26 replies to this topic

[redfaithful]

Not sure about the financials, but what do you think about getting Iguodala?

 

Probably the only trade option involves Gordon...

[thejohnnygold]

Wow!  This off season just keeps getting better.

 

Kawhi, PG13, P-Bev, Lou Williams & 'Trez is going to be awesome to watch.

 

Memphis...I'm not sure what they are doing with Dwight Howard (LOL), but they've got a GREAT young group now.  Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Dillon Brooks, DeAnthony Melton, Josh Jackson (???), Kyle Anderson (meh).  Seriously...where does Dwight fit in this picture?  Perhaps they think he can be traded down the line for something better?  (The guy is getting passed around like a carton of bad milk where the first person says, "Ugh, I think this is sour...here, you smell it", and then, one by one, each person agrees that, yes, it is bad.)  Surely by now we can all agree that he and Carmelo should go ahead and join the Big3.

 

Meanwhile, Iggy is sitting there and someone is going to fork over another pick+young player for him.

 

Phoenix desperately trying to build a team that will tempt Booker to stay (He won't) is fun.  Rubio and Kyle Korver, eh?  Maybe they should have invested those draft picks better.  Still, they are interesting with Rubio, Booker, Bridges, Oubre, and Ayton.  I don't foresee a lot of wins, but they should be fun to watch.

 

OKC is in a pickle.  It sorta seems like they have to move Westbrook at some point, but how?  Who wants him?  (paging James Dolan)  I think we see Adams, Grant, and Roberson hit the trading block hard as well.  Time to pack it in and start from scratch.

 

Then we have the Kings...they could be very interesting.  Their 3 pt. shooting is going to be some of the best in the league and now that Cauley-Stein is going to be out of the way they can get Bagley and Giles in there.  The West is still too good for them to make the playoffs, but they will get very close.  I think one of the Spurs/Mavs edges them out.

 

Speaking of the Mavs...I am very interested to see how that all looks.

[Mario Peña]

So Daryl just took the biggest swing he’s ever taken. This is make or break time. I think it’s the right move for three reasons.

1) You just moved from an aging all time great to an in his prime all time great.

2) James according to reports pushed for this behind the scenes and for me that alone is enough.

3) In two years if the James Harden era Rockets are still stuck with a Paul Harden duo would Harden have forced his way out? To me Harden and Westbrook will have that off court bond (plus the money) that keeps them together and maybe they can recruit the right players to join. Westbrook is the insurance policy to keep James in Houston.

[thejohnnygold]

So Daryl just took the biggest swing he’s ever taken. This is make or break time. I think it’s the right move for three reasons.

1) You just moved from a aging all time great to a in his prime all time great.

2) James according to reports pushed for this behind the scenes and for me that alone is enough.

3) In two years if the James Harden era Rockets are still stuck with a Paul Harden duo would Harden have forced his way out? To me Harden and Westbrook will have that off court bond (plus the money) that keeps them together and maybe they can recruit the right players to join. Westbrook is the insurance policy to keep James in Houston.

 

Good points and thanks for helping make me feel better.

 

One thing this signals to me is that the talk about "ball movement" being more of a focus next year was just talk.  I do think Westbrook and D'Antoni might be a match made in heaven.  I'm not sure anyone brings the ball up the floor faster than Westbrook (maybe Wall or Fox?).

 

It's going to be so very, very weird the first time I see Westbrook in a Rockets uniform.  Also, does this give us the top backcourt in the NBA next season?  Klay's hurt so Curry/Thompson are out.  Who else is better?

 

Is it too soon to imagine Leonard/George vs. Harden/Westbrook in the conference finals?

