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@  thejohnnygold : (20 October 2016 - 12:59 AM) You watching this first quarter, Jatman? It's raining 3's!
@  slick shoes : (14 October 2016 - 08:45 PM) Latest on DMo - "D’Antoni discovered he likes playing last year’s first-round pick Sam Dekker at power forward, leading to the Rockets moving further away from unsigned restricted free agent power forward Donatas Motiejunas."
@  Mario Peña : (11 October 2016 - 01:41 PM) FANTASY BASKETBALL NOTICE: The league is now full. Thanks to everyone who joined good luck and be on the look out for an invitation email from Blake.
@  thejohnnygold : (06 October 2016 - 10:35 PM) FANTASY BASKETBALL NOTICE: anyone who wants to join the Red94 League please visit the Fantasy Basketball section and let us know ASAP. Thanks!
@  slick shoes : (05 October 2016 - 12:22 PM) Just nice to see some semblance of an offensive scheme. Also seems like the players are actually having fun again.
@  Jatman20 : (05 October 2016 - 01:58 AM) Looks like Brewer has worked on his 3-point shooting. Giving credit where credit is due.
@  bboley24 : (02 October 2016 - 03:48 AM) What can I say? Don't need no stiiiiiinking stats.
@  DenverRocket : (26 September 2016 - 06:29 PM) Looks like bboley was correct all the way back on May 26th: http://www.espn.com/...houston-rockets
@  slick shoes : (26 September 2016 - 06:03 PM) Remember when everyone was elated that Chris Bosh was on the verge of signing without Houston? Dodged a bullet on that one.
@  thejohnnygold : (23 September 2016 - 03:02 PM) @Slick Shoes - I don't think so....I may have had him bundled in a trade scenario or two back when Phoenix had ALL the PG's.
@  slick shoes : (22 September 2016 - 08:53 PM) I'm liking the trade with Beasley for Tyler Ennis. JG, weren't you advocating drafting him a year or two ago?
@  thejohnnygold : (17 September 2016 - 03:38 PM) I think they will eventually settle on a good deal, but it will likely have early team options to protect against his chronic injury problems.
@  slick shoes : (16 September 2016 - 02:47 PM) If no one else is making any offers, why would we exceed the minimum? Is it that he/his agent think his value is higher than the market dictates?
@  thejohnnygold : (16 September 2016 - 01:08 PM) Yup. The last sentence of that article says it all. "All deals get done in the 11th hour".
@  DenverRocket : (15 September 2016 - 06:16 PM) The latest on D-Mo http://www.espn.com/...rockets-lagging
@  slick shoes : (29 August 2016 - 11:42 AM) At some point they've got to start trading SOME of these picks for veteran players...
@  thejohnnygold : (26 August 2016 - 10:03 PM) Call me crazy, but I'd rather have Kendall Marshall than 2 2nd rounders.
@  slick shoes : (26 August 2016 - 08:30 PM) the 76's trade for another center? im assuming they were really after the two 2nd rounders...
@  thejohnnygold : (07 August 2016 - 07:16 PM) Nope, but there is some raw talent to work with there. He is years away...
@  majik19 : (06 August 2016 - 11:53 PM) well it doesn't look like Zhou Qi is NBA-ready

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DeAndre Jordan, T-Jones, and Other Draft Picks


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#1 thejohnnygold

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Posted 19 August 2016 - 04:03 PM

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  :rolleyes:

 

giphy.gif

 

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.


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#2 slick shoes

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Posted 19 August 2016 - 06:23 PM

Now that we've extended Harden's contract and know he'll be here for a few more years, maybe this will alleviate some of the "win now" attitude and allow a down season to let the young guys develop. I wish Les was trying to model the franchise around the Spurs method instead of the GS method. 

 

I always preferred ketchup and cornbread to crepes anyway. 


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when you win two games in a row that's called a winning streak.

trickin' six digits on kicks and still holdin'.

