Rockets don't play any real contenders the next 20 games

if we ever play the Timberwolves again I predict a competitive game

 

First......... go to the ESPN Rockets page and see what is on it....... it is nothing but James Harden highlights with the NETS.....

Second the Rockets are now 3-7 on this "no contenders" run..... they have lost 6 in a row and have been outscored by an average of 19 points a game.

Eric Gordon is having fun... so there is always that.

 

“the Rockets won’t be a real contender the next 20 years”

sadly, that could be true with Tilman at the helm

 

Good point, especially if Towns dies of COVID.

 

c'mon man!

 

I fixed it for you.

 

Wall still telling everyone that there were some players that didnt want to be here?

I guess it was for a damn good reason.

 

Well Wall is taking more shots than James Harden this year so he is having fun.

 

I foolishly thought this type of thread would be fine and not a jinx, but the reality is James Harden's durability could not be influenced by any type of witchcraft, or wannabe rapper's curse, we are no longer protected as we were before. With that said, if I were a GM I would prioritize durability, if there are signs a player will be injured often or is not built for the NBA I would look to sell high on them, I am not looking to go through another Yao era of getting my hopes up to have them come crashing down repeatedly.

 

The Rockets played crap teams and it turned out they were the biggest turd of all. Wood is the real Wood

 

Morey should trade Embiid right about now. That dude is not durable. And he is one of the favorites in MVP talks. Can't get much higher value than that.

 

There are guys like Joel and AD that are worth the risk due to their upside, and a replacement at that level is impossible. They also are on teams that can carry the weight for spurts until they are back. Wood is not one of those guys and we are not one of those teams, and that is the type of player I am referring to. Our situation is not the same, lol we don't have Lebron James to carry us until our injured player comes back.

 

Considering that the Rockets haven't won a single game since Wood's latest injury, shouldnt he be a favorite to win MVP?

 

I agree in part, but if you're talking about being low on Wood, I think it's way too early to give up on his durability. I don't know what other major injuries he dealt with earlier in his career, but sprained ankles aren't that big of a deal. They're just bad luck. They don't really tend to linger like things such as stress fractures, achilles, knee injuries, microfracture procedures, back problems, etc.

Imagine if the Warriors gave up on Curry after those umteen sprained ankles he had in his first couple years... (and before anyone says anything, no, I'm not suggesting Wood will be, or needs to be, as good as Curry)

 

Yes, he should.

 

How would you feel about a trade that's something like:

Oladipo + Wood + filler for Oubre + Wiseman + Looney + rights to Minnesota's FRP?

 

Minnesota's FRP for this year, assuming it is very high? That sounds like a decent return. I like Wood a lot, but the direction we are going now with a bunch of 19-21 year olds and he being 26 at the start of next season, but not a 26 year old that has a ton of NBA minutes and experience, I am not sure if that is the right fit for this stage of a rebuild. If he were 24-25 and had the experience to be respected in the locker room then he would make some sense to have during a rebuild. I also do not understand what Oladipo's value is as an expiring? I understand the bird rights have value, but is that only when you are offering near max money or needing to go over the cap? What team is going to pay him that much, and what is he worth in the trade market? He hasn't really exceeded expectations here in my opinion, but it is not clear to me what we should expect in return for him.

 

1000% agree with Wood. It's unfortunate he got injured, but based on where the team is now compared to the start of the season, it does seem like Wood might not fit well with the timeline. The first 2/3 years of his deal would be a waste, so perhaps it's worthwhile to sell high (and unfortunately Oladipo's value is less stellar than it was even a couple of months ago).

Perhaps the move is hold on to Wood as a potential draft night trade, depending on whether Houston maintains a top-4 lottery pick in this year's draft (still could be wise to trade him this season as a hedge in case Houston's pick lands outside of the top-4 picks).

Since the youth movement is evident, the "dream" scenario may be to have a mini "Process" expedited into 1-2 years rather than 3-5 years of major suckage. I'd like to imagine a timeline where Houston trades for Wiseman + Minnesota's pick (which lands at #4), while the Rockets get very lucky and land a top-3 pick.

Obviously no draft picks are guaranteed to pan out into stars, but I'd be intrigued with a future around Porter, Wiseman, Martin and two top-4 draft picks in this year's draft. And if they suck next year (likely), hey cool yet another potential top-lottery pick. This way they aren't pressured to build around Wood's contract.

Again, love Wood and his potential, but if there's a chance to land top-4 talent then Houston should shoot their shot.