http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/lopez/rockets/3806240.html April 19, 2006, 11:41PM NBA also-ran needs its brass on same page By JOHN P. LOPEZ Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle NOW that the merciful end to a sickly Rockets season has come, this once-proud organization must get well. But if you believe the biggest health issues the Rockets face this offseason are Yao Ming's foot and Tracy McGrady's back, you're making the wrong diagnosis. Yao and McGrady will be back next season. They'll be healed, healthy and hungry. The Rockets' biggest problem is the eyes. A lack of vision has turned the organization into a wannabe and a distant — and fading — third option in the local sports market. And recent top-level decisions have only proved that the club that once gave Houston back-to-back NBA titles has lost its sense of direction and leadership. It's not that the Rockets don't have leaders. It's that there are too many of them, each with an agenda, crippling the sense of oneness that long defined this team. Hard to tell who's in charge Long ago, the Rockets knew who was boss. The boss, owner Leslie Alexander, allowed his trusted leadership to make decisions. The coaching and support staff felt loyalty to the head coach. And the coach empowered assistants and scouts to do their jobs. Today, it's difficult to tell who's coming, who's going and just how many hands are on the rudder. That's the biggest affliction hurting the Rockets: captains everywhere. And it doesn't appear to be getting any better. There's been the hiring of statistical guru Daryl Morey as the eventual replacement to general manager Carroll Dawson. But Morey won't replace Dawson immediately, and Dawson likely will stick around, hovering as some kind of consultant or senior adviser. How many NBA teams hire a general manager, then tell him to sit and wait through an apprenticeship of sorts? For that matter, how many teams hire a general manager who needs an apprenticeship? Lindsey's situation puzzling There's also the whole Dennis Lindsey factor. The talented vice president for basketball operations was bypassed for the GM job, then offered a four-year extension to stay. But to whom will Lindsey be loyal? Morey? Dawson? Coach Jeff Van Gundy? Toss in Alexander, whose deep involvement in every player-personnel decision can be as big a hindrance as a help, and you've got five leaders pulling in as many directions. Until that sense of pulling in the same direction returns and one voice reigns over every personnel decision, this club will not be much more than decent. And it will always be on fragile footing. It won't matter how much spring is in Yao's step or how much weight McGrady can carry on his back. Without one voice reigning, nothing changes. At various times over the past two years, Van Gundy has put his mark on this team and carried significant sway. Other times, it has been Dawson making the calls. Still others, Alexander. Allegiances within the organization vary from those firmly behind Van Gundy — mostly coaches and a few scouts — to those loyal to Dawson. Some serve as yes men to Alexander, there are a number of holdovers from the Rudy Tomjanovich era, and Morey figures to bring in at least some of his people. If Alexander wants Morey to put his mark on this team, he should fire Van Gundy, move Dawson into some kind of advisory role and let Morey bring in his staff, his coach, his scouts. But if Alexander has faith in Van Gundy, he should tell him to get to work, give Morey and Dawson a salary-cap number to follow, and tell the coach: You've got one year. Build your team. Sink or swim. Alexander's commitment to winning has not changed since the day he arrived in Houston. He remains a good owner who wants championships. But a consensus on the best way to get there has been blurred. With so many people in the front office believing they have the brightest idea, the vision of the organization has been lost in the glare of ego and pride — Alexander's included. It doesn't take a sabermetrician to figure out that one team sliced five different ways is a certain recipe for disaster. All the Rockets needed to do Wednesday night was look at the opposite bench to see what really works. For much of the past decade, the Spurs have had one belief, one clear leader in coach Gregg Popovich, and a singular goal of putting the pieces Popovich wanted around the superstars. In Detroit, the same can be said of general manager Joe Dumars. The Pistons have been a league power and the best-designed, most unselfish team in basketball through three head coaching regimes. The one constant has been Dumars' leadership. Oneness. Winners have it. There's never been any secret about what the Rockets need in the way of complementary players to Yao and T-Mac. They need a shooter, another point guard, better defenders on the perimeter, and some kind of legitimate shot-blocker and rebounder next to Yao. Nor is it a secret that the resources and options for this team to get back to a contender's role — and quickly — are there. Some players' contracts will expire or not be renewed this offseason. Significant acquisitions will be available through the NBA draft and perhaps trades. The question: Whose vision will this club follow? Before fixing anything else, management needs to fix itself. john.lopez@chron.com
Of everything that happened in this dark, murky hell of a season, this whole Morey business has got to be the most perplexing. A unique sports story if ever there was one. Whenever I read about his hiring, the only thing that goes through my head is "Weisbrod. Weisbrod. Weisbrod." Then I have to suck my thumb until I pass out.
There's very little similarity between the two, so I don't know why you'd think that. And despite Weisbrod's mistakes, he certainly guessed right (against the conventional wisdom) on Dwight Howard.
I may be wrong, but from everything that I read at the time, it didn't really seem like Weisbrod's decision. Howard came in and woo'ed the owner and their religious belief's made them quick friends. So I thought it was the mandate from the owner that Howard be the number one pick.