[Mario Peña]

So besides our dwindling numbers I’m guessing Red94 forum members just aren’t fans. I can understand. A few years ago I worked with a Russ/Thunder fan so we talked a lot of basketball and I wasn’t one of those Rockets fans that became anti Westbrook the year he won the MVP. I came to respect the different angles to the game as in the in vogue “ball/player movement” style/styles, efficiency or “the model” as game of zones might call it and lastly that Westbrook style, sheer will. Now sure maybe this will all explode in our faces but perhaps that combination of emphasis on efficiency in the regular season and sheer will in the playoffs will transform the Rockets but even so they have to begin with good team defense habits from the beginning of the year. That’s the key, they need to be a top 6 defensive team all year.

If Westbrook can bring the imprint of his will on this team and in support of James perhaps this team becomes stronger mentally in the post season.

[thejohnnygold]

So besides our dwindling numbers I’m guessing Red94 forum members just aren’t fans. I can understand. A few years ago I worked with a Russ/Thunder fan so we talked a lot of basketball and I wasn’t one of those Rockets fans that became anti Westbrook the year he won the MVP. I came to respect the different angles to the game as in the in vogue “ball/player movement” style/styles, efficiency or “the model” as game of zones might call it and lastly that Westbrook style, sheer will. Now sure maybe this will all explode in our faces but perhaps that combination of emphasis on efficiency in the regular season and sheer will in the playoffs will transform the Rockets but even so they have to begin with good team defense habits from the beginning of the year. That’s the key, they need to be a top 6 defensive team all year.

If Westbrook can bring the imprint of his will on this team and in support of James perhaps this team becomes stronger mentally in the post season.

 

I agree.

 

There isn't much we can say before we see them together, but on paper I think this looks like an amazing pairing.  I believe we can officially claim the "best back court" in the NBA right now.  In addition, Gordon, Rivers, and Tucker, give us three solid players behind them along with Capela and Chandler to play some D and dunk a lot of lobs.  Danuel House, Gary Clark, Isaiah Hartenstein should all contribute this year.  With any luck, Shamorie Ponds is another diamond in the rough.

 

 

It's obvious this kid grew up watching the likes of Kobe, D-Wade, and Harden.  He's a lefty (Morey is obsessed with lefties) and if he can play NBA defense will absolutely be a solid contributor sooner than later in the league.

 

Back to Russ.  If the rumors are true about the disconnect between Harden and CP3 then this move will prove to be very good.  Maybe CP3 lost Harden's respect...Harden didn't approve of his old school ways...as was rumored, he simply looked at him and thought, "you can't even beat your man 1 on 1...how are you gonna tell me how to play?".  With Russ, that's all out the window.  It takes an entire team to stop Russ (most of the time) and paired with Harden (who has single-handedly forced teams to invent new, strange versions of "defense") plus a solid group of 3 & D guys this team should be unstoppable on offense.

 

As you said, defense is the key to our success (it always has been).  I think we'll be good on that end.  Chandler has always been a solid defender.  Rivers, Tucker, Gordon, and House should all contribute solid efforts on that end as well.  

 

Still, what happens if The Lakers decide to force feed Anthony Davis in the post?  How much of that can we take before he goes off?  What happens when the Clippers with Kawhi, PG13, and P-Bev lock down our top three play makers?  Does anyone think Steph Curry is not wining the MVP this year now that no one else is there to take the ball out of his hands (sorry D-Lo)?  I still want no part of the Warriors in the playoffs--let them be someone else's problem.

 

Meanwhile, San Antonio is quietly lurking with DeRozan, LMA, Gay, plus Forbes, Murray, and White.  I also really like the additions of Lyles and DeMarre Carroll.  Utah is going to be good.  Really good.  They shored up their two weakest positions (in my opinion) and did so quite well.

 

Are the fans of other teams sitting at their keyboards looking at the WC landscape and doing the same thing?  Sure, we like our roster, but I like everyone else's roster too!  I mean, would anyone feel bad about having Mike Conley, Donovan Mitchell, Joe Ingles, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Rudy Gobert as their starting 5?  I wouldn't.  It doesn't have that "star" factor, but it doesn't need it to win.

