Chemistry is the biggest component to build with the young guys. I fully support veteran players to demonstrate practice habits and accountability on each set or play, but if you're going to outright bench or displace guys that you took high in the draft or have high expectations for in order to staff the roster with mediocre vets who the coach thinks can get him into the playoffs and they fall short or fail miserably then what more do we need to see with that coach? This is the very first time Udoka has had to take a roster of young, promising players and mold them into a playoff team and instead it looks like he'd rather coach other guys. He wasnt gifted a Finals roster here so he better show how good of a coach he supposedly is very early. With that said I THINK a roster of any combination of FVV, Brooks, Lopez, Kuzma should be able to challenge for the play in. I just dont want to hear too many excuses for a coach who knew what the situation was here before he took the job, and dictated to management what he needs to win.
Not directing this solely at you and your post, or series of, but we can't claim blasphemy on Ime's "mismanagement" of the roster and it's vets/rookies/young talent before we even find out what the end result is. Everyone has been up-in-arms about one thing or another since the Harden trade went down and nothing has changed. We've stayed the course of tanking and rebuilding through the draft and/or trades. Now that we have money to spend, hopefully, we can do so wisely but I feel like we (collectively) should practice some patience and at the very least see what free agency ends up gifting us... cause as of this very moment, if I was a vet with multiple options to play for a contender or take a shortened yearly yet max loaded contract from us or a team like the Detroit or San Antonio I would most likely choose the former and just stick where I know what I'm most likely in store for. I hope we sign at least one or two of these guys, will I be upset if someone decides NOT to join us, probably not because even we are all realistic about our own expectations of this team. This is still a rebuild exactly as you stated it so developing the talent that we inherited through drafting should be one of the top priorities, but I don't see how veteran help will impede that development by any means. Cam and to a lesser extent Amen could spend some time in the G League as KPJ, Alperen, and Nix did once upon a time. There are options to supplant those lack of NBA minutes and still allow the kids PT to grow from experience rather than hit the pine every single tip-off.
I came in for a @J.R. update but find I am uniquely satisfied with this substitute wonderful post by @ThatBoyNick
Everything you say is sensible and should be the expectation. My position IS based on the fantasy end result of another sub 30 win season - IF this team spends all its money on marginal veterans for the sake of competing and generating some instant gratification for the organization and in the end if fails miserably should we really think that anything would change with another year or another? Im nowhere near as high on Udoka as other fans and if this guy is commanding the roster like this then he needs to be the first guy to deal with the consequences of another failed season especially if young players regress and ousted players excel for other teams. I felt like he would show up to push the young guys to become the best versions of themselves with some savvy vet inclusions, but if he replaces 60% of the starting lineup for guys he thinks impacts winning and they dont move the needle I would question if Ime is the kind of coach to develop talent or if he's better suited to coach a veteran laden team with the firepower to compete already in place.
Why Not Herbert Jones? What would it take to pry him away from New Orleans? https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2023/06...on-jones-hernangomez-will-make-hayes-ufa.html New Orleans made Jones a Restricted Free Agent by not picking up his guarantee... This is the guy we should pick up... 4 years $30-40 Million get it done? Probably too young and not mean faced enough? New Orleans is in Cap Hell with the new rules. We could probably poison pill them...
First thing first, FVV and Lopez are more important gets. Kyle Kuzma (age 27) is a 3/4 ... more of a 4 lately. Dillon Brooks (age 27) is a 2/3 ... more of a 3 lately. My back of the napkin roster: 1: vet, Amen, TyTy 2: Green, KPJ, Christopher 3: KJM, Eason, Whitmore 4: Jabari, Garuba, Tate 5: Sengun, vet KJM and Eason are more 4s than 3s. I can see that Udoka might want to target a FA 3 to be the starter. If we land both Brooks and Kuzma, the roster becomes 3: Brooks, Whitmore 4: Kuzma, Jabari, Eason, Garuba, Tate, KJM 8 players for 6 spots.
I don’t understand bringing in Kuzma or Brooks. I think we already have comparable or better talent at those positions. FVV I don’t want but I do see the value he could bring. Lopez I don’t think we’ll get but he would be an outstanding pick up. I wish I knew how Ime feels about some of the guys already here.
For the reason below I don’t think the Rockets stand a chance regarding both Cam Johnson and Austin Reaves. At this point I think the Rockets’ strategy is super clear. Sign good players with defensive mindsets to two year deals, maintaining bird rights in case any of those guys work out very well, and keep the dry powder and liquidity channel open for 2025 when JG and Alpi are due for extensions. They are very set on developing the core six as a result (which is quite in contrast to the public opinion that they are competing at the expense of the development of young guys, otherwise they’d entertain longer contracts for FAs, or have eyes for the FA class in 2024).
If FVV does not take the Rockets offer, we are going to look pretty silly. Basically no one else to give the money too. This free agent class absolutely sucks.
Herb is not significantly better than Tate in any area i can think of right now. He's like tall Tate. Another non shooter hustle guy. Another bricklayer.
1) Seems like FVV to Houston's a lock 2) If not...why would they look silly? They just drafted a PG with the 4th pick.
Man, the next two years could be mighty strange for the Rockets. If they get their way, they'll have veteran players strictly on two-year contracts. These players will be well compensated, but in the end they might view themselves as rentals. It's not certain that they'll completely buy into the system. Then, the rest of the roster will be young players who will be developing but struggling to live up to the billing. Some days they'll look like future all stars, while on others, they might look more suitable for the G League. It's a volatile mixture, and things might go off the rails from time to time. But then again, things may work out and the Rockets may end up with the right combination of experience and youth.
