Tough one. I love what Reed had shown this season so I don't know, tough call there. Something else would have to come back to match salaries too right?
guys I get that there are a lot of fans that are just straight up wrong with their takes about Reed and Ime. I get that. But this idea that we just need to stay the course with Fred and Steveo next yr is magical thinking. The roster is fundamentally flawed. We have no real franchise prospect except maybe Amen. We aren’t going anywhere with this approach. The only answer to get back on track is a soft reset that allows us to find that franchise guy. Not star chasing, not running it back with Fred, Steveo and KD. How is is not apparent that we are a long way from contending with the Spurs and OKC with the team we have? I have absolutely zero appetite to see this iteration of rockets basketball run it back next season. And I’m pretty sure most fans agree. I really hope you credentialed media folks will start holding the org accountable for the roster construction and the disappointing results we are seeing. Please stop blaming everything on Fred and Steveo being injured. We got lucky that KD was healthy all season. There are deeper problems with the roster construction and talent than injuries. Bari is shooting league average in yr 4; thsts not good enough Tari is obviously in his head and has a poor attitude. Sengun has actually regressed this season and still can’t shoot or defend. Reed is still developing but we see the glaring defensive liabilities. None of these core prospects are franchise guys. They all have significant flaws. And they don’t fit well together. this is supposed to be the future of the rockets and it’s frankly not near good enough having had 4 top picks in 4 seasons. Not to mention the Jalen Green bust. Whose fault is that? I really wish you guys would hold the org to account.
Ime's lack of vocabulary worries me. It's like all he can say is stuff like weak, soft....****ing moron.
I actually agree with most of what you're saying. Right now, the only hope for a franchise player, in my opinion, is Amen. Reed maybe but I look at him more as a good player. The offensive ceiling is very high though. I'm not trying to make excuses. I just know how the Rockets were a really good team -- by dominating the possessions battle and Fred and Adams were huge, undervalued parts of that. Without the "cheating" of extra possessions, the Rockets are not good enough so I'm with you there. I'm not thrilled they traded away the 2026 Brooklyn pick. I do think the 2027 Brooklyn pick should be good. Phoenix recovered some because of that trade and that hurts. I would strongly consider making a move to get in this draft, if possible. I know you won't get in the top 5 or anything but I would explore options here. I think lots of change possibilities could be on the table.
The new pick and Reed would match so probably some throwaway to get to Sengun's salary. Nurkic + Clarkson and filler. Im just kind of at you can only have one sieve on defense. Last year we only had Sengun. This year we have Sengun, Durant and Reed. If Amen Thompson or Jabari Smith were not on this team, we would be a play-in team at best.
Box Plus/Minus has real issues with measuring defensive contributions that don't come out in the form of rebounds, steals, and blocks. You can see this by looking at an explanation of its formula. So a player like Jabari who doesn't get a ton of "stocks" but is a switchable, tall, and solid defensive player is going to be systematically underrated by this kind of catch-all statistic. You can see this in the way his DBPM has been right around replacement level since his rookie season. You can make your own assessment based on your personal "eye test", but to me he is not a replacement-level defensive player. He's not a huge "make things happen" guy on defense like Amen is, but he is solidly above-average on that end. For perspective, defensive box plus/minus thinks Luka Doncic is a significantly better defensive player than Jabari.
DD faints. He wouldn’t take the first 3 picks for Reed alone. I haven’t watched enough college ball to make up my mind this year. I’d rather have a very good young player that fits like (Ware). Our main need is a rim protecting center that can shoot from the perimeter. Is one of the top 3 that guy?
Appreciate the comments Clutch. From what you've observed, do you think this organization (from ownership to FO to coach) has any appetite or inclination to take a step back in order to take two steps forward? Or do you think fans should take it as a given that the org's goal this summer is to improve the present team to be better on the court next year.
I heard Vecenie talk very poorly of Ware as a defensive specimen fwiw. Boozer (micro Duncan, athletic Millsap) or Dybantsa (Gen Z Garnett) would fit this team well. Caleb Wilson is the one I have no idea about. Not even sure what he does.
Oh yeah. That was weird. First you were on at 10, then you were on at 10:30 and then you just went "Poof". I thought I was having a senior moment.
I don’t disagree with most of your statements. The key point you’re missing here is Sengun’s style and ability limits this offense since he’s the main hub along with Durant. As I have written on here, I agree Sengun isn’t Udoka’s ideal center but that’s who we have and so he ran the offense thru Sengun the past couple years and again this year along with Durant. That’s what teams typically do is run the offense thru their best offensive players. But his inability to stretch the floor limits this team since he posts up and plays heavy dose of iso at the FT line. That’s the limitation of Sengun. I have talked extensively about Amen’s lack of shooting as well but he is a 2 way player with a lot of potential and could fit more on a team without Sengun and a slower paced offense. That’s what the discussion has been about
Good question. I would say the latter first. My guess, and it is just an educated guess based on conversations, is they would have Fred, Adams back and try to compete at a high level. But I also wouldn't rule out any of Fred, Sengun or KD being dealt. Fred no longer can block a trade if he picks up his player option this summer. Amen is untouchable. He will not be traded. I've been saying this for awhile, but for those who aren't convinced -- listen to Tim MacMahon on his recent Howdy Partners podcast. He said something to the effect of no matter how high you are on Amen, the Rockets are higher. I would also say Reed and then Jabari are next on the safer list but not untouchable. Tari has been highly valued but he kind of screwed himself. I would not be surprised if taking the qualifying offer (one year deal) -- usually unheard of -- actually becomes an option he considers. Honestly, to answer your question, I really think a lot of possibilities will be considered. We still have to see the last 11 games and playoffs. But takes two and a lot of this will depend on what offers are available. Also, I didn't catch @Aruba77 question about the 2021 Draft but I do agree there's also. I think that's a draft they didn't get right and couldn't afford to miss. Obviously Sengun is still here and he (and Jalen Green, frankly) could still improve and I'll be patient on that, but to me, Evan Mobley, Jalen Johnson would have been better foundation picks. I'm sure a redraft is debatable based on your preference. I think the Kevin Durant trade hurt, as great as he is. Clearly a much better player than Jalen so I'm not throwing shade at KD, but the timeline part still confuses me. I'm not panicked though because I think he has been great this season and pivot potential should still be there.
