golden State is pretty good with Butler added, but they are not the prime Heat of LBJ/Wade and Bosh. It is hard for Green - they are asking him to do something he isn't equipped to do - so he needs to be put in a position to thrive.
At a salary slot of $33 million for Green next year, he could still be a cost-effective second or third option on this team. But this summer, we will need to trade for a number 1 scoring option, whether that is a godfather deal for Giannis, or a lost-cost deal for KD.
Or... he could average 40 ppg and lead us back from 3-1 to take the series and half the people on this forum would scream, "Stone! Trade him while his perceived value is high!" (Not saying that will happen, mind you, just pointing out how divided and/or fickle we are regarding Jalen.)
A god father deal for Giannis sounds like regret by year 3. If it ain Ant or Luka I am not trading the farm for 2-3 years of contention We are not OKC but they were just 10th seed two years ago with a 24yr old Shai. They didn't sell the farm for a big name. They signed Hartenstein and let the guys keep developing
I think you're missing my point. If Jalen goes 0/0/0 in the finals, then it's implying the Rockets will be reaching the finals in the first place. To put it another way, in the same year Harden at age 22 played badly in the finals, he also went 18/6/4 on 50/46/87 shooting split in the first round. If Jalen played as well as Harden did in the first round, the Rockets would be looking at a 3-1 series lead not deficit.
How long are you willing to wait for contention? Is another 2-3 years like this year ok with you? It seems like it. I’m not ok with it. We have the talent and assets to start competing for the championship next year. If we have another 1st round failure, Ime and possibly Stone should be history.
I see us 2-3 years away from 5-10 years of straight WCF and Final appearances. Spending to much on a big name could put us in contention for 2-3 years followed by 5-10 years of purgatory if guys like Amen or others leave in FA and we gutted the team for a Giannis and Booker
I guess I was looking at it as making reasonable trades rather than gutting the team. I’m totally against extending FVV and going with status quo to wait and see if the youngsters are any good. I also don’t think the new apron rules make that plausible. I’m not gutting the team for Giannis, but a reasonable trade, hell yeah. I don’t even want Booker unless it’s for FVV and 2 picks and then I’d seriously consider flipping him. He is the wrong fit for this team. So is Giannis without flipping some of our other players or if Amen or Sengun suddenly become good 3 pt shooters. In the end, we need a better backcourt and a better coach.
