#1 Internally and to the media reaffirm that Udoka is driving the bus. This is his team and what he says goes. This will help with young players. #2 Set detailed off season programs, expectations and workout locations. Players like Jalen Green and Amen Thompson do not need to be working out on their own. #3 Dive really deep into this draft. There are a lot of question marks and uncertainty in this draft - but that also means lots of opportunity for the Rockets if they scout really well. There is literally no position I would shy away from drafting if that is the best player available. #4 I'm not extending Jalen Green. He showed what he is capable of, now go out and do it and he gets the max. Otherwise the Rockets can move on. #5 I would personally extend Sengun, he has shown enough, and if the defensive issues are a problem, he is moveable on a max deal. #6 Go into next year with the mentality that Amen Thompson is the back up point guard. Challenge him and see how he responds. #7 Listen on the trade market - but this team should not sell picks or players for a quick solution.
Amen Thompson will get every opportunity to be the back up point guard, and there is no reason he cannot do it. He already has made adjustments with his handle, and he is certainly a good enough passer. The only way he is going to improve as a point guard is to play point.
I don't see that happening. I don't think the Rockets are going to be trading their young players for a star. If Amen goes nuclear in the off season and looks ready to be the starter, I think the Rockets would at some point deal FVV for cap space. The Rockets lack shooting and FVV helps somewhat with that. If anyone is dealt, I think it is Brooks.
Amen is a savant. This is a guy that was able to recite draft positions off the top of his head, unprompted. He'll be able to run the point next year. He doesn't need a 3 ball yet, just a consistent floater for next year or midrange. If he ever shoots the 3 at above 36% then he's going to be a Top 5 player in the league at the minimum. He had the best showing of any of the 6 rookies the Rockets have drafted...by a lot.
There are point guard actions one can not run if one can not shoot. See Ben Simmons. The Rockets can let Amen run the break. The Rockets can run plays where Amen is the cutter, gets the pass and has to make the shoot or pass decision. Amen can do both of the above right now and very well. This is not skill building. What limits Amen is his lack of shot. Amen's job one for the next year is to develop a reliable shot ... maybe starting at mid-range and working out to the 3.
I don’t think they would be looking to give up assets for those types of players when they could likely sign them with the MLE as a free agent. They will probably look at guys like Malik Monk, Alec Burks, De’Anthony Melton (more D than 3), etc.
which Amen does not have. It gets down to where Amen should spend skill building in his offseason time. Finding a reliable shot first and then working on PG skills.
He has 6 months to work on these things. His offseason will be spent on his dribbling and his shooting. Not one or the other. The actual knowledge is film room stuff which he does outside of the gym. He already has most of the PG skills necessary. He just needs the knowledge, reps and to work on his handle/shot. Not worried about much else. Sengun on the other hand needs to be glued to the corner 3 spots for 6 months and that's it.
The Rockets will be an above the cap team. No way they deal FVV for cap space, the math doesn't work right now much less later in the offseason when there's a draft pick to pay $5,773,800 assuming the #9 pick as well as the MLE. In the unrealistic event that they moved FVV for $0 returning, it creates about $19m in total. Not enough to justify operating below the cap. Moving Brooks for $0 in return doesn't even get you below the cap.
I’m still trying to figure out how Tari, Cam and Amen get the minutes they need next season with Brooks playing significant minutes. I don’t think the math adds up.
On one level, positional nomenclature is silly and overrated - on the other hand, when the Rockets gave up the fiction that Thompson was a guard and started putting him in the frontcourt with others as the lead guards is exactly when his season turned around. Him in the dunker spot and getting offensive rebounds was way more productive than him clanking jumpers and dribbling around. If you want Thompson to inititiate the offense it's fine, but it really means more for Sengun or other non-shooters because of spacing issues.
Yeah and they can make the playoffs by getting rid of some players and regressing a little. So what? That doesn't mean that gives them the best chance or is optimal.
Who said anything about moving them for $0 money returning? FVV can be moved for smaller contracts if they choose to do so. I don't think they are going to move any of them - they will still have a need for FVV.
The point is development of the younger players, and that includes Amen Thompson. Unless something has changed in the last 90 days, the Rockets intend to have Amen Thompson be a point guard. This isn't an "either" or "scenario". Thompson can work on his shot and also play backup point guard minutes for the Rockets. Thompson has said that he wants to work on his handle, shooting and footwork.
If he does not improve as a shooter, then he will likely be moved inside more - but his is a rookie, and it is worth seeing how he does with a solid off season to improve. Most the moves the Rockets make will likely be centered around long term development - which is why I think Thompson will get minutes as the back up point guard.
I think he used cap space wrong. I think he meant salary flexibility. The owner has a budget. Also, a big contract like that is harder to move than an equal amount of sallary split 2 or 3 ways. Long term, FVV does not fit with the Rockets at that price and may not want to pay him the third year after extending Sengun. One of my worries is that the Rockets are becoming too dependent on FVV.
You are the one who said - and I quote "I think the Rockets would at some point deal FVV for cap space." I'm simply pointing out that moving FVV "for cap space" as you stated, is not in the cards. The part about not taking back any salary was just to show the futility of "trading him for cap space" it's nearly impossible .... when the minimum return is ~$34m.
While I think he was meaning salary flexibility, I should point out that he didn't specify the year on cap space if you want to rack him over the coals for sematics. Trading FVV for expirings and not extending Sengun until the '25 offseason, would allow the Rockets to have nearly 80 million in cap space prior to extednign Sengun (assuming Green isn't on the books too). It would just be next offseason. So, I would say FVV for cap space could be in the cards. Granted, I don't think he was talking about this scenario.
We are not disagreeing by much. When I think of today's PG initiated actions, I think primarily of pick-n-roll. Amen defender in the pick-n-roll should play way, way under the pick, daring Amen to shoot. If Amen gets a wide open shot, he has got to take it and make it ... or the other team will let Amen shot his way to a loss. Ime don't play that ... or at least not 15 minutes per game of that.
