Entering 2023... the Rockets are again the worst team in the NBA

That one offseason saw OKC trade away Paul George for a whole bunch of picks and Westbrook for Paul, 2 FRP and 2 pick swaps. For all intents and purposes, OKC was content with becoming a bottom-feeding team and letting CP3's albatross contract expire, regardless of a playoff berth.

They didn't also turn right around and trade CP3 for picks and assets as soon as they got him, purely because CP3 had no inclination that he was still a great basketball player. As such, most GMs didn't dare want to give assets for CP3.

But as we all saw, Chris Paul was just still too good of a player for OKC to look like a bottom-feeding team, which is why they won so many games.

 

Seriously, you guys have really bad memories. I'll repost the same response I gave to the last 2 people who completely forgot what actually happened.

 

My memory is just fine.

What you quoted doesn’t address the point of my post.

Im acknowledging that they were in a rebuild, but they didn’t have to be the worst team in basketball in order to progress through that process.

I’m fact…as you even acknowledge they made the playoffs n the first year they were trying to start their rebuild.

There is no reason the Rockets need to be THIS bad.

 

Erm, of course there is. Which player on this roster is like CP3 in his resurgence year with OKC? Let's have a look at the OKC roster that year shall we?
Steven Adams - 6 year vet
Danilo Gallinari - 11 year vet
Danny Green - 10 year vet
James Johnson - 10 year vet
Chris Paul - 14 year vet
Ricky Rubio - 8 year vet
Shroder - 6 years
Noel - 6 years

Are you starting to see a difference yet? There's a MASSIVE difference between a team with one of the greatest Point Guards of all time and a bunch of average/decent players who've played for years and a roster where literally 2 people have played for longer than 4 years in the NBA and nobody's ever been an all star. Are you actually serious?

 

This is very optimistic. Prepare to be disappointed. A lot.

 

They have a player that is about to enter his prime and finished his main developing stage in SGA.

This is what we hope Green does in a couple of years. Definitely possible. He hasn't even finished the first half of his second season.

 

Not all rebuilding situations are the same, even if they're both designated as "rebuilds."

They had CP3 who was eager to remind everyone who the point God was. They had an up-and-coming SGA. They had an extremely competent 5, in Adams. They had Gallinari, who would probably be starting for Boston today had he not torn his ACL this past offseason. They had tremendous depth at the guard position, with Schroeder coming off the bench and averaging close to 19 PPG. It was a great mix of veterans and young players.

Meanwhile, our version of CP3 / veteran leadership, Eric Gordon, is just going through the motions. Our up-and-coming SGA, Green, is slightly behind in his 2nd year compared to SGA's second year. We barely have depth anywhere and we barely have vets. The players that see the most playing time are aged 25 and younger.

Comparing this rebuild to the Thunder's rebuild, is pretty futile. Too many differing factors, and that's not even counting that the CP3 Thunder season, was the Covid season.

 

Man I would love to have Adams on our team. What a huge boost he would be on defense. And he would set the nastiest screens for the guards.

 

This really belongs in the Texans forum...

 

Wembanyama here we come



small note disclaimer: not responsible for those offended by the mention of God. Thank you very much.

 

Yeah, I understand they were trying to tank, but I'm still not sure it really counts as tanking/rebuilding, as I said in my reply to Dobizzle:

 

What is there to be disappointed about? He already enjoys watching the young players grow. This is the most fun I’ve ever had watching a losing team. What is there to be disappointed about? Another top 5 pick? Potentially having the most cap space in the league this off season? What is so bad?

 

We are only one half game from the second worst record.
I think anyone who at THIS POINT IN THE SEASON thinks we can make the play-in is seriously delusional and needs a med check.
Coming into the season? I agree, there was a sliver of hope. But a 10-25 start has guaranteed we wont now.

 

Wow, this post is so full of hope and optimism

 

I've been told very adamantly that KPJ is the right point guard for us. And it IS my opinion that a point guard has an outsized impact on a team's offense... now I'm seeing that we have the worst offense in the league. Maybe not causation, but certainly correlation.

 

Silas is never going to be a winning coach, he doesn't have it in him.

DD

 

It's never any of his fault nor will it ever be. I've been told

CF's will claw and scratch blaming any scapegoat they can find forever

 

You really can't be this dense.

You do realize that the Rockets had the worst record in the league when they had:

John Wall
DJ Augustin
Sterling Brown
Eric Gordon
Danuel House
Ben McClemore
Part of the year with Harden/ Part with Oladipo/ Part with Olynyk
PJ Tucker
Christian Wood

Not to mention, Houston has maintained an older Avg age roster wise. And even today Houston is slightly older.


You cannot be forreal in thinking that it's perfectly acceptable for this team to have been the worst team in basketball for 2 years in a row and very possibly for the third year in a row???

We are 1 game better than Detroit for worst record and they haven't even had Cade pretty much all year.

This team should not be THIS bad going on three years now.

 

I didn't compare this rebuild to the Thunder's rebuild. I replied to someone else who did.

Reading comprehension helps.

 

The Rockets are slightly older today? What? Did I read that wrong?

They have the second youngest roster in the league which is inflated by Boban and Gordon. And Gordon is the only one who is a everyday rotational player.

Literally everyone else is 22 or younger.