Our next major target should be a young/long/athletic big forward? Who do you want?

Hey, I mean, we're probably still going to be in the lottery. Cleveland had 2.8% in '11 and 1.7% in '14. Chicago had 1.7% in '08. Orlando had 1.5% in '92 -- all got #1 picks. Have faith!

Have faith in the Basketball Gods to bestow upon us a #1 pick. I figure we overperform but still miss the play-ins & finish with something like a 4.5% of getting the first pick (meaning we'd have the 8th-10th worst record in the league). Then, the Roundball Deity of Favorable Bounces will reach into the ping-pong ball hopper with Her beatific hand and grace us with the blessing of generational talent.

Inshallah, Amen, L'Chaim.

 

There is just absolutely no way this team wins 43 games. There is a chance that 7 players will get minutes on this team that have barely started games in the nba.

Spanish guy 0 games
Sengun 0 games
Green 0 games
KPJ 26 games
Kevin Martin 8 games
Wood 57 games
2nd year player Tate has started the most a whopping 58 games

That is not an above .500 team. I presume they want one more top 5 pick as well. Sengun looks amazing. The chances of him becoming a top 10 player in the league is slim though.

This message board will come back down to earth very quickly.

 

AW,
I understand and appreciate your perspective, in fact I'm torn and like any competitive person hate losing. So I could get behind this approach as well, but I believe this year and next year's drafts were/are both special. We have our own pick next year with no crap attached to it. I would use this year to develop the kids, after we're able to establish Gordon, Wall and maybe even Wood as assets to other teams.

If Wood comes out strong like last year and stays healthy he becomes a valuable commodity to a contender that needs his size and skills. I like CW's game and think he could be a key part of the rebuild, but don't know if he's a max guy in that rebuild. Maybe he is, if Stone/Silas see that then I'll trust their judgement. For me that's a key pivot point in this discussion.

Stone added Theis and resigned Nwaba, which could be seen as adding strong vets to either compete sooner or as guys to set the tone for the young guys on defense and unselfish play.

Then we have to ask ourselves as we stand now, what's the ceiling for next year and going forward if we try to get back in the race sooner rather than later? Who can we beat in the standings from last year? Where does that get us?

I'm no prognosticator, but I don't see us making the playoffs given how the West is currently built. So is winning 30-35 games next season better than, growing the kids, acquiring more assets and setting ourselves up for next year's draft and when we should have a great cap situation in 2023?

I lean to the latter, because the vision I want us to pursue is building a multi-year champion. We have a really nice start on that foundation, but I believe getting one of these Top 4 guys https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/2022...lmgren-paolo-banchero-jaden-hardy-jalen-duren will give us the opportunity to create a really special group of youngesters with the ability to add the right veteran(s) in 2023 to get back in the race for 5-10 years.

Stone has done some great work, but I believe he's just getting started.

 

Banton absolutely needs work, more of a Viper than a Rocket right now. But his ball handling and underrated defense is intriguing especially at 6'9.

Just saying he would have been cheaper to acquire.

Siakam is hands down the better player, reason why acquiring him is less likely.

 

You mean a younger Jerami Grant?

 

I'm more than okay fighting for playoffs THIS season.

But we need to Tank for Wembanyana in 2023.

Not a fan of tanking every season because it is a culture killer, especially on such a young and easily influenced team. Need to be more surgical instead.

 

I respect that.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I expect Wall to be healthier and see/utilize the targets
placed around him (this season as opposed to last yr) in a better fashion.

With Wall, Wood, Green, Porter, Kenyon, Tate, Sengun, House, Garuba Eric Gordon (healthy).
10-man rotation with Augustin/Christopher coming off the bench for garbage time.
I doubt we play 10 deep.

We are too good not to make the play-in tournament portion of the playoffs imo.
That's the NBA purgatory we don't want to be able in.

We need Siakim or other talent to get us over that hump.

Gordon, Augustin, House x Siakim works for me.

Wall, Wood, Siakim, Green, Porter, Sengun, Garuba, Tate, Kenyon, Khyri Thomas
That's 10 deep with Christopher maybe getting more time coming off the bench

This team can be better than fighting for 10-8th seed. Instead looking at 7th or
6th seed. In the video Siakim was putting the clamps on KD and Jayson Tatum.
These highschool kids may never get to that level. Just my humble opinion.

