It seems that Rox is good at top-talent evaluation, SF and YM, but so-so at middle-talent evaluation, EG, MoT, M Norris, Cato. We have some hits from low draft picks: Cat, K. Thomas (both of them are undersized at their positions). but generally, our low draft picks were disappointing. I hope Rox can learn the lessons from the experience: 1. Never sign anybody with a drug problem. 2. Don't draft a kid without thourough background checks 3. Hire more experienced draft experts, especially international draft experts. International players have less character problems, they can be left overseas for talent development without pay, and when they come, they contribute immediately at cheap rate. Plus, hiring experienced draft experts is much CHEAPER than paying top dollars to under-acheiving players. Spurs is a model organization in drafting players. Sure, they got lucky in Duncan, but many of their starters are from low draft picks. Magic is a disaster. They got lucky in Shaq, then T-mac, but their other draft picks are totally disaster. Anyway, with NO high draft picks in the near future, the only way we get cheap talent is to get better at talent evaluation. Pray we can get a Parker, a Ginobilli through drafts. Nowadays, you do need a top player to contend, but you need to be good at signing good mid-talent to help your top players. I can see why some are perennial playoff teams, and some are perennila losers: luck and talent evaluation. You can't control luck, but you can get better at talent evaluation, starting from your GM.
By the way, how do teams evaluation talent? Is it based on production? physical ability or others? Does it involve statistical analysis? I can think of many ways to do this statistically if I can have the database. What I need is all historical info about the players who declared for draft and their performance afterwards. I think the lottery starts in mid 80s, so the time series is long enough. Then when you decide to sign a player into long-term contract, do you take future injury into consideration? There could be scientific methods to examine a player's propensity to injury.
I am curious as to why you said that our low draft picks were disappointing (im assuming you mean 2nd round picks). Do you mean that all 2nd round picks that we drafted should have been expected to be a significant contributer/rotation player, and since most weren't, then they were disappointing??? If so, then specifically, which 2nd round picks of the Rockets do you consider disappointing??
EG - who knew, sometimes you have to gamble - after not gambling on Lewis they knew they needed to start. Mo - Is a great pickup it's just that he has been injured every year except the first, so to say he isn't good is just speculation. M Norris - SUCKS Cato - 2 years ago we all cried about Cato but staring last year and into this year it sure looks like a good deal. I would say that the Rockets have been at the very least avg. at picking talent. But I think they are better than that. Everyting has to do with winning as to how the players are judged wheter they are good or bad. For example: the thread that listed the top 10 players in Rockets history. Some people put Mario E. on their list. While I love Mario's play and all that he did for the Rockets there is no way he should be on that list. In fact Cat is a way better player than Mario but you didn't see him anywhere on the list. Hopefully as the Rockets start picking up wins and start moving thru the playoffs that some of this negative thinking will stop.
Only about 20% of the players drafted in the 2nd round in 2000 are regular rotation players in the NBA right now. So how can you call Langhi disappointing?? 2nd round picks are, for the most part, a crap shoot and the majority don't end up playing major minutes in the NBA. Why is Langhi considered the exception to the rule?? I could only call Langhi a disappointment if most 2nd round picks are expected to be significant contributers on an NBA team.
I think our current problems have to do with player's ATTITUDE rather than the level of talent. That said, what we should do is invite every potential player over to the coaches and owners homes, have dinner, a sleepover, hang out, and all that for about a week to get to know them better.......... JVG has said, and he's right, that every team has talent. It's the desire, attitude, and discipline that seperates the winners from the losers.
Because we gave up Najara, and a future pick for this guy who was said to be better than stromile swift, because langhi was player of the year in his conference over swift. Thats why
No, I mean picks outside top 10 including the first-round picks. Somewhat, I agree Rox is an average team in draft picks. Many teams are worse in draft picks, for example, the Magic. But are we satisfied being average? If we want to be a contender year in and year out. We want to do better than that. Also when we give a long-term contract, how do we avoid a MoT, a M. Norris type contract? Do you want to sign an injury-prone player to a long-term contract? There might be scientific ways to predict injuries. I know some Italian soccer clubs use some scientific methods to predict players injuries beforing signing them to a big contract. Then how do you measure attitude or heart? One way is to look at a player's consistency/variance in scores/boards/assists/blocks. If a player has a bad game, can a player still help a team by working hard in other part of the game? A player with the right attitude or heard should have consistency in their games. Anyway, FA and drafts are two ways to help a team. I am not saying Rox is below average in the league. But if Rox wants to be among the elite clubs consistently, Rox should invest a little more in talent evaluation.
Can we predict attitude and desire before a player signs a long-term lucrative contract? We all know a player plays hard during a contract year, how can we know if he will continue playing hard or just play hard to get the contract? One way is to get to know the player better, his off-season training habit, his eating/sleep habit. Another way is to look at how consistent a playe produces, not only during the contract years. I would say if a player is consistent, he is more likely to have the right attitude by playing hard in every game.
You are not aware of the FACTS :- The Spurs TANKED the whole Season prior to getting the number ONE pick. David Robinson feined injury to avid being forced to return to active duty,[afer he sat out most of the season recovering from his previous injury] inorder that the Spurs could continue on their cheating ways.It was so obvious that I cant understand why David Robinson such a good person went along with it!
Right now. I think we have changed a lot. We have signed smart, intelligent, and good fundamental veteran role players like Jim Jackson, Eric Piatkowski, Adrian Griffin, Scott Padgett...we got role players like Mike Wilks and Toray Braggs and John Amaechi. Very good moves...they fit perfectly for us. I love how they can all shoot...and do special things. Lovely... Yao Ming, Steve Francis, and Cuttino Mobley are our core. Don't break them up. Just play like tonight every night and we will be fine. We still have other good players too like Bostjan Nachbar, Eddie Griffin, Maurice Taylor and KELVIN CATO as well most definitely. Eddie and MO have been disappointing...but Mo was doing good...too bad. Eddie... That was sad. But he was SUPPOSED to become a big star. Just attitude and mental problems. We have a good team right now. Boki is NOT a bust man. Look at him now...he's inconsistent but is an NBA player. now moochie...just sucks.
