Let's be realistic for a second...What are people actually expecting from the Rockets roster?

TBH, the defense has disappointed me for the entire season. Asik being out for a long time hurt, but even when he was around, our defense inside wasn't the stalwart I thought we'd be. I didn't expect elite defense, but expected top 8~10 defense at least. That Harden and Parsons would play so many minutes was also disconcerting.

In addition, I would've been okay with a 2nd round exit to the Spurs, even if it was a 4-0 thrashing, but losing to the Blazers sucked, even with seemingly calls all favoring the Blazers.

What I will say is this, my disappointment in the past season doesn't affect what I think about this team going into next season. Even if we do strike out on every one of the top trade/FA targets, I still like our chances by adding depth to the roster.

 

Its so sad to see our fans really struggle to see what most outsiders have identified as a legit problem: coaching. This isnt a problem we are seeing for the first time. Remember when the Rockets were fighting to get into the playoffs with Lowry and Dragic? Then the infamous 6 or so game collapse that took us out of playoff contention. Collapsing down the stretch was a huge problem this season with so many games. We just had to have James Harden play hero ball to either bail us out or not. Our starters played a ridiculous amount of minutes, but so many of those minutes were without rhythm or purpose. Bench players had zero consistency with play or minutes. If Dwight took a lineup worse than what we have now to the finals, i find it despicable that people think this lineup cant generate a more productive team. Stop thinking about who were are playing against, and think about what our team can do.

We saw tremendous flashes of brilliance when the ball is hoping and moving. Our team was unguardable. But there was none of that, and as the offense became predictable, it becomes a make or miss league. During the end of this season, Harden was making some impossible shots playing hero ball. We were winning so it wasnt a problem. Come playoff time, those same shots were missed and the Rockets missed a lot down the stretch while Portland made shots. Its why we went home before everyone else.

 

I like what we have.

Sometimes the best team just doesn't win. I think our team this year was the best in the league.

They are the youngest team in the league. There is nothing bad about Lin's or Asik's contracts. They were backloaded so NY and Chi couldn't match. They expire next year, and expiring contracts are good things to have.

Asik's contract got labeled bad because we acquired Howard. Lin's got labeled bad because Beverley won the starting job, but he's still a good backup for both the 1 and 2. There is nothing wrong with their play or contracts.

We lost to Portland because Garcia gave us nothing off the bench in games 1 and 2. I like Garcia, but he had a horrible season and it continued in the playoffs. He should never have been in the playoff rotation. McHale realized that only after we were down 0-2 with 3 road games to play. McHale just doesn't like rookies. He had Garcia in the rotation for his experience. It put us in the 0-2 hole.

A lousy defensive scheme by McHale made Lillard's shot possible. The best team in the NBA is not going to the finals.

Carmelo doesn't help this team. We already have Parsons and Jones for SF. We don't need someone else playing out of position.

Love is the perfect fit. Jones is out of position at PF. We have the assets to get get Love. Asik and Jones make the finances work, and MN need a SF. MN can trade Asik themselves or another team can get involved. It's just a matter of whether MN wants to let Love stay in the West where they have to compete against him.

It's a good trade for both MN and Hou, but I won't mind if it doesn't happen. Sometimes the best trades are the ones that don't happen. We'll still be better next year if we don't make any major changes.

 

Asik for Millsap

Lin/Casspi(or whoever) for T. Young.

Don't pursue Melo or Love. Go all out for Lowry. If we don't get him, give parsons 4yr/32mill contract. Pick up Spencer Hawes and Nate Robinson.

Bev/Harden/Parsons/Milsap/Howard

Robinson/Daniels/Young (Wing draftee if we dont get Young)/Jones/Hawes.

 

What I am expecting is that the rockets r nowhere near the spurs whatsoever, and Portland will beat them every time with this starting lineup.

 

The Lakers catch a lot bad breaks. You lost all cred

 

We beat Portland 3 out of 4 in the regular season and finished with a better record.

We beat SA 4 out of 4 in the regular season.

We had a cake walk to the finals because we match up best against those 2 teams. Overconfidence probably helped play into our early exit.

 

2nd round and put a scare into Spurs or Thunder

 

Lowry wanted out of Houston. I doubt that he'd want to come back, and we unloaded him because he has trouble staying healthy. I like all three of our PG's better.

Millsap is okay, but he's not in the same class as Love. Hawes and Robinson are over the hill. T. Young is another SF playing out of position. I like T. Jones better.

 

A championship b4 I hit 50...

 

and not just one...at least a back to back.

