I know this is a popular topic that's discussed in many threads. I haven't seen a poll for it, though, and I was interested to see how split the board really is or if they are mostly leaning positive/negative. For the poll, I'll make the possible options A, B, C, D, and F. How do you rate Morey's overall performance as a Rockets executive?
Had to go with B. I think he's in the middle of A and B, though. He's been great for the franchise, but I wouldn't really consider him to be one of the best GMs in the business... not yet, at least.
He's a great GM. He does absolutely everything possible to help improve the team. Though, sometimes it doesn't always work out due to things out of his control (we're not NYC/LA). I have complete confidence in any move he makes because every move he makes he's thinking about the present AND future, which is what you want.
B at the very worse. Not because he did amazing things but because I doubt any other GM out there could do as good or better. Also got to give him a little slack with that whole Stern debacle, and the subsequent consequences (Losing Hayes and Lin for nothing).
A if the Gasol trade had passed. B- currently. We may not have a 0.500 record at the moment, but we look like a 0.500 team.
Beginning of last season, I might have given him a solid B+. My overall impression has drifted down to B- range in the last season and a half. I still think the good moves outweigh the bad moves, but I question his ability to attract a star to want to play here and also the overall strategy of trying to rebuild while also making the playoffs. I understand that some will want to pin that last part on the owner, but I think part of the reason Morey was given the job in the first place was because Les thought he was the man capable of rebuilding in that way (speculating here, but maybe Morey gave a convincing pitch on how this could be achieved). Here's what I wrote a week ago in another thread. It basically sums up my thoughts on Morey's overall tenure: I look at the Morey's tenure in 2 phases. Phase 1 ("Go for the Ring"): There's 06/07 - 08/09, where his goal was to build a championship roster around Yao and McGrady. He wasn't the official GM in 06/07, but he was clearly involved in personnel decisions. In my opinion, he did a pretty good job in Phase 1, but the Rockets had bad luck with injuries. The team looked good on paper each year, and he avoided adding bad contracts which would make it difficult to remake the team if it came to that. Phase 2 ("Rebuild and Make the Playoffs"): 09/10 was basically the year in which his goal shifted to remaking the roster for the post-Yao / post-McGrady era, with the secondary (and competing) goal of making the playoffs. The strategy of trying to simultaneously rebuild the team and also make the playoffs is very questionable. He hasn't achieved the latter, obviously, and he also hasn't added players with high-upside to the roster. So now, we are stuck in mediocrity limbo, where we're not losing enough to rebuild quickly through the draft, and we're not winning enough or have good enough talent to attract stars to want to play here. I don't necessarily criticize the particular tactical decisions he has made. Given the over-arching strategy, the tactics have been sound, but that hardly matters if the strategy itself is misguided.
Just for reference Spoiler May be missing a transaction, hiring/firing, etc here or there. Since 2006-2007 Traded: ->Rudy Gay & Stromile Swift to Memphis for Shane Battier ->2008 2nd round draft pick (Marty Leunen) to the New Orleans for Kirk Snyder & a 2008 2nd round draft pick (Sasha Kaun). ->Scott Padgett to Memphis for Jake Tsakalidis ->Juwan Howard to Minnesota for Mike James & Justin Reed ->Cash to Orlando for 2007 2nd round pick(Brad Newley) ->Cash & 2008 2nd round pick(Sasha Kaun) to Seattle for Carl Landry ->Vassilis Spanoulis(to SA) & a 2009 2nd round draft pick(Nando DeColo)(to SA) for Jackie Butler & Luis Scola. ->Kirk Snyder & a 2010 2nd round draft pick(Paulao Prestes) to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Gerald Green. ->Mike James & Bonzi Wells to the New Orleans Hornets & Malick Badiane to the Memphis Grizzlies for Sergei Lishouk(from MEM), Bobby Jackson(from NO), Adam Haluska(from NO) & a 2008 2nd round draft pick (Marty Leunen); Hornets traded Marcus Vinicius to the Memphis Grizzlies. ->Nicolas Batum to the Portland Trail Blazers for Donte Greene(from MEM), a 2009 2nd round draft pick (Sam Young)(from MEM) & Joey Dorsey(from POR); Portland Trail Blazers traded Darrell Arthur to the Memphis Grizzlies. ->Steve Novak to the Los Angeles Clippers for the right to swap 2nd round draft picks in 2011 but did not do so. -> Donte Greene, Bobby Jackson & a 2009 1st round draft pick (Omri Casspi) to the Sacramento Kings for Metta World Peace, Patrick Ewing & Sean Singletary. ->Sean Singletary to the Phoenix Suns for D.J. Strawberry. ->Patrick Ewing to the New York Knicks for Frederic Weis ->Steve Francis, cash & a 2009 2nd round draft pick(Sam Young) to the Grizzlies for a 2011 2nd round draft pick. Houston did not receive the 2nd round draft pick because it was top 55 protected. -> Rafer Alston to the Orlando Magic for Kyle Lowry(from MEM) & Brian Cook(from ORL); the Magic traded Adonal Foyle, Mike Wilks and a 2009 1st