Free Agency Has Not Been Kind to the Houston Rockets

Rockets free agency: Where careers go to DIE

 

Despite many JVG supporters' denial, it has always been clear to me that the coaches had a lot of say about player acquisition under CD. There was just too obvious a shift in the type of players we got from Rudy to JVG.

My criticism of JVG was more on personnel decisions than his coaching decisions.

Rudy had his problems too. Too much love on pure shooters who couldn't do much else.

In general, coaches making personnel decisions is not a good thing. Coaches typically don't see long term. Why would he care what the team will look like 5 years from now when he could be fired the next season if he doesn't win now?

 

When I first watched the 2009 MIT Sports Analytics Conference video, I originally thought Morey said that they don't consult the coaches when making player decisions, but I think I misunderstood. I think he actually said that they consult the head coach heavily, but don't consult the players when it comes to player transactions. Listen for yourself :

http://sloansportsconference.com/2009/webcasts/basketball-analytics/

The question about how much input the coaches have in personnel decisions comes up at the 54:38 mark of the video. Morey's answer starts at approximately 56:09.

Now when that began or changed (if it changed), I have no idea.

 

I'm pretty sure Battier leads the analytics department during the offseason. Hence, the same metrics that make Battier look like MJ make Ariza look like LeBron James.

 

I think your observations about Rudy T and the personnel decisions that occurred during his tenure are dead on. Rudy T was in love with certain types of players and while he'd come from out of the scouting department, his personnel decisions were very suspect. And we are both in agreement that what transpired during the 2001 off season was an absolute disaster that ultimately set the stage for the Tmac trade later on which has also failed. The Eddie Griffin debacle was the last straw and Rudy T paid for that by falling on his sword for the organization. But, at the same time, there is no way that Dawson should have been allowed to keep his job - his a$$ should have been shown the door as well and for Les to allow him to continue as GM resulted in their having nothing (but Yao) to show for all of those trips to the lottery and then the Tmac deal where they traded away their starting 1,2 & 4 with no plan on how to replace those players.

I just don't buy the argument that Dawson was the GM in name only all that time. If his title said GM, then that means that HE'S responsible for finding and acquiring talent PERIOD. To me, that just another excuse in a long line of excuses folks make for CD's ineptitude. And if that's so, that's a bigger indictment of the owner that anything because it demonstrates what a boob of an owner he really was to allow his organization to drift along in this manner. Nothing I have seen, even with Morey as GM has led me to believe otherwise about Alexander. When they suck next year - when attendence is down and there's no buzz about the Rockets - look for Les to blame Adelman and dismiss him as well. Then he'll hold the same press BS conference for the new Rockets coach that he held for JVG & Adelman.

 

It was a joke. . .and I honestly didn't think you would take me serious

Rocket River

 

free agents are overrated. the only risk for most teams are long contracts at the MLE. that's average player salary. the average player in the NBA might give nothing or maybe more than nothing, but most likely you're not going to get Kevin Willis contributions at that salary. hopefully, you can at least get Jim Jackson or Bob Sura contributions.

the real critique of a GM's skills are trades and draft picks, and Morey has been a master at that so far.

 

Great read. There is always a first. Lets hope Ariza becomes a player that can help contribute and be part of the future of the Rockets. He is coming into a situation where He can maximize his talents while doing it under the system of a player's coach. Adelman lets his players play and that would benefit the playing style of Ariza.

 

I assume it was more Alexander than anything. When you get burned by a few long-term deals, eventually you are going to reign your front office in, no? Also, I don't think the Rockets were the only team making those 6-7 year deals then. It seemed pretty common iirc. Guys like Eisley, Shandon A., Ostertag, Malik Rose, McIlvane, Rasho, Croshere, etc. seemed to ink those sort of deals around the same time, and I'm sure there were plenty more that I can't think of right now. Then the whole league seemed to move more toward the 2-4 year deals. I don't think it was specific to the Rockets. I believe the last of those for the Rockets were around 2001, so I don't know how sudden this purported change really was either.

No offense taken, btw. I'm not about to mix it up with a 4-dotter anyway.

 

Nice, Hope Ariza can change this but he won't add him to the list for next year

 

I believe Morey will do a great job, but lets not forget so easily
CD= 2 rings

Morey to be determined

 

Very good read, I enjoyed the post.

I hope the chain of non productive FA changes this season with Ariza joining us.

 

you know why? becos we done pay much!

 

It's a fairly typical economic phenomenon; when things are rosy and people are making money it's hard to foresee a future when they aren't. The teams at that time saw long contracts as a way to defer compensation, moving their salary cap obligations into the future, thinking the cap number would get bigger every year, forever.

 

Well we got Ariza for cheap... if you ask Elie Seckbach..

Watch the video and listen to how much he thinks each laker should be paid (especially Ariza and Shannon Brown)..

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LOL