Barring some miraculous postseason run... how would you like us to approach the off-season? I think I covered the main options...
To quote the great DaDakota's immortal words, KD is not the answer. But it's not just one thing. The chemistry is bad with Dickerson in the midst. But it's not like we were great last season without him and with a good ball handler.
I would not want to blow up the young core yet. As such, I picked "Stay the course! We get back FVV and Adams and maybe make a minor deal or two...". Unless the Rockets get Giannis, I think 2027 deadline and 2027offseason is when the Rockets pivot unless things are going great. KD is not the answer to why the Rockets are meh right now. Firing Ime will not make players better. I don't think it is going to take as much to trade for Giannis as others. That said, I'm about 50/50 on whether the Rockets should offer Sengun and a FRP for Giannis (I'm a little worried I'm experiencing anchor bias such that even Sengun and a FRP is too much). I've lost a lot of my faith in the young guys, but mostly Sengun.
I think it's actually a combination of those choices, but if I had to go with one, definitely fire Ime. A competent coach who understands how to run an offense would result in at least 7-8 additional wins(probably more honestly) which would put us 3rd in the West and 4th overall in the NBA based on current standings. Obviously some tweaks have to be made to the roster. What those are is another matter entirely. Do we ride it out with the current players(including the injured ones we get back) and then try to add some depth in the 2027 offseason once Fred and DFS come off the books and we have potentially 2 lottery picks from the Nets and Suns? Or do we do something this summer and try to unload some of those contracts(and maybe attach a few of those future picks) in order to add more talent? I'm actually not opposed to trading KD this offseason. He's still got a ton of value since he's had a great individual season, he's been healthy all year(knock on wood), and he has a very reasonable contract with only 2 more years at a friendly 45 mil per. We don't even necessarily need to try to get a star in return. If we land 2-3 solid role players and add that to the core we already have, suddenly we're looking at a roster where the sum is greater than the parts. And then you hopefully land that future star with those Nets, Suns, and Mavs picks over the next few years. To say nothing of the improved chemistry in the locker room.
I don’t want a “miraculous“ postseason run because it would deceive the organization into believing they’re close. They need significant changes, not piecemeal stuff.
The best thing for this team long term would be to fall to 7th, lose both the play in games, and somehow get a top 4 pick to keep their 1st rounder. I don't you go wrong with any of the following Dybansta, Peterson, Boozer, or Flemings. The Suns are 3.5 back so anything is possible with bunch with the way they are playing and being coached. Falling out of the playoffs altogether after being the #2 seed last year and being in the top 4 for 80% of the season would hopefully mean Stone and Ime are fired.
Nah, it's because we lost FVV and Adams. Just not our year. But yeah, this is the first time since the tanking years when I actually hope the Rockets not to make the playoffs. As things are going now, if we end up 6th, we'll likely be playing the Lakers. I hate losing to the Lakers.
Do not trade anyone of value while their offensive potential is depressed under Udoka. We have no idea what they can produce under a competent offensive coach. Rebounders are the only people optimized in this system. Fire Stone in the summer so that the new GM can be harsh with Ime. These two idiots lied their way to long extensions. Duped the owner by patting each other on the back. Alternatively wait till middle of next season when firing Ime becomes a realistic option.
When your two best young players, in this case Amen and Sengun, both can't shoot, you would think the most obvious team building strategy is to just have a lot of other shooters. You would think Stone would try to move Heaven and Earth to try to get one of if not both Ty Jerome and NAW through various wheeling and dealing. And although he's not played well, someone like Brook Lopez as a floor spacing center. I'm not saying these moves would all work out. Perhaps Sengun and Amen would still not be maximized with 3-4 shooters around them at all times. But at least you think they should TRY to do that. So yeah, this offseason once again, I would like the Rockets to just get some more shooting. When Sengun and Amen are not in the game together, there should be 4 shooters. When they are both on the floor, there should be 3 shooters. If they still aren't good enough, ala the Mitchell/Gobert pairing in Utah, then move on. But until then, gotta at least try to see if they will succeed in the right floor spacing environment.
I don't think firing Ime is the answer, but if Ime loses the locker room he has to go ... along with some of the players. The main problem with the team is that some of our key players have exploitable deficiencies. Can certain players learn how to shoot? Can certain players learn how to play better D? It is unclear these issues can be fixed, no matter who the coach is.
Yea I am fairly sure if we do end up playing the Lakers as a 6th seed, it'll only make sense that we become the first team to lose a playoff series with a 3-0 lead. I think it is Ime's destiny to hold that mantle, given his penchant for blowing so many second half leads throughout his coaching career. It's why I hope PHX surpasses us for the 6th seed as well.
I would do the following: 1. Fire Udoka and Stone, or at a bare minimum shake up both the coaching staff and the front office with high-level respected assistant hires. There needs to be significant change, things really went off the rails this season and it wasn't just because of injuries. 2. Trade KD in the offseason for the best return we can get, even if that's just second round draft picks and expiring contracts. Ideally get either a 3nD stretch big back or a draft pick that can become a player with the potential to become one, but I'm not holding my breath on pulling this off. 3. Explore trade options for Sengun, but only trade him if the return is really strong. Would need to be along the lines of proven star player who can shoot the ball and is in his 20s (not Giannis, too old and doesn't fit), and/or high-level draft capital (a high lotto pick in this class or a combination of other draft picks that reaches a similar level of value) and/or a young player who has strong potential to break out and become a star. Anything short of that isn't enough value for a 23-year-old 2x all-star, and we're not in a hurry since he is locked up on a reasonable contract. Again, I'd try to find a way to get a 3nD stretch big as part of the trade if one wasn't already acquired in the KD trade, but again, kind of a big ask. 4. Explore trade options for FVV, Adams, DFS, Capela. Likely thing here is to make roster tweaks. Could potentially package one FRP in one of these deals if it gets us younger and/or improves the roster construction significantly. We're not contending next season, we don't need all these 30-something injury-prone veterans. Probably won't trade all of them, but at least one or two should be out the door.
That ain't happening, folks. Phoenix is 4 back in the loss column and we own the tiebreaker. Which effectively puts them 5 back and the Suns and Rockets have 9 and 10 games left respectively. Sure, the Rockets have shown an impressive ability to lose to almost anyone, but they still have 2 left against Memphis, 1 against Milwaukee, and 1 against Utah. All of those are teams who aren't even trying to win right now. They'd have to go something like 2-8 down the stretch(including obviously losing at Phoenix in a couple weeks) in order to have any chance of falling to 7th.
I’d run it back and replace the current role players with ones that can actually shoot. One or two that can create their own shot (think Malik monk type). It will be nice to have Fred back but I think it would be foolish to not get another experienced backup PG too.
Love how FVV and Adams are hurt, but they keep getting blamed for others not being good enough to win games.
A variation of #1 but bigger. Get rid of the power forward role player position (Jabari/DFS) Instead copy the OKC/spurs role player model. Fast defensive guards that can shoot, pass, and dribble. KD would be the 4. Something like: Jabari for VJ Edgecombe Jabari for Jrue Holiday and some good picks Trade some height to improve team speed and skill, all 5 starters can handle and initiate from now on. Change the flow.
For those that want to stay the course, still got to revamp the whole bench with guys like NA-Walker, Ty Jerome..... And get assistants like Borrego, Kenny Atkinson, Mazzulla......(I am sure the insiders know the next College Mazzulla) I am all for firing Stone and Udoka by the next deadline, and Tilman moving into Politics permanently.....selling the team but that is unrealistic for now. That is also the reason I advised to move Stone to a higher supervising position without hands on activities.
