yep, props to morey. I like what he is doing for this club. looks like rox is the only contender team to trade "down", if the rox gets into the playoff this yr, it will the darkest horse in the history.
Not to mention our athleticism this year is MUCH higher than in the last few years....... Which is where this team struggled..... Nice work DM. DD
As I said trillion times, I HOPE WE GET PASS THE FIRST ROUND THIS SEASON! Everything beyond that is lottery, I really don't know what trades are going to be made or are they going to be made anyway but I'm happy we ended up with that.
So what are they (management) expecting from fans, if they are, in fact, throwing the white flag in on this season? (While we are 33-20 mind you)
Dude, I bleed Rockets red. I've followed this franchise since the day they arrived in the city. I used to go see them with Rudy and Moses and Calvin and Marin. I've been with them through their ups and downs, year after year. I would LOVE to see them win it all this year. I'll watch every game on NBA League Pass and will suffer if/when they get bounced out of the playoffs. But realistically, I just don't think they're ready, and adding Miller or Artest wouldn't be enough to get them over the hump. As a lifelong fan, I'd much rather see them concentrate on becoming a force to be reckoned with, year in and year out. Bringing in a new coach and new system helped in the long run, but cost us an important half-year while we made adjustments. With a homecourt advantage unlikely for most of the playoffs, I don't think we can do it this year. I'm as frustrated as anyone about this year, but 10 years down the road, I'd rather the Rox have won a few trophies than make stupid moves trying to get there RIGHT NOW and screw everything up.
But with Yao and T-Mac (supposedly) in their primes, shouldn't every year be a "THIS YEAR" type of season?
I agree with the original poster. I'm pretty sure we could we could trade a chair from the Toyota Center straight up for Lebron, and people on this board would still find something to complain about. We got rid of two players who saw the court less than anyone else on the team, and an inconsistnet role player. We got a veteran point guard who knows RA's system (can Rafer and Brooks really keep this up all season? Now we don't have to worry) and a hometown kid who will have the same role as Kirk Snyder at worst. At best he will be motivated to succeed in front of his friends and family and be finally be worthy of a top 20 pick. While losing Bonzi didn't sit well with me at first, it is not a big deal. How many times have you thought "man, we would have lost without Bonzi." I can only think of the SA game. While we may not win it all this year, (we probably weren't going to before the trade circus started) we have a fun, young team to watch play. One that has only gotten better with time (Remember the daily trade T-Mac threads? Unthinkable now). And one that looks to remain mostly in tact for seasons to come. The cup is half-full in my book.
I've followed Gerald Green since he was in High School and I really do think he can become a star. I think now that he's back in his hometown and around a great veteran team with a player's coach, you'll see him begin to transform into a great player. He has the ability to be one and maybe he'll be able to showcase it soon. Just like Brooks, Scola, and Landry worked their way into the rotation with stellar, consistent play, so can Green, especially with the absence of Bonzi Wells now. Though I really liked Bonzi and hate to see him go, we still got to dump Mike James' contract and Bonzi was on the last year of his deal. Who knows, we could pick him up this offseason? I still have faith for this season, but the next seasons are looking even better.
You are giving Morey too much credit. He said that with the addition of Scola, Brooks, Landry and Wells to the roster, we are all set for this year several days ago. That tells you Bonzi wasnt to be traded. Les had indicated he wanted to go under LT threshold, especially we have so many guards that are not playing. So we were looking to dump Mike James's salary, probably Francis's too, but I doubt anybody would take his. The reality is the BJack is a salary dump to go under LT and we were made to give up Wells. It's not like BJack is salary is much less or his contract is much shorter. The fact that we took back an old undersize guard that relies on fading quickness didnt make this team better, not for the future either, not that 400 K difference. I am not sure Green would be part of our futrue. The Minny people were extremely disappointed at Green after got him. They said he just didnt know how to play the ball. Imagine on the worst team that is play for lottery. Actually I think Snyder is better than Green. Again. This is the pattern we have been seeing over the years. Small contracts, over the hill vets. No real improvements to the team.
I hope this move doesn't blow up in Adelman's face. If we don't make it to the playoffs he will be on the spot.
Hey Clutch, know you're busy, but it would be awesome if we could get your take on the way the trade deadline went for the Rockets. I know you did a little piece on Gerald Green, but I personally would like to hear what you have to say about the status of this team now and in the future in the wake of these trades. Thanks again!
We didn't even touch a starter in these trades. Where's the white flag? I'm actually liking these trades more and more.
Nor am I. I'm hopeful. I think the Mavs hurt themselves with the Kidd trade. Sure, he's the best PG in the game, but you can count his rings on ZERO fingers. This isn't Magic or Jordan we're talking about -- it's a great player whose teams always fall short. The Suns added a major dimension, but lost one as well. If Shaq can stay healthy, he'll almost certainly be a force during the playoffs. But the really brilliant move was by the Lakers. Adding Gasol made that team better in so many ways: * Keeps them winning while Bynum recuperates. * Takes pressure off Kobe by giving them a legit, *consistent* scorer. * Sure, Gasol is soft at times, and on the Grizzlies that was a problem. With LA, he's playing alongside Kobe, who's the least soft player in the league. Gasol doesn't have to be a tough guy anymore. * You know those players who have great skills, but don't do well as the first option (Scottie Pippen types)? Lamar Odom is a mega-skilled player who doesn't even do well as the SECOND option. His ego is so fragile that being Kobe's sidekick was too much for him. Now with Gasol (and the emergence of Bynum), Odom is reduced to a role player -- but a spectacularly talented one. I think his game is going to come alive under this new lineup, especially when Bynum returns. In my view, this current Rockets team can beat any team in the West on our best days. If Adelman can get them to put forth the needed effort, we can go far with this lineup. But winning two or three 7-game series with no homecourt advantage will be mighty tough.
