Do we need to do anything, other than wait?

Yeah, I'm pretty optimistic about the future. Good stuff begins at this point. I'm excited. Next season can't come soon enough.

 

Which young superstars can you realistically see wanting to leave their team?

Giannis? Luka? Trae? J. Brown? Embiid? Edwards? Zion? Morant?

I think the Rockets should continue to build this young core and see what happens and only pursue one of those young stars if they become available

Also, every once in a while, a shocking disgruntled star comes out and asks to be traded. Guys I never think would like Jokic, Shai, Tatum

If so, you pursue those guys.

Please stay away from old stars, the PG13s, Kawhi, Lebron, AD, Curry

And I would also stay away from the borderline stars like Dejounte Murray, Donovan Mitchell, Julius Randle, Fox, etc. They are the type of players who almost always peak as 3rd to 6th seed teams but never good enough to get passed that hump

So yea, just continue to build this young core until an elite young superstar becomes available through free agency or demands a trade

 

In the immortal words of one of H-Town's own...

You got to know when to hold 'em.

 

We don't currently have an MVP candidate. That's generally a prerequisite for true title contention.

If an MVP candidate shakes loose, maybe (probably) you try to add that guy , depending upon age / fit ..... otherwise just stay the course and hope one or more of these kids develops into that MVP candidate.

No marginal upgrades at premium prices .... if you upgrade around the edges like that, it needs to be cost efficient.

 

We are 1 superstar away from contention. natural growth of our younger players again next year will make us even stronger. we sorted out winning at home and now we are starting to win away. We have won 5 road games in a row

 

A GM who's good at asset management and an owner who isn't a cheap meddling idiot would be koo

I'm enjoying the winning streak as much as the guy but uh, I'm not ready to go cross-eyed with drool and unconditional love for this franchise's management after what I've witnessed... not yet

 

I think Ime has really made a difference; it’s nice to see our talent coming around. Can you imagine if this was year 4 of competent coaching instead of year 1?

I really like our talent, but I dont think it fits together super well. We just don’t have any really good shooters; 3 of those 6 prospects are down right bad shooters, the other 3 are average. In today’s nba you just can’t be successful without shooting.

the other issue is size. We just don’t have it, and Adams isn’t a long term solution.

so we really need to acquire shooting and size. And it’s not feasible to extend and pay all 6 of those prospects anyway. Some tough decisions will have to be made, but I’m confident we have the ammo to reconfigure the roster to maximize winning.

Let’s agree that we’re not gonna keep all 6 of those prospects though…as much as we all like them.

 

I wouldn't give Jalen Green an extension at the end of the season. He should be made a RFA.

How much cap room do the Rockets have without extending anyone? Sengun obviously deserves one, but he's injured.


Tate, Bullock and Boban aren't needed. Aaron Holiday should be traded too. Landale is finally playing well. I would be reluctant to give him a new contract though.

 

With young guys and prospects you can only go up but there comes a time when that stagnates.....You see a lot of stagnation with mediocre veteran teams.
And then GM's work is asked to be performed. I do not think we are quite there yet. This is still the young guys proving themselves phase and period.

Even when you identified and secured your legit super star, there are years of frustration and stagnation.....to find your way to a championship..... it is more than having fun over the Wizards.

Winning and boring wins are always fun but if you have Holiday, Landale, Old Uncle to start the year off the bench you are predestined to merely play for the last Play IN spots at best......

It comes with what you set yourself out to achieve.....if you overachieve is one thing, but you just set a mediocre goal with below average talented bench players.

 

MVP candidates aren't available for trades, they can only be convinced via player collusion.

 

All the guys you mentioned are on vet mins except for Tate. Landale is signed to 4 yrs so he doesn't need a new deal.

There is no point to signing anybody expensive as only a star can break into the rotation once everybody is healthy.

 

would love to acquire Lauri Markkanen using the BKN picks + expiring contracts and/or one of the six young ones

Lauri + FVv + Dillon + Adams are enough I think--- for a contender run next year, with our youngsters of course...

if not possible, then wait [in a year or two only] for an Embiid, Giannis, Luka, KAT trade request

and if within two years none of the four above is acquired....

then hunt for Banchero, Chet, Wemby...[stars at this age range]

 

The light flipping (and sticking) for Jalen would be an absolute game changing development in so many ways. The entire offseason plan would be different at the least.

With Steven Adams already on the roster, I don't see any significant roster moves that need to be made. You always want to keep your ear to the ground in case a talent consolidation opportunity happens for a proven star, but just letting it ride and watching who rises is also a valid choice.

This team will have a ton of cap space after next season if they choose, that puts you in a great position to force sign and trades or bring in impact players outright. Another good year of progression and players will want to come here, we won't have to overpay like we did to get FVV.

 

Yeah, Alperen being 21, averaging 21-9-5 on a winning team, usually that becomes an MVP candidate, eventually. Just because he plays very mature for his age doesn't mean we're watching anything close of a finished product. He will get stronger, will be even tougher on the block and boards, will improve his reads, his confidence, his shooting from the elbow, from the 3pt line.... And his team will play even more and better around him. Not saying he becomes an MVP, but he has a real chance of becoming that good.

 

I am leaning towards the ORG not doing much this year on the market. Maybe some smaller upgrades like the Adams signing...

Wouldnt be surprised if they give the team another chance next year..Mostly Ime's call

 

Can Whitmore and Jabari are great shooters. For what those players will be able to do in their prime they will me much more than adequate in regards to shooting.

Eventually they will have a guy that plays 20 minutes a game or so that is a spot up shooter I suppose.

Collectively I wonder what these players will be shooting from 3 in 4 years compared to this season. There will be improvement to some extent but how much.

 

I agree we're already in a pretty good position to mostly just develop our guys.

The one thing I'd still like to add is a two-way combo guard who is a great shooter and at least a solid playmaker. I'm still not sold on Jalen even though he's been on a nice run, but even if he does work out, we still need more backcourt depth (I see Cam as a wing but more of a small forward). Maybe that could be Reed Sheppard via the draft, but I'm thinking he might be gone in the top 5 and anybody else from this draft class, I wouldn't count on. Cason Wallace would be a trade target for me if we don't get Reed.

If Tari is fully healthy, I'd like to go ahead and trade Dillon Brooks to free up minutes at the 3 if we can find a taker. We have Tari, Cam, Tate, and Amen will probably still play some minutes at the 3 next season. Don't need literally 5 guys who can play small forward.

Probably fine for now in the frontcourt once Adams is healthy--as long as he can be more or less what he was. Jock seems like he finally got himself healthy and solid again, might honestly just pick up his option for depth.