 

Cake walk? U serious brah? Playoffs whole different ball game. Heat got swept by the nets, look what happens in the playoffs. Spurs got swept by okc during the regular season. Spurs up 2-0 now. They look way better than last year, where they should have won the finals if tp could have just made a free throw! Face it, this team isn't going anywhere I don't care how big the names r.

 

The problems of this team are: poor team play, poor defense, and lack of good coaching. Adding another superstar (Melo, Love etc.) can't help if these problems persist next year.

 

you can't learn it all in one season. i have no doubt our players will be even better next year.

after this draft goes down - there will be plenty of movement. let morey do his thing.

i have doubts about coaching. if duncan parker ginobli retire after losing in the finals... would pop join us?

 

we all know that the clippers, thunder and the heat are more talented than us...!!!!!

However, The spurs aren't talented than us but they are more experienced, well balanced roster and great coach.

How can we be thankful when we have Dwight and Harden on our roster and we lost to a jump shooting team and didn't deserve to win in the first place.

IMO I would never be thankful when you have Coach like Kevin Mchale, the lowest expectation for this team is WCF when you have the best SG in the NBA and the best center.

So please have a snicker and STFU

 

Either a trade involving Asik, Lin, etc too directly or indirectly land a 3rd star like Love, Carmelo or Bosh (if Lebron left).

Either way I think the draft and the early parts of the offseason will be trying to find situations to shed payroll for picks or cheap contracts in return.

And then either getting a dreaded non-defensive third star and having the MLE and BAE to try and fill Asik and someone's else's roles or the created cap space too sign a very nice role player or two (Lowry, Deng, Sefolosha, Ariza, etc) and then use the MLE/BAE on one or two guys (Hawes, Tucker, Mills, etc)

I would go for depth this summer over a third star. There's going to be teams who are desperate for cap space this summer and next if Lebron, Bosh, Carmelo, etc all opt out or opt in. Morey could feast.

Rockets need the vets and playoff tested guys and the rebuilding direction should not extend upon first rd picks for the next few years. I think a outstanding role player will be available at 25 in this being a deeper class.

 

Great! I would put it even shorter: Poor team play and poor defense. The third has to be seen as a part of the problem equally with the player contribution to that problem.

Like somebody said earlier, when the Rockets played good team ball, they were one of the best, if not the best, team in the NBA, Funny that then nobody complained about lack of depth etc. Everybody in the team looked like a lion and an NBA star.

When hero ball took over, nobody looked good. Certainly not the bench, because they are not supposed to be the heroes in any case. They hardly touched the ball and hardly took a shot in the small amount of minutes they got.

There is nothing wrong with the roster. I actually think that the Spurs roster is inferior to that of Houston. However, when they get into their playoffs team ball mode, they just kill their opponents. Last season they had an accident, but that doesn't change the general picture. In fact, the only team that could have beaten them this year was the Rockets provided they play their team ball mode (I don't think that the Heat can beat them this time).

In the NBA the player egos have become a serious complication to team success. The Spurs don't have that problem. Probably the reason for that is their use of so many foreign players. The Spurs players are ready to put the team before anything else, even their salaries.

So, IMO, its not about getting Melo, Love etc. If you think that that will make the difference, you will be dissapointed. It's all about playing team ball. The present roster is good enough if they understand that. Is it McHale's fault? Maybe, but we haven't seen Popovic coach the Rockets yet. Could Popovic get the Rockets to play team ball? I don't think that there's a simple answer to that.

 

True Lowry did want out but it was because of Mchale. Lowry did mention he wouldn't object to coming back to rockets. I understand hawes being over the hill but robinson shouldn't. The guy is a bonafide spark plug off the bench. Something we lacked last year. Young would be able to spread the floor for Howard to work in the post and he's a wing we needed last year when casspi and Garcia were crapping it.

And am I the only one that thinks we don't need to create a super team? Especially since melo is basically harden but bigger and love isn't exactly known for his defense. Can score 20 but give up 20 as well. We need a better supporting cast around harden and Howard. Look at spurs. They build their team around Parker and Duncan with a reliable borderline all star six man in ginobili. As well as bench players that could be starters in belinelli, mills, diaw. We need or should model our game after them.

 

And I'm sure if we don't get Lowry, we should spend money on hawes and parsons.. Somethjng we need when and if we trade Asik

 

I expect the Rockets to have more composure. I know this is a little unfair because they are so young, but you'd expect them to have more of a system beyond isos and basic PnR.

I also expect McHale to control his personnel. They keep calling him a leader and a player's coach, but it looks like either he has no idea what running a team means, or he has no control over Harden/Howard.