8 replies to this topic

[ben heller]

So I'm all for tanking this season. There are whispers of a Kevin Martin trade with Minny. They have too many players so it would probably be a 2 for 1 or a 3 for 2. Perhaps something like Martin for W. Johnson and Beasley? Or maybe Johnson/Randolph? I would take either of those, move Scola for a late 1st round pick (to Orlando perhaps, they are in need), and then have 3 picks heading into a deep 2012 draft.

[rocketrick]

As a season ticket holder since 2004, I absolutely am aghast at anyone considering "tanking a season" for supposed lottery picks. There are some nice college players out there but I sure don't see the next coming of Lebron James, D-Wade, D-Will, D12, Kobe, KD, etc. How many lottery picks over the past dozen years or so have turned out to be busts? I'd love to see an article on this with specific figures, I bet it is as high as 40-50%, probably even higher. So by tanking a season, there is still no guarantee a team is going to receive a slam dunk lottery pick that turns out to be an absolute stud.

[Rahat Huq]

As a season ticket holder since 2004, I absolutely am aghast at anyone considering "tanking a season" for supposed lottery picks...

This is actually something I find fascinating and I'd like to do a piece on it. I'm all in favor of tanking, but the only people whose opinion really matters is season ticket holders. I want to find a way to interview season ticket holders and look more into all of this to see if a tank-job would hurt the bottom line.

[ben heller]

There have definitely been articles on this:
http://www.draftexpr...al-Trends-1362/
http://82games.com/barzilai1.htm
http://www.dollarsfo...starsdraft.html

Essentially if you can get 2 lottery picks there is a very good chance that one of them will be an all-star. Given Morey's eye for talent (and good track record of not drafting busts), I like our odds for finding the next great player. If you don't think there are future all-stars in the 2012 draft, you haven't looked yet. Check out nbadraft.net and look at the lottery. Drummond, Davis, Kidd-Gilchrist...these guys