Bima, When the Rockets keep talking about how they play ball with the big boys, you become one of those 6 teams. By the way, how the hell a team who professes such "elite" status get TWO top draft picks (Francis and Yao), trade for all world talent (Mc Grady) the last 10 years and still suck 7 out of those 10 and NO RINGS or even a freakin WCF? I guess its too much to ask for a WCF appearance the last 15 years? I am sorry. I hold my teams that I root for at a MUCH HIGHER LEVEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY than others, I guess.
I'm not sure. But if you are implying that the Rockets are not trying to win a championship because Les Alexander has never paid the tax (although he's potentially on the brink of paying it this season), I'm calling BS on you. I firmly believe that Les Alexander WOULD pay the tax if it meant that the team was in a LEGITIMATE position to win an NBA championship. Would you have been happier if Morey hadn't made the trade deadline moves to sneak under the luxury tax (all without hurting the team's on-court capabilities)? Hell, he made a significant upgrade to the roster last season while at the same time moving UNDER the tax threshold! Not to mention the fact that Les agreed to a team payroll in excess of $80 million (well above the luxury tax threshold) over the summer, before Morey was able to sucker the Nets into using their cap space significantly reduce payroll without a similarly significant decrease in talent (Ariza-for-Lee). If someone can give me a real, concrete example of the Rockets avoiding spending on a CHAMPIONSHIP-caliber move for the sake of avoiding the luxury tax, I would love to hear it.
Bima, The problem is that if you are not willing to pay the tax and go hard at it (and I do not believe the Rockets are willing to pay it no matter what htey say - until they actually do it), you are more HOPING to be opportunistic. Whereas Mark Cuban will do anything to make his team better, tax be damned. And when you are over the tax with larger contracts (IE BETTER ASSETS) you are in a much more attractive position to acquire a superstar player when one becomes available. Our only hope is that we get a star player that we think might become a superstar, and take him from a team that is looking to rebuild....not bloody likely, In all honesty. DD
Three of the top-five highest spending teams over the past several years are Portland (last championship in 1977), New York (last championship in 1973) and Dallas (never won a championship). Each of those teams have had top-10 draft picks, major free agent signings and star trade acquisitions, yet none of them has won a championship. And, in fairness to the franchise, (1) if Charles Barkley would have played defense on the final play against Stockton, the Rockets were pretty well set to go to the WCF in 1997; and (2) the biggest thing keeping the Rockets out of the WCF the past several year has been INJURY, not incompetence from the owner or front office.
This statement is just flat-out false. Bigger contracts for BETTER PLAYERS? Sure. But bigger contracts don't make better assets. They make worse assets. I think people have been spoiled by what Morey managed to get out of Tracy McGrady's huge expiring contract. That trade was far more a product of the desperation of one of the league's top spenders (the Knicks) due to crappy ownership than it was a product of the actual VALUE of that contract. Large expiring contracts don't really carry that much value other than as filler, unless the other team is absolutely desperate to unload a horrible long-term contract. This team has its fair share of such expiring filler in the form of Jeffries and Battier.
Congratulations! Well, I guess that proves it once and for all. Let's just pack up the franchise and fold. I'll call David Stern now....
It comes down to max contract guys not performing. The Rockets have made a number of big trades and they ultimately struck out. From Francis to Eddie Griffin to McGrady they obtained elite talent that didn't work out. Yao hasn't produced what you need, either, but he was the right pick. The test will be where to go from here and whether the Rockets cut bait with Yao.
ur gonna call his mobile or residence #? don't tell him to pack up the franchise. it would be nice if on behalf of rockets fans he lobbied for a change in ownership though.
