The truth? *CP3 needed to be traded or the Rockets would be going through this drama near the beginning of last season. *Instead we would be going into the season with Harden holding out and an often injured decrepit CP3 as probably our number 1 option. CP3 wouldn’t have last 55 games. *Nobody can tell me how a player picked around #22 thru #28 in the 1st round helps improve this team immediately. I saw the Rockets draft Jeremy Lamb around #16 in the 1st and Royce White around #18 in the 1st completely bomb and Fultz drafted #1 for another team completely bomb.......so 1st round picks don’t equate to automatic success. *Rockets had to offer multiple 1st round picks to move CP3 then and would have to beg teams and offer multiple 1st round picks to move CP3 now. Schroder and Gillis-Alexander helped make CP3 look much better than he is. Rockets don’t have those point guards on the team making him look better than he is. You will see that now that he is in Phoenix. He will be hurt around 25 games of this shortened season. *Westbrook can’t shoot 3’s.......in the playoffs his defender lagged off and help pack the paint. To be a 2nd or 3rd option doesn’t work. He has to be a 1st option as long as he continues lack of outside shooting in today’s NBA at 6’1”. At least Ben Simmons at 6’10” can set screens and roll to the basket for lob dunks or layups. Westbrook would get blocked doing such. Simmons can also linger on the baseline much like Capela did. *Westbrook calling the Rockets culture toxic.....Harden misses practice? MDA didn’t have practices during the season. They were shoot-arounds. Harden led the league in scoring with 34 points per game. And that was holding him back so his buddy Westbrook could get his. Next closest player was Bradley Beal at 30 points per game. Rarely do you see the leading scorer lead be such a gap. *Westbrook claims seeing part of toxic culture with Covid protocols. Westbrook probably contracted Covid while at rallies. Disease is new for everyone......everyone needs to do their part in protecting self, including Westbrook. *Tilman political ties or donations. Trump is out, Biden won, you move on. Quinn Snyder and others donated to Trump as well. Those players aren’t cutting off their noses in spite of their face. Move on, collect your $41M and “Pass through Go.” *Tilman can’t compete for a championship without going over the luxury tax threshold. That’s what it comes down to. Miami was squawking when the big 3 were at $28M each and LeBron said no more discount. LeBron saw their owner wasn’t going to do that so he bolted. Les saw this and said I’m out. I can’t afford the repeater tax. Dan Gilbright said this can’t be sustained. So much money and only one title. Tilman took a snap shot of the tax bill and posted this is what chasing a title looks like. Harden and Westbrook said this ride has ended in Houston. Harden and Westbrook salaries need to be multiple younger stars making $28M each. Now it’s Harden and Wall contracts moving forward because Harden at $50M is just Harden.....unless they can move the Wall contract or Eric Gordon contract.plus for go return. The truth hurts sometimes. Truth is the Rockets last reported offer to MDA was $2.5M with incentives that would bring it up to $5M. Ty Lue was reportedly asking for $9M. Was never going to happen here. JVG probably choked on his saliva when they offered him a sub $3M contract. I believe brabra was right that John Lucas was offered the job before Silas......but Lucas said no. The stress is not worth the something like $2.8M NBA head coaching job. Silas said....ok. Still waiting to see it reported has to how much Silas is going to get per year. I will be surprised if it’s more than $3M.
Does this apply to GMs too? Cuz I've seen more MOFs on here than HOFs. I don't spend time on here as others so I might be wrong.
Just because the Rockets didn't have good experience drafting doesn't make the lottery obsolete. They also never picked in the Top 5 region in a very long time. Harden was once drafted. By another organization.
it certainly does pertain to GMs... I like Morey. I've shook his hand. I think he's one of the best in the biz... that said, the man has flaws... he's obviously an enabler, lacks certain personable skills and does not have enough appreciation for coaching and chemistry... I think that is a fair assessment - but somebodys gonna b triggered... lol! There may be more MOFs (in Morey we trust) than HOFs - but the Harden White Knights are more vocal and far less reasonable and less willing to have a sensible exchange of opinions... prob jus Harden fans are younger than fans of an executive... lol!
No doubt, but we are talking where the Rockets would have been slotted in the 20’s if CP3 was never traded. And that’s if CP3 stayed healthy enough to get us there. Again S G-A and Schroder helped carry him to look better. No one could tell me who in the 20’s would have helped this team now.......window closing salary cap-wise when considering Harden contract going to $44M along with CP3. We have just changed out CP3 for Westbrook for now Wall. At the same crossroads of last ditch effort with this core team.....before major shakeup. I’m told those first could help move Eric Gordon or Wall or Westbrook......CP3. Same crap different day then.. later year. **this based of report Harden demanded trade after Warriors series in 18/19.....where CP3 didn’t do squat the whole series until game 6. Just my opinion. We are talking our current situation led by actions of the past two years. Not history of drafting in the past that take two to three years to develop, Rockets would have needed instant help now. So was CP3 trade bad, yeah probably. But Harden forced it then. So these crossroads now could have been then. So at the time it was probably the best trade available at the time.
The drafting strategy should have been altered or modified. It was mostly drafting upside over need. Now other teams are drafting need with little upside over pure upside and projects.
Well I think we understand each other. Just the timing of the Harden era window changes need. Timing is everything. Tilman can’t support two stars making $40 plus each while having a competitive enough team around them. Truth is there is plenty of blame to go around. Harden included.
I knew Blames had issues with the CP3 hand slap. I mean, I had my doubts before but that was the last straw. Thus dubbing him "Hardhead".
'Blames' - thats classic! Blames Hard-on... Pointing the finger at others and refusing to accept responsibility - coming soon to a strip club near you! I'm so ready to move on from this fools gold loser... smh
