Indeed. The Rockets were desperate for role players towards the end of the run. If anything, Morey would be perfect during the Hakeem/Drexler/Barkley/Pippen days, if only because he'd get us a better PG than Matt FREAKING Maloney. Unfortunately, he can't control the health of his superstars. Morey would easily be considered a top 5 GM everywhere if T-Mac and Yao would actually play some freaking playoff games together under his tenure.
Morey has been great at retooling the roster and getting GOOD role players. But can he get us that "Special" player? DD
He was assistant of bball operations behind Ainge in Boston and we signed him to eventually become GM behind CD.
Both were very good GMs. We've been blessed to have so many years without the fumbling antics of a Chris Wallace or Isiah Thomas. Dawson managed to pull off several blockbuster trades that kept netting the team All Stars while almost never giving one back in return. Drexler, Barkley....even Francis, Pippen, and McGrady. During the glory years of the 90s, he also did a fantastic job of bringing in role players that contributed in big ways, the likes of Sam Mack, Kevin Willis, even Matt Maloney. CD's black marks fall into two basic categories: poor value signings (Moochie, Cato) and a tendency to listen to Rudy T too often in the drafts, aiding and abetting Rudy's foolish obsession with guys that reminded him of himself (finesse big man shooters). Way too many picks were wasted chasing after those niche guys instead of stocking up and good basketball players. Our frontcourt atrophied in the softest way over the years; a joke by the time of the Francis era. Morey's been more conservative than CD, he doesn't swing for the fences the same way which is good and bad. He's doing a far better job bringing in players at value. The trick is, with the Yao-McGrady combo at such a perilous crossroads, can DM flip pieces and usher in a new era? Or does the team have to wait on a lucky draft pick? Evan
CD = 0 Championships. He became GM in 96. Patterson built the championship teams. CD made the Barkley trade which I never liked.
Come to think of it besides Hakeem and Yao, what real All-Star/Superstars were home grown here in Houston, as in coming in as rookies and blossoming into stars???
I'm not disagreeing with their move, just saying Morey might've done it differently since he's a very strategic GM who's always thinking about the impact a move will have on the future. Does that mindset result in a better decision everytime? I'm thinking not necessarily, since trading for KG did give the Celtics their first championship in a long time. That's what I'm trying to get at.
If we're looking to criticize CD, I think my main problems would be the contracts he gave to 2nd- and 3rd-tier players like Moochie and Cato and Matt Baloney, as well as when he let Rudy convince him to keep trying to draft The Next Rudy (Mirsad Turkcan, Damn Lanky, Steve Novak).
CD wasn't the GM. It was Bob Weinhaur IIRC. Need to give CD credit for bringing T-Mac here as well. Forgot that one. That was a good trade.
I meant longer than a 3 year span and an actual dominator like Hakeem was or Yao was becoming as of late.
It has been very dismal over the last two and half decades(excluding 2007 and after) outside of Yao and Hakeem. Did draft a few players that became decent role players, Horry, Mobely, and Cassell. Also drafted a couple that are doing decent in other places, Richard Jefferson and Rudy Gay. The rest of the draft picks, I would like to see one of those VH1 specials done for them, "Where are they now?"
Let's go for accuracy: CD - 0 championships Morey - 0 championships CD had a hand in the championships, but only as an assistant coach on Rudy's bench. Steve Patterson, who became the GM in 1989, assembled most of the talent on the two title teams. Tod Leiweke was GM from 8/93–1/94, then Bob Weinhauer served from from 01/94–05/96. Dawson took over in May of 1996. True story: As a long-time Rockets assistant coach, Dawson would have most likely been named head coach instead of Rudy, but was struck by lightning while playing golf and lost the vision in one eye completely and partially in the other eye. Rudy was standing just a few feet away from him at the time.
Well, he would have to first need to have some crappy seasons first. Or a boatload of cap room. People keep saying Morey can only get good role players. Well, you try finding that "special" player when you have $40 million sitting on the bench and draft picks in the low 20s. If Morey had a 6yr/$75 mil contract to hand out, I'd imagine he'd be able to get us a player better than Pippen turned out. If Morey had a 1st, 9th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 18th x 2, over the span of 5 years, I'd assume he'd find more than just Brooks and Landry.
