It's quite baffling how some fellow Rockets fans are so impatient and would settle for players (Josh Smith, Kevin Garnett, Danny Granger etc.) that would make us good but not good enough to be a contender and worse, it would mean sacrificing our cap flexibility which Les Alexander and Daryl Morey worked so hard for us to have. Please remember that we are on a rebuilding phase. No rebuilding team just becomes an instant contender in only 1 or 2 seasons. This time, we can really afford to wait and be patient since we have that first piece in place (Harden). Heck, we haven't even had a full season yet and we should all be thankful that we're winning despite having a brand new roster who's the youngest in the league. What we should be doing is to try to accumulate more assets (future draft picks) rather than spending and giving up young players for player rentals this trade deadline because honestly, i don't think we would be able to receive equal value even if we decide to S&T them in the off-season. Again, lets just sit back and enjoy this young core we have now and wait for this off-season or next (2014) with all our assets and max salary cap room intact and at our disposal for that big splash to make us a TRUE contender. We should all quit being so impatient and desperate like we still have last season's roster on this team.
Honestly there isnt a single player outside of Lebron James that makes us a true championship contender. We need atleast 2 more all star or fringe all star level players before being able to contend for a championship. Somebody could be brought in during FA (2013 or 14 depending on who interests you) while still keeping our assets and making trades or letting young players develop. Morey is smart enough to know this
Of the players mentioned, Garnett and Granger would not destroy our capspace, since they both expire in 2 years. The Rockets won't need to worry about any big salary bumps of their own players until 3 years from now, when Lin, Asik, and especially Parsons may get big raises. So the cap space window is 2 years. In regards to Smith or Millsap or any other FA acquisition, it only destroys our flexibility if you're really keen on one of 2014 FAs. I admit there are some curious names, especially if Lebron or Bosh would actually be willing to sign here. And there are some interesting RFAs like Monroe, Cousins that may not be automatic max from their own team perspective. But overall, back room wink-wink deals excluded, Someone like Josh Smith may be the best we can do. Also, filling the cap means the Rockets can freely add a bunch of salary in a trade, even if said player is overpaid. i.e. someone like Gasol or Gay. If that happens to be the last piece to a contender, you use the cap first, and then add that overpaid almost-star once over the cap.
I agree. Look at whats happening in Minnesota and Toronto, with inpatient teans looking to cash in their cap space way too early. Even Dwight Howard represents a modest upgrade over Asik but nothing near the up grade we would get with a Chris Paul at PG or a Kevin Love or Lamarcus Aldridge at PF. We just gotta pick and choose a selective list of like 5-10 guys and stand pat (stand PPat even) until one comes loose.
Getting a guy like Chris Paul is a poor way of using your cap space since Harden has the ability to handle the rock full time and be really effective with it. If you think Lin is not the guard that can ideally complement Harden, then I fully agree with you. They need a catch and shoot 3s guard who can defend well next to him, someone like a Bruce Bowen/Raja Bell type next to him would be perfect. Having redundancy skill on a team, namely ball-handling on the offensive end, doesn't maximize both of the guys' talents. The Rockets need to spend it on an impact type PF, preferably Kevin Love. However, if the Rockets' only chance of getting a superstar (and no one else) in the next 2-3 years is getting Chris Paul himself, then they should go for it.
Most people just don't understand or underestimate players chemistry. Look no farther than the Lakers, best stat sheet in the league, but they cannot even break the 500 mark.
The problem with trading now for a guy lik Josh Smith is that his cap hold would be around 16.5 million in the summer with no garuntee of resigning him and making it almost impossible to negotiate with any other max contract free agents until Josh Smith was settled. If the Rockets just keep their powder dry and wait til the summer they can keep all of their assets negotiate with any free agent with out their own free agents cap hold hanging over their head plus the could still possibly do a sign in trade with a players former team after an agreement is reached in an attempt to preserve cap space for another free agent signing. I just don't think it makes much since to trade for a josh smith now and limit yourself in free agency this summer.
People just need to look at San Antonio to see what chemistry with the same core group of players and the same coach can mean for a team.
Our future is bright with this team. I think McHale is on the right path here with: First we get our offense together. Next we work on defense. Experiment with rotation and develop team chemistry. Will we have disaster night. Oh yeah, we will but it is our learning curve. We will past the second round playoff next year! I am very happy with our current result now. Add another piece to the puzzle and we are a contender. Patient, is the name of the game. Go Rockets!
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoy_en_la_revolucion/8457664623/" title="The untouchables by *The last son of krypton*, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8513/8457664623_eceffbf1df_c.jpg" width="800" height="585" alt="The untouchables"></a>
For real man, people need to relax and learn some patience. Outside of LeBron James, we need T I M E more than any one player. Look at how much better we've gotten over half a season. Our team is young, let them gel. Our biggest weakness is the 4, where ironically we have a logjam, but half a season of a rebuilding year isn't enough time to write all 5 of them off, they're all still so young. The only 4's I'd break the bank for are LMA, Griffin and Love, but they're all off the table. I have no idea why so many people here are interested in Josh Smith, he'd demand max money and has never gotten out of the 2nd round in a weak eastern conference (plus he doesn't strike me as a good fit with for locker room). And I seriously doubt Utah would deal us Millsap. Even if they did, who would we give up for him? At all costs we need to hold onto Parsons. Dude is gonna be a stud. We are the youngest team in the L. We will make the playoffs this year (Portland's starters will burn out and the Pau injury all but rules out the Lakers). We are set at the 1,2,3,5 and have quality back-ups at the 1,2 and 3 and a boatload of young bigs. We do have capspace but that doesn't mean we need to use it. We are in a G R E A T position. The future couldn't be any brighter especially as Harden is going to be the best 2 in the league for the next 5 years. Let's just sit back, relax and enjoy.
You're premis only works, if you believe we can sign a true star via FA or trade for one and have him willing to sign an extension. Now, which star in the last 5 years was signed or traded for by a team outside of a big city? I think that list is really, really small. Probably the Rockets with Harden (we had a great package - and Harden wasn't considered a first tier star yet) - but then? Toronto with Gay? I don't think so. It is hard to get a star - for a team outside of LA, NY, Chi, Miami, Bos it is almost impossible and you really need a perfect storm to achieve it. Now you either gamble on a second tier player like Smith (high risk high reward), try to collect more assets like Millsap (medium risk, medium reward) or go superstar or bust and on,y use capspace on true stars. I think the 3d option really makes no sense. The other two are valid - collecting assets means probably a longer rebuilding period and gambling, that you can cash in on these assets at some time (people on here were complaining for years, that we can't get anything good in return for our huge collection of assets). Signing a guy like Smith means you are confident that you can work on his deficiencies (shot selection, jump shot) while maintaining his strength. It doesn't make us a contender (really no player outside of LeBron does), but he makes us a force to be reckoned with that could upset to win it all.
I see them on the right path. The next thing I would like to see is the Rockets upgrade at the 4 position and if we can somehow get LaMarcus Aldridge out here...that would make is contenders
That's pretty rad.. Can you do another movie reference with the Big Lebowski? Harden is The Dude/ Lin is Steve Buscemi and Asik or Parsons can be John Goodman character...
People are too optimistic. We still need to basically upgrade our entire bench. Ideally you get Dwight Howard, develop Smith, T Jones, and trade Asik for a defensive stopper PG and have Lin be the 6th man. Then we still need to fill the PF spot with an all star caliber player. Only then will we be fully equipped to top the west AND beat the Heat. Right now, unless some east team pull an upset, none of the top west teams have a chance against the Heat because they neutralize the PG position which OKC,Spurs,Clippers rely so heavily on.