round draft pick (DeMarre Carroll) to the Memphis Grizzlies. ->Cash(to WAS) for Jermaine Taylor ->Cash & a future 2nd round draft pick(to DET) for Chase Budinger. ->Cash(to DEN) for Sergio Llull ->future 2nd round draft pick, cash & future considerations(to ATL) for rights to David Andersen ->James White(to DEN) for the draft rights to Axel Hervelle ->Joey Dorsey(to SAC), Carl Landry(to SAC) & Tracy McGrady(to NYK) for Jordan Hill(from NYK), Jared Jeffries(from NYK), a future 1st round draft(NYK); Hilton Armstrong(from SAC), Kevin Martin(from SAC) & the right to swap 1st round draft picks with New York in 2011 but did not do so.; the New York Knicks traded Larry Hughes(to SAC) for Sergio Rodriguez(to NYK). ->David Andersen to the Toronto Raptors for cash & a 2015 2nd round draft pick. ->Trevor Ariza(to NO) for Courtney Lee(from NJ); the Pacers traded Troy Murphy(to NJ) for Darren Collison(from NO) and James Posey(from NO) ->2012 1st round draft pick(to NJ) & Sergei Lishouk(to LAL) for Terrence Williams(from NJ); the Lakers traded Sasha Vujacic(to NJ) and a 2011 1st round draft pick(JuJuan Johnson)(to NJ) for Joe Smith(from NJ), a 2011 2nd round draft pick(Darius Morris)(from NJ) and a 2012 2nd round draft pick(from NJ). ->Jermaine Taylor & cash(to SAC) for a 2011 2nd round draft pick. Houston did not receive the 2nd round draft pick because it was top 55 protected. ->Aaron Brooks(to PHX) for Goran Dragic(from PHX) and a 2011 1st round draft pick(Nikola Mirotic). ->Shane Battier(to MEM) & Ishmael Smith(to MEM) for DeMarre Carroll(from MEM), Hasheem Thabeet(from MEM) & a future 1st round draft pick(from MEM). ->Brad Miller(to MIN), Nikola Mirotic(to MIN), Chandler Parsons(to MIN) & a future 1st round draft pick(to MIN) for Jonny Flynn(from MIN), Donatas Motiejunas(from MIN) & a future 2nd round draft pick(from MIN). ->Cash(to MIN) for Chandler Parsons. Released: Ryan Bowen Mike Harris Richie Frahm Jackie Butler John Lucas Justin Reed Bob Sura Adam Haluska Gerald Green Loren Woods Marcus Campbell Mike Harris D.J. Strawberry Luther Head Romel Beck Garrett Temple Will Conroy Brent Barry Pops Mesah-Bonsu Mike Harris Brian Cook Hilton Armstrong Patrick Sullivan Jordan Eglseder Antonio Anderson Jerel McNeal Mike Harris Alexander Johnson Jared Jeffries DeMarre Carroll Marqus Blakely Ibrahim Jaaber Greg Smith Marcus Cousin Jeremy Lin Jeff Adrien Signed: Scott Padgett Bonzi Wells Mike Harris Steve Francis Bobby Jones Justin Williams Mike Harris Loren Woods Brent Barry Von Wafer Marcus Campbell James White Trevor Ariza David Andersen Pops Mensah-Bonsu Romel Beck Will Conroy Garrett Temple Mike Harris Will Conroy Garrett Temple Will Conroy Mike Harris Alexander Johnson Brad Miller Ish Smith Jerel McNeal Antonio Anderson Mike Harris Marcus Cousin Marqus Blakely Jeremy Lin Ibrahim Jaaber Greg Smith Jeff Adrien Samuel Dalembert Greg Smith Drafted: Rudy Gay(1-8) Steve Novak(2-32) Aaron Brooks(1-26) Brad Newley(2-54) Nicolas Batum(1-25) Maarty Leunen(2-54) Patrick Patterson(1-14) Marcus Morris(1-14) Nikola Mirotic(1-23) Chandler Parsons(2-38) Coaches/FO: Hired Daryl Morey Fired Jeff Van Gundy Hired Rick Adelman Hired Elston Turner, Jack Sikma, TR Dunn & RJ Adelman as assistant coaches Named Sam Hinkie VP of Basketball Operations Named Kenny Atkinson director of player development and Pat Zipfel advance scout. Named Gersson Rosas VP of player personnel Daryl Morey contract extension Exercised option on Rick Adelman through 2010-2011 Named Sam Hinkie executive VP of Basketball Operations Fired Rick Adelman Hired Kevin McHale Hired Chris Finch as assistant coach. Hired JB Bickerstaff, Chris Finch and Brett Gunning as assistant coaches. Named Greg Buckner player development coach references: hoopshype.com & basketballreference.com D+
Actually, Les most likely did not have "rebuilding" in mind when he hired Morey at all. Remember, Morey was hired in 2006 to succeed CD the following year. This was when the Rockets had Yao and McGrady both young and productive, but had to replace an aging supporting cast without the benefit of cap room or high draft picks. Morey was hired to identify the correct role players to spend money on and to identify them in the lower part of drafts. Rebuilding, whether with or without tanking first, was not the mission at that time.
Lolwut? Try telling the Warriors we're not performing. They'd give their collective left nuts to be ranked 6th at the moment. It looks like the team will be in the playoffs THIS season. Opinions vary on how to get the "star" required to move to the next level, but the minimum window seems to be around 5 years for the draft strategy. If people are of the opinion that we should tank, then probably ought to wait 5 years before complaining that we have no star/direction. It's much easier to whack a star into a 'low playoff team' and make the jump to contender - that's Les' preference and that's what Morey is attempting to facilitate (/did facilitate = rejected by Stern).
I'd question your dating of "Phase 2" - the attention shifted away from McGrady but rather towards complementing Yao (remember the dream of Martin pulling fouls early so that Yao could be unstoppable late?) The "post Yao" era has really only just begun this season. So we're in year 1 of this phase - we'll see if Les' direction works.
