As the 2021 year winds down, make you predictions for next calendar year. Be it certain milestones like next trade deadline, the summer off season, and start of next season. Players We've heard the usual names in trade talks, what about the young guys or the fringe players. Will the hardship signee go down if the NBA relaxes asymptomatic players. How do you foresee the growth of the young players: KPJ, Green, JC, Sengun and Garuba? Teams How do you for see the direction of the team in terms of both offense and defense. Team started with mid defense, but really bad offense. Now it seems the offense is turning the corner, but defense is bottom of the league. Can the Rockets get better at both ends. Record Will it get better, or another tanking like season. Keep it light and fun, not something we go back on the receipts for.
I’m in full agreement with what Clutch just posted to be honest. Obviously these are more along the lines of what I want to see rather than strictly predictions. These are things I’d like to see happen moving forward. The only thing I would add is more Josh Christopher. Trading Gordon would hopefully clear a path to see that.
We trade wood and Gordon by the start of next year at the latest . Be more surprised to keep wood . I think we could hold on to Eric for longer . what I want to see is jalen green work on his body over the offseason. Add a top 7 pick . Sengun / green / Christopher / garuba all get PT toward the end of the year . I’d like to keep Tate . Green with the ball intrigues me , but it’s not my priority . I like the idea of making him a 2-way player in his highest aspiration . 3 and D baby . Unfortunately I feel that winning will still not be the highest priority next year . We will still be focusing on development and growth . the biggest possible shakeup/ domino is wall. But given he’s unlikely to move , it anchors us . You can’t compete if 45 million dollars is tied up on the bench . dj is a chunk of change too . Eric as well , but he is still pretty good . Dj is a limited player . I have no clue how the rebuild is going . Green hasn’t shown me enough yet , and sengun / jc have been promising . Garuba is an unknown . all of these guys could grow 2-3 inches . if green keeps improving his shooting his ceiling is def sky high . But he’s not ready on D . kpj is an enigma . May be best off the bench , but also depends on the shot . Tate was already good his rookie year and , to me , has taken another leap this year . And all these other guys are 19 . Prediction less than 30 wins , more than 20 wins .
Not hot or on who I personally like/dislike, just some random predictions. Players Gordon gets traded. If Gordon doesn't care about a 'ship and is happy in HOU, I'm OK with keeping him, but the likelihood is that he gets traded. Wood gets traded. Or extended and then traded. This isn't me souring on Wood per se. CFers know his strengths (and weaknesses). Rationale is, while we still go for Talent > Fit. Fit will eventually be a creeping issue. Sengun's minutes aside, the next top prospect have a bunch of big men. Banchero 6'8" Jabari Smith 6'11" Holmgreen 7'0 Queen and Nix. If the NBA relaxes the protocols, I can see these guys getting sent back down. Maybe they'll suprise the coaching staff, have no negative feelings on them. Other Vets: Wall doesn't play this full season. Next season, he gets moved. Theis and Augstin remains on the bench. KPJ remains PG. Despite my personal expectations/preference, he shows enough where Rockets org keep him at PG. JC develops his distributor role better, and grows out of just the JRue Holiday mold (defending guard). Green keeps his pace of growth. Sengun keeps his pace of growth. Tate / KJ / Garrison / Armoni - I'm a fan of these guys, but it's likely if Stone does a trade and needs to sweeten the pot, these guys might be thrown in and not be around. Garuba is still neglected by Silas and crew. Coach: Silas remains on the team. Record: 1. Rockets still has a bad record; a bottom NBA team unfortunately. Doesn't make the play-in. Fans will still root for them. Other: Clutch Da Bear - wins mascot of the year again Fans warm up to Ryan Hollins as commentator. Cayleigh still remain for another year, because she enjoys the people she works with. But it's not lost on her, that when she came to a Harden team, there was more media coverage. Rockets team losing a lot, little national TV games, doesn't her help career and exposure as much.
Tate - 3 pt shooting Gordon- Traded for a 1st Wood- Traded for a couple future 1sts KPJ - court vision and shooting Green- Finishing drives, off ball defense Sengun- less fouls, mid range shooting Jgup- court vision Matthews- on ball defense, consistent 3 pt shooting Brooks- consistent shooting KJ- defense Garuba- how to play basketball
Agreed. More Martin Jr. too! Garuba hasn't gotten many minutes but I really like his defensive potential.
