[ClutchFans] Podcast: A devastating Game 7 loss and what's next for the Rockets

@Clutch these podcasts are always worth listening to. But your boy MK is killing me. You gotta find some more guys to do this with.

Suggesting that this was a 1 year window is asinine!

 

No, it's not a 1-year window. That's absurd. Harden is still in his prime. Capela(assuming he's resigned) will be at least as good if not better. CP3 is injury prone, but he missed 24 games this season so that's kinda baked into the equation already. We've still got PJ, EG, Green(probably), and at least one of Ariza or Luc(and possibly both). That's a 7 or 8 man rotation right there.

Then Morey will presumably find replacements at backup center, PF, and PG. He'll do everything he can to move that Anderson contract. And there's always the LeBron factor which would make the Rockets immediate title favorites.

If they return the same team as this season and don't suffer any catastrophic injury(i.e. a season-ending one), they'd easily win 60-65 games again. Maybe even more if the Harden-CP3-Capela trio can play more than 45 games together next time around. And the dreaded Warriors will be worse next season. Iggy will be 35. Livingston will be 33. Curry will be 31. Durant will be 30. Looney is a free agent. And they're capped out.

The Rockets will be as good or better next season. The two X-factors for me are first what happens to the rest of the Western Conference? Will Kawhi kiss and make up with the Spurs organization? Will Pop be back? Will the T'Wolves take that next step? What about Utah? What happens in New Orleans with Boogie? And second, will the league screw over the Rockets(or any other Western Conference team not named Golden State) next season? Sorry, but I have serious questions about the legitimacy of the NBA product after what I witnessed the last few days.

 

Yeah, the Rockets won 65 games and were basically a couple of ill-timed injuries away from the finals/championship. Just throwing it in on that team after one season would be weird. To my mind, you run with that core for at least one more season and try to tweak and upgrade where possible. Ideally you'd get another major star but if Morey can just bring in some more scrappy "next man up" types, like how he got Tucker and Luc, the Rockets could still be good and better prepared to absorb injuries going forward.

 

The Rockets also discovered a winning formula this season. Namely at the defensive end. Morey's philosophy last season was to try to outshoot and outscore the Warriors. Hence moves like acquiring Lou Williams. But he realized that was futile and wasn't even good enough to defeat the Spurs. This new roster really is constructed to beat pretty much anyone in the modern NBA. Barring a LeBron trade, a few tweaks should make it even better. I think Morey knows he has to somehow unload Anderson this summer. A year ago, he was fixated on trying to get Melo which was a terrible idea and I'm glad it fell through. Now if he can find a way to dump that contract, I think he'll much wiser about it and simply try to pick up a couple of role players who can make 3's and D up to bolster this roster.

 

I dun think Defense is (the switch Defense ultimately led to fatigue) such a secret. Boston has been playing D against the Cavs, the Cavs tried to D up and it worked.

Stifling Defense was always the formula in the postseason, Pistons had 5 guys that held you below 70 or 80 consecutively.

GSW also kept our Offense at bay with Defense. It worked both ways. They just made timely shots, when it mattered.

People sound like the Rockets heard about Strong Defense the first time last season.

 

It's not a secret. But it was never a priority for Morey. He was focused on 3-pointers, layups, and free throws. Maybe because he thought defense was pointless with a superstar guard who had a rep for not playing any. Thankfully that all changed last summer. I'm not sure what triggered it, but the pickups of CP3, Luc, and Tucker were a major shift for this organization.

 

Mostly CP3, Luc and Tucker triggered it, Tucker maintained aggressive D while CP3 picked guards apart......we saw the result without him, inconsistency began.

 

That the "all-time statistical outlier in shooting" happened in game 7, one win from the finals, is the most painful part of all.

The "rough whistle" is the most infuriating, though.

 

Yeah mad respect to @Clutch but I’m burnout on MK’s takes. One year window?

 

i wouldn't say 1 year window but it's gonnabe hell to get back.

first of all they need to get the number 1 seed again next year. if the rockets don't get the number 1 seed i think it's a warp because you're not winning 2 games against the refs.... oops i mean warriors plus game 5 and game 7 being on the road.

get the number 1 seed again and hope cp3 can stay healthy.

 

I disagree about the officiating as well. If the NBA is concerned about it, this stuff would have been addressed long ago before because of controversial series. The refs did seem to have a bias against Harden in particular the way he was officiated. One has to wonder how much Kerr worked back channels complaining about Harden's antics and putting pressure on Refs not to call or make different calls (4 point play taken away) - it seems that kind of pressure does influence refs and that should not be the case

 

PJ Tucker, CP3, Ariza, EG - that's 4 of the core - they aren't getting better with age, they are getting worse. They are all past their peak.

So unless you balance that with improvement in other areas, you are going to have a weaker, not stronger team next year staying pat

 

I hear ya, think it was more of I just didnt wanna hear it today

 

oh exactly, I'm still decompressing, having a pity party here, and listen to this podcast to just get more depressed. The window is up already? Might be MK's reality, but I'm not there yet. We have MVP Harden and a team others WANT to come to. Could give snippets of hope. The refs were..... I don't believe in the league on this one.

 

Sign leborn james or AD

 

Well no need for me to listen to it .. . . . cause glossing over that just seems disingenuous

Rocket River

 

in all fairness, i assume the guest might have a press pass and doesn't want to jeopardize that relationship and access

 

I think that the Rockets have an excellent shot at Lebron this summer, particularly if the Warriors are able to beat the Cavs in four or five games.

Logical places for Lebron to consider include:

• Philadelphia -- stay in the weaker east giving an easier path to the FInals ... except that Boston will be a monster next year;
• Boston -- finagle a move to Boston--perhaps sign a supermax with Cleveland and then get traded to Boston for Kyrie ... interesting but this just isn't going to happen;
• San Antonio -- Lebron would love to play for Pop, but with questions about Kawhi's staying and attitude shoot this down;
• Los Angeles Lakers -- Even if Paul George were to join him, this is probably too weak of a supporting cast ... unless Chris Paul were to join (Lebron has talked about wanting to play with Chris);
• Houston Rockets -- Gives Lebron everything he wants: joining a great team that easily had the best record in the NBA even though starters missed many games, a couple of superstars to help shoulder the load--Lebron is getting older and can't keep playing the most minutes in the NBA each year, the ability to play with his friends, and the strong likelihood of beating his nemesis, the Warriors.

Unless Lebron stops caring about winning championships or does something crazy like joining Boston, Houston is the logical place for him to take his services (note: if the Cavs win the championship this year, then all bets are off).

With Lebron, Houston would be the overwhelming favorite and, as much as I don't want to admit it, they would likely destroy my team (as it is, the Warriors only survived because they got lucky on a number of fronts--they got a few extra favorable refs calls, Chris Paul was injured, and the Rockets went on a historically bad shooting streak.)

If you guys get Lebron, I will still feel fortunate that my team actually did well for several years in a row, particularly after watching them wallow in freakish misery for decades (but for a moment of sun in the 2007 playoffs).

 

Question can harden lead a team to a title I am feeling less and less confident about it