https://fivethirtyeight.com/feature...-a-different-style-and-lots-of-possibilities/ The Rockets have pulled off a rebuild in a matter of months, and they could tool up to compete for the playoffs next season or tear down and build through the draft. No matter the path they choose, Wood and Tate are sure to be Rockets for a long time. They are two-way forces who can succeed on the court while playing a variety of styles — the opposite of the rigidity Houston demanded of its players during the Harden era. [...] And it turned out — contrary to Harden’s parting shots — plenty of talent was already on the roster. The Rockets don’t know yet what type of team they’ll be in the future. In Wall and Wood they have the tools to spam high pick-and-rolls. In Oladipo, they have a scorer who can isolate from the wing. Or perhaps the Rockets will be defined by their defense for the first time since they employed Shane Battier and Ron Artest;Aka Metta World Peace aka The Pandas Friend aka Metta Sandiford-Artest. Tate and Wood are solid building blocks there, too. Their identity, like the team’s, is mutable. But the Rockets’ not knowing who they are must be refreshing after playing the same way — and being the only team to play that way — for so many years, without so much as a championship to show for it. The Houston Rockets are dead. Long live the Houston Rockets.
“Compete for the playoffs” That doesn’t sound very exciting. I would rather compete for a top 4 pick.
The healthy win streak is more indicative of the team than this injury-laden losing streak. That doesn't mean we won't be an injury-prone team, but it does mean that the Rockets have talent.
Is this a remake of "28 Days"? Everything just fine, hit by a bike, wake up 4 weeks later, he finds out Rocket fans are infected with rage.
You could make that argument about teams we played during that win streak. Its time to tank. We do not need to be fighting for a playoff spot.
Fully healthy our best lineup looks like this imo wall Gordon Tate PJ Wood. brown oladipo Nwaba House Cousins sometimes not playing cousins . Prolly no on maclemore . Maybe over brown , but brown can also be a good shooter . 6th seed if everything clicks right . Upside is first round upset if oladipo plays well. I don’t think that squad gets past 2nd round . going forward you have to pay oladipo near max ? Hell no . Wood and Tate and maybe even wall have up arrows (wall if physically healthy will be able to improve with an off-season training program and rest. He’s knocked off nba rust . ) I don’t think you bother keeping cousins . You need long term starters at at least 2 positions. Are we hoping KJ porter and Kmart break out ? A rookie ? FA ? I think you could do ok . But it would be risky . Wall is injury risk , Gordon , wood (it seems) We own our next 2 picks after this draft . We have wood and Tate locked up . Whatever we end up with is fine. We might be bad bad . We might be mediocre . Morey proved you could rebuild in equivalent if not superior time by gathering assets . The teams were OK . We showed graciousness to Yao . Frankly that one year had Kyle Lowry not had a freak leg infection we would have made the playoffs. The year before harden , we should have made it but went on an awful losing streak . like it was 1.5 bad years out of 3 . then it was all on the up with harden except for the mystery 15-16 campaign I think we will be active at the trade deadline and in the offseason. having some extra picks is going to help .
I agree the foundation is there: Wood / Tate / Mason Jones......with veteran presence of Wall / Eric Gordon giving them some guidance. add some veteran free agents with some rookies and the Rockets will be ok.
Kevin Porter Jr will be a elite player and top 5 nba talent. I'm telling you now before you act surprised when it happens
