If this summer Morey tries to acquire the star that we're all looking for but isn't able to attain one, what then? Should we be stuck in basketball purgatory for a few more years until we get extremely lucky in the draft? Here's what we've learned in the last few years. 1) It's really hard to trade for a star in their prime unless you are a (a) big city market and the player is determined to be there (b) already have your own star who recruits their friend for you or (c) have high draft picks that teams are coveting. 2) We don't have any of the above, and therefore, the only way we can get a true star is if we get lucky. Either (a) draft a superstar out of a mid lottery pick or (b) are able to heist a "gasol-type" trade. With the aforementioned things, and neither scenario being likely we are burdened with a dilemma. Should we try to get lucky OR tank? This has been mulled upon by most of us on this board, and I'm sure it's an issue that is on the front-office people's minds. Both choices has their pros and cons with seemingly no resolution in sight. OR, is there a way to do both? What if we go after 2 stars that have been injured: Chris Paul and Brandon Roy. Before you start flaming away, hear me out. I am not saying that we should or shouldn't. It seems like this would be a huge risk and one that could cripple the franchise for years if it doesn't work out. Considering our injury plagued history of our previous franchise players, it is a very unpopular proposition. However, here's my (il)logic: We overpay their respective teams to acquire both players this offseason without giving up our own 1st round picks of the future. For example, Martin , Lowry, Hill for Paul, and Scola + others for Roy. -IF both Paul and Roy can get back to form in 2011-12, we can build our own "superteam" and recruit Dwight in '12. This is the best case scenario and no further explanation is necessary. -IF one of them is healthy, we still end up with one true franchise player to build around. If that player wants to get traded, we can sell high like Denver and Utah did and hopefully get a lot of good pieces in return. This scenario expedites the rebuilding process. -IF neither can return healthy, shut them both down and play our remaining youngsters + D-league fill-ins. This gives our team multiple great draft picks for the next few years without having to purposefully tank. Even though this sounds bleak, we are back to square-one and it is not really any different situation from what we are currently in. I am not advocating that we go down this path. I am merely suggesting that we need to think outside the box and explore all good and bad options, if not nothing more than see which ones give us the best chance to constructing a true-championship contender the quickest. Thoughts?
HELL NO comes to mind. CP can regain his form, but Roy isn't likely to. I'd be surprised if anyone gives up anything significant for him, much less overpay for him. There were also reports that our offers were as good or better than what Utah and Denver got, but the final decision had al ot to do with Houston being a rival in the west. That's something you forgot to consider. We also don't have to get it done by this summer. There's always 2012. Just because we miss out this summer doesn't mean we'll be in the NBa cellar for years to come.
Roy was an example because he is a player whose stock is at all-time low. My point is that there are other players out there that are available. Other names that might be available due to oft-injured status are: Bynum, Oden, Verajo, Jefferson etc. Would it be worth it to trade for Bynum and Paul? It would be ignorant to not think about it, despite the injury risk.
Rockets have taken a step in the direction of rebuilding and you can bet something big will happen at the draft so I think we are headed in the right direction now. I wouldn't waste any serious cap space on anyone other then a center. Continue developing the young guys and use the young guys, picks and salary to go after another star to complete the puzzle at next year's deadline.
I don't want to make it into a trade thread but I wanted to put out a theoretical lineup of: Paul\Dragic Lee Chase Patterson\Hayes Bynum\Thabeet offer Martin + Lowry + Hill for Paul Scola + T Will + Miller for Bynum Like I said, if it works? fine. If not, put out a 2nd unit lineup of Dragic, Lee, Chase, Patterson, and Thabeet for multiple top 5 picks.
DeAndre Jordan is the missing piece. Hometown kid, young, defensive menace, explosive athlete, developing offensive game. He's a poor man's Dwight Howard.
Who knows? Maybe our draft pick will be packaged along with someone like Scola or Martin one day to get our Superstar? Maybe we trade up?
Dumbest thread in a long, long time. Dude even went as far as to say, 'it'll be ignorant not to even consider it'. The guy does realize that we're coming right off from the Yao-TMac era, right? AKA The Broken Age. The irony oozes from OP's posts. OP, only way to save yourself from embarrassment is to commint 'screenname suicide'. Dump this account, create a new username with a new identity and persona. Start over. Or else, you'll always be know as 'Valignorance'.
Your original assumptions are flawed. -Houston is a big market. -We got TMac without doing any of the things you propose, just a straight up trade. -And the most glaring flaw, you say should we try to "get LUCKY or tank" when they are one in the same.
Yes! The rockets need to make a full pursuit after Deandre Jordan this summer. He should be their number one target!!
Greg Oden has a far better shot at playing at an All Star level in 2-3 years than Roy does. He's gone. The NBA owns the Hornets and won't firesale the club unless it decides to shut down the franchise.
Didn't we just finish trying this theory with McMing???? Honestly, you seem to be advocating stepping backwards 3-5 years to the past only to end up where we are again. Yeah, for sure that would happen We have a 'lot of good pieces' - we're simply lacking a star. No need to trade the pieces to get an injury prone guy who we then flip for more pieces. Dud scenario. Rebuilding through the lottery is much harder than acquiring a star in the off-season via trade/ sign. Yes, it's hard to get a genuine superstar - but flushing the toilet is not the answer. It doesn't mean one will suddenly appear. Keep the current team, find a guy close to 7' who can play the C spot and we're a continual 50+ win team who can then start looking for a superstar to take us to the promised land. PLEASE NOTE: bringing in a bunch of stars is no guarantee of success. If it is, you're saying that Miami have already won this years title? I don't think they will win - they're CLEARLY not the best team in the league at this point.
Were already at New Orleans and Portland's level with no star, I'd rather not trade away the farm so we can stay at this level. Find a center and win, not a hard concept.
