Most FOs won't be elite by definition. Undoubtedly they are at least above average.... I know it doesn't feel like it due to the outcomes and not having a top 10 player, but the Rocket's turnaround from tanking to competing was definitely above average. I would say they are arguably good at drafting since we have 6 NBA rotation players that we drafted, but wouldn't say they are great. Interesting you actually consider them gambles? Aside from KD, we didn't give up anything or sign any to long term contracts? FVV on a two year contract is a gamble? Really? Blowing your ACL before training camp or landing on a player and getting a high ankle strain isn't injury prone, but bad luck. A tanking team taking chances on players like KPJ and Cam..... crazy!?! The fact that you think KPJ actually blew up in Stone's fact tells me a lot. We have a super young team that clearly needed some veteran leadership and locker room presence, I think you too easily dismiss the nontangible aspect of playing a team sport despite watching how clueless the young core appeared without FVV getting play See this is where I think you are just missing the forest through the trees. The OWNER is the one actually calling the shots.... You actually think Stone wanted to try and compete with WOW after Tilman bought the team and almost immediately lost his franchise player? You think Stone wants to have his hand tied behind his back and compete against other FOs with a smaller staff because Tilman is cheap? The strategic vision is pretty clear to me and would be same with any GM under Tilman.
I don't think he has done an awful job, but he isn't well connected or part of the "in group" around the league at this point. If he is successful, that will change. At this point he doesn't have a lot of other people working in the league that would want to help him out. He kind of burned some bridges with Morey and that tree of guys in the executive offices around the league. He wouldn't embarrass an owner, he would be competent -- but there are a number of guys like that out there all looking for jobs.
But a number of guys with actual recent experience.... makes that number significantly less. Again.... claiming Stone wouldn't be considered for another GM role within a year seems more of a personal bias. You don't think he's done an awful job but you thrash him given the opportunity.... sometimes actions speak louder than words. Feels like you think he is bottom 10 and not middle 10, which is your opinion.
They had a terrible roster last season too when they tried tanking for a top 4 pick and failed. Speaking of math..... the real results ended up being the 6th and 8th pick for the Nets when they actually tried tanking.
Folks truly don't understand game strategy and instead are playing the results. BKN tried to tank and only ended up with the 8th and 6th pick in back to back drafts speaking of results.
yes they got unlucky. They could have just as easily gotten lucky. We could have gotten lucky or unlucky, but it definitely would have been worth taking two swings on franchise-changing prospects as opposed to the crap odds we have now in a bad draft. Stone thought he was done drafting. Didn’t think he needed to keep trying for a franchise guy. His plan was to use these picks to trade for a star. That’s why he made the trade…to extend the timeline of those picks. The problem is, we don’t have a franchise player and the players we do have aren’t that great. He miscalculated…badly.
I prefer looking at actions..... The contracts Stone has handed out so far are not the rookie max.... so then why would he believe he had signed a true franchise player? So then why would he think he was done finding a true franchise player? In fact... he has things setup so he can bail on the young core at any point in order to trade for whoever. You literally say Stone has accumulated assets to trade for a star....do you not understand that means a true franchise player and not just a star? You're cause and effect are not correct.
Yes old star chasing. U say u prefer looking at actions. Our best player is a 37 yr old guy named KD. That certainly provides a road map to what Stone wants to do going forward. Old star chasing. 6 yrs rebuilding and that’s where we find ourselves I guess. That’s pretty depressing to me. That approach certainly doesn’t have a good track record of success. See the last two teams KD was on for details.
Why would we not want to have the best player in the entire league as well.....!?! The solution isn't to hire a new coach and GM every couple of years, there are no good organizations that have that sort of churn. Because that's what you are really asking.... to start all over.... Which is something Tilman will 100% not being be doing so soon. I know you would never consider it, but GMs can improve. There was a reason why GARM and the greater NBA media landscape thought the Rockets would be at the bottom of the contender tier. It probably hurts you and @Nook to give Stone any real credit, but with a little more health luck, we could have been losing to eventual WCF winner this year.
