Alituro

Not having CP on the floor really hurts Redick, who likes to receive in his spots in rhythm.

Redick is money off the curl for sure.

 

Yes Griffin has been in beast mode, and yes he tires like everyone else. I don't worry so much about his assist totals being indicative of any problem in our defense. It's just the nature of their offense combined with him running the point often with CP out. The Clips have a high volume offense and their mode is to look to score early in the shot clock. So, that entry pass that Blake makes is supposed to be scored off of. Those assist totals are going to be there anyway, unless we can convince Doc to let sonny boy control the ball for 48 minutes.

 

The thing is, this series is less a battle of the coaches' ability to adjust to one another, which both have done about as well as one can humanly expect, and definitely better than anyone here has the qualifications to criticize. It is more about playing philosophies; Moreyball vs. Old School. As a Rocket fan, I have undying trust in Morey and truly believe that he is almost single-handedly changing the game for generations to come... but that's another story. This series is where we see how locked in our roster can remain to this philosophy in the face of tougher competition than they've experienced all season. They've done a pretty good job of holding true (most of sloppy game one aside, this series really started game 2), and if they stay with it, I think this series is ours.

 

On defense we need to stay physical and big in the paint, and Dwight has done a tremendous job there. We need to close out hard on the 3 point line which we have been doing. And, all-in all, we need to funnel their shooters to the unsavory spots inside the arc. Yes, they are more deadly than most from that range, but they will take it if you give it to them, especially Paul. While it can't go uncontested, we have to trust that this is the shot we want them to take.

 

On offense, however paltry we've been from deep as of late, we need to keep seeking and taking the three's. Harden has to continuously test the refs and seek contact driving to the paint. Howard needs to continue to dominate in the PnR and we gotta keep the ball movin'.

 

Dominating the boards is a given in either philosophy. With both teams being monstrous in the paint, the best we can hope for is to NOT get dominated especially in giving up 2nd chances. We've done fair in this aspect and should continue to.

 

We have the edge because,( although hampered by injuries or else it would be more,) we have 9 guys to rotate in and out of the lineup who buy into a superior offensive philosophy. On the other hand, the Clips, even without Paul have a starting rotation of players who are extremely talented and adept at running their potent offense. The starting 5 can't play 48 minutes and once they start inserting bench players, their offense falls apart. Whether it's ball-watching Crawford, or nixing lobs because Big Baby, or just simply Hedo, etc., etc.. Their game changes completely.

 

We have to stick to our guns, not get frustrated and know that in the end, we have a more talented roster that is playing a superior brand of basketball, and trust that will be enough.

 

Enjoy the series.

Regardless of matchups, the quicker the Spurs get eliminated, the better it is for the whole world. 

Oh yes, very shocking. The Rockets all of a sudden out of nowhere could drop from the 2 seed to the 6 seed.

Which is exactly why ESPN chose not to provide a link to this site when they reconfigured.

Amazing.

But not really, which is why I have been so negative on this site, the writing is simply pathetic.

 

 

Then I guess all True Hoop Network sites suck and must have shoddy writing because I can't seem to find links to any on ESPN..

 

IMO, it's trolling comments that really bring down the site's quality. WAY more so than the shortcomings of any amateur writer volunteering his time to contribute here.

 

 

Regarding KJ McDaniels, I understand that everyone wants to take the new car for a spin, but he's a train wreck.  Yes, he makes awesome plays.  He also turns the ball over at a supremely high rate, shoots terribly, has a terrible +/-, and commits 8 fouls per 36 minutes.  The guy is a project and while he may see some court time--it won't be much.  

 

There is no panacea for the PG's of the NBA.  People have railed against Bev's inability to stop them all year and now that he's out people are concerned?  Don't be.  The only way to stop them is with good TEAM defense.  We can do that.  Will it be tougher without Bev?  Sure it will, but we've got guys who can pick up the slack.  (KJ McDaniels is not one of them).

 

In his incredibly small sample of 18 minutes played for us, KJ has amassed a -48.7 +/- score and a PER of -10.1. 

 

I understand a hesitance on KJ, but, honestly is 18 minutes enough to even make half a guess as to his possible immediate potential? Can you honestly say, "well we have Nick Johnson, no reason to insert or even experiment with KJ"?

