REALISTICALLY....What can be done to catch SA and OKC?

Kevin Durant is definitely a top 20 player.

I like the NBA player rankings that bleacher report does, according to that, KD is #13, Sengun #28, Amen #37, Reed #97

Rockets definitely have talent and they can make moves to get there but really like I mentioned in the last thread, all the Knicks did was change their coach out really and it made all the difference in the world. I don't think roster changes are going to do much unless you are getting some bonafide MVP type player somehow, otherwise everything will always look clunky because our coach/GM combo thinks we could go a whole season without a PG and that KD can play that role.

 

Clean house. Completely

 

in OP’s post KD is no longer on the roster, so I’m not including him

 

Who was saying you couldn’t win a championship with Towns? You can’t if he’s your best player, but I don’t recall anyone saying you can’t win with him as a piece of your team.

Who is going to be making that Brunson-like leap on that Rockets roster? Brunson was OKC 6MOY Harden level his final year on the Mavs which basically means he was All-Star caliber but had to play a reduced role. He averaged 22, 5, and 4 during the Mavs run to the WCF including scoring 24, 41, and 31 points in the 1st round vs Utah while Luka was out with injury. Ain’t nobody doing that on the Rockets. We see how Sengun and Amen looked when they had the opportunity to step up vs the Lakers with no KD. They folded like a paper towel. NY just gave Brunson the opportunity to be a full-time starter and have the ball in his hands way more.

6th or 7th seed is a borderline or straight up play-in team. Unless that draft capital is bringing in a legit superstar while also not gutting depth, that team is collection of role players headed nowhere in the West.

 

I agree Jabari could average around 20 & 10 on 40% from 3 but where did the idea that that’s winning basketball come from..

John Collins did it his age 21 season. They were ass. He didn’t put on the extra 20 pounds or magically become a faster more coordinated athlete.

Christian Wood did it his 1st 2 seasons with the Rockets. It was awful.

There’s more to it than make a 3 and block a shot equals good 2 way player. That’s just not a finals level athlete anymore, he’d be fine in the Harrison Barnes minutes.

Who does he guard?

How often is he getting wide open, stand still, catch and shoot 3s with all those Josh Hart, Devin Vassel, and Cason Wallace speed guys running around?

 

Not until we have a coaching staff that can generate a good offensive AND defensive system not like what we have now. It starts with that then you build around that