To win or not to win

i agree. since we know we are probably going to get in 2nd round or close to 2nd round, why not go for it?
only tank if our roster will only task us 8-12 seeds

 

Tanking is only for when you don't see a future (see Knicks or Rox last year or the year before). Right now, the team shows nothing but a bright future.

Harden - 23 showing signs of MVP
Lin - 24 showing signs of top 10 PG
Asik - 26 showing signs top 10 C
Chandler - 24 looking to be very solid starter

And then you have promising looking rookies like Machado, Jones, and White.

The only thing that's missing for this team to grow in potential is a deep bench. Rockets has all the pieces as if Gods have aligned the stars for them. If you don't go for gold with this and look to tank which kills player confidence and assets, then I have to question your entire NBA career as fans.

 

This.

There's a HUGE difference between a mediocre team of players who are at/near peak and a mediocre team of players who are YOUNG with UPSIDE.

They need all the experience they can get.

And Stars aren't in a rush to play with a team that's tanking. Now a team with UPSIDE... Houston is moving up the FA ladder.

 

"Allow me to Retort"

The Rockets need a secondary star now- Thats a given.

So- Do you think it they would find that player quicker in trade or free agency since they now have a proven stud that makes Houston more appealing to play for

Or is it easier to find MULTIPLE stars by tearing it all down AGAIN... trade Harden/Lin/Asik for peanuts to be bad enough to give yourself a shot at getting a #1 pick????. Then be bad enough for another year or two to land ANOTHER future star. THEN you might be a contender.

Look the Rockets now have a stud. That's what you need in order to build a team. Tanking now for a pick would be completely ridiculous. You would need to trade away your core AGAIN to be truely bad enough to compete for a #1 pick.

Then once you get lucky and get that one player in the draft, guess what????.... YOU STILL ONLY HAVE ONE STAR.

So my opinion is they need to continue to improve the players they have, build around Harden without taking on cap space, and set themselve up for aquisition #2. Then you have yourselves a future contender. Breaking it down in order to tank & pick now seems ridiculous.

 

where is the option of banning you from making a thread or sharing your opinion ever again?

 

So how does a team with no future, NOT tank and suddenly have a bright future a year later? Doesn't this blow away the theory of tanking?

 

This is why I picked abstention. When you frame the question so narrowly -- Jessica Alba or Roseanne Barr? -- the answer is obvious.

 

By no future, I'm not talking about bottom feeder teams. I'm talking about teams that are just hanging there and their players are obviously not going to get any better.

 

I'd rather win. Of course winning also means a lot of positives about this team.

 

People wanted to tank for a franchise player. I didn't agree, but can see the logic, it's one way to go about things.

Now the Rockets landed that franchise player, and you losers still want to tank?

 

The best thing about playing a young team like this...either way is just fine.

Win get the playoff experience.

Lose and hopefully get a really good pick.

 

This. With Harden here we're in a win-win situation whichever way the season pans out.

 

I'd prefer to start winning with Harden though.

It would mean he's well worth the contract and Asik and Lin are proving their worth too.

Also...that game opened some eyes. I'm sure not just by pundits and talking heads but surely some other NBA players were watching and how Harden dominated and shared the ball.

I'm just saying though, if the team were to lose and get another Lottery pick it surely wouldn't be that bad of a thing with what Morey has done. He may even flip that for a higher draft pick during the draft.

 

i think we should go for the playoffs, we have harden and lin, asik i making some noise with his defense, i say we go to the playoffs and make some more noise and attract one more superstar.

 

Not necessarily, but it shows that it is possible to rebuild without purposefully losing games.

The Rockets didn't necessarily lose games, but what they did was they had to completely tear down their team to get that one player.

Tad Brown alluded to 12 moves that had to be made that directly linked to Harden being aquired. Had the Rockets not traded away their VERY GOOD PG in Lowry, a role playing big man in Jordan Hill, walked away from another VERY GOOD PG in Dragic, and amnestied Scola for the cap space to absorb bad contracts, and cut something like 5 mil worth of players they aquired in order to get the draft picks to send in the Harden deal.

The Rockets never had to actually lose games, but they went through a hell of alot of pain to get the player they had.

They went a different route to get the player they ended up getting, and look at where teams like the Kings, Wizards, Bobcats, etc. are now. What superstar is interested in teaming up with DeMarcus Cousins in Sacramento, or John Wall in Washington. However, right now, Harden/Lin and Houston probably look pretty good right about now for a star post player looking to find a home.

 

just tank hard.

Or Rockets will be medicore for nother decade. Harden-Lin-Asik will all be wasted.

 

This team, like the ones before it, wasn't built to tank. So therefore I'd rather make the playoffs than be 9th or 10th in the West and just miss.