The #3 pick role player development program has been a total disaster. We’re bringing in Hall of famers that play the same position to teach them and start together. We’re refusing to get other guards to ensure they get starter minutes and that’s what we train and practice every day. Then it’s a handicap negative in the playoffs. I legitimately don’t know if we’re as far away as it looks, you can’t tell me we wouldn’t have been past the first round by now if we just had Derrick White instead of a #3 pick development program.
Agreed, I think the Rockets are past the first round if they just had a healthy FVV and KD didn't get hurt. They won 52 games, as constructed. They are already an elite team. They might be a tweak away from contending (or a tweak away from the play-in).
I guess your definition of rebuilding is different than mine. To me, two consecutive seasons of 50+ wins means you aren't rebuilding. They are definitely still growing ...but to me, a team that is "rebuilding" is not a playoff team, much less top 4 in your division.
I’m not remotely surprised the vote leans super hard for Amen. So much to have to make up for with Sengun on defense….and he misses bunnies and can’t make 3’s. Love that guy, but open to what we could get for him. None of that is me saying Amen is a franchise player….I sincerely don’t believe he will be, but I’d love to be wrong. I just know he can get down on defense, and that’s super important to me the way I see the game. My God that wide open corner 3 where he completely missed the rim lol. If he was somewhere close to a moderately ok shooter, I’d say we have a star incoming….but I don’t think so and I’m pretty optimistic and would love it. He’s the very last player on this roster I’d trade, and I’d trade every single one of the rest of them to try to find something else that MIGHT be enough to compete with Spurs or Thunder
Yea, I am being hasty. But I'm fairly confident. None of the young core can be mentioned in the same sentence as Jokic, Wemby, Edwards, or SGA. I think the young core are all super role players. They are all #2 players on a championship contender. Fair point about the new lotto rules. That said, again, I think we've seen everything we need to see about the young players. I doubt Wiggins or a #13 pick transforms this team to beat the Spurs or OKC. But maybe it does. Maybe they get lucky.
Number 2 players on contenders aren't really role players tbh - guys like Jamal Murray, Pau Gasol, or Draymond aren't really role players with how they impact the game and winning. Maybe you think our young players won't get to that level, but, as you said, you are being hasty, and it isn't unreasonable to think that, for instance, a guy who was a two time all star by age 23 might eventually become an all NBA level player. Guess we'll have to agree to disagree on that then. Time will tell. Kevin Durant isn't leading us to beat the Spurs or OKC either, and pick 13 has the added benefit of not being almost 40 years old. And, like you said, maybe we get lucky - bites at the apple and all that.
Athleticism. Can't count the times over the years here on CF where some highly athletic dude with poor basketball skills was supposed to become the man for this team from Terrance Williams to Jalen Green or that one idiot still claiming the answer is Cam Whitmore or KPJ ... Funny thing is, I agree, Amen is a damn nice piece to have, he's just not the guy you make concessions for - he has to fit with everyone else as a complimentary piece.
I think we should stop thinking about regular season basketball. 2 non-shooters will not work in the playoffs, it's a totally different game in intensity and preparation.
Amen is a winner, for a 23 year old he already has the elite atheleticism, bball IQ, competitiveness conditioning, stamina, maturity, work ethic, motor, relentlessness, able to draw contact and get to the line in order to out score opponents and win https://www.nba.com/stats/players/traditional?CF=FGA*LE*15:PTS*GE*15&TeamID=0&dir=A&sort=FTA in the playoffs of 17 players with more than 15 points a game with less than 15 shots a game 23 yearold Amen in his 2nd playoff series is already 3rd in PPG behind 37 yo KD, 28 yo OG, and tied with 36 yo Harden 3rd in FTAs behind 37 yo KD and 36 yo Harden 4th in assists behind Castle, Fox, and Towns 2nd in steals behind Wagner 3rd in blocks behind Mobley and Towns
My main point is the Rockets don't have that long term alpha player that the team can build around. This team is an interesting position because they have to keep making roster moves. For the Spurs, the equation is simple ...find complimentary players for Wemby. What is the equation for the Rockets? He might. Say it this way, he represents the best option currently available to the Rockets. If you surround KD with the correct supporting staff (which didn't happen this season since they needed KD to also play PG), this team has maybe a 1-2 year window to make a legit run. IMO, this team is talented enough but the margin of error is razor thin. Let me say it another way, in the next 5 years, what gives the Rockets the best chance to win a championship. 1. Get KD some legit help at PG/guard and make a run at it next season. 2. Trade KD and move up in the draft and hope you get the next AntMan. With option 1, I think the Rockets are very close. Plus you don't have to mortgage your future and give up draft picks. So if one of the young guys still develops into that guy, you didn't give up on them. With option 2, you definitely take a step backwards for the next 1-3 seasons and a hope and a prayer. How have those lottery dreams panned out for the Rockets so far? This option just feels like a bigger gamble. All that said, if they find a deal that is too good to pass up for KD, you do it. I'm not sold on KD ...he just represents a hall of fame player who is still a top 10 player in this league. If the coaching staff feels like player health isn't an issue then my take, you have KD now so do the damn thing. Don't abandon the plan halfway through just because you get cold feet. That said, health is a massive **** here. If health IS an issue, this team won't cut it. Their only chance is the whole team is healthy and playing at a high level. If so, they can beat OKC and the Spurs. Hell, if the Knicks can be competitive with the Spurs, so can the Rockets.
