Which GM could've done better than Morey with the Rockets the past 3 years?

I'm satisfied with Morey's performance so far. It's purely subjective and hypothetical to put a different GM in Morey's shoes, and I'm sure you'll get a wide range of opinions. Some will compare Morey to CD and see Morey's greatness in contrast. Other's will say a Monkey could be our GMs because all the good guys were actually Adelman's idea. Still other's will say that Morey has failed because he's brought in a lot of role players but no studs to actually get the job done.

 

Morey had very little NBA experience before Les hired him. It was a bold move and he should get credit for it. Morey's only been in charge for three full seasons, and his impact has been phenomenal. Know why we're not chasing after second rate stars with a barrel of cash? Because Morey has filled the roster with solid role players on cheap contracts.

All we need is one healthy super star, but they don't grow on trees and some of them are too gutless to be the alpha dog. So Morey patiently waits, and fans complain he isn't doing anything. Unbelievable.

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another question:

Which bb fans could've done better than bb fans with the Rockets the past 3 years?

 

Isiah Thomas, of course.

 

Overall, I'm pretty satisfied with Morey. He's definitely not the best GM in the league but he's not garbage either. In fact, I can only think of a few GMs that are clearly above his level.

Many people who criticize Morey on his decision need to see this from a bigger perspective. Has he made mistakes? Yes. Could he have gotten better players. Of course. But at the same time, we all know he's only been in the league for 3 years. He's not as "plugged in" as most veteran GMs are. But he's probably the smartest GM on an intellectual level. He knows how to squeeze out a bargain when he sees one. He's fiscally responsible, loyal to the team/owner, and plays to our strengths and steer clear of our weaknesses.

My only knock is that he's not a big risk taker and evaluates every case on a situational basis. Perhaps he's still earning his stripes. But I would like to see him eventually develop some kind of "instinct" rather than always use analytics and numbers. Don't always go for "safe" but rather strive for "brilliance".

 

He's a good GM, but my god, the amount of people on here that are on their knees with mouths open for him is sickening. Until we actually make it to the WCF at minimium, I wont consider him a great gm.

 

Can you give some examples where you think our front office should have gone all in but didn't? I think he's balanced risk with reward extremely well so far.

 

doubt him all you want, but Morey is awesome. he easily a top 3 GM and we are absurdly lucky to have him.

things that have changed since Morey arrived (that I know about, there's probably more):
- complete revamp of metrics system, player evaluation system
- creation of an entire analytics department including statistical analysis, game film breakdown, scouting film breakdown
- complete revamp of drafting ideology
- establishment of in-game goaling system for both team & individual players
- building of a more versatile, younger roster that can withstand injuries more easily (arguable exception of Yao)
- establishment of assets outside of NBA roster (LLull, Leunen, etc)
- portfolio-based contract management philosophy (i.e. don't treat replaceable players like they are stars, don't get stuck with bad contracts, don't overpay for FAs)

when morey got here, we had a mediocre front office. draft moves were always open to question, hit or miss. contracts were given out seemingly without any major plan or appreciation for the balance of short-term/long-term risk balance. the rockets were saddled with bad contracts much like the rest of the league. don't you guys remember the knee jerk contracts given to kelvin cato and moochie norris? how about trading an entire draft for eddie griffin? i mean, the best thing that happened to the rockets in the couple of years pre-morey was that they lucked into the #1 spot to draft Yao. that was hardly a result of great management, it was dumb luck.

now, the rockets have an identity. the team has an identity, but so does the front office. that's because the front office has a plan. every move has a place in the plan, or it isnt made. whether that plan results in a championship or not, we won't know til we get there, but I am much more comfortable with morey in charge than I was before he got here. matter of fact, the other well respected GMs that you could argue are on the same level as morey are cut from roughly the same cloth as our guy, but have had a lot more assets to work with. how many top10 draft picks has Kevin Pritchard had in the last 5 years? how about Sam Presti? morey has done everything he has done with one decent draft pick, in what was a pretty bad draft in hindsight.

some might point to the lack of titles and say "he needs to win before we put him on a pedestal", i would counter with the idea that if the rockets had a kobe bryant or kevin garnett type player on the roster, he probably would have. or if he were GM in a destination city with a marquee franchise like LA, Boston, NYC or Miami, he would likely have a title over there as well. matter of fact, i will go so far as to say that if he had begun in any place where he didn't have to start from as far behind the curve as he did here, he would already be tasting deep playoff success. he inherited a huge project, roster wise and organizationally. to get from where we were 5 years ago to where we are today (and it is a very enviable position across the NBA, with the assets and ownership, facilities and fanbase here in houston) is something we should all be ecstatic about.

there is nothing that can be done in life, or sports, to guarantee success. period. all you can do is create a position from which you are most likely to succeed, and then hope you catch the right opportunities when they arise. so far morey has done the former, and we need a few breaks to take the next steps. yao's health, the decision of a couple of FAs, good luck with draft picks, these are all things that are out of his control but will determine the immediate path from here on.

