Ringer: What is going on with the Rockets this summer?

We can't attract anymore actual talented free agents because Houston is not NY, Miami, LA, Bay Area, or Chicago. And it never will be so we need to stop pretending. So we have to do what we always do, find deals and gamble on young NBA players.

 

*edit: sorry! I checked to see if this had been posted and somehow missed the other thread.

"Windows of opportunity close faster than you’d expect in the Warriors era. Game 1 of the 2017 Western Conference finals was the closest the Spurs ever got to toppling the Warriors. Up 23 with just under eight minutes left in the third quarter, Kawhi Leonard exited the game with an apparent injury after Zaza Pachulia closed out hard and landed in Leonard’s airspace, causing a left ankle injury that knocked the Spurs star out of the series. Golden State swept the Spurs with Leonard ruled out; Kawhi has played only nine games for San Antonio since. He now wants out. We’ll never know what would’ve happened if the injury hadn’t happened. That’s a what-if that will haunt Spurs fans for years to come.

I’ve been wondering whether we’ll look back at last season’s conference finals in a similar way. Houston was far closer than the Spurs ever got, on the brink of winning a thrilling Game 7, up 11 at halftime before a run of 27 straight missed 3s sealed their fate and dropped them out of Finals contention. Now Houston has to try to run it all back. But their situation may have already changed too much for the Rockets to pretend they’re the same team as last year..."

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/7/10/17556062/houston-rockets-free-agency-capela

 

Worriers are gonna worrier.

 

Stating the obvious at this point but, yeah, it's really strange the Rockets literally didn't do **** yet

 

I checked the By line to see if it was another Ringer hater before I read the article. Paolo Uggetti is a Rockets supporter. It's safe to read. If Morey likes this group, I like this group. I trust Morey.

 

This seems really premature. I dont really understand people freaking out when we're still over 3 months away from the start of the season.

 

No Money. That's what's going on.. Anderson and Gordon is taking huge chunks.. with Harden and Paul.

 

Morey says signing CP was good and I agree. The alternative is not signing him. . . .

 

I anticipate an incoming Morey or Tad tweet about calming down, not panicking or "running it back" in response to this, or any criticism really.

 

What do you mean haven't done anything yet. Michael Carter-Williams... SPLASH!

 

There's a difference between saying the team is worse than it was last year and the team will be worse than it was last year. No one is saying the season is over. Sure they could add some players and be a much better team by the trade deadline but that is no guarantee. All we know is the team as it is currently constructed and the pessimism is warranted. Once the team completes the right moves, the optimism will come. If you're excited about the upcoming season, it is not because of the players currently on the team. It is because you are hoping/assuming/expecting moves will be made.

 

Or another highlight clip of MCW

 

Gamble on young players? CP3 33 yr, Melo 34 yr old?

 

Prepare the eat crow thread. Way too much talking WAY too soon.

 

I would be so much less upset if they were honest and stopped pulling that ****. I could have tempered my expectations. There was BIG talk about going DEEP into the luxury tax. I thought we were trying to sign LeBron. Now we cant even keep 1 of our wings.

 

Rest of the league looking at the Rockets and Morey like...hey you guys are supposed to be the ones to stop this monster in the Bay. Rest of us eating popcorn while on set of Space Jam 2.

 

And that is maybe the most telling thing: for a GM who is unafraid to take risks and make deals, Morey has been notably inactive. That could mean he is worried about tax ramifications (always possible). It may also mean he has a longer play in the works, not just Anthony, but maybe a plan to package Gordon with some other assets (on-hand or yet to be acquired) to acquire some more pieces. I will he very surprised of the summer passes and we have not collected some rather underrated minimum players who believe they can thrive in our system this year, then hit then open market next year. I suspect Melo is the first domino, then Capella, then the minimums, and during the season a bigger deal.