I want to take a moment to appreciate what Morey has done this season. It doesn't fall under what would win an executive of the year award, but it is unique. Morey had to extend Chris Paul even though statistically it was irrational to give a guy this age this much of the salary cap. He made a basketball decision. He is no Sam Presti. This guy has shown he understands the context of analytics more than anyone out there. So he comes into the season his cap messed up, Capela is an RFA and Paul has been promised an extension. Now Paul and maybe Harden start lobbying for Melo, the exact opposite of a productive player. To make matters worse, we have an owner who is breathing quietly and uncomfortably down his neck while publicly acting like he would be happy to splurge on this team. So he makes his moves. Ennis, Melo, MCW, etc. Fails spectacularly. The only silver lining is Capela was brought back at a friendly rate. But now Paul is looking old. Gordon is looking old. Harden has that 2015 look on his face. Cryptic comments flying around. Media sharks circling the team, declaring that it's over. Mid season this guy reassembles this team with no resources. Mid season. Who transforms a team mid season from bottom 10 to top 5? Minimum signings, strategic choices, bringing back Bzdelik, staying positive. A lot of people would have died with those summer moves. Morey just went back to work on this team with the kind of resolve you would only see from a die hard fan. Just months ago we heard repeatedly about how this team was done. Today the media believes we have a real chance of taking down a dynasty. Surely many people are involved with this success with James Harden being chief among them. But Morey deserves credit. With minimum signings and 1.5 future picks, we are here. He has had excellent traditional years as a GM but this was a unique challenge. Hate him or love him, give the man some props for this feat. I don't believe there is another GM that would be able to make this turnaround.
I am not naive to think the success of a team hinges on one person. Normally the GM is at the forefront but he has to make things work with Ownership and listen to the coaching staff as what role players to bring in. IMHO I often thought Morey wasn't 100 percent in sync with Alexander, and now with Fertitta. I think they make it work but rather forcefully, so I am curious to see what he can do with an owner who shares his VISION near to 100 percent! It would make success come easier than to put so much pressure on one person, the Beard.
Some really good points except for your last sentence. Plenty of GM's on this board that are obviously far superior to Morey.
He recovered alright, but I was disappointed with the trade deadline and the Shumpert trade also looks like a dud.
Same guy, different outcomes at different times. Last season, it was a good offseason followed by disappointing in-season moves. This season, it was a bad offseason followed by good in-season moves. The simplest explanation is luck. Sometimes your best guess works out. Sometimes it doesn't.
This off season Morey couldn't say if the Rockets were better than last year; instead saying that MDA thinks the Rockets were better than last year. I hang on definitive statements from Morey. Morey refusing to answer these type of questions made me nervous and not very confident. Before the 2017-18 season, Morey said the 2017-18 Rockets team was the best team he had ever assembled (everyone laughed at him, Clutchfans included). That Rockets team won 60+ games, went to the WCF and pushed the eventual champions to 7 games. Recently on The Full 48 podcast, Morey said he thought this team was better than the Golden State Warriors. Morey doesn't say stuff like this just to say it. I believe him.
As much as I love Morey and will defend him to the end, this has been one of his weakest seasons ever. The goal is to beat the Warriors. Nothing less. Morey hasn't upgraded this roster to make it any better than the one that lost game 7. House, Rivers, Faried, Shumpert are no better than the 0-for-27 bricklayers we had last year. The only saving grace is that Paul is healthy and Harden has elevated his game into legendary territory where teams now have "Jordan Rules" for Harden and will resort to gimmick defenses in hopes of containing him.
I would say so, assuming we're defining luck as preparation combining with opportunities. I think Morey is generally good at being prepared but the opportunities aren't always there. If not for some factors beyond the team's control, he would have traded for JaMychal Green instead of Shumpert...
