OKC will be done in by budgetary issues. There's no way they can keep this core together beyond next season. Too many guys are gonna be looking to get paid. They can run it back next season, but that's pretty much it. The Spurs are in a similar situation, only a couple years behind. There's no way in hell they can pay max deals to Wemby, Castle, Fox, and Harper while also taking care of Champagnie and Johnson(not to mention Vassell who's at the start of a 4-year, 105 mil deal). Well, I suppose they could, but they'd have zero depth behind those guys and could not afford any injuries. I guess the one upside to the Rockets' young core being underwhelming is that Stone has been able to get them extended on cheaper deals. Jabari is gonna be making half of what Chet's earning. If by some miracle we do land a superstar(hopefully via those Nets and Suns picks), we'd have an affordable supporting cast to pair up with that guy.
I see no reason to keep Durant because you're not going to catch the Spurs or OKC while he is still relevant. Both of those organizations are so far ahead of the Rockets right now that keeping him or adding another aging veteran would be foolish. On the other hand, the ONLY chance you might have would be to do that and hope those teams get hurt. Either way, it's kind of a bummer to realize how out of contention Houston really is right now.
There are no IFs or Buts in my statement?! It's a factual statement that OKC and Spurs have two of the best players in the league. Full stop. What coach could the Rockets hire that nullifies Wemby? The Rockets played the tank game ...and lost. Now what. They have 3 choices: 1. Run it back: tweak at the margins, and hope the guys are healthy and playing well plus the young guys develop 2. Reboot: Trade everything you can to get a high draft pick and hope you get the next SGA. 3. Win now: Trade most of the young core/picks for an established superstar (Giannis, Brown, etc.) Option 1 is the least risky choice and honestly, I think has the highest probability of success. Option 2 is the most risky choice ...as we have seen with 3 years of tanking. Option 3 is also a good choice but is full of technicalities on how to execute it. Option 1 more depends more on the coaching staff to pull it through. Option 2/3 depends more on Stone to pull it through. so....
I think this organization is slower than let's say the Spurs, they have to see Kevin, Fred, Amen and Sengün fail to understand what we already know. I feel Houston feels like a worse version of the Nuggets, Number 1 much older than Joker. The Nuggets are already the 3rd fiddle after Spurs, Thunder, what are the Rockets and Lakers? Ime does not stand for a modern style of basketball, and Durant is not a leader. Fred is short and limited, Amen, Sengün and Reed unfortunately limited as well. Kevin and Fred are good/Fred decent at shooting, so them shooting lights out would trick a few fans. Both Kev and Fred fill a need....Fred turns the ball over fewer times/Kevin can bail the team out in certain games. Relics of the Past.
In theory yes, but I believe they can get it done with their picks..... And even not so deep Thunder and Spurs are better than what Denver, Houston, Lakers have right now. You cannot half ass discipline, both teams are disciplined as hell. To the point that Daigneault is the free flowing, chaotic one at times. (and Caruso)
It won’t be a miracle if Wemby or Chet can’t hold up to the grind of full NBA seasons over the next decade. In fact, they will probably be defying the odds for those freakishly tall athletes. Each has already missed a significant chunk of games in their young careers. They will both be on max contracts with a high risk for injury. Everyone else just needs to have a team in place to take advantage if/when it happens. Constantly retooling and collecting draft picks in search of the unicorn will not have you ready when that window opens. Put your team together, be smart with your contracts, and be ready.
Exactly. The odds would say Wemby and Chet will be relatively healthy for a few years. That’s why expending assets on aging vets like KD, Giannis, Adams, DFS, and FVV is foolhardy at best. Maximize your odds by continuing to obtain promising youth and guarding your flexibility. I get it if no other team cooperates, but we should be trying our hardest to get something in return for KD and FVV this off-season. I would think KD could get you expirings and at least a mediocre frp. I would not give up assets to un-load FVV or DFS, but if you can at least un-load them for 2nd round picks and expirings that’s just fine. If it costs us regular season losses to give Amen, Jabari, Sengun, and Reed more runway to develop, big f**king deal.
You mean we wouldn't have Amen, we would have had Jabari. Team would have been FVV Jalen Tari Jabari Wemby Sengun, I think most felt we would have traded him if we had gotten Wemby, I guess we could have traded Jabari or Sengun in that scenario, personally I would have stuck with the better shooter and defender though. I do agree though, if we had Wemby we could have very well been in that same position, he's a generational player like Lebron and Jordan, any team he's on by default is a contender. It really came down to that one draft. This is the thing about true superstar players...they make the game easier for everyone else on the team. For example, if Wemby was on this team and we still drafted Reed, Reed doesn't have to worry about getting blown by because Wemby is in the paint, ain't no one shooting with Wemby in the paint, players don't even try it, so it allows Reed to gamble more, use his quick hands, and not be so stressed guarding other players. Just listen to Kenny Smith talk about how easy it was to play defense with Hakeem in the paint and you understand. Had we drafted Wemby the FO instantly looks a lot more clever than they do now.
Total bullshit that you need a generational talent. The other team in the finals has no rim protector and is led by a 6’1 star guard who’s not generational at all. 12 months ago you all were saying “eww” to acquiring KAT. Celtics won a title without a generational talent. Many ways to skin this cat but all those ways start with better roster building and moving on from your defense-only coach. Moving on from Thibs helped the Knicks and moving on from Udoka helped the Celtics. That should be our direction.
We were cooked as soon as we got KD. Look at the brotherhood being displayed by all 4 of the teams in the conference finals. Even the cavaliers stood together in defeat. You will never achieve that type of wholesome brotherhood with KD.
Expecting a 33 years old point guard to come in and be able to compete with these two young teams is crazy.
We are just treading water until this FO and coach are gone, if ever. If we just run it back, we might even crack 52 wins, but we have no chance to compete in the so called “KD window”.
No - not that simple. That’s what happens when you get a generational talent and have a very good organization. They also have Harper, Castle, Fox, Johnson, Vassel and a load of draft picks. They would beat the Rockets even without Wemby. The Spurs just beat the Thunder - a team that was/is exceptional. Meanwhile we have discussions about what will get us past a Lakers team without Luke Doncic. It is what it is - it is where we are.
You left out option 4. Which is trade Kd and the other vets, and one of the young core (possibly) for a soft re-build either through acquired draft picks or young up and coming players. For example NAW, Okongwu, and Ayo. Kd for mid-lottery pick etc.
I am wondering if a potential return to OKC could work for Durant. it would seem to address a few things for them although I have no idea what the trade would look like.
I wish I had your optimism. I think the Spurs could sit Wemby and the Rockets still wouldn’t be as good as the Spurs.