You could say the exact same thing about Amen. The right answer is neither of them. They are complimentary pieces, not foundations to build on.
Oh, we have a handle on it - I just think we've given up on the current crop of players becoming foundational pieces. Jalen Green with more consistency is a super star .... we waited 4 years. Sengun with a 3 ball .... we're heading to year 6. Amen with better shooting .... we watched his numbers decline, his shooting from the floor overall was the lowest of his career and the 3 ball reverted back towards his rookie numbers. Ok so he hit his FT's .... fantastic. But we need some evidence that his shooting has and will improve, not regression. He's Sub Westbrook and the entire board eventually figured out that he killed spacing with defenders sagging off of him, one foot in the paint and daring him to shoot from anywhere. Very similar player profiles .... great athletes, bad and worse shooters. It torpedoed Westbrooks career, he went from earning $40m per to the veterans minimum. Reed - Were waiting for him to be able to stay in front of anyone defensively or beat someone off the dribble without a screen or to run a pick and roll. Hell, I'd be happy if he could just bring the ball across the time line without picking up his dribble. I blew that pick. Eventually potential wears off and reality sets in.
fif his consitency is the only problem then his averages will look okay it's been 5 years and he's basically one of the most inefficient chuckers in the league so no consistency is not his problem. he is simply a terribly inefficient chucker
Point is, we waited and waited until his value was negative before we did anything. Should have made a decision a year earlier and got some return on the investment.
Jalen is nothing but a low iq front running chucker wwho does not understand what it takes to win Basic efficiency volume shot selection is lost on him Alpi Amen Reed has bball IQ they undsrstand what it takes to win. Just look at their bpm and net rating
Thompson improved so much on his free throws and I thought he was a lot more efficient from the mid range and Justin converting this year in general. The three point stroke doesn’t look bad albeit the stats were not there. I still believe he will improve, and I feel comfortable in building around him. we just have to build the team a little bit more specifically.
Hate to break it to you, but you'd be wrong. He shot worse from 3-16 feet, shooting overall and from 3. Amen Thompson 2025-26 Shooting | Basketball-Reference.com Amen Thompson 2024-25 Shooting | Basketball-Reference.com 3-16 feet 2024/25 - .465 3-16 feet 2025/26 - .444 All FG% 24/25 - .557 All FG% 25/26 - .534 3% 24/25 - .275 3% 25/26 - .216
OKC as an organization has shown a strong history of player development. The Rockets under Stone has shown a very weak history of player development. Two different head coaches, and very little player development happens outside of what the players themselves work on during the offseason.
The Rockets won 19 more games when Brooks and FVV were added. FVV and Brooks probably added about 8-10 wins more combined than KPJ and KMJ. The other 9-11 wins came from player development and the draft. Player development then added another 11 wins the next season. I get this past season the 5 youngish guys left overall regressed some (mostly Sengun). I get that the Rockets have not developed a star. FVV, Brooks, and KD are good players. They are not close to being able to account for how the Rockets went from 22 wins to 52.
What playoff series did Amen win for us? Amen was the secondary playmaker while Sengun was the primary. This is about building a foundation.....