They didn't trade for KD to be the franchise player and they obviously don't want KD to be their best player. It's amusing how you simply look at each season as the end of an era. What if a different player is better on the team next season? It's also amusing that you think the Rockets are old star chasing, as if they wouldn't have wanted to trade for Luka if given the opportunity. For whatever stupid reason, you assume outcomes reflect intent. They most certainly wanted Amen to develop a jump shot. When you have stupid fandom expectations, you tend to be depressed.
it’s not churning through GMs every couple of years. It’s been 6 seasons. Stone is going into his 7th season. and ur right, Stone certainly has improved…from the days he was sabotaging Jalen’s development, trying to build around KPJ, Olidipo, and Christian Wood, while paying John Wall max money to stay away from the team. You are absolutely right. He has improved.
why is it stupid fandom expectations to expect our player development to be better than it is? It’s either that or we didn’t draft very good players. Either way it’s on the GM.
A little more health luck? You can't load up on geriatrics/injury prone players and then complain about injuries. If anything the Rockets were lucky that Durant was able to play like he did, he is the oldest player in NBA history to score 2000 points in a season. Honestly, I am not even sure that the Rockets would have beaten the Lakers with a healthy team.... give the Lakers Doncic and Reeves for the full series, and give the Rockets KD, FVV and Adams, and it is a toss-up.
Feels like "injury prone" label is just getting tossed about too much.... A freak/random injuries aren't "injury prone" IMO. Luka is having hamstring issues the past few seasons now, those soft tissue injuries are what I think about when people say "injury prone". Also there is a MAJOR difference between missing a full season / half season/ the playoffs vs missing 14-28 games in a season. FVV missing a full season, Adams missing half, and Durant missing essentially the entire first round is not within the "you can't load up on geriatrics/injury prone players and then complain about injuries." That's just bad luck when they all got injuries that could have happened a young or old player ; banging knees, landing on someone's foot, and ACL.
Injury prone is thrown around too often? Kevin Durant was 37 years old averaging 35 minutes a game and had missed 225 regular season games the last 6 years going into this season. He was an extreme injury risk. Steven Adams was 32 years old and had missed 220 games the last 6 seasons...... the only way he stayed healthy in 2024-2025 was being limited to 13 minutes a game. He was an extreme injury risk. DFS has missed an average of 20 games a season the last few seasons, and he is 33 years old...... and was known to be hurt entering this off season, but the Rockets still signed him. FVV hasn't missed a lot of games, but he was 32 years old and had very heavy milage over the last 6 seasons, averaging 35 minutes a game. So no...... it isn't "bad luck" that basically all of the Rockets older players got hurt at some point and missed time..... it is what happens when you sign and count on old players with either heavy milage or injury histories.
That is a very negative way of saying Stone acquired 4 FRPs, including 2 that would be traded for Sengun (granted, 2 ended up busts). You were also opposed to the Harden trade to the Nets which lead to the Rockets having 5 more FRPs and 4-5 FRP swaps. Basically, Stone has acquired 9 FRPs and 4-5 FRP swaps that you opposed at the time or now are ridiculing him for acquiring. Granted, Stone is the worst of the worst because he traded picks he should never have acquired in the 1st place if he followed what you wanted, and he traded another pick he acquired for Durant.
It isn't bad luck that guys got hurt. It is incredibly bad luck that all the following happened: FVV and Adams both did not play in 2026, Durant basically missed most of the playoffs, and DFS was completely ineffective. That is as near complete a disaster as that offseason could have. Even then, only cost the Rockets the 10th pick in a very top-heavy draft, and money in years they were unlikely to win anyway without the vets being healthy. If Stone did what people want, he could probably get a FRP from Durant to undo the 2025 offseason. Stone isn't perfect, or close to it, but he has done a great job at mitigating risk, and adding draft capital during his tenure as GM.
Correct it is thrown around a bit too often.... Again.... freak season ending injuries are not injury prone. I don't think you actually realize how many games players are missing now. All short term contracts: KD.... He is old but in the past 3 seasons he has missed a total of 34 games out of 243 games. Steven Adams.... I'll give 100% give you that one. DFS.... Missed 93 games the last 6 seasons with 45 games missed with the Rockets. FVV..... 32 ain't geriatric in the modern NBA. FVV was an undrafted rookie who didn't average more than 30 MPG until his 4th season. No one is expecting perfect health.... but feels like you are exaggerating the games missed to try and prove a point.