#3 rockets best fan

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Posted 20 August 2016 - 12:48 AM

now y'all know ragging on T-Jones will get me motivated to defend :lol: I agree to some degree with JG, but I think what flopped was the Rocket development system. JG I disagree he had the best coaching.........as a matter of fact he had extremely  poor coaching. he had a coach who new NOTHING about teaching players the fundamentals of basketball. I don't want to go on a McHale rant but it is what it is. to take that even one step further...who exactly did McHale help develop? I could make a case against each of the young players under him and how he hindered their development instead of helping it. however it wasn't just him.....the Rockets development system is mediocre at best. we believe we are giving the right instruction, but the proof is in the pudding. I agree JG that some of the talent we have passed over is inexcusable. even in this past draft. JG I disagree with you on the talent contained within the last few drafts.  I don't foresee any of them living past their rookie deals except Capela. I have seen enough of the others to be completely underwhelmed. I believe Morey has lost his touch. the talent we have been selecting is unacceptable considering the talent available at our picks. our development system needs to be overhauled. we got to figure out how to make what's happening in Rio Grand happen when they get back here and we have to start selecting better talent. if that means the scouting system needs to be overhauled so be it, but we are missing far more than we should be IMO. I watch a good amount of college ball every year yet I seem to almost never agree with our selections. while I'm no guru I believe some of the picks to be obvious. until we get a handle on selecting and handling our young players better we will continue to see very little team helping benefit flowing from that area.


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My new years resolution.....drink that special bottle of wine, take your son on that fishing trip, live each day as if it were my last because everyday of LIFE is special B)


#4 thejohnnygold

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Posted 20 August 2016 - 03:27 PM

now y'all know ragging on T-Jones will get me motivated to defend :lol: I agree to some degree with JG, but I think what flopped was the Rocket development system. JG I disagree he had the best coaching.........as a matter of fact he had extremely  poor coaching. he had a coach who new NOTHING about teaching players the fundamentals of basketball. I don't want to go on a McHale rant but it is what it is. to take that even one step further...who exactly did McHale help develop? I could make a case against each of the young players under him and how he hindered their development instead of helping it. however it wasn't just him.....the Rockets development system is mediocre at best. we believe we are giving the right instruction, but the proof is in the pudding. I agree JG that some of the talent we have passed over is inexcusable. even in this past draft. JG I disagree with you on the talent contained within the last few drafts.  I don't foresee any of them living past their rookie deals except Capela. I have seen enough of the others to be completely underwhelmed. I believe Morey has lost his touch. the talent we have been selecting is unacceptable considering the talent available at our picks. our development system needs to be overhauled. we got to figure out how to make what's happening in Rio Grand happen when they get back here and we have to start selecting better talent. if that means the scouting system needs to be overhauled so be it, but we are missing far more than we should be IMO. I watch a good amount of college ball every year yet I seem to almost never agree with our selections. while I'm no guru I believe some of the picks to be obvious. until we get a handle on selecting and handling our young players better we will continue to see very little team helping benefit flowing from that area.

 

There is a lot here and I don't agree with all.  What I'm looking at is the disconnect between who we draft and the way we coach them because we want them to play a certain way.

 

Due to this everyone looks bad.  Morey, McHale, the assistants, and the players.

 

T-Jones actually has a decent post game from the left block.  Did we encourage and develop that?  No.  I know (most) everyone hates the post game due to inefficiency standards when compared to jacking threes all game.  Yet, I persist in the belief that the real value lies in forcing opposing bigs to defend without fouling.  Quality defensive centers are few and far between.  Forcing them to sit down (or at least work hard) will only help our true strategy: attack the rim with James Harden.

 

Would we rather James attack DeAndre Jordan or Cole Aldrich?  That's the difference and that's the reason I would like to see us develop a strong post attack and cram it down every opponent's throat in the first and third quarters.  Make their defensive anchor sit down or foul out.

 

Sure, people will look at the post efficiency in a vacuum and say it's a bad use of possessions, but as long as we can get 2 fouls over the course of a few minutes of game play I don't care.  The drop off from starter to back-up is the goal and will set the table for the rest of our offense to thrive.

 

For our system, the coaches need smart, selfless players with good range, a good handle, the ability to make timely passes off the dribble and finish at the rim while shooting well from the foul line.  Ugh.  OK, so that's Dekker, Wiltjer, and Taylor.  Papanikoloau (sp?) was ideal--except he couldn't find the range.  

 

If a player can't do that then where do they fit in our offense?  One spot: the pick n roll.  Harrell, Capela, Onuaku.