 

I still stand by my point that health and a squad prepared for a series without the starting PG and possibly others is more important than winning any of these games. More important than securing the home court. Today we are 27-10 at home and 23-14 on the road, and I'm sure much of the 4-loss difference can be chalked up to traveling B2Bs. Where is the advantage of home court here? I seem to remember a silly amount of HC advantages being lost after the first games of series in recent years. Health is definitely more important and adapting to forced rotation changes a close second.

 

I've always stood behind Bev as our starting PG and never railed against him ever particularly when he's having a perceived slump. I've always thought he was a perfect complement to the rest of our roster. My fear stemming from his loss has little to do with defense. It has to do with ball protection, full court. Right now Pablo is the only true PG on our squad with the knowledge, ability and agility to avoid things like traps and make safe initial passes. It was refreshing to see a lot of off-ball movement from Harden with Pablo handling also, but it can only be done with the 37 year old handling. Harden is the only other one on the squad who can offer the same kind of protection, but doing so would tax his scoring abilities and energy. I fear that the badass PGs of the west would have no trouble and have to spend very little energy guarding that spot. With Bev in, our squad pretty much equals, betters or counters every team at every position, we had them all covered. Now there's a big gaping hole in our back court.

 

On another note: The funniest thing about this impending postseason is we all know, deep down, how it's going to turn out, regardless of if we get past the first round or even to the WCF. With all of the emerging super-squads of the West: GSW, Memphis, Portland, Houston, LAC and all of the superstars amongst them: Curry, Paul, Aldridge, Lillard, Gasol and so on... Pops is going to waltz in and yawn his way to another ring, flipping the bird at the nation (with a smirk of course) as he hoists up yet another Larry O, and the whole nation throws up their hands in utter frustration and we all become hockey fans and sell off all of our NBA memorabilia. What would be the point in continuing to hope?

If we are destined to play GSW at any point in the postseason, this move definitely increases our chances against them. McD, as was stated before has the speed and athleticism, and apparently the defensive chops to guard the PG through the SG spots. He's 6'6". Paired with 6'5" Harden, they absolutely can give that team fits. It helps to offset the advantage that 6'7" KT had on us if our smaller PG had to switch on him.

 

Hell, I don't see any reason, now, why we can't slide Harden down to the "PG" spot permanently (since that is what he essentially is on our team), have Bev back him up off the bench (with Pablo as insurance) and run a wing rotation between Brewer, Ariza, KJ, and Papa. This way we give up zero size to anyone. Now we can field two energetic, defensive-minded, corner shooting wings on the floor at all times, whereas previously we could only do so by sacrificing size at the 4 and going small. Not to mention the elder three point snipers in Terry and Pablo riding the pine and ready to be inserted on an as needed basis.  If this is where we're heading it is both an interesting and potentially extremely impressive move by Morey, whom I expect nothing less from.

 

Lo and Behold everyone! The playmaking, shooting, defensive, starting PG we've all been pining for was right under our nose! He's just been starting at the 2 all season.

For all the slack Smoove gets for jacking up shots, former MVP Rose is a HORRIBLE 3pt. shooter. Does the media give him a free pass on that?

 

I'm still not ready to join the replace Bev bandwagon just yet. I think we are in a transition period right now with Dwight out, on our offense particularly. He's controlling the ball more and Harden is playing off the ball more. They're figuring other things out. Beverley still plays excellent defense, and doesn't make many boneheaded plays resulting in turnovers. (1 last night). He is also still maintaining 37+% behind the line. He was particularly effective at the end of Q3 last night, using him as the playmaker and forcing Rose to work, causing Rose to be mostly ineffective late in the game where it matters most. Every athlete goes through slumps. Reading the last 3 articles here, one would begin to think it was the beginning of the Beverley apocalypse. He's got the attitude, toughness, drive, work ethic, ball protection and defense that would be hard to replace with anything other than an AllStar PG. Barring the exception, it would be foolish to make any changes on that front at this junction in the season. PG is too important of a position, like QB. Beverley makes us tough, you put Brooks or a facsimile thereof in his stead and we are no longer tough. Hate him or love him, like it or not, he is the horse we should and are gonna ride into battle this postseason. We should rally behind him and cut out the doom and gloom. He had just as much influence in last night's win as any of our rotation.

 

When Smoove hustles and does the little things, rebounds, steals blocks and general chaos caused for the other team, it's extremely forgivable for him to chuck up a few each game.

 

I am so glad Jones is back. That connection he made with Ariza under the basket in Q4 was one of the most amazing passes I've seen in a while, no-look, off the dribble, threading a needle through two defenders and on a clothesline right on target. If you blinked you missed it. It was beautiful.

