[Hou Chron] Rockets, Morey forced to hurry up and wait

the best deal I can think of: 1.) make us better this season 2.) gain cap sapce for next summer:

Battier+Landry+(Barry&Cook)'s expiring contract for Ilgauskas(expiring)+Delonte West+pick consideration

LeBron'd LOVE to have Shane on his team when he face Kobe in the Finals. Shane is the ferfect fit for the Cavs. Delonte West, on the other hand, might be a better compliment to Ariza than Shane and could be the perfect back-up 2-guard next season if we win the Wade/J.J. jackpot.

Shaq'll start and Varejao can play both 4/5 so I think Landry is a better fit to back up the 4 compare to Big Z. For the Rockets, Ilgauskas' got a huge expiring contract while provide the closest replacement of Yao for this season. if re-signed to a decent deal next season, big Z could be the best back-up to Yao and maybe extend Yao's career as he can split the PT w/ Yao (maybe Yao 28min. big Z 20min.) David Anderson is expected to be coupled w/ Hayes in the front court to compliment each other, so Ilgauskas playing C w/ Scola fits better than Landry.

we got

Ilgauskas, Anderson, (Yao Ming)
L. Scola, C. Hayes, Dorsey
T. Ariza, Budinger, White
McGrady, D. West, Taylor
A. Brooks, K. Lowry

to compete this season and if replace McGrady w/ Wade or J.J.+Rondo($11M J.J. $7M Rondo or $12M J.J. S&T for Rondo) with our cap room next season, watch out West!

Yao Ming, Ilgauskas, Hayes
L. Scola, Anderson, Dorsey
T. Ariza, Budinger, 1st pick
Johnson, D. West, Taylor
R. Rondo, Lowry, Cav's pick

OR

Yao Ming, Ilgauskas, Hayes
L. Scola, Anderson, Dorsey
T. Ariza, Budinger, 1st pick
D-Wade, D. West, Taylor
A. Brooks, Lowry, Cav's pick

what else can we do better?

 

If the whole "plan" depends on Yao Ming being healthy and playing at his previous high level again in 2010 afer a year off from basketball at the age of 30 and coming back from major surgery, I have some serious doubts about how well it will turn out.

The Rockets and Morey must realize that we can not depend on Yao going forward. We must have a backup plan to start rebuilding. The sooner we do that, the less time we'll waste.

If this season is going to turn out to be a waste year, I'd want to at least get something positive for the future out of it.

 

I think you're reading way too much into it, the only real other option for his commentary would trend towards: "FIRE SALE, YAO'S THRU, CALL ME UP GUYS SO WE CAN PLAY GO FISH!!!" and that's not really his style (or anybodys) - also the Rockets have too much respect for YM to publicly show him anything but confidence (even if privately they have doubts).

I don't expect anything less than a "we're going to stay the course, for now" until the course actually changes, and even then, not too many will remember or care what was said previously.

 

1. I don't think there is too much to be read into at this time. There are probably a bunch of quotes from Morey to the same effect (we'll look for deals that help us, but won't just do any deal... we like guys we have... blah blah blah...) shortly before the Artest deal last year, too. Morey can be a day away from trading Scola and Battier, but he's not gonna tell Feigan that (and if he did, Feigan won't tell us that).

2. There are plenty of time to make "course changing" trades. It's not like they need to the new guys into training camp tomorrow, or get ready for the August 1 home game vs. the Spurs.

3. I am pretty sure the "blue print" is flexible at this point. If Scola or Battier is what it takes to get a deal done for a guy they want (be it Joe Johnson, Kevin Martin, or Rudy Fernandez.. I am just throwing out names here), it seem unlikely that the management is simply determined to hold on to these guys.

They simply are being picky about who they want.... not just some random big name (Boozer, SJax, Maggette, Baron Davis, etc.) or some atheletic guy witih "potential" some posters here just happen to like (Tyrus Thomas, Outlaw, etc.).

 

Thats a shame CH, I think Boozer could be good here for a 2010 reload.

 

Eh, my rough translation is that Morey isn't getting the kinds of deals he thinks his assets are worth (he said as much around last year's trading deadline), and once again, he's willing to stand pat or just do a mini-trade, a la Alston-Lowry, rather than reach for the best deal available.

I'm glad he has enough job security with the owner to do this. But it ain't as good as getting an advantageous offer. If he'd-a got it, he'd-a done it.

I guess it's a default tanking position. Not trying to tank, but deciding that if good enough offers don't come, we'll take our lumps this season and collect what we're due for it.

 

morey has to say the team is building around yao b/c he remains the face of this franchise.

all the moves you see him making has turned us into a faster team, which yao post surgery is not going to fit.