 

(I've left out spot up shooter because that's not ideal.  It limits the offense.  It's what we settle for, but not what we need.)

 

What I'm wondering is if D'Antoni will eschew the mid-range.  I've very much lost interest in that strategy as a mandate.  I hope he opens up the floor and let's players utilize their actual strengths instead of trying to force everyone into the same mold.

 

Getting back to Jones...I know we disagree on him, RBF.  Used properly, he can be a solid NBA contributor.  I think he is severely limited because of what's in between his ears...or the lack thereof.  That made him way to inconsistent for us and how we wanted him to play.  A team that is smart enough to tell him to just get out there, hustle, and make some plays will get the most out of him.  We made him think...which was a mistake.  

 

Regardless of what happens with D-Mo, I'm glad we let Jones walk.  It was best for both parties involved.


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#5 rockets best fan

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Posted 22 August 2016 - 10:46 PM

@JG

I agree it was the best thing in Jones situation because the Rockets had no intentions of allowing him to flourish in the things he does well. I also agree with you that many of our draft picks fail because we are trying to stuff them into a mold that simply doesn't fit instead of developing the skillset already present before trying to expand the arsenal. if a player fills a position we want to shoot 3's from and he can't shoot 3's we scrap that player instead of focusing on developing the skills said player may have. we have lost out on some decent prospects doing this garbage. I don't know how high that train of thought is in the organization, but it clearly goes as high as Morey. I have seen some shift in the view because lately it seems we are drafting for skillset instead of overall talent. this is the reason I think we have not seen as much in return from our draft choices. we are skipping some talent based on skillset instead of drafting the best talent on the board. Morey is at his best when he drafts the best talent on the board regardless of skillset. in addition I have seen a decline in our scouting. it's hard to select the best when you have no idea who that may be because you lack information. our overall drafting lately is just disappointing any way you look at it. that plus a poor development system is why we aren't getting the returns we should IMO. the prospects we currently have are all drafted from this faulty line of thinking which is why I am not high on any succeeding outside of Capela. they may indeed possess a skillset we want. but the other areas of their game is so weak their odds of making it in the NBA are a longshot at best. I know all draft picks are longshots to make it in the league, but ours face a steeper climb because they are behind the eight ball before the games ever starts.   

 

I whole heartedly agree with you in developing a post game within our attack. limiting our shooting area only helps the defense defend us better. the one idea that the Rockets seem to have their biggest problem is they don't understand that an uncontested 2 is superior to a contested 3 I don't care who the shooter is. I have said it before and I still believe it...........the Rockets are in LOVE with the 3 point shot. we have become so focused on it until we have overlooked some clear advantages else where on the floor. we may have brought in a better collection of shooters, but I doubt our percentages will rise unless we start getting some of them uncontested. however since we refuse to use all of the floor for offense that will be our challenge this season......getting open despite the defense knowing where you are going to be


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My new years resolution.....drink that special bottle of wine, take your son on that fishing trip, live each day as if it were my last because everyday of LIFE is special B)


#6 slick shoes

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Posted 23 August 2016 - 12:03 PM

Guys, it's okay because all 120 of our points will be transition buckets/free throws by James  :rolleyes:


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when you win two games in a row that's called a winning streak.

trickin' six digits on kicks and still holdin'.

#7 thejohnnygold

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Posted 23 August 2016 - 01:54 PM

Guys, it's okay because all 120 of our points will be transition buckets/free throws by James  :rolleyes:

 

...and he will still lose the MVP race.   :lol:

 

@RBF--Hopefully, the Rockets have learned from their mistakes and are turning over a new leaf.  I believe in Capela, Harrell, and Dekker--I think they all have "it".  Qi, if he can add some weight, can play in this league.  That weight thing is a major issue though.  He needs to live at the Texas State Fair and eat fried twinkies, chicken fried bacon, and corn dogs all day long.