 

As much as I hate to say it, I think our team chemistry improves with Dwight out. Going to him in the post is such a forced, contrived and predictable second option that it allows for the others to just stand around and wait for him to finish, as the guards and wings know that once the entry is made, the chance that they touch the ball again during that possession is next to nil. With Dwight out, every other option other than Harden becomes the second option and the whole squad hustles off the ball to try and be a part of it. Even when he's in and everybody is active off the ball, it opens up easier scoring options for Dwight in the form of Alley 0ops, or coming off of a screen. Other than sporadically and by surprise, once or twice a game, we should altogether abandon posting him up as a preferred option on offense.

It was nice to see Jones come back and be effective on his first night back. He seems to have worked on his upper body while out and that will bear well for him defensively.

 

I seemed notice a tactic last night in slowing down Ellis from the scoring pace he was building that can also be effective when slowing down Curry if the need arises. It may also be a reason why Harden didn't score as much either, but it worked. Rondo was on Harden all night (and was on him like a glove in the clutch... literally) Ellis was on Beverley because he's not much of an offensive threat and can save energy for the other side of the court. Beverley controlled the ball Harden set a pick up high with Ariza or Jones or Smith nearby on the weak side, Rondo wouldn't switch off Harden (as he shouldn't), forcing Ariza's defender (in this case) on the weak side (and close by) to cut Beverley off as he came off the screen. Ariza fades quickly to the corner forcing Ellis, who was in no man's land at the time, to try to cover the distance to the corner and contest Ariza's shot (he was too late).

 

Action like this is what is needed to curb high offensive production from dynamic scoring guards like Curry and Ellis. While Rondo did a good job of limiting Harden's scoring, he didn't limit his effectiveness. This forced us to kill two birds with that one stone in wearing out their primary offensive option and also giving us open 3s from a 6'8" guy being closed out by a guy much shorter.

This was definitely the most important win of the season thus far, with tomorrow's soon to replace it. After the embarrassment in Orlando it was good to see them recover, even on a B2B (with travel), come out early and bury it in their throats.

 

I enjoyed watching J-Smoove last night. I never realized what a terrific ball handler he is for his size. I could see the panic in OKC's eyes when he would lead the break. What the hell can anybody do about that? You can't get in front of him because he can blow by you or send you out on a stretcher just from being such a large body with such momentum. You can't leave his breaking companions open either, because he will find them if you do. His addition puts our second unit in a class above the rest... ALL the rest. (not to slight Brewer's contributions.)

 

D-mo's work was exactly what the doctor ordered to remedy Dwight's troubles with Perkins down low. Going forward, I don't think those struggles will continue with Dwight as I heard OKC was getting Brook Lopez. While it was a good move for them because it offers them another offensive option in the 1/2 court besides jump shots. It also is going to allow us to utilize Dwight more in the post, because while Lopez is a decent shot blocker, unlike Perkins he can't prevent Dwight getting to his spots, and can't handle Dwight's strength. Dunks are hard to block, but not hard to prevent with a bulky defensive center.

 

I too noticed the addition of handles to create space in Harden's game, lately. I seem to remember him saying in an interview, that each offseason he works to perfect and add another facet to his game. Maybe that was his focus in the summer of '14. If I had to guess what his focus was in '13 or '12, it would be posting up folks. As I remember him backing down guys with way more frequency than today. Maybe it was a personnel issue previous. IDK? What I do know is that if he continues to perfect an aspect per offseason of his game the way he's shown he does now, his name will definitely be in the conversations along with the greatest to ever play the game. 8 years or so down the line, that is, assuming there will be rings involved.

 

Screw Barkley and Shaq they will never get over the butt-hurt the Rockets have left them with. From the owning of Barkley's Suns teams in the early 90's to his inability to bring another title to Houston. To the complete domination of Shaq enjoyed by both Dream and Yao. I just laugh at them that they can't let go of their past. Especially with Barkley's claim pre-game that the reason Houston will never win a ring with Dwight because of Dwight's mentality that prevented him from coming to blows with KG. Really? Even Jet V.1 was rolling his eyes and saying "Really? That's the reason you come up with?".

 

My boy, C-Webb gets it though. HE Knows that this roster is the perfect reflection of the vision our GM has for this team. HE knows that it is an innovative concept and can appreciate it's merit and how scary it makes our team for the rest of the league. HE also knows that OKC isn't doing anything as long as jump shots are their only real offensive option. HE gets it. His commentary is refreshingly spot-on and unbiased. 

