[Feigen] Nate McMillan and Jeff Hornacek in discussion to join the staff.

You literally just made this narrative up with absolutely no links or sources. You're actually pulling a Chris Broussard, just making things with Nook. Turner did a fantastic job running the defense & was credited by his peers

 

Has it been verified Bamba being available? I keep begging for Aaron Gordon with Issac as the up and coming
replacement.....and Orlando never gives him up. I guess I give up on Orlando doing anything sensible.
Like Washington when they had Oubre/Otto Porter. They held on to them too long. End up losing both.

Well I don’t want to lose both Harden and Westbrook......but like a Morey knew: no draft picks, no assets, no money
is a recipe for failure in the NBA.
_____________________________________________________________
Need draft picks to move Eric Gordon or Westbrook

Need assets to move players to get equal quality. Eric Gordon is scored as good bench player.....making $16.9M
this season as rated high level backup. Have to beg team to take him. No draft picks to attach.

Harden report mentions if Westbrook traded he wants out. I believe it.

Westbrook $42 million nets back a great deal in return.....but Harden wants to run it back. Unfortunately Harden/Westbrook
is not closed but the window is cracked open. On the verge of closing. Morey knew the only way the team gets better
is by trading the Eric Gordon salary. Because Tillman caps the team at the luxury tax/apron. That boxes the Rockets in.
To fill the roster with quality players since the payroll is hitting the luxury tax near $129 million with about 8 players.....
Gordon contract has to go to bring back players. Once the Rockets hit $131 million or so......then they can only add
vet minimum players. Those are the quality of Jeff Green, Tyson Chandler, Nene...players that are older just wanting
to latch on one more year.

Problem is Harden Westbrook salary goes up every year. The Eric Gordon for say; Bobby Portis trade might just be for
one season. Then w3 are at the same crossroads next offseason. Who do we lose? Covington? Tucker? Tucker won’t
get an extension because there is no money to give him in the future. Lose Bobbi Portis just after we get him? That’s
why I go cheap on center.....rookie salary guy. If Garden would let the Rockets trade Westbrook, a lot occurs.

Tucker gets an extension. Trade for Portis sticks around. Add maybe an RJ Barrett as well. The team is cap strapped
and asset locked. I believe the team is close.....trading out 6’3” Eric Gordon (Sweetened with McLemore/House) bringing
back maybe a Center & SF (moves Tucker to SF) plus Gerald Green plus Jeff Green (perfect fit for current Rockets scheme). Westbrook masters 3-pt shot at about 2 locations on the 3-pt line. We are right back in this.

My issue with the team was not the point of attack, where AD was going up against Tucker. It was the help defense
around Tucker being too small. AD doesn’t have a problem shooting over Tucker......but I need him to worry about SF’s coming over and blocking his shot. Or deflecting the ball. Instead AD gets the defensive gravity on him with those 6’3” players and kicks out. The other Lakers having no fear guards are going to cover the ground necessary and block
their shots. Now if it’s 6’7” SF’s.....AD worries about who is around him and the kick outs worry about the length of
the SF frame blocking or altering the shot. Plus guards don’t come up grade school/High school/College/Pros learning
to box out, rebound, block shots. I feel D’Antoni or Morey or Tilman or all of them were expecting to much from WB,
Gordon, Rivers, McLemore. With SF’s (remember House was kicked out of the bubble after game 1) the Rockets
could have held the Lakers to 106 points instead of the 111 points per game.

We are right there with the Lakers if Westbrook was healthy. I idea of Silas is of Center centric because Paul Silas was,
and I believe he was there with Steve Clifford at Charlotte (who is a big post up guy with Centers), and the Mavs had
about 4 centers and felt they needed to trade for another in WCS. The Rockets are go8ng to have to spend money
that the Rockets don’t have to accommodate Silas on a5 least one center. Forget about maybe needing 2 or the centers
to immolate the Mavs of last season. I don’t think Harden will take to it. I’m hoping that Silas is on board with the Small
Ball style; but I’m guessing not. That requires blowing up....unless Tilman opens up the wallet.

P.S. I do like your trades; but it’s all contingent on Harden okaying a Westbrook trade.

 

Erman would be an excellent hire, but the Rockets won’t put him with a young guy like Silas.

