Rockets didn't play the finals in the past 31 years. And I can't see any hope in the following seasons. Time tells Rockets just suck.
We played them tough 3 out of 4 games and only lost the game in the 4th quarter 2 out of the 3 losses. I don’t think the gap is as big as you and these fans make it out to be. With couple adjustments to the roster we will be up there.
I will once again remind the board about its obsession with the phrase “doesn’t move the needle”. It’s stupid. Even if you’re going to trade these guys, you have to make sure they’re peaking. Spurs faced OKC without Williams - their second best player. Every single opponent the Knicks will have faced in these playoffs will have come off a 7 game series. I never know what good or bad luck is going to happen in the playoffs. You keep building a good team but the thing we will never be able to overcome is if your team doesn’t fit and your GM believes redundancy is not a big deal and extreme rebounding is more important than 3’s - you’re going to lose over and over again in the playoffs. I’m not worried about OKC and Spurs. I’m only worried about us. I’ve learned in life that an organizations culture and efficiency is 100% tied to the leadership at the top. I never join an organization with great staff/pay that has an incompetent CEO. You can have Michael Jordan and not win a title if the roster and culture sucks. The first step is getting people who know how to win a championship. Then we can decide which players to keep/trade.
Im not talking about some meaningless regular season games. In a 7 game series the rockets wouldn’t stand a chance. I’m a rockets fan but also realistic. Spurs are way ahead. Coaching is better, much better talent and they have their franchise player.
Regular season games aren’t meaningless. They are played for seeding and postseason qualification. They do have more talent and we gifted them a star but in terms of this wide gap you and these fans speak of is a bit of a overreaction in my opinion. Usually the gap between contending teams aren’t that big. You guys are making it seem like we’re a bottom dweller and I’ve been saying it for years how Rockets fans keep having this inferiority complex for some reason. Many teams would love to have our players. Just because the fit or roster construction isn’t right doesn’t mean the team or players are terrible. I also don’t think we can beat them but the gap isn’t as wide as many believe
They would be great with Castle and Wemby, there was no need to let them have Harper as well...... But at least Pop is not actively coaching no more. I know he is backstage whispering things.
Havent sniffed the finals in 30 years, might as well wait another 10-20 years with this shtty owner/front office. Wemby and okc thunders will b the roadblock for years to come.
You don’t know what will happen this summer or next season. There’s a positive side to look at things. Several OKC contracts expire 2027 and Spurs 2029. Things can change quickly and we still have a decent team despite some of the fit and roster issues.
When alpi used to dominate wemby, that didn’t make him over the players wemby dominated. These are such reductive lazy af takes.
Things can be worse. but not by much. As so many above has said, the organization needs to change. It really is where it starts. I don’t know who really is driving the ship, but if I see Patrick Tillman in these meeting rooms I already know we are in trouble.
I agree but only because, I don't think OKC or the Spurs are as invincible as they seem To me on paper those Lebron Heatles teams and KD Warriors were insane on paper and even those teams were beatable. You had two legit MVP ALL NBA first teamers on those teams. All-star level role players too lol. This OKC team kind of struggled with that Pacers team even when Tyrese went out you had moments where they looked beatable. Jdub is a good player, but he's no KD or Wade (could be, still young I guess). Chet, is he realistically all that better than Jabari? Eh...The rest of their guys are role players through and through Spurs are scarier because their big three are still so young. Wemby is a future multiple time MVP most likely. Castle and Harper, we'll see, I don't like crowning people before they do anything. Rockets just need a true franchise player, we're just pretenders until we get that.
Imagine of the spurs FO were in the rockets shoes in 2021. They at the beginning of their complete rebuild wo do they choose? Jalen, mobley, barnes, wagner or someone else? Howbout what would the OKC FO do?
If they stand pat, I agree. They cooked. It seems pretty likely that none of the young core are going to be elite. Amen and Reed still have a chance... I think there's upside we haven't seen yet still. I feel much more confident in Amen than Reed, but I'd give him at least another year to prove it. But Sengun, Bari and Tari? I think we're seeing what they are. Sengun is talented and could add shooting range and consistency, but he's always going to be limited physically. It's the same with Bari. He's become more consistent, but physically he's limited. He's too slight of build to play the 5 consistently, and too slow footed to have a real advantage as a 3/4. Tari has an exceptional motor and is a plus defender, but the injuries and his decision making, shooting mechanics will always limit him. All this said, I think they should move KD and the above three for more shots at finding a long-term centerpiece. Getting into this year's lottery should be a priority. You could also hunt for under-valued young players in the league (like they did with Harden).
It's crazy how big the difference is between our players and the Spurs. Look at all their role players stepping up, now can you honestly say a Tari, Sengun, Amen, FVV, Reed, Jabari will hot the shots the Spurs did tonight? Will get the offensive rebounds, pass it to the open guy and stay composed? Shots wise maybe a Jabari will step up, maybe Reed, but besides that I don't see any player doing what the Spurs guys did here. So yeah, we're cooked. Gotta sell KD, Sengun and whoever else so you can get the young guy who can lead you to a championship team. We tried, but there's no way with FVV & KD, Ime still here, you just need to add shooters to get past a Spurs or Thunder.
It’s the system they have developed within. It’s believing in, trusting and becoming the best player. It’s understanding that not all players are equal and playing them to the best talents and covering up their weaknesses. It’s having a flexible mindset and understanding the game and how to improve the players. It is not about one person it’s the collective spirit of the team. The organization has to be more than just players playing and a coach coaching.