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#8 rockets best fan

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Posted 23 August 2016 - 02:11 PM

Guys, it's okay because all 120 of our points will be transition buckets/free throws by James  :rolleyes:

it does no good to score 120 points when we are giving up 125


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My new years resolution.....drink that special bottle of wine, take your son on that fishing trip, live each day as if it were my last because everyday of LIFE is special B)


#9 rockets best fan

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Posted 23 August 2016 - 02:20 PM

...and he will still lose the MVP race.   :lol:

 

@RBF--Hopefully, the Rockets have learned from their mistakes and are turning over a new leaf.  I believe in Capela, Harrell, and Dekker--I think they all have "it".  Qi, if he can add some weight, can play in this league.  That weight thing is a major issue though.  He needs to live at the Texas State Fair and eat fried twinkies, chicken fried bacon, and corn dogs all day long.

I don"t believe the Rockets have learned that lesion. while Capala does appear to be the real deal I'm just not feeling it when considering Harrell and Dekker. I would love nothing more than to be wrong about them, but both lack the necessary skill level to survive in the league. sure they have some skill just not enough. I predict that by seasons end both will be so far down on the bench that the towel boy will be in front of them :lol:  


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My new years resolution.....drink that special bottle of wine, take your son on that fishing trip, live each day as if it were my last because everyday of LIFE is special B)


#10 thejohnnygold

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Posted 23 August 2016 - 09:05 PM

I don"t believe the Rockets have learned that lesion. while Capala does appear to be the real deal I'm just not feeling it when considering Harrell and Dekker. I would love nothing more than to be wrong about them, but both lack the necessary skill level to survive in the league. sure they have some skill just not enough. I predict that by seasons end both will be so far down on the bench that the towel boy will be in front of them :lol:  

 

Isn't Corey Brewer our current towel boy?   :lol:


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#11 rockets best fan

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Posted 24 August 2016 - 07:33 AM

Isn't Corey Brewer our current towel boy?   :lol:

on Pringles team?..............PROBABLY :lol:


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My new years resolution.....drink that special bottle of wine, take your son on that fishing trip, live each day as if it were my last because everyday of LIFE is special B)


#12 thejohnnygold

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Posted 24 August 2016 - 01:54 PM

Speaking of Pringles, I hope he finds a space on the roster (most likely in RGV) for Isaiah Taylor.  I think he would have been drafted if an injury hadn't robbed him of nearly an entire season at UT.  He's got Jamal Crawford potential as a scorer; although, after watching these videos he might be a poor man's Brandon Jennings.   :unsure:   The guy is a relentless attacker and if he can refine a few things will be a high caliber player in the league.  Check out some highlights:

 

This first one is just a couple of plays against Kansas.

 

 

Here's a pretty good one against #10 WVU

 

 

Here he is against OU (with Budddy Hield)

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=MWQV1X2_1J8

 

And this one is just a general highlight reel, but it really shows how ridiculous this kid is at scoring and he's a pretty good passer too.

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=CxuoJWc_B6s

 

*Not sure why, but these 2 videos refuse to post.  You'll have to click to see them.

 

For Pringles' offense Taylor might be a perfect fit.  The problem will be finding time for him on the floor.


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#13 rockets best fan

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Posted 24 August 2016 - 03:31 PM

@JG

I must admit the kid does look impressive. problem is will he be able to get the ball away from Harden........probably not. I agree with you he does kinda look like Jennings with a little Westbrook sprinkled in.


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My new years resolution.....drink that special bottle of wine, take your son on that fishing trip, live each day as if it were my last because everyday of LIFE is special B)


#14 thejohnnygold

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Posted 24 August 2016 - 05:20 PM

@JG

I must admit the kid does look impressive. problem is will he be able to get the ball away from Harden........probably not. I agree with you he does kinda look like Jennings with a little Westbrook sprinkled in.

 

Harden will always dominate the ball here.  Yet, Taylor can play well off of others making cuts and spotting up.  There were a few plays in those videos showcasing that.  I also like how well he attacks in transition--something Morey probably saw as well.  Taylor probably isn't NBA ready yet.  I'd like to see him add some muscle, improve his 3 pt.%, and his defense.  Other than that, he is a gifted player and I think Houston winds up with a steal.

 

The cool part is he will get to train and develop with Gary Payton Jr. down in RGV.  He's another guy who has every chance to be a solid NBA player.  Heck, if you could somehow merge Taylor and Payton together you'd have a perfect PG  :lol:

 

Hopefully, they push each other to be better and a little of each rubs off on the other.

 

Enjoy some Payton highlights:

 


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