Edited: forgot to mention Nwaba. Geez. We are going to be better than people think.
Many of us need to come to terms with it. Most of us see Green as the real #1 pick,
Porter is practically #1 pick material, CF's think Sengun is the best player taken, Garuba
did great in the Olympics, guys getting healthy (Wall/Eric Gordon), players improving
(Tate/Kenyon). It's like getting 3 #1 picks and then some in one draft. And we need more?
Like drug addict junkies. Can't get enough of a fix. Gotta have more. We might be getting
too greedy?

 

29 other teams with that mindset as well. Good luck with that.

 

We have seen this Rockets team in tank mode, none better.

 

Yes, but we have players with incentives in their contracts
Rookie (Green) that wants to win rookie of the year
Porter wants to prove he is good enough to spot 50 points and not be a one hit wonder
Kenyon/Tate want to prove they belong and get recognized
Garuba/Sengun want to start making a name for themselves
Silas has been labeled a bad coach because of last year and wants/needs to start winning

If we try and are bad that's one thing....but not trying and tanking. I don't see this
group doing that. Green by himself goes to the media every chance he gets
and reminds people he thinks he should have gone number 1. Others have
different intentions and motives.

 

Injuries happen, poor coaching happens, selfish players happen.

I want Rockets to compete THIS season. Next season not so much.

Not worried.

Rockets should be picking in lottery next 2 drafts regardless.

 

It’s probably in the best interest to play well anyway. Only way guys like Wall and Green will gain the traction for one to go to a contender and the other win rookie of the year is to contribute to winning basketball.

with everyone invested in their roles this team could hover around .500. That may be naively optimistic on my part but there will still be plenty of time to b**** and complain if it doesn’t go as planned. Plus this team has multiple 1st round picks next year and suddenly some intriguing young players that could be used to move up in the draft - while not as high to nab the blue chippers- still enough to add a significant player.

 

@Verbal Christ

Your basketball I.Q. is very high

I concur, hovering around .500 in an 82 game season (41 wins)

19/20:
East/ Nets .486 (7th)
West/ Blazers .473 (8th)

20/21:
East / Celtics .500 (7th)
West/ Warriors .542 (9th) Spurs .458 (10th).

Put us somewhere around 1.0% to 0.5% chance of getting the number 1 pick it 9th or 10th.....
and so-on for the others

 

I agree we can be better than many think. Health as always will be a major player, especially with Wood, Wall and Gordon. I like Siakim, but don't see Masai giving up Siakim for what you would offer. There is also competition for him as well... https://www.sacbee.com/sports/nba/sacramento-kings/article253337543.html

"A source with knowledge of the situation in Toronto said the Raptors are receiving numerous calls about Siakam and team president Masai Ujiri is “listening like a good negotiator.” The Kings, Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers are said to be particularly “enamored” with Siakam. A trade is possible, but not likely, the source said, adding Siakam has no desire to be moved despite the possibility of a rebuilding situation in Toronto."

If the above is true, how would he feel going to the worst team in the league?

You may be right and Stone positions us to try to compete this year. I'm fine with competing, but I'd rather have the younger guys getting minutes and learning from their mistakes; they'll win some and learn a lot. Either way, I'm having fun so far this off-season and can't wait for what's next!

 

It's so cute to me that some of you guys think this team could be a playoff cusp team next year. Over half of our roster is 21 and younger. Teams like that don't win. I will be absolutely shocked if we aren't one of the worst 5 teams in the league. And I'm still going to have so much fun watching these kids develop.

 

I think I see your blueprint. Am I on the right track?

• Play your veterans and develop rookies in 2021. See if you have the makings of a team.
• Give those veteran players the best chance they can to showcase their talent.
• Don't be afraid to sell everything but the rookies at the trade deadline.
• Accept the outcome of a mid to low-level lottery position in 2022.
• Live through 2023.
• Aim for the top of the 2023 draft board.

 

Other than OKC, is there any team that the Rockets are definitively better than?

 

#Perfect

 

Detroit
Cleveland
Washington
Minnesota
Orlando
San Antonio

Maybe Sacramento too.

 

Houston still wants to play small ball.