 

You could have googled this yourself man.

https://spacecityscoop.com/2020/07/19/daryl-morey-houston-rockets-defensive-strategy/

But on another note, Rockets need to steal an assistant from either Raptors, Heat or Celtics that is proficient running zones in addition to Rockets switch everything.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id...ating-offensive-revolution-going-zone-defense

 

Or if Westbrook convinces Harden he wants to go home.

I think if Rockets employed peel switches and hit traps on AD/Lebron that solves the issue with late help rotation.

https://www.mensbasketballhoopscoop.com/will-voight-peel-switching-by-chris-filios/

And Bamba was available at trade deadline last season (too bad Morey did not bite) so it stands to reason that Bamba is still on the block since he was a nonfactor in the bubble.

https://syndication.bleacherreport....s-mavericks-attempted-to-land-rookie.amp.html

And I'm still an AG fan too. Would love to package EGo and picks to trade for him (or Sabonis).

But I'm also about path of least resistance - Ben Simmons does everything better than AG and could be ripe for the taking.

 

Too bad.

What about Zeljko Obradovic then?

Would settle for Will Voight too.

 

This probably won’t happen, but the overall idea is right. We should be patient with Westbrook. I think he will retain a fair amount of explosiveness once he recovers from his quad injury. I hope that he hasn’t gotten any permanent pulmonary complications as a result of Covid-19. Russ should be traded once he starts playing well again. Ben Simmons may become available, if his jumper doesn’t improve. His fitness isn’t very good either. Is Ben worth the gamble? I don’t know, but he is talented despite his weaknesses.

 

I saw your reply to the intriguing proposed trades below. My gut feeling is Harden won’t demand a trade if Russ can be replaced with a capable substitute and if Russ says he is okay with it. House and a couple of second rounders should be added along with Russ, but House’s behaviors have decreased his value. Perhaps Silas’s coaching can get through to him along with Lucas’s guidance.

 

Where is the part in your post where you mention that this is one of the worst rosters in the league and how long we would have to tank to compete again? I think I missed it.

 

Yeah my friend, Harden needs to understand the GM is between a rock and a hard place. Tilman money cap and
Harden/Westbrook salary increases make things tough. Between the two around $83 million this year and 9 players
making up $129 million (Rivers leaves freeing up about $2 million) gives about $5 million to then fill 4 roster spots
to get us to 12 players followed by scrubs to get to 15 roster spots.

Next season (21/22) Harden/Westbrook jump to $88 million and the team salary is set to be $125 million for 6 players.
No more Tucker, McLemore or role players of any quality. If the Luxury cap stays the same.....about $6 million to
fill in 6 positions plus scrubs to get to 15 players. Gordon being on the roster at that time; so we need to see what
they do with Eric Gordon now. If it’s one player (center) x Gordon are we not in the same boat as today?
This is why I mentioned Markieff at center. Someone cheap on one year deal easy to replace the next year;
but someone who makes AD work to go around him......allowing 2nd tier and 3rd tier defenders time to get
an angle on AD. 6’7” defenders that can actually block his shot.

And you know my view, centers like Marc Gasol, Brook Lopez , Robin Lopez, Dwight Howard, JaVale MeGee, Nurkic,
Jokic, Whiteside, Julius Randall, even Myles Turner cant stay in front of Siakim, Durant, AD, John Collins, Ben Simmons
or most small ball centers when teams go small in the playoffs. The second and third tier defenders have to be a threat to block their shot. Bunch of 6’3” players won’t cut it. Giannis moved to center destroys most stiff centers.

Then there is the Capela defender lags off and clogs the paint against Westbrook/Harden thing. Westbrook had more room to operate after Capela trade, excelling with more space. Center running screens allows two extra defenders to clog the lane.....Westbrook’s and
whoever the center screening is?

Unfortunately he Rockets are no longer sitting in fancy restaurants......we are digging between the cushions for loose
change so that we can eat from the McDonalds dollar menu. If this team is near 6th place by the trading deadline, don’t
be surprised if it gets blown up then. But I’m a penny pincher now that I’m in my 50’s. NVM me.

 

Well I don’t think it is a bad roster. Just overkill on 6’3” and under players.