IQ points lost listening to the Gary Payton Clip.

 

I think KG planned the thing all along.

 

I wouldn't be able to wipe the smile off my face either if every time I step on the court, I am reminded that I am living out my dream. People who take themselves too seriously often expect the same from others (see: Gary Payton).

 

I think McHale's effectiveness as a coach is often misread. His approach is methodical. The first step with a new core squad is to get these players to learn how to play well together. This is done through a concept of playing style, whereas a clipboard would force situations and frustrations. Once the team chemistry is solidified, then you bring out the clipboard and slowly start introducing plays into the system, the concept. We are seeing this now. Patience is going to be the key in appreciating what Morey and McHale are putting together. It will be easy to lay the blame on coaching until we get a ring. But when that day comes, what happens to the script then?

 

People fear that which they do not understand. If we trust in Morey as we always say we do, then we have to understand that McHale and vis-a-vis, the players are simply extensions of Dork Elvis and his vision. An unqualified mind may think McHale is doing a bad job, but as long as he is on the bench, we have to accept that the most qualified person to judge his performance finds it acceptable.

I am of the school of thought that this was an extremely low risk move for DM. Smith was the same guy everyone (except probably Doug) was pining for to team up with Harden as a "plan B" if we didn't land Dwight. He is, without a doubt more valuable than his contract, although not near the level Detroit was is paying him. We were worried about him being a "chukker", but last night 8 of his 20 shots were outside of 12' (he hit 50% of those) against the Heat: 2 out of 7 shots were outside of 12' and in the blowout from the Pellies  3 out of 11 shots were outside of 12'. Although Dwight would have taken zero of those shots, and Smith shouldn't either, it hardly deserves the "chukker" label. He's a decent defender (definitely no worse than Jones), good shot blocker, able rebounder and a willing, decent passer who's turnover rate is sure to drop as he gets more acclimated with his teammates. At least he brings some offense compared to his predecessor (Black). I still prefer Jones and Dmo at the starting PF spot, but having Smith is a nice luxury to have especially at the bargain, to help keep our post guys healthy and continue weathering the storm without Jones. One thing is for sure, Smith isn't going to keep us out of the playoffs which is all that matters in this conference, homecourt not offering much advantage (the top 5 teams are 11-5 or better on the road this season).

 

Morey has had his eye on Smith for years now. I assure you, it's not because he's particularly good-looking like Parsons, or because he's passed Daryl's "eye-test" with his performances. It's because the same analytics that solidified your love for the Rockets other than locale, show Daryl that there's something of immense value to be had there. And he has a coach (and consultant) in place that are probably the most qualified individuals to get the most out of any post player. While you may not like the signing, and to even more-than-casual viewers it may seem like a bad move and probably won't pan out, there is not a single poster here qualified to call any of Morey's moves "incredibly stupid". 

 

If IMWT, then IMWT to the end...

The one thing detractors of any coach seem to forget is that the coach doesn't have full control over his roster, ever. He isn't playing 2K15 with a controller, he is dealing personally with humans. Humans with vastly varying personalities. Humans, often with different goals than what the coach and majority of the team is trying to achieve.

 

McHale has had to "deal" with a pouting top-tier center coming off the bench who either refused to play, or quite possibly played with the effort focused on improving his value for future contracts/trades. Same issue with a certain 2 guard who had a flash of greatness that was constantly being chased. Same issue with a 2nd-round draft pick SF on a minimum, in a contract season looking for the big payday. I will go out on a limb and say that I doubt the motivations of these 3 players were to win at all costs and conform to a system that didn't highlight their abilities. How can anyone task the coach 100% with changing these major piece's mindsets?

 

This season is different as we shed all of our malcontents, and the entire team is buying into the system. The proof is in the Snack-Pack.

 

The Rockets are at the forefront of innovators in the league. They are testing out entirely new approaches to the game in terms of defense, shot selection, scouting, recruiting and more. These are things that would be impossible to achieve or even experiment with an old-school coach (old dog, new tricks). This is a learning process for the coach as much as the players and McHale, seemingly, has done a great job of implementing the system and building a camaraderie among his players. I can think of big name old-school coaches I would rather have to coach any team (and run their own system), but can't think of any younger coaches who I feel could do a better job than McHale has at this point with the constraints and personnel he has had to work within.