It's not too much to ask. If this team is not living up to your standards than leave. You can always become a bandwagon fan or a playoff only fan. I happen to be an all or nothing kind of guy. ANd I will be the first to admit it hasn't been easy. I had my hopes up with the drafting of Yao. We also had Steve Francis and Eddie Griffen and I saw i bright future. We got Tmac and I had temporary optimism. I thought the biggest setback was firing Rudy. I hated JVG and believe he set us back big time. The injuries to Yao and Tmac's failure as a player and a person have been tough. Sometimes I think it would be better to give up consider how much time I spend following the Rockets. I could start another part time business and put more away in my nest egg. But even in the disappointments I have enjoyment. And I haven't given up hope yet. Perhaps if Yao retires I may quit but I probably won't. Even now I get frustrated when they don't go for the deals that are obvious. Tyson Chandler was there for the picking. We could have had that deal if only we would have thrown more. More money or picks or whatever. Instead we go for Miller. Don't get that and others. But all in all I mostly believe Les is trying to win and even though he is stupid sometimes and slow to see the problems and loyal to the wrong people and I believe we are making progress in spite of the setbacks.
Antawn Jamison (traded for Jerry Stackhouse and Devin Harris) - good player Antoine Walker (traded for Jason Terry) - good player at the time (although a chucker) Devin Harris (traded for Jason Kidd) - good player Josh Howard (traded for Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood) - good player (he screwed up his ankle shortly after the trade) Erick Dampier's $13M+ NON-guaranteed contract (traded for Tyson Chandler) - rare and treasured financial asset; not the same thing as an expiring contract In each trade that Cuban made, he actually gave up something of value: the PLAYERS, not the contracts (except in Dampier's case, which I'll admit was pretty cool - although I bet Dampier was so shocked that he was getting $70 million from Cuban that he blindly agreed to that last year).
The point is that when he got some of those guys he was over the Lux tax, and was not afraid to go FURTHER over it. Because bigger contracts or players allow you to be able to get more talent than smaller ones. For instance he can absorb a poison contract more easily because he is NOT AFRAID of paying the Lux tax. Les, has never, EVER paid that tax.....not saying it is a bad thing, just pointing it out. And while we like Courtney Lee, the Ariza trade was driven by the desire to be UNDER the tax or give the team the flexibility to get there at the deadline. That is a team hoping and still trying to be profitable, not a team that will do EVERYTHING to try to win. DD
last i checked, his wheeling and dealing has not netted them a championship. and while their current iteration may be more pleasurable to watch than the current version of the rockets, the mavs have no shot at a championship this year either. they are an inherently flawed team searching for something they do not have.
I have it on good authority that the Rockets actually liked Courtney Lee better than Trevor Ariza as a player, straight up. Criticize THAT decision all you want. But it was apparently NOT financially motivated (although it was a nice added benefit). And I also disagree with your last statement. But we'll just have to agree to disagree on that as a general matter.
Higher standard or acting like a spoiled child? And I believe the Rockets are ready and willing to pay the luxury tax and FAR into the luxury tax, but just havent had the opportunity to do so. What player can we straight up add to this roster to make us better? What player did we pass on because of monetary concerns? We were willing to break the bank to raid Philladelphia and they said NO.
The more I hear Morey speak, the larger my fears of him being a complete fraud get. Seriously, who the hell buys this crap? "we're sacrificing short term to be good long term"? Are you kidding me?
Hmm, I take it that the extra pieces you are referring to here are the same players who are currently demonstrating how one-dimensional and inadequate they are out on the court. So what make you think that these "pieces" will work out if or whenever Morey's long-term plan finally comes to fruition?
I have been disappointed in Lee but I am still convinced he is better than Trevor. I have a funny feeling that part of the deal with Trevor is we promised him we would start him when we signed him. Therefore, the only way to get away from that obligation was to trade him. Battier is way better for us, but even he has severely underperformed although I would much prefer Battier not taking shots as to have Ariza jacking shots.
I'm fine looking long term because you don't want to make a deal that might make us good but not great and then be stuck in the same spot for years. I've been willing to give Morey a pass because of the talent he has assembled and being stuck with Yao/Tmac BUT that will all end soon and Morey will be able to mold this team in his image. If he decides to resign Yao and the probable happens again then it truly is on him and there will be no excuses of injuries or contracts because he would have chosen that path and not placed in it.
