What are you even saying? The team as is, was constructed to support Yao Ming who retired this offseason. Morey surrounded the team with very good role players to complement him. I'm pretty sure the Orlando Magic would want Lowry, Martin or Scola surrounding Dwight. Too bad the management they have is not as good. After Yao announced his retirement, a three team deal was done that landed us Pau Gasol. Regardless of what your feelings on Gasol are, he was in fact an MVP candidate last year. In the eyes of any front office around the league, this is easily a scenario where trading assets worked. The injury to Yao Ming got us the 14th pick in the draft, no mistake about it. Having a group of role players come that close to the playoffs in the Western Conference says something about our assets. At this point they were role players on a contender, not assets. In your attempt at sarcasm, you fail to see that a transitory fase is happening right now. The focus has been shifted from surrounding Yao with quality role players, which to Morey's credit he has done, to now moving our depth for a more premier player, which to his credit he also done once. You can't hold Morey accountable for both the injuries to McGrady and Yao and less than one year removed from the Yao era ask why we only have quality role players on the team. Your impatience absolutely astounds me. After a three team deal was legitimately pulled off by all parties involved, trading our assets for Pau was shot down by the league. As if this isn't evidence enough that it not only can be done, but was done, you still choose to point the finger at the method at which the organization is currently operating. To blame every circumstance on the process of collecting assets, (which in reality has just recently become a collection) after clear evidence that it has already worked, is absolutely ludicrous.
I didn't read the OP, but I agree wholeheartedly with the title. I can't believe how many people want to tank... that crap almost NEVER works when you want to win a championship. Your goal should always be to improve as soon as possible. A culture that shows the desire to win now will do a lot more to bring in free agents, fans, etc. Trying to play the lottery very rarely pays off. Pretty much the ONLY exception I can think of is the Spurs with getting Duncan, and that was only because they already had a solid core with Robinson, Elliot, etc, so by getting Duncan, they just stacked their team.
When is it time for the Rocket fans to expect a contender? When is it ok? How long does management have? When do the moral victories expire?
Considering our franchise player just went down this offseason, I would say maybe more than a year? LOL WOW are you serious?
None of those things are going to go away any sooner by tanking... If anything, taking that strategy is just going to delay recovery. See my last post.
This, too. People seem to really overestimate how long this team has been in "trouble", and underestimate how good we are. We're really not THAT far away from being a legitimate contender. Of course I realize it's easier to say all this after a 5-game winning streak, but if we start losing, you pro-tankers all get your wish, anyways. But the point is we should be trying to win, and go down whatever path that takes us.
Last year's squad at the start of the year. Brooks(coming of MIP season)/Lowry Martin/Lee Battier/Budinger Scola/Hayes Yao/Miller Don't know about you TEXNIFICENT, but that looks like a contender to me... Seeing as you are asking how long it should take to have a contender, you should probably realize that we have already been a contender up until now. This is the first year we are technically in a transitory phase. Have a little bit of patience maybe?
Alston/Brooks McGrady/Wafer Artest/Battier Scola/Landry Yao/Mutumbo 09 team was easily a contender. What happened there? Oh yea... Mcgrady got hurt, Yao got hurt, they took the lakers to 7 games in the 2nd round without them. In other news Alston was traded for Lowry, not really a big deal.
Tell me someone OUTSIDE of Houston who would've picked that team to win an NBA title. In other news, we maybe on our way to a 3rd consecutive 14th pick.
Houston, home of the moral victory. Man I'm sick of it. It me sicker to watch Dallas win last year & around here we're still talking 09 & taking the Lakers to 7 IN THE 2nd round. Sigh. Time for change.
As you have chosen the inferior of the two teams I presented, I'm assuming you acknowledge that our team was in contention no less than three years ago. (don't sweat it, its already common knowledge....) That alone isn't very much time, especially given the circumstances. For all intents and purposes, lets say this was the final year as a contender. Now what I want you to do is take the 09 team and think about where some of those players are now, and who we have acquired to replace them. Although last years team was not as good as the 09 team, you would hard pressed to find a better way of restructuring the squad for a run, which is exactly what they had done. Brooks was becoming a very good guard in the league before his abysmal season. Martin replaced McGrady. Battier was a stopper. Scola was a third or fourth option on a contender(which is what he is.) Yao Ming was the best center in the league. Brad Miller and Hayes would have had entirely different roles. Our bench was well rounded with Lowry and Lee. I would say it was a contender. If not, it was a very good team recovering from an injured star with room to grow. Truth is Martin never got to play with Yao and we never got to see what Adelman could do with the squad. If Yao had stayed healthy, the squad would only have improved. As Yao Ming had not mailed it in yet, it was up to management to stay in contention. Which is exactly what they did. Do you blame them? Seems to me that is what you want. Mind you they did a pretty damn good job covering for one massive injury but two is just too much. It was only after Yao went down that his supporting cast became just assets floating in water. This happened last year, and the direction of our team changed this summer with Yao's retirement.
Spooner, don't get me wrong bro, we disagree on a few points but I really respect your fanhood & belief in the Rox management. Forgive my frustration I just want my city to have a big-time winner again. In any sport, that's all.
Yao was injured in 2010 and 2011 respectively. It was up to the organization to stay afloat in his absence as he was still part of the team and his window was closing. 09 was the last time was saw Yao for a season and look where it got us without McGrady. I'm not sure why I am arguing with you. Honestly you sound devoid of any patience or rational thought. You were probably spoiled as a child and now want everything instantaneously. I hope some day you realize the meaning of patience. Suffice it to say, mine has been tested with you. Welcome to ignore.
This isn't really all that true. Yao was out all of last year and the year before. I can understand in 2010 expecting him to come back in 11 but when that didn't happen it was time to go in a different direction. This marks the third year in a row that we have put out a very similar roster and in the past two years we have had identical results. Doing it a third time in a row is just idiotic to me. You can point to the Pau trade but that didn't happen and when it didn't we should have chose to either make another big trade or go into a full on rebuilding phase. Right now we are just playing to be middle of the pack and that is the worst place you can be in the NBA. We are a few years away from contending so holding on to Scola is pointless and probably Martin too considering by the time we get back into the mix they will be getting up there in years. In such a deep draft and a year where we lose our pick if we make the playoffs I think it is a terrible decision to battle for a low playoff seed.
One game over 500!!! Its a new day to say "IN YOUR FACE!" Told you we would be semi competitive for years to come.. 14 pick here we go!!!!! Wohhooo!!