 

The loose style of ball we play (read and react) requires chemistry and familiarity among the participants. The chemistry is the foundation. Once established, as it has, then we are seeing some actual drawn-up plays inserted into the game with proof residing in our huge ATO play improvements on both ends.

 

I think McHale is doing a terrific job, even without mentioning the fact that we are winning games with such a depleted roster. Who deserves props for that?

I wouldn't touch our starting 5 for any of the names thrown around in previous posts. Not Horford, Rondo, or Millsap. Right now the lineage is clear: 1st and 2nd option Dwight and Harden. 3rd option: Ariza in the corner. 4th option: Beverley/Canaan in the opposite corner. 5th Option: Jones in the corner or at clean-up off a jacked up shot. These roles are clear! Not one of the 3 thrown out there as an "all-in" option are going to be happy, or even capable (if you stick Rondo in a corner (Bev is a better shooter)) taking on those last two offensive roles. Horford and Millsap are ambitious and on the rise,and have solidified themselves as strong primary options (on lesser teams). To me, this would put us in a similar situation as last season with Lin and Asik, trying to fit square pegs in round holes (one of Millsap's greatest strengths is his midrange shot... Hence, Not A Rocket!). Or in the case with Parsons, where he has a nice skillset but is missing one aspect that would make him perfect for our squad (Defense, like Ariza (luckily) brings). So we fixed the problems by replacing our square peg members with rounder pegs and 3 solid round peg rotation guys off the bench in Terry, Papa and Canaan (Sorry Dmo, can't count you in this group yet). Our Achilles heel last year was defense, but now we have Harden coming fresh off a summer learning from two of the best defensive coaches the world has known, and vocal vets who play good defense in Terry and Ariza. Even though it's only Snack-Pack size right now, the proof is in the pudding with our margins of victory so far. Jones and Bev have spent 3 years on the Rockets lathe and now, with little exception, they are fitting nicely into their holes. TJ has all the attributes to be a good defender at the 4, and I'm betting he learns it this year, especially if Harden, Howard and Ariza continue to lead by example. Anybody coming in to replace either will have to spend time on the same lathe before maximum effectiveness is attained. 

 

 

I like Thompson, the nuggets have some interesting guys like Gallo/Arthur/wilson chandler, as do the bucks illy/mayo/middleton, philly Wroten/Mcdaniels/sims. Not stars or even likely starters but to pick up solid bench guys for relatively cheap if we can't land a home run deal.

 

This is the most sensible proposition I've seen in this thread. This is where Morey's genius gets the best of us again. What we need most are insurance policies against a H or H injury, a young 1st or 2nd year wing or big that analytics shows has potential in this league and are buried somewhere in the dregs of the league. McDaniels in Philly is a good example. I don't know who the guy or guys are, but Morey does, rest assured. This is a player that is in place to only help us keep our heads above water in the case of an injury disaster, just a guy who can fill the space, and chew gum and walk at the same time (sorry Dmo). Same young prospect(s)  will spend time on the Rockets lathe too and may have potential to edge his way into the rotation eventually. Capela could even be one of those guys, who knows but Dork Elvis himself?

 

I thought all these boring-ass trade discussions would wane once the season started, and especially after a roll such that we are on. But, alas, I'm beginning to realize that a lot of people are more fans from a transactions viewpoint than of the sport itself (a predictable result of the rise in popularity of Fantasy Sports... (Fantasy, folks)). If the league is SO wide open, the time for us to win is NOW, guys... NOW!

@marbony81110

no doubt we take more than our share of negative press. however when you read into the articles you realize most of the writers haven't seen enough of the Rockets and are usually way off base on the internal workings of our organization and locker room. I use that fact to establish who creditable writers are. I know the Rockets about as well as any fan could, so when I read articles way off base on what's really happening it makes me take a look at that writer's creditability when considering other material he has written or will write. some writer's are more interested in hits than getting to the truth. once a writer writes enough bad articles I will no longer read his material or accept his statements without verifying through other sources. there are very few writer's who really know the Rockets. two of the worst offenders are Bill Ingram on basketball insiders and dang near every writer on Bleacher report. you will find very little real valued information coming from either of these two, but there are others. I'm floored by the lack of respect sometimes, but have pretty much grown use to the noise makers

 

