It was pretty clear that Kobe was a special talent. He was schooling Michael Cooper as a 17 yr old boy. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/nba/02playoffs/2002-06-04-phil-kobe.htm https://myaccount.nytimes.com/auth/...27Q5DlQ27TlHGlQ2F,3p_Q2FlHGp3EQ5Cp_Q2FyQ60_4z
Honestly, if there is anything these past two seasons have taught me it's that lower expectations can sometimes be a good thing. Remember all those past seasons when we couldn't get out of the first round? And keep in mind, a team like that would basically be a successful rebuild if we tear everything down... and the expectations were high and we didn't meet them. On the contrary, these past two seasons where we've been on pace to win 40 games or more, the expectations were really low (even this season now that Yao is gone). And the fact that we are meeting them makes me feel better as a fan. But in addition to that we also win enough during the season to make the games watchable. If we're only realisitcally increasing our title chances only by a small percentage, I don't know if I want to give up a watchable team for a team like the Wizards or Kings that have a somewhat bright future but will probably only win half the games we will. If we were built like the Kings or Wizards, and we were playing the Trail Blazers tonight (only one game over .500), even a game like that probably isn't watchable because of the odds of us winning. I would hate to tune into a game (or buy tickets) to see them play a game where the odds of us winning are slim to none.
Yes, it is your fault. :grin: I'm all for people having all the facts, but your method of going about that is just dizzying! In other words, you are arguing ALONGSIDE those criticizing the Rockets for "not rebuilding", yet you yourself are in favor of doing EXACTLY what Daryl Morey is trying to do right now with this team. Amazing. It's all good, though.
I remember hearing a statistic about the Rockets where in the past 25 years, only one team has had as many winning seasons as the Rockets. And to be fair, a lot of those seasons were 50 win seasons or pretty damn close as well. So we should give the Rockets credit for being able to put out a respectable team on the floor year in and year out. I've been an avid Rockets fan for about 10 years, and I can say there have been only a few times where I would have turned down Rockets tickets or decided against watching a game. There aren't many teams that can say the same thing.
This can't be quoted for truth enough!! Thank you for putting it out there for our less intelligent compadres!
OP The only reason people are against rebuilding is because we're currently winning(against weak competition), just wait ti'll the end of the month. They'll be alot more people joining the dark side... :grin: Spoiler
Rockets have been mediocre for a decade. Rockets fans love mediocrity. Les loves mediocrity. Morey is building a mediocre team. Mediocrity is the goal of Houston. It must be better than anything else.
You aren't giving Jerry West nearly enough credit for how he got Kobe. Cal wanted the Nets to take Kobe at 8 but Jerry called Cal and talked him out of drafting Kobe and talked to Kobe's family and talked them into wanting Kobe to only be a Laker. Also, one team wanting Kobe at 8 doesn't make him all that highly sought after. Highly sought after players don't fall to 13 but talented prospects with a lot of upside do.
The whole Kobe Bryant angle is pretty stupid. When a future top 15 player says they only want to play for Houston, then we can start drawing some comparisons. Until then, it is literally apples to oranges. If your argument is we need to get a true franchise player, then I agree with you. If you argument is the best way to get one is by lucking out in the draft, then no I don't agree. We are alot better off trying to trade for one.
Duly noted. Perhaps I misspoke when I said the Lakers "shouldn't get credit" for drafting Kobe. My point was that the Lakers didn't lose games in order to get Kobe The Draft Pick. They won games. Jerry West, Kobe and Arn Tellem then proceeded to screw several lottery teams out of being able to draft Kobe by having Kobe threaten not to play for them. Other teams ahead of the Lakers knew that Kobe could have been great. But they had to face Kobe's ultimatum.
Kobe didn't say he would only play for the Lakers. You honestly think Kobe and his family would've turned down being a top 5 pick? Jerry West talked the Nets out of drafting Kobe and talked Kobe's family into wanting him to be a Laker. That was just great GMing.
Also, man when I stop and think back to what we could be right now. We could potentially be rolling out with: Brooks / Lowry Martin / Artest McGrady / Battier / Budinger Scola / Hayes Yao / Miller That is a disgusting lineup.
That's not fair though. If we were in New Orleans were the team refuses to put out effort to put a contender together, that's one thing. Morey has been in it to win it since day one. I don't understand how people aren't seeing the downsides to tanking this year. It's like people expect that the first year we "tank" we'll grab a franchise player in the draft and immediately be relevant again... that usually doesn't happen. Right now we're projected to be about the 7th or 8th spot in the playoffs, maybe higher if we have a breakout player come out like Landry or Brooks did mid season. If we tank and in a few years grab a franchise player in the draft, best case scenario we are looking at maybe a 55 win team, 4th or 5th seed... teams like the Spurs and Lakers this year were not formed by tanking, it was mostly luck.
How the hell did you get that from what I said? and Miami isn't even the favorite. and I think you forgot what team we had that year. When we lost McGrady for the season, we weren't even expected to make the playoffs. Brooks became a starter for the first time. Von Wafer was our 6th man. Come on man. We weren't contenders. We just overachieved.
