I know the season is approaching and everyone thinks this team should achieve something special this season. But is this team Championship contender enough? Or we are stuck on the same pre-contending level with teams like Clippers and Memphis? If you were the GM of Rockets, what improvement you'd made on this team? What moves you'd make to bring that championship level to Houston? I know everyone has different answers and I think this is the open ended question we need to have. Does this franchise have more upside? Trade Asik and Lin? Make moves around 2014 draft day? Even more bold moves? What you'd do? And what is your vision and strategy? Maybe we can also get some expert opinions.
This team is very good. That said, in order to go all the way, we cannot keep turning a blind eye to the PF position. I love Asik. But he is too much a luxury to keep on the team now. A big man in Asik's calibre is a rarity and we should use him to exchange for a championship level PF. It can be done.
I have no idea since we have no idea what this current team is capable of. We've never seen them play.
Not just yet I think. Morey needs to round out the roster a bit and we need to develop chemistry. IMHO, we need: -A glue guy perimeter defender, ala Battier/Bowen, to slow down the opposing team's best player. -A backup SG, ala Courtney Lee, who can play some PG in a bind. Garcia is a nice stop gap, but we need a younger guy who is a bit more versatile. -A serviceable PF. Would love to have Patterson back for the short term, but I think the long term PF will arrive by 2015. -A better fit at PG. Not sure if Cannan or Bev is that guy, but we need a spot up shooting/defender. Don't think Lin is going to be here much longer, unless his game changes drastically.
But we know what Dwight is capable of bringing to the table. This team will be good. But my question is as of right now, what move you'd make. And what vision and strategy you'll have in the future. This is offseason. Just make it fun... And some of Clutch fans are really an expert on things already.
Tell the players: this is the contending team. it is set. no more trade talks. we have enough talents. we have no excuses for not to win the next ring. You guys better start playing defense now.
But we really don't know what Dwight is capable of. Was last season a fluke, or is this the new Dwight? He was injured last season. So is going to recover back to Orlando Dwight? Will he be Laker Dwight? Will he be between the two? How will he do in this system? How will it work between Howard and Asik? How will the PF position turn out? Is a good PF even necessary? With the team how it is, maybe the PF position isn't even really that important based on how they play. Who knows? Now that Dwight is here and can run the pick and roll, will Lin improve even more? Will that change what people think of Lin? Is Lin's jumper going to be even better considering he isn't coming off knee surgery like last year? How will Casspi pan out? Will he fill his role or will he be a bench warmer? Can Garcia fill Delfino's role for the whole season? How will this team play together as a whole? Sometimes you can have great individual players who just do not suit each other when playing together as a team. Sometimes even sub-par players mesh well and play great as a team. We just don't know anything. There have been a lot of changes made, and the dynamics of the team have greatly changed with those changes. We have absolutely no idea what needs to be added, subtracted, changed, adjusted, etc. The dynamics of this team can turn out to be great, or we may see things that aren't working, and changes need to be made. We just don't know right now.
I guess what I'm saying is... Morey HAS made improvements. He's made several changes. It would be wise to see how this plays out with Dwight, and THEN make the necessary changes for NEXT season. This season will let us know what to do with Asik, and will show us what is working and what isn't.
Here are my predictions: Howard will love it here, and reach a new level Beard will improve his game, will shoot a higher percentage Lin will have his best year yet Asik and Howard actually coexist and do well in limited appearances Jones will emerge as the PF Parsons will up his scoring average Beverly will play extended minutes The bench will be excellent The team goes to the conference finals They will be even better the following season
