Rahat's most recent musings on Morey's most recent interview: LINK
Hindsight and subjectivity.
----------------Read the article before reading further-----------------(or don't)
Terrence Jones wasn't a bust because he was never a sure thing. When people talk about "it" and what that means for a player they could very well use Terrence Jones as an example of what not having "it" looks like. He's got size, speed, strength, athleticism, and has had access to some of the best coaches money can buy. When hiring scouts, the one skill they need is identifying "it"--a half-blind simpleton can see the rest.
I understand that need and circumstance often dictate decision making as well as luck and availability. Yet, here we sit on a pile of potential--past and present. So many rolls of the dice and no luck so far. Worse, due to our focus on getting a star or bust we lose perspective and continue to surrender the bird in hand.
Terrence Jones can be a solid contributor on the basketball court. He can stuff a stat sheet. He can make highlight reel plays. So, what's the problem?
Look at the teams with "great culture". They don't draft players who might become what they want. They draft players who are exactly what they want--so it works.
Lack of patience will ultimately define this era of Morey's regime in Houston. Whether it was reaching for a star (and missing) or drafting an ideal piece (with flaws) and not letting them develop--the chance to build a strong core through the draft has been mishandled by Morey and Co.
Everyone wants to hit home runs in the draft. It makes you look good and it's an easy path to success. Yet, player development is pretty solid too. Would anyone enjoy having Jae Crowder, Khris Middleton, DeMarre Carroll, Hassan Whiteside, Tristan Thompson, Bismack Biyombo, Nikola Mirotic, Reggie Jackson, or a litany of other players I won't bother to list?
Those players all took time.
The Rockets seem to have a disconnect between their core philosophy, their drafting process, and their development program. Imagine you want to make crepes--the best crepes. Yet, every time you go to the store you buy oats, corn meal, or anything except the flour you need to do it right. No matter how great of a chef you are you will not be able to coax those ingredients into an amazing crepe--they aren't cut out for it.
Now, you could make some killer cornbread, oatmeal cookies, or whatever if you weren't so darn stubborn and myopic. Take Montrezl Harrell. The man just needs to be put on the court and allowed to learn. Yes, he's going to do bonehead things and foul out of nearly every game. That might last for 2 seasons. What if you get a Kawhi Leonard (or anything remotely close) once he comes out of that tunnel...is that not worth it? Given the chance, his game will develop naturally. He's got the tools to be very good, but he's cornbread--not crepes.
Instead, the Rockets will likely try to make him fit into the same square-shaped hole they have been trying to force player after player into with no success. Draft a freakin' square, Morey! Otherwise, let your circles, triangles, or whatever be what they are. (Ultimately, he found his guy in free agency: Ryan Anderson. This Wiltjer kid might end up the same) D-Mo was probably one of his best and we must all go outside and perform daily dance rituals to the basketball gods to bless his back--apparently, everyone's been doing rain dances instead
In short, Morey can't bemoan hindsight when it's foresight he is continually lacking. That being said--I really like our last few drafts. Capela, Dekker, Harrell, Qi, Onuaku, plus signing Wiltjer, Taylor, and Payton Jr. Will Houston have the patience to let them develop--and do so in a way that fits their skillsets? Let's hope so.