 

Ohh No You Didn't !!! Ohh No you did not talk negative about the GM ....

I agree with you, he's a good GM but great not yet.. Just watch you say because it really is sacrilegious not to worship him on this website ..

 

I think fans forget how empty the cupboard was when Morey arrived. Think back for a second. We had Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady and not much else. Guys like Rafer Alston were starters and taking a signficant number of shots. Luther freaking Head was counted on for bench scoring and was a regular rotation player. We had overpayed vets like Juwon Howard who could never stay consistent and had no real value to anyone else but the Rockets. Just having Yao Ming on the team (and the occasionally healthy McGrady) was enough for this team to never be BAD, so our draft picks were never high despite the team being mismanaged. To top all that off, we had no cap room. Pretty much just the exceptions every year to sign FAs.

And despite being handcuffed with this impossible situation, Morey has taken this team and transformed it into a dynamic, talent-filled organization with loads of value to other teams and no major, crippling contracts to bad players. Luther Head probably wouldn't even make this team today, let alone get significant minutes. Juwon Howard might be the 12th guy off the bench, but only if he were cheap. Morey has turned late first and 2nd round picks into genuinely talented rotation players. He's made trades that plundered underrated talent from other teams that didn't know what they had.

Has he brought the city a championship? No, certainly not. But this team is in 100% better position to achieve one than it was when Morey arrived. And I don't think anyone else in the NBA could have done better. THAT'S what this thread is about. I'm sure the Morey-love irks some people, and anything that sometimes appears to go overboard can get annoying, but I genuinely believe that he deserves all the accolades he receives on this BBS for being shrewd and then some.

 

agree all the way... i mean chuck hayes was the starting PF now he is only used for spot minutes. obviously he started last year cuz yao was out and really that may be the one thing morey hasnt done, finding a backup for yao.

 

I feel like this thread is directed entirely at me, meh..given our conversation in another thread.

Let me be clear...I like Morey. I think he's doing a great job. I don't know and won't pretend to guess if anyone could do better. The question calls for ridiculous speculation, honestly.

I think what he's done is exaggerated in the memes and the talk here...as if he can do no wrong. I disagree with that.

And ultimately, his tenure here will be judged by the results on the court...not the contracts he stacked up. I think the worship of the man is premature and a little silly.

 

Max,

I wasn't privy to the other thread discussion you referenced, but I find this discussion fascinating. Let me ask you some questions, if I may:

Would you agree that it is entirely possible, given the the NBA works with teams needing superstars to win championships, for an a GM of exemplary skill (say top 3 in the league) to work and do well for 10 years or so and still never have his teams win a championship? That a guy, like Morey, could make all the right moves that he is presented with but still never get a shot at the right guy (a Jordan, or Kobe, or Hakeem or Duncan) to bring a championship home?

 

For the sake of argument, and to answer your question since those opposing Morey won't, how about Presti? He's done a pretty nice job building that team in Oklahoma, though the Rockets haven't been gifted a top 2 draft pick in Morey's term.

 

absolutely true. how players/coaches/owners/gm's are judged isn't always "fair."

but i have a difficult time coming up with an industry that is more "results-oriented" than professional sports. think of the seriously great players who've played in pro sports who didn't win a title, for instance....their careers always have that looming in the background.

and again..i'm not saying Morey is doing a bad job....i think this discussion illustrates how out of control the Morey worship is. it's not enough that you say he's doing a good job....you have to accept the meme "in Morey we trust" to be in the club...or to not warrant a thread about it.

ultimately as a fan, i care very little for metrics and contracts...i like winning teams. we've won exactly one playoff series in his tenure. that's improvement and he hasn't been here long....but at the end of the day, it needs to be more than one playoff series before we coronate people.

 

Dude awesome post!