We get so lost in the conversation about the Rockets own development that we forget about what other teams are doing. Even if the Rockets reach their own potential, will they surpass other up and coming teams like OKC? It didn’t matter how great the Harden era Rockets became because Golden State was building a better team simultaneously. I fear this is happening with the Thunder and maybe a few other young teams around the league. It may be time to face the reality that Stone blew the tank and rebuild with his poor drafting. It was a nice surprise start to the season but unfortunately we still have broke Ferntits and a lawyer from Seattle running the team. This might be a sinking ship before it even sets sail.
I think we're the best young team but I want to see SGA in a favored playoff series before I decide. Magic: forget it, Sengun is better than Banchero. Better defender, similar overall offensive production. Sengun is arguably smarter though Banchero more athletic. Once Sengun's 3pter gets rolling and he puts on more muscle, it won't even be a discussion imo. The rest don't impress me at all. Even Pacers are now built to be a second round exit ceiling imo. All offense, no defense. I'd rather be all defense, no offense. Defense is a bigger hurdle to clear for young teams usually. Offense is easier to fix.
I have discussed this before when a lot of people on here had the grass is greener syndrome or when they talk about how other teams are better or have developed faster. See below
Thunder are far better than the Rockets for the present and future Rockets can’t compete with SGA, Chet, and J-dub SGA is light years ahead of anyone on our roster and is playing like a MVP candidate Chet>>>Jabari Jalen Williams>>>>Jalen Green OKC will likely be a conference finals team by next year thank basketball jesus Presti traded Sengun away or else OKC would be straight up unfair Sengun is the only one our roster that flashes star potential I could easily see Chet and Jalen Williams making the ASG in the future
It's not really rosy glasses. We made a terrible trade with OKC, missed on Jalen and we are going to be compared to them like it or not. They have way better young talent and an MVP candidate. We got really lucky in Sengun or it would be much worse
Can’t compare us to OKC - them grabbing SGA (who is in year 6)….but our oldest young player in comparison is Tate (4 years) and was drafted while we had Harden / Westbrook Edwards is year 4 - and made the jump mid last season (plus FIBA helped him a lot) …but we can’t compare when he has Towns and Gobert …and Conley who isn’t a offensive PG
Nah, the rosy part is not that, it is when you are still drunk with the perception that we have the best young team.... OKC has no real veteran in their lineup - SGA is a semi veteran at best. They have to make a good thing a great thing.......in their minds. A percentage of posters are lying to themselves....or they still believe that. I get that people feel better about the team this way.....Copium.
yup yup yup. This is exactly why i wouldnt mind resigning porter to a minimum deal for two or three years. We simply cant hand them any more good young players in the draft or well never ever compete with them. They could be the next warriors. lets not forget about wemby either. Sooner or later a superstar and another allstar will join him. this is exactly why i dont think we are done rebuilding. And honestly, i dont think even sengun is untouchable. If a superstar is made available when he gets his next contract, he could be made available because we dont know if hell ever be a good three point shooter, which he has to be one day. and this is why im fully against trading any of these firsts away to make the eight seed. We still wont go anywhere if we do.
Bottom line for me is this team will be as good as Green becomes and that should be worrisome to Rockets fans.
Yeah this coming from someone who wanted to bring Harden back this offseason destroying our rebuild. OKC has collectively been together longer, while we just got a new coach and system. Ofcourse our core won't look fully developed they're still learning the system adjusting to want Ime is asking. But NOBODY expected we'd be 2 games under .500 beating some of the best teams. The Thunder weren't nowhere this good in year 3
You are going to drive yourself crazy if you are constantly comparing this team from a talent and asset perspective with OKC. They are in a different ballpark all together. It’s probably better to look historically at a wider variety of teams who lost two superstars and how they recovered over a 5 year span. So far… no Stone is not doing great but we do at least have a few players that look like hits and our first year of free agency hasn’t been that bad. To me it’s a C+ to B- rebuild so far. The biggest thing that will significantly hold back this rebuild is taking Jalen Green at 2. Not that he’s going to be a bad player but him not being at least borderline all star caliber really sets back the rebuild. Also getting nothing from the TyTy, Garuba, and Christopher picks is really really bad. We are so shallow with talent that we fall off a crater when Tari Eason gets injured…. And I love Tari Eason but that’s a sign of really poor depth. So far it’s a very meh rebuild but I do have fun watching this team most nights because at least when healthy they do have some fun players to watch and can win some games here or there.
I have my doubts with SGA/Williams. Only Chet looks like a true potential superstar on that team to me. But that might be enough. They struggle vs the Clippers/Lakers and frankly don't match up well with us either if we're being honest.
