Unfortunately I couldn't make it to join them, but I wanted to pass along that Rockets GM Daryl Morey is going to be talking with Lance Zierlein and Danny Vera on 1560 the Game for a good stretch (half hour to 40 minutes) tomorrow (8/4) starting at 8:10am. You can listen online at http://www.1560thegame.com We're obviously in the dog days of NBA fandom, so thought this was a unique chance to give some heads up before the interview and get any good questions you have in. If there are questions you would like to have answered, Lance said he'd love to hear them. Feel free to post them here or email them to the station at doublerods@1560thegame.com
Question: What type of player do you think Trevor Ariza and Aaron Brooks can be for the Rockets in the future?
My question, though it's probably too far in the future to be answered: "I understand that Yao is still the cornerstone of the team, but since he is getting older and may become less effective, does the front office have an idea of who they would like to target as the Rockets' next franchise player, or is it too early? Do they want to continue building around the C position considering the more athletic and faster game that the league is developing into, leaving behind the so-called classical Centers?"
Can he please give us a glimmer of hope that he's working on improving the roster for next season? I'm patient enough to think something will go down, and I do know Les won't sell any tickets trotting out our current lineup.
Is Les willing to pay luxuary tax this year? What is the update on getting the rookies signed and delivered?
1. Does he think there is any chance yao plays next season? 2. Does he think the current roster has a legit chance to make the playoffs? 3. Based on the play of Budinger in the summer league, does the coaching staff feel that he has a high chance of being a rotation player this coming season? 4. How does the coaching staff feel about James White play in summer league and his development going forward. What does he need to show the coaching staff to get in contention for regular minutes? 5. Does DM feel that Andersen has a good chance of starting at center at the start of the season?
Exactly what I would want to ask him if I had a chance. I doubt you would get an honest answer though. He has to speak positively of Yao's injuries and give hope that he may come back even though, to me, it is abundantly clear that he is not a franchise center anymore because of health concerns.
it's not about intangibles specifically being overrated. it's just about valuing a commodity at the correct level. For example, the MLB overrates speed and underrates OBP. With this information you can get players that have a big impact on the game at a below-market price. It just so happens that in this main scenario speed/defense is "intangible" and OBP is a stat. But they bring up a ton of other stats (ERA, RBI, etc.) that are listed as overrated. In the NBA (according to Morey), virtually every stat is flawed in some way. A made FG might have been a bad shot that should've been a pass. An assist might have been a risky one and you should've just shot on that possession. The list goes on. Traditional stats are pretty useless because they don't account for things like team pace (one common misconception is that the 07-08 were a purely offensive team and a bad defensive team, when in fact they were a better defensive team than offensive team). The Rockets try to distill the actual value of players from traditional stats, but to my knowledge the formula the Rockets front office uses has never been published.
He is the franchise center until his contract expires. Hopefully, we'll have another franchise player before that happens because I definately don't buy the concept that a bunch of role players in Adelman's system can win us a championship. Oh, and I agree Yao won't be the franchise center anymore but he will get paid like one until 2011.
Based on our current projection of likely being in the Draft Lottery next year (barring Tracy McGrady healthy enough to lead our team into the playoffs or an extraordinary effort by our youngsters to do the same), who are the Rockets looking at as possible draftees for the team? Has Daryl Morey's staff scouted anyone and are they particularly interested in drafting someone with a lot of potential who can develop into a star or are they looking at someone who can fill in a role and just be a role player to contend on our current team when/if Yao comes back? (way too early I know)
Ask him why the David Andersen signing STILL has not been finalized. Is it solely due to a holdup in the paperwork from FIBA? Or is there something else in the works (i.e., signing/trade) that is the cause. Thanks.
