Comments on: Morey’s Moment

By: On the Houston Rockets' defensive woes | Red94 | a Houston Rockets blog

Wed, 19 May 2010 19:07:31 +0000

[...] all a bit dazed after the Martin trade. It looks like Battier could be on the way out too this summer. The concerns come as no [...]

By: Houston Rockets have a lot at stake in tonight's match | Red94 | a Houston Rockets blog

Thu, 13 May 2010 14:02:43 +0000

[...] it impacts the Houston Rockets too. As we know, through the deadline day heist by Daryl Morey, the Rockets now own the New York Knicks’ draft picks the next two years, and they are both [...]

By: Former Houston Rocket guard Tracy McGrady considering retirement | Red94 | essays and musings on the nba & houston rockets

Sat, 01 May 2010 20:07:37 +0000

[...] Rocket guard Tracy McGrady was finished, held him out before that became abundantly clear, and extracted a king’s ransom through his [...]

By: Random thoughts on the Houston Rockets | Red94 | essays and musings on the nba & houston rockets

Sat, 01 May 2010 20:02:06 +0000

[...] to Kyle Lowry, the Houston Rockets might have even made the playoffs. Most importantly, the team completely re-loaded the cupboard with Kevin Martin, Chase Budinger, Jordan Hill, Trevor Ariza, and the two Knicks draft [...]

By: Rockets 113, Grizzlies 103 | Red94 | essays and musings on the nba & houston rockets

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 15:22:04 +0000

[...] has been a factor in some way in almost every appearance he has made with the team. Like I said shortly after the trade, for an albatross, you could hardly do better than Jared Jeffries. If at a reasonable price, you [...]

By: On Kevin Martin and the Dearth of Quality Shooting Guards

On Kevin Martin and the Dearth of Quality Shooting Guards — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:42:33 +0000

[...] know Houston’s trade deadline deal was very, very good. Few would argue that Carl Landry is a better fit than Kevin Martin and it’s not hard to [...]

By: kevin

kevin — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:17:12 +0000

The great thing about this trade is that no one saw it coming before it happened.

I read tons of trade proposals and imagined trades on Clutchfans and the internets, but no one had the Rockets getting this much back. I knew we could trade Mcgrady's for a good player + bad contracts, I knew we could trade Mcgrady to the Knicks for picks, I didn't know we could do both, that just seemed to greedy.

After Stein's report of a 3 way trade, it dawned on me that we could take Jefferie's contract and get some of those picks, but it still seemed the dream scenario. Why would Sacto do it? What are the protections for those picks? It's truly impressive that Morey got all that done. I also believe that announcing the Martin trade forced Sacto's hand, they were committed to the trade and weren't backing out.

By: kevin

kevin — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:17:12 +0000

By: durvasa

durvasa — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 06:19:13 +0000

If Knicks win 2011 lottery, their #1 pick is protected. It is not totally clear yet, but it looks like the Rockets would just lose the right to swap picks (it does not get deferred).

As for the 2012 pick, the Rockets will get it as long as its not top 5. Otherwise, it will be deferred (up to 4 times), and then after that it becomes two unprotected 2nd round picks. That's how it was described in the Chronicle.

By: rahat_huq

rahat_huq — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:00:34 +0000

my understanding is that the pick is then deferred to the next year without any restrictions.

By: philip

philip — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 23:21:53 +0000

I know this is highly improbable. What happens if the knicks win the lottery the first year and then the year after have a top 5 draft pick. Do the Rockets get the next years pick?

By: rahat_huq

rahat_huq — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:51:21 +0000

it will definitely be a good team. if healthy, they will win 50-55 games. but as composed, i'm not sure i see them competing with the lakers for a title. (keep in mind, i may be underestimating the dynamic with martin as we have yet to see how that goes.) but i still feel that they're missing just one more element. this team doesn't have an alpha dog that can carry a team to a title – yao, brooks, and martin are not that. that's fine, you don't necessarily need to win a title that route. but if that's the case, they're still missing one more major weapon, IMO. fortunately, that should be pretty easy to acquire with our assets.

By: rocket_fan_in_santa_barbara

rocket_fan_in_santa_barbara — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:35:54 +0000

Rahat,

Great article, as usual. I was struck by your comment that even with the trade and Yao coming back, “this team will not be a contender.” That struck me as unduly negative, and I'm curious as to what you see as next year's Achilles's heel. A line-up of Brooks, Martin, Ariza, Scola, and Yao has strong inside/outside scoring, great quickness at point guard and small forward, and solid rebounding. The front court defense looks strong. We'll struggle against teams with big, physical guards, but Yao's ability to fill the middle and alter shots will help there as well. We should also have a very strong bench, especially if Hill develops. If all the pieces mesh as expected, it seems to me that we could very well be one of the top teams in the West. Where do you see the weakness?

By: rahat_huq

rahat_huq — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:09:04 +0000

mikol/bigyul/bob – thanks, glad you liked it.

JW – yes, but wasn't worth wasting much space over…

physics – it's true that he doesn't make anyone around him better, but is that what we need? we would have had a 4-headed monster with yao/martin/brooks/amare, not to mention a system that fits the talents of role players like budinger and lowry beautifully. we wouldn't be asking him to carry this team like a traditional superstar. we would just be asking him to play his role and fill it up from the '4'.

By: physicsgeekandrocketsfan

physicsgeekandrocketsfan — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:10:40 +0000

Personally, I'm glad the Stoudemaire deal didn't go through. Scola will keep getting better ( I feel like you have to give foreign guys at least 3 years in the NBA before really assessing their ceiling) and even though Stoudemaire is an amazing player, does he make the people around him better?

By: DowJones

DowJones — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:47:07 +0000

He's an expiring and nothing more…

By: JW

JW — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:38:25 +0000

Wasn't Hilton Armstrong also sent to the Rockets? I haven't heard much as to that.

By: bob schmidt

bob schmidt — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:22:52 +0000

Good stuff in this article Rahat. I enjoy your analysis because you are an excellent wordsmith as well as “on top of it” on everything dealing with the Rockets. Kudos to Morey, RA, and the Rockets front office for a job well-done. Also, hope that Landry, Dorsey, and McGrady find success in their continuing careers. They will all be missed by true Rockets fans.

By: bigyul

bigyul — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:01:26 +0000

Good Article – and I agree Daryl has an eye towards the future. How are defenses going to collaspe on Yao with Kevin and Aaron on the 3 point line, and maybe we will get to see Ariza at his finest as a slasher next year. Amare would have been the coup de gras but if Phoenix was trying to wave a physical then there must be something to it and the Rockets did not bite, especially with a guy who probably ownt resign with the team. Rest of the year will be fun to watch and will definitely miss Carl, but I think it was obviuos his game declined when defenses paid more attention to him, but he will be a great fit in Sac-town. For the Rockets this is all about joining the elite class without paying elite dollars, and I look foward to next year in the return of the Yao, but happy to see how things will transpire with a new set of teammates the rest of this one. Two Number One picks, a marquee player under contract for four years – it can't get any better.

By: Morey's Moment | Red94 | essays and musings on the nba & houston … | Drakz Free Online Service

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 10:56:08 +0000

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By: mikol13

mikol13 — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 10:42:47 +0000

This is absolutely an amazing piece rahat. The Rockets future looks as bright as ever. Something tells me Morey will reel in an even bigger fish this offseason, to once again make us contenders