Eric Gordon could probably be starting shooting guard for the Knicks and do well. Unfortunately we have Harden at
shooting guard and $16.9 million is too much coming off the bench. Probably worth $12 million to the Knicks; but
no free agents want to go to the Knicks without shooters. Eric Gordon can help attract a good name free agent. And from that attract a star player.

McLemore finally developed while in the D’Antoni/Morey scheme. That can carry over to any team. His bottom
dollar salary is much wanted by any team. Unfortunately for him Gerald Green is taller and probably willing to
work for less. Organization is familiar with Gerald. Unconscious shooter that needs very little space to get off a shot.

Tucker is a hard worker, do the dirty job. Fights bigger players from getting to their comfort spots. Unfortunately
at 6’5” gives up about 5 inches against most centers. Requires more help defense and centers feel comfortable
shooting over him as he probably won’t block their shot. They just have to expect Tucker to strip them on the way up
with their shot. I would love to move Tucker to PF.....but that’s where I have Covington. Tucker can slide over to
SF better. Allows House to be a backup.

Rivers probably heads off for better pastures.

Jeff Green was perfect fit for our system.....need to re-sign if we play the same way.

Westbrook just needs to work with a shooting coach. Put a little more arch in his shot.

Roster just needs to add maybe one more decent SF since Nwaba at 6’5” plays like 6’7”. and if House is moved

add a center like Markieff to push people around. Hard foul some people like the stiff Centers like Nurkic/KAT.
Or second round center on the cheap. Allowing Tucker and Covington to play other positions more.

But yes, our window closes fast as is.

 

Great points, well thought out as usual. Tilman must use the MLE. He doesn't have to pay the LT until the trading deadline. I would choose Baynes over Kieff, and re-sign Uncle Jeff with the vet min. Baynes is at least the equal of Kieff on defense and better than him as a rebounder, shooter. He plays tough, hard nosed ball. If Rivers wants to pick his PO up, I would welcome it and try to move Eric by the trading deadline along with House/ Clemons and a pick for Aaron Gordon. This will make us competitive.

 

What exactly did I read? All I saw was one vague reference to MDA making defensive adjustments. Nowhere does it say Turner wasn’t part of the process or that he never provided input. Looks like you quickly googled any article regarding "MDA defense" and that's the first thing you came across (nice try)

Elson Turner did phenomenal & was recognized around the nba for turning our defensive identity around. Unfortunately, it was MOREY'S obsession with copying GS smallball that destroyed our season. PJ Tucker was never as good as Draymond to start as center

 

I think this is another misstep from the rockets. Silas, at 47 years old with nearly 20 years on the bench, is not a young inexperienced coach. he's pretty mature and experienced in my book! just get the best fit as top assistant. no need to bring in a "mentor" who is a worse coach than Silas already is. what is he gonna learn from mcmillain or Hornacek that they won't learn from him?

I know you're not advocating for a former HC hired as top assistant, but I think needs pointing out when people refer to Silas as young or inexperienced, he's not.

 

exactly right. we should keep the switch everything scheme (and required personnel), but we have to be able to mix up the schemes in the playoffs.

we can't just play our game harder than anyone else plays theirs. we have to be versatile in our offense and defensive schemes. hopefully breaking up MDA, morey, and harden will also breakup the monotony of our system. hoping for a silver lining here. keep the switch everything but mix in some zone, some traps, some pack line, etc... as you said. keep the 5 out offense but mix in a rim running center for PnR, mix in some off ball screens and cutting, mix in some post.

morey's idea of 3's, layups, and FTs still works, but there is more than one way to get 3's layups and dunks, just like there is more than one way to stop your opponent from getting 3's layups and dunks.

 

Elson Turner credited for the Rockets defense@3:18

 

SAS knows jack about the Rockets, he is also a known MDA hater.

 

So you, a clutchfans poster, are more credible than SAS? This is what we've come too

 

Not me, but our local media is more credible than the national media.

It's not even a debate.

I count Iko, Bijani, Dubose, Feigan, McMahon, amongst others to be local.

SAS is not even media, just a talking head.

He is no Woj or Shams.

 

The problem is NONE of these local guys back up anything your saying lol. You literally just made something up & ran with it. Not sure why taking credit away from Turner makes you feel better, but he's a high IQ assistant coach and did a fantastic job for us in later half of last season