Oh no, this team's chances of making the playoffs just improved. What a terrible day to be a Rockets fan... /clutchfanstheory
Haha, repped! People forget that we play to win, every game. So tired of loser's mentality around here.
Carl, I know you are hurt, (sic), but hey it's still a Show Biz Family! M & S will get over it. I think we got one know. Go Rockets!
Dalembert is the missing ingredient from last season's team. I could see his addition taking us over 50 wins.
How so? The Rockets still have their number 1 picks for this coming draft and it will a great draft class coming out next year. You get playoff experience this year for the young players and go from there.
If the Rockets make the playoffs this season, they have to give their first round pick to New Jersey pursuant to the Terrence Williams trade. Personally, I say, "So what?" The Rockets will still have the Knicks' pick (which I expect to be in the #19 to #23 range) in a draft where the depth may allow the Rockets to get a player at #19 comparable to a player they'd end up getting if they kept the #14 pick. The Rockets also have the Timberwolves' second rounder, which should be in the #35 to #40 range. They can get another good young player there (again, the depth of this draft will push some normally late first rounders into that range). They could package that pick with the Knicks' pick to move back up to where they'd otherwise pick had they just missed the playoffs. Or, Morey can trade that pick for multiple future second rounders (a strategy that I'd wholeheartedly endorse, unless there was a really great player on the board at that pick, since the Rockets owe 2012 and 2013 second rounders to Detroit and Atlanta, respectively). Bottom line: This young Rockets team does not need to add TWO (non-star) first round picks to this roster for next season. Better to make the playoffs, increase the value of every member of the rotation, get that NJ pick obligation out of the way (freeing up Morey to be more flexible in future trades) and generally become a more attractive destination for free agents next summer.
To become an attractive place in the minds of F.A.s, I think that the Rox must: -make playoffs -win at least first round -have one or more youth turn themselves into a stat all-star or a espn highlight fixture. (Lowry/TWil) Shane said it best in that everyone wants to go where they can not only win, but also play a significant clog in helping them do so.
14-25 picks, don't make a huge difference. And 25-35 picks are almost the same. Whereas, most of franchise players are drafted with top 7 picks. The higher pick, the better. I hope Rockets won't make the playoff and keep the their own first round pick, perhaps, in addition with the NY's 1st pick, they could trade up for upper lottery picks. Which are more likely to bring Rockets a cornerstone player. Because Rockets already gathered a glut of solid players, and it's two or three franchise players away from championship-caliber team. To be a contender, You should get a great player first. How? Not signing FAs. Draft them. I personally hope Rockets won't make playoff. But Les asked Morey to keep this team competing for a playoff spot. As a result, Rockets added the Haiti C, heading that way.
You are not the first person to make this argument (get multiple mediocre mid-first rounders and then trade them for a top lottery pick). What those making this argument fail to properly factor into their analysis is this: Why the hell would the team with the high lottery pick trade it for multiple mediocre picks? If it is a rebuilding team, it would much rather rebuild with one very good player than two pretty good players. If it is a team expecting to quickly rebound back into the playoffs, it would also much rather have one very good player, as there will probably be a limited number of open spots in its rotation. It never ceases to amaze me how people just ASSUME that missing the playoffs with this team will somehow result in a plausible scenario involving a high lottery pick. The overwhelming probability is that this team (even if they trade off Martin and/or Scola) will be too good to have a realistic chance at a top-3 pick. And, as I mention above, it's unlikely that their pick plus the NYK pick will convince another team to trade a high lottery pick to the Rockets. Once you all come to grips with this harsh reality, perhaps you will see that making the playoffs is, overall, a more palatable course of action to just hoping for a bad season and the #10 or #11 pick of the draft.
Not only that, but in order to be bad enough to have a reasonably good shot at a top pick (barring a weird David Robinson missing the season scenario), you basically need to blow up the roster, which could take years to rebuild around your new draft pick (who, by the way, is more likely to go bust than become a once-in-a-generation superstar).