 

I think Morey is trying for something between your 2 and 3. Morey is trying to get younger and consolidate talent while trying to keep Yao Ming. Brooks, Lowry, Ariza, and Yao Ming are the only players I think Morey sees as building blocks for 2010 and beyond.

I don't think Battier will be a Rocket by the end of the season as some team will want a Kobe stopper if there is such a thing. One of either Landry or Scola will also likely be gone in a trade. I just don't think Scola, Landry, and Andersen can play together if rumors of Andersen's D are true. McGrady...unless he regains form, he's gone. Hayes, Taylor, and Budinger could stay or go depending on if they are needed in a package. Barry, Cook....Morey will give these guys away with cash if he can.

 

Someone has to get the rebound and outlet.

 

I agree. Though "Morey not getting offers he thinks his assets are worth" can be due to the fact that because he values his assets a hell of a lot, or could be that nobody is giving him even moderate talent (e.g. Outlaw) for his guys. I am inclined to say it's the former.

 

The team right now is a lottery one,but the Rockets want to get into the playoffs too. I don't want tanking,but this half-rebuilding,half-playoff approach is going to let us in no man's land.

No one is going to give high first rounders for Luis and Battier,in fact the most one can get out of them is a mid-1st rounder. DM should explore the right deal for them, but we can't expect to get too much for them either.

 

I think that every GM in the league is cockblocking Morey due to his supreme skills

 

that's who we're trying to find.

 

I can't believe they're still planning on building around Yao. How ridiculous is that?

 

For Yao's sake, I hope everything goes well, but from a basketball/business point of view the "building around TMac/Yao" theory should be out the door. Les' business interest in Yao/China is clearly driving this approach. I agree, too risky, unwise; but, I bet the Rockets give it a go. But, won't Yao have to be signed to a new contract before he is really tested?

 

Found. Yao Ming

 

Oh, so in generic GM bs you interpret this to mean that "history shows..." to be a move just for lux tax reasons? Even if you think it's Morey's modus operandi (scant evidence) it's not Les' (but not what Clutchfans' want now).

So Les went from "predatory" and being impatient to "In Morey We Trust" when Yao had a foot injury that turned our stomachs?

Forgive me, but I'm not buying it. History shows much indeed, and most people here are ignoring it pretty much as wish-fullfilment.

 

And, again, taking both this article and an interview he gave on Sports 610 about two weeks ago, I think Morey's talking a lot of fluff (so many trades don't happen anyway), but he has an eye on trading for an All-Star caliber player.

And I wonder, too, if Les and Morey really intend to stand pat with $40 million worth of All-Stars on the bench for all or part of the season. They'll want to improve but they don't want to gut the core. Well, since Tmac hasn't been himself since the 22 game win streak more than a year ago, I don't consider him the core anyway; and if any of the rumors are true, Shane and Aaron and Landry were all put up for adoption in the past several months. So it isn't as if we have a roster-load of untouchables.

If for nothing else, Les does have to sell tickets. He isn't going to do it with billboards around town of Luis, Shane, Ariza, Aaron, and Landry.

We all hear or read what we want to hear or read, but I still say he's gonna aim for Amare (Amare's eye permitting) and Richardson, using Tmax and Landry or something like that. They obviously want to build a faster, lighter team. Stoudemire at center would provide that. Which makes me wonder where Yao, even when healthy, will fit in here, but Adelman adjusts his styles pretty well anyway to suit the players on the floor.

Barring a big trade, Morey'll aim small, and let Tmac's contract expire. But he knows damn well that it's gonna be a tough sell in 2010, "Hey LeBron / Dwayne / Amare / Chris / Boozer, come on over to Houston, Yao may or may not be healthy, PLUS he's 30 years old now and only gonna GET WORSE!" Time to make a move now.

 

i agree with this chances are other GMs are trying to swoop in and pilfer the Rockets of what good talent they do have on the cheap because of Yao's injury and the uncertainty of McGrady.

I dont think Morey would trade the likes of Shane, Landry, Scola, Brooks, Lowry for a bag of peanuts especially if Yao will be coming back next season. Trying to tank for sure and having multiple draft picks only to have Yao come back is not a good move IMO.

Moving McGrady for a near all-star/all-star and maybe one other move is the better option. Keep the majority of assets you have that blend with Yao and then add in that top quality player and a fairly high draft pick is better.

 

Call me crazy or a hater, it doesn't matter, but waiting on Yao to come back and still trying to build around him is insane. If a team hasn't learned from the lessons taught, Yao and Tracy aren't the pieces to build around. If you look at ring worthy teams, you will see not only consistent play, but consistent health from their stars. The rockets with the crumbled foundation of yao and tracy will only be worse. Yao will be even slower and could go down anytime and tracy might be the same. Like I said , call me whatever, this ship has sailed.