Here’s a fun fact….his top scout is the guy who screwed Memphis and was fired for using the firsst pick in the draft on Thabeet.
A boatload of picks doesn’t necessarily mean anything. It gives the organization something to feed an upset fan base. Everyone was impressed with the “haul” the Spurs got for Dejounte Murray. What has it ultimately amounted to?
…because I was curious: 2023 first (did not convey, two seconds) Carter Bryant 20th pick this year 2027 first not awful?
Former Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace (“director of scouting”) He did draft Thabeet (2009). He wasn’t fired for drafting Thabeet (2019). Sht sandwich. First & last picks good (Conley/JJJr.). Everything in between sht. Spoiler via grok 2007: 1st round, 4th – Mike Conley (PG, Ohio State) 2008: 1st round, 5th – Kevin Love (traded to Minnesota on draft night for O.J. Mayo package). 1st round, 28th – Donté Greene (traded to Houston). 2009: 1st round, 2nd – Hasheem Thabeet (C, UConn); 1st round, 27th – DeMarre Carroll; 2nd round, 36th – Sam Young. 2010: 1st round, 12th – Xavier Henry. 1st round, 25th – Dominique Jones (traded). 1st round, 28th – Greivis Vásquez 2011: 2nd round, 49th – Josh Selby 2012: 1st round, 25th – Tony Wroten 2014: 1st round, 22nd – Jordan Adams. (Also Jarnell Stokes in 2nd round.) 2015: 1st round, 25th – Jarell Martin. (Acquired Andrew Harrison via trade.) 2016: 1st round, 17th – Wade Baldwin IV. 2nd round, 57th – Wang Zhelin. 2017: No 1st-round pick; selected Dillon Brooks (2nd round, 45th) and Ivan Rabb (2nd round). 2018: 1st round, 4th – Jaren Jackson Jr. (PF, Michigan State). 2nd round, 32nd – Jevon Carter.
I am not joking. Look it up. He’s one of the Rockets top scouts. Organization needs an overhaul and the first two to be let go is that guy and Stone.
The Houston Rockets hired Chris Wallace as their Director of Scouting in July 2021. Wallace previously served as the General Manager for the Memphis Grizzlies, where he made the controversial decision to draft 7-foot-3 center Hasheem Thabeet second overall in the 2009 NBA Draft ahead of James Harden. Ladies and gentlemen, the first two decisions of lawyer Stone’s era as GM was to hire Stephen Silas and Chris Wallace. Stone has ruined this franchise and the results are showing with back to back first round embarrassing exits. He and his buddy need to be dismissed!
lol. If someone told me the guy who drafted Hasheem thabeet was still working in the nba…and that he was actually now working for my Houston Rockets…i …I just don’t know what to say. The front office is even more screwed up than I realized.
I'd like to keep Stone around for his contract/cap skills. But we desperately need an elder statesman "consultant" who can help the man navigate the ins-and-outs of the league and provide general "basketball guy" knowledge. Things like the importance of having a good shooting coach or how players fit together. Unfortunately, that relies on the owner evaluating his (new to the league) GM, recognising his strengths and weaknesses, and finding a way to productively support him in a way that benefits the whole organisation. My worry is that we'll fire a guy who has serious flaws but also some legit strengths for a roll of dice on whoever the owner likes. Like, the owner might hire Isaiah Thomas or some ****. And you're right, I am rationalising.
Keyon Martin didn’t want his son on the Rockets because they didn’t know what they were doing… then Evan Mobley’s dad (who was a college coach) made it clear to the Rockets he didn’t want his son drafted by the Rockets… now is comes out Steph Castle and his group let it be known that they would not play for the Rockets. At some point - when it walks like a duck, waddles like a duck and quacks like a duck — it’s a duck. It’s hard to accept that 5 years were largely wasted, but it’s time to move on.
Keyon martin son is out the NBA, Mobley is overpaid and cavs fans are done with him, Castle should be on the beach as a six man
The NBA is a zero-sum league. The Rockets are a Top 10 team, with a good collection of young players he's drafted, and is up 2 draft picks for 27-33 drafts. Stone has not drafted a star. Obviously, he's drafted players better than most teams despite being crippled by lack of picks when he started.
Picks are not just about the exact players selected with those picks. They create optionality. The Dejounte trade helped San Antonio fully pivot into a rebuild, which put them in position to land Wemby and then keep adding top-end young talent like Castle and Harper, while still holding future Atlanta draft capital. It also gave them enough surplus to trade other picks later without emptying the cupboard. OKC is the obvious example. Presti’s pick stash gave them repeated bites at the apple. He did not need every pick to hit. The volume let them absorb misses, draft and develop enough core pieces, and still use picks in trades. That is the value of the “boatload of picks” strategy, it turns uncertainty into optionality. OKC also has not needed to keep adding picks at the same pace recently because the huge surplus was already created. They can spend picks, consolidate, or roll them forward while still maintaining a massive amount of draft capital.