I hate long posts, however I am guilty of producing some of them. I will dissect it into many pieces later on. I think 2022 should be about again getting high picks, getting rid of Wall, Wood, Augustin, Theis. (Ego is a question mark) Goal should be getting close to the Play In and playing Defense!
Concisely, setting up for the best lottery odds for 2022 draft while cleaning the roster up. We could be competing next season depending on the moves we make or going for one last season of high lottery pick(s).
While I agree with most all of this as well as what others have said in the thread, I don't really see any benefit to making the play-in at this point, nor do I think it's realistic. The win streak was great, but the last few weeks have proven to us who this team is: a bad basketball team with fun young players to watch. Winning some games and playing competitive basketball is a great goal, but it's way more beneficial for them to finish in the bottom five than it is for them to chase a spot in the playoffs where they'd get slaughtered.
I have no prediction but two questions : 1.What was the longest winning streak for the bottom conference team. If Rockets finish as bottom, 7 might be the longest. Any idea? 2.How tall is Cayleigh? When she interviews assistant coaches, she always towering them.
Our backcourt will start to get some hype KPJ averages 20/8 Green averages 18/3 KJ will take a big step and probably be a starter by trade deadline Woods ego won’t be able to handle how much love KPJ/Green will start to get around the league and leave or be traded Tate is to short at 6’5 and will be 26(maybe 27). Depending on on our pick, I think we should package Wood, Tate, and a 3rd team for Wall Pick should be used for a lengthy/versatile forward
Players I think Wood and Gordon are traded before the deadline this season. At that point the roster is pretty much completely turned over from the Harden era (save John Wall who will be bought out next season) and the rebuild truly begins in earnest. With those veteran's gone the kids are now playing the minutes they probably should have from the jump. A roster of 19-21 year olds solidifies the Rockets with a bottom 3 record and they end up with pick #3 in the draft. They choose whoever is left from Paolo-Chet-Jabari which is the order I hope the draft goes for Houston. Team I think the offense progresses faster than the defense as they are already looking more like a middle of the road offense (aside from turnovers which are catastrophic atm) and a poor defense. If the turnovers clear up some then the offense stays at least average. Hopefully the defense starts to take shape and approach passable by the middle of next season. Record The Rockets will probably bottom out after the deadline with the vets gone. I think they struggle to win games the remainder of this season and probably the first half of next season. Being that the tank is over for us, they start to win more after the deadline next year and end up competing for the play in the last few weeks of the season. 50-50 that they are good enough to get there but the high stakes games they play really season the kids and they are looking good for 2023/2024 (similar to Phoenix coming out of the bubble).
Details Trades Wood trade Christian Wood and JaeSean Tate to Chicago for Patrick Williams and Derrick Jones Why?: Chicago is in win now mode and Williams is out for the year and Jones is really just an expiring. It hurts to lose Tate but he puts the deal over the top for Chicago while Patrick Williams is the perfect compliment for Sengun at the 4, Gordon trade EG to NYK for Kemba Walker, Kevin Knox and Charlotte FRP (50/50 to convey in 2022) Why?: New York is also trying to build off of their success last season. Gordon is a Thibodeaux type player and Knox and Walker are out of the rotation. Houston gets an expiring (Knox), a smaller contract to trade later (Walker) and a possible mid to late first out of the deal while opening up minutes for Christopher. Augustin trade DJ and the Miami pick to NOP for Garrett Temple and 3 of their 4 SRPs Why?: For NOP its about getting an extra first. The fact that Augustin is local is just icing on the cake. The Rockets get a veteran mentor/likely future coach in Temple and more swings at the draft with 3 seconds. With all of the draft capitol the Rockets have I would start taking swings at high upside guys or specialists in the second round as often as I could. Draft 1.3: Jabari Smith PF/Auburn 1.20 (Cha via NYK): Tari Eason Wing/LSU SRP1: Roko Prkacin: Draft and stash SRP2: Andrew Nembhard: pure PG who would develop on a two way contract at RGV SRP3: Ibou Badji: draft and stash big with massive defensive potential 2022/2023 Roster 1 – KPJ/Temple/Nembhard 2 – Green/Christopher/Brooks 3 – Mathews/Martin/Nwaba/Eason 4 – Williams/Smith/Martin 5 – Sengun/Garuba
Rockets trade: John Wall/Christian Woods for Rubio/Love and a pick or picks are thrown our way to make it worth our time. This frees Garuba from the bench, makes Sengun the de facto starter and gives us draft capital. This move also allows us to test Sengun out as a full time centerpiece before we draft.