As usual, Lopez writes another crappy article. He's criticizing the Rockets because we have an owner, a GM, a coach, and effectively two assistant GMs (Lindsey and Morey). EVERY TEAM IN SPORTS HAS THESE PERSONNEL. Why the heck wouldn't you want your personnel to have different opinions? It's called teamwork. Here's a great example of a GM who has a lot more power: Isiah Thomas. Sure, we stunk this year, but Isiah has GUARANTEED that the Knicks will stink for the next 2 years, too. There is no comparison b/w Morey and Weisbrod. Weisbrod was not a stats guy, and we have no indication that Morey's personality is anything like Weisbrod's. As for this revisionism that Weisbrod did a good job picking Howard -- seriously how hard was that. It was a choice b/w him and Okafor, and in all reality Okafor has looked good, too, except for the fact that he's been injured. Lopez also makes an idiotic suggestion that Morey should be empowered to choose his own coaching staff, without having to talk to Dawson or Lindsey . As we all know, Morey's specialty is not basketball playing -- it's analysis. In hiring a coach, you'd certainly want advice from somebody who knows the game from a coaching/playing standpoint. So it would be dumb not to get input from Dawson and Lindsey. My guess is that Lopez wrote this article b/c he's become buddies with Lindsey and/or Dawson, felt like writing something that made them look better, and was also tired of repeating the (obvious) point that the Rockets season was lost because of injuries. So he just makes up crap like this without giving a shred of evidence that managerial conflicts led to any of our specific problems. In all honesty, I try not to read anything Lopez writes -- even the YOFs say things that are 1000x more insightful. Of course, I'm not saying the Rockets are perfect. They could use some better drafting/FA work, so I'm happy about the Morey addition there. The other fix would be to replace JVG or have him hire another assistant coach who specializes in offense.
If that's the case, i.e. Morey can't choose his own coach after he becomes the GM, then he's not GM. He's still assistant GM in charge of stats part of the analysis, which is exactly his role currently with the Celtics.
I thought that was a pretty good article. I don't know how much of it I believe or agree with, but it's an interesting look at what is going on in the Rockets front office. And I do see what he means about Rudy T, even if he never mentioned the man's name. When he was here, he had a cult of personality. Rudy T was the Rockets. With him gone, I can understand there being a bit of a power vacuum.
This is an EXCELLENT article, one which shows a good bit about the problems with the Rockets, and their roster. I am sure they all communicate, but it was clear when Rudy was here, that he was the guy. Since he left...well....too many cooks spoil the broth. DD
A surprisingly good piece. With regrettably no surprise. One question, however. I've asked it before and I still don't understand: if Lindsey is 'all that' then why are there no break-out Rox since...since...since when? Every other team seems to get one or two a year. Guys like Smoosh and Haslett and Gomes and Krstic (sp?) and even Jackie Butler or Josh Howard or Nelson and so on and so on. Or is it that DL's 'voice' is unheeded among the decision makers and therefore what good is he?
i think you could put luther head in that list for this year. he was a very pleasent suprise and should be a great player when surrounded by the 2 main guys.
as far as the rockets are concerned, this organization has seemed to be in disarray since the francis deal. even before that really. the last really good draft choice besides yao is mobley
Same guy who dealt Mobley for Christie I think. LOL ... "burned the Rockets with a player with a bad back". You really think Orlando "burned" the Rockets in the McGrady deal? Damn, I can't tell which burns hotter: Your desire to be "right" or your hatred for Houston fans
if mcgrady's back doesn't heal the rockets were burned. I don't even think that's debatable. I just think rocket fans need to lay off other gms considering how futile their player personell has been. who's in a better position, the magic or the rockets? edit: its not a desire to be right, its just a look at the reality of the situation. just like this column, john lopez writes he has no doubt mcgrady will heal. i just don't understand why the media in this town has taken that position other than their desire to be right that getting mcgrady was the best thing that ever happened to this franchise.
Well, except for the fact that neither had any real experience as an NBA decision-maker before being brought in to "shake things up." It seems pretty unlikely that ANYONE would come in with the sort of hubris Weisbrod displayed, and it's not fair to Morey that I associate him with the Weis before he's even taken the job. It's just that this season was such a nightmare that it seems as though nothing non-disastrous could have possibly come from it.
Tmac upside: Possible MVP candidate Franics upside: Best player on a bad team or 2nd/3rd option on a good team...maybe. Dumping Francis was an obvious move. To get TMac, even with his questionable back, was a no-brainer deal. No matter how bad TMac turns out to be, I'm certain Francis isn't going to make us fans nastalgic (except maybe you). Put it this way, if the Francis/TMac trade historically doesn't work out, it wasn't because of lack of effort. Sometimes things just don't work out. I'd rather they take gambles and go for it than sit on their hands.
I never said the rockets shouldn't have made the mcgrady deal. let me back off a little. my point is that fans of this organization have no right to be clowning other teams' gms. that's my point. the rockets have a lot of question marks right now coming off a dismal season. you're right, if mcgrady doesn't come back, history will look at it as just bad luck, but the fact is for now, we're on the other end of that bad luck. and as this column points out, the team seems to have no vision. remember the van gundy press conference after the gm hire. he was like wtf.
If McGrady's back is in fact fried, I'll take the Magic. Brian Hill is doing a good job with that team, but Dwight Howard is looking like a major stud. If McGrady is fine long-term, I'd take the Rockets every day of the week. Not even close, especially with how Yao played late. But the trade itself is what I was talking about -- it was terrible for the Magic. The main piece they got was your guy, Steve Francis, and in essence they voided his contract. His stock dropped so low they dumped him for nothing - just a $7 million payout to Penny Hardaway basically. Mobley for Doug Christie? One of the worst trades I've seen recently (though Mike James for Rafer is getting there) and that was 100% Weisbrod. Now they also got Arroyo and Darko in a deal for Cato (NOT Weisbrod), which could prove to be big ... but Cato was an expiring contract only ... the main thing Detroit got was Orlando's first rounder in 2007. Point being Orlando did a good job this year... but it was in spite of the McGrady deal, not because of it. I just get a kick out of watching you analyze the deal in such pro-Orlando style. It used to be you touting how much Steve-Mobley-Cato were adding to the Magic ... now it's Weisbrod/the Magic knew T-Mac was a cripple. To be honest, I actually think you're hoping T-Mac is done.