 Ran into this last week while searching around for something new and Rockets related to read. (this offseason if you're waiting on fresh content from Red94, you will wait awhile) So, I was over reading at the Bleacher Report, and of course the article was about how the Rockets are worse this season. One of the reasons written about was because we had no defensive back-up at center with Asik gone.. A reader responded that Dorsey can provide some decent defense and may surprise someone and emerge as a stopper. The writer chided the commenter with a remark along the lines of "well, he's been in the league since '08, if he was a defensive beast, we would all know by now". Which of course is FALSE because Joey had spent some seasons in Europe in which he won a Greek League Championship and was named defensive player of the year. I called the writer out on his inconsistencies (respectfully)... my comment was removed and I am now banned from posting. Which is fine but he still didn't remove his lie from his own comment even after proven false.  I believe their blog is just an extension of the LA Times anyway, so pretty much par for the course.

 

I believe that the Rockets are among the most hated by sports writers, and we probably have Morey to thank for that. With deals like the Harden one and the poison pills for Lin and Asik, letting Parsons walk, the constant and complete fleecing of the Kings, and much more including the cult of personality surrounding him and his advanced metrics movement. Couple that with adding Howard (the guy everyone wanted on their team but hated if he didn't choose them). Put it all together and host it deep in the great state of Texas and you've got a formula easy to hate for anyone residing in the west or east coasts and the midwest. Personally I love all of the hate, and am glad our bandwagoner bait has finally left the building, so Rockets fans can be Rockets fans and everyone else can.. well, just.... you know.

 My only peeve in this post:

 

 In hindsight, its even more alarming looking back.

 

 

LINK 

 

Seriously though, I think Harden's body language is just as misread as T-mac's was. Only he knows what motivates him, and if we're having a tough game and he sinks a shot and follows it with the scowl, no need to berate or judge him for it. To me he's pumping himself up. I have no doubt in my mind that his goal is to win, and that's about all we can ask of him as fans. Not to actually win, but to have the desire to do so.

 

As far as JG's criticism of this post: I think now that Rahat's all "lawyered-up" it has become a professional habit for him to present opinions in such a matter that those reading accept it as fact. After all, it's his job (other than chief at Red94). If he was to rewrite the same post, and instead hammered home the idea that it was only an opinion with language like: "It's my opinion that Harden's body language..." Then he would be effectively undoing everything he learned about presenting arguments in Law School. I think the most compelling thing about this forum is that it strikes a nice balance between facts and opinions, and we generally respect other's opinions even if we don't agree. If it were only facts, charts and stats it would be boring and basically just a circle jerk. At the same time, if it were nothing but emotional spouting-off (like some forums), it would be just as annoying. As fans, we are emotional by nature and if something doesn't pass someone's "eye test" here, there is no reason they shouldn't voice that concern regardless of if it's backed by facts. If you agree or disagree, then respond. If you just simply don't like that an opinion has been posted, then move on to a post of your liking. Simple. Next, someone will ask for disclaimers on comments whether they are factual or opinions. (and the mice will scatter)

With Parsons gone, I fully expect Beverley to assume the role of team captain. Whereas Chandler led the team with a pep rally type of enthusiasm, complete with Shaolin handshakes, little chants, flashing the "3" symbol, etc.. I expect Beverley will be the opposite, more of a drill sergeant type leadership. I think he will hold his teammates accountable for their mistakes and facilitate them getting pissed off when they are not playing well. Rather than looking like the "Super-best-friends" team, he will bring these guys out ready for battle and "tough" will be the word used to describe next season's Rockets rather than "fun to watch". I don't think the "tough" approach would have worked with Parsons and Lin on the roster.

 

As constructed now, and filling in the roster spots with young guys like Daniels, Covington, Capela, etc., I can see us a couple wins better than last season. Contenders? NO. We are still missing that one significant piece, and while Love is a very long shot, I think Rondo is obtainable and can push us over the top.

 

Keep in mind also, that with the exits of Lin, Asik and even Parsons, we, also, are exiting the beta stage of the Rockets' Harden-Howard years, as those players were drafted and accumulated to fit different roles than the ones assumed once we got our stars. Now Morey is putting in complementary players for his stars, however significant, and finding round pegs to fill his round holes. A flexible coach is in place to usher in the changes as they come. I think we will be better next year.

 

The only void that has me concerned, as always, is the one until the start of the season. while I'm disappointed it's been 20 years since a finals berth, I'm a Houston professional sports fan, so I'm used to it. I just want to see some Rockets games whatever the result.