 

Ask me if I'd trade our roster for the Clippers' straight up and I really don't know what I'd do.

 

The Lakers are somehow an afterthought here, but they shouldn't be.  Yeesh.  I forgot that Boogie signed over there too.  I mean, if I'm LA in a playoff series do I not force feed Boogie in the post first to soften it up, then go to Davis in the post to finish them off, and once every big has fouled out/is exhausted you've got LBJ waiting in the wing to destroy whats left.  Oh, and Kyle Kuzma who is set to elevate his game even more can just sit back and give you an easy 20 every night as the 4th or 5th option.

 

I'm prattling on about this because, relative to our competition, Westbrook and Harden may seem like an unstoppable force, but so do a lot of other squads out there.  I fear rebounding could wind up being our demise.  If LA puts LBJ (6' 8" allegedly), Danny Green (6' 6"), Kuzma (6' 9"), Davis (7'), and Cousins (7') on the floor all at once most teams will be overwhelmed with that sort of size + length + skill.

 

Meanwhile, we're rocking Westbrook (6' 3"), Harden (6' 5"), Gordon (6' 4"), Tucker (6' 6"), and Capela (6' 10").  I think it is a major issue.  I know small ball is the thing, but with our style it can be toppled by this very thing.  We don't utilize ball movement to maximize that speed advantage.

 

Ha, I still haven't even mentioned Denver nor Portland.  Sacramento and Dallas will be tough outs most nights; although, I don't think they scare anyone in a playoff series (yet).  On paper, Phoenix is actually intriguing.  They have quite a few players I would gladly take on our squad.

 

I'd like to see Morey bring in some more size to balance out this roster.  Right now, we seem very one dimensional.  Granted, it's a really, really good dimension, but as I just noted there are lots of other teams that are good too and in ways that we may not have an answer for right now.

[thejohnnygold]

I am sure everyone has read/heard Westbrook's press conference, but I wanted to post this one portion:

 

 

 

I can play off the ball; I don't have to touch the ball to impact the game. That's the best way for me to come in and impact this team. I can do other things on the floor to make sure we have a better chance to win."

 

 

Sure, it's cliche.  Besides Kobe, has a player ever said different?  Yet, there was something in the way he said it that made this one feel different.  There was almost a y'all-don't-even-know-what-i'm-capable-of vibe to it that I really liked.  Could we see Westbrook turn into a super-charged Patrick Beverley who focuses on harassing opposing PG's, grabs seemingly every important 4th Q rebound, blocks more shots than you think he can, and, like Westbrook said, "make sure we have a better chance to win."

 

Oh, and at any given moment he can take the ball and let James rest.  This is where the real upgrade is.  Bev is a superior spot-up shooter, but he wasn't much for creating for others nor running the offense (which we now know doesn't really exist--so not entirely his fault.)  Are we going to see Westbrook coasting on offense until the subs come in, then drop it into gear and run these guys off the floor?  Why, yes, I think we are.  I'm sorry, but the JJ Barea's of the world (and I love JJ Barea) stand zero chance here.  Cory Joseph?  VanVleet?  I don't know...I'm just randomly naming back-up PG's.  Y'all know.  About the only thing that can stop Westbrook is when he falls in love with his mid-range jumper too much (and it's not falling).

 

After Westbrook is done zooming all over the court, James can come back in, well-rested, and get back to work.

 

The thing, and it's been said already, is that James is the one who should move off the ball.  Hopefully, the coaches know this and build the offense in such a way to maximize both players' talents...or we'll just give the ball to James and watch him do stuff.  Russ surrounded by shooters will leave defenses trembling in fear.  If Russ can scramble the defense and allow James a chance to attack when the defense is not set for once he'll score (almost) every touch.  It's kind of like the Fullback in football who gets no love for clearing the path for the Running back who then gets all the glory for scoring.

 

The season can't get here fast enough.