http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/6685360/grantland-nba-draft-lottery-preview 14. Houston Rockets State of the Team: The Rockets have consistently been on the verge of breaking through, but seem to have settled into a rebuilding cycle. Outside of Yao, the Rockets do not have an All-Star-quality player on their roster. Last season, the Rockets traded away expensive pieces such as Aaron Brooks and Shane Battier for future picks. Given Daryl Morey's history of personnel decisions, those picks may be flipped in the future to acquire veterans, bypassing a true rebuilding process. STATS: W-L RECORD: 43-39 eFG% RECORD: 42-40 TOV% RECORD: 41-41 REB% RECORD: 36-46 FTA% RECORD: 50-32 BIGGEST WEAKNESS: REBOUNDING Only five teams in the league allowed more offensive rebounds than the Rockets did. As you might expect, this has something to do with what happens when you start a 6-foot-6 center. For all of Chuck Hayes' ability as a defender, he was only able to capture 20.7 percent of the defensive rebounds available to him — the sixth-worst rate in the league for starting centers. Nominal backup Brad Miller would have been even worse, at 19.9 percent, and while Hasheem Thabeet has the size that Hayes lacks, the Tanzanian Sensation was only able to pull down 20.9 percent of the available rebounds in Memphis during his rookie season. Houston may also have found a way to fix the problem during the second half of the campaign, as they outrebounded their opponents in exactly half of their 50 games in 2011. Front Office Profile: Daryl Morey is the executive who is pioneering statistical analysis in the NBA, but prefers to pickpocket teams through trades rather than build through the draft. Morey is a star among NBA GMs, and is unparalleled when it comes to finding undervalued assets — just ask Moneyball favorite and former Rocket Shane Battier. In acquiring players such as Luis Scola (and his lunch pail), Hayes, and efficiency maven Kevin Martin, Morey has assembled a team of cost-effective castoffs. They're the perfect complement to a star like Yao Ming — who may never play a full season again. For now, then, Morey's pocket protector Rockets remain a work in progress. They Said It: "Everyone is playing poker, trying to get the best deal they can." — Morey on draft strategy (Houston Chronicle) The NBA Executive Says: "USC's Nikola Vucevic is a sleeper for them here. I think Houston will take a long look at him." They Should Pick: Nikola Vucevic
As someone whose not a big Bill Simmons fan, exactly what is grantland? An alternative to ESPN or something more along the lines of CBS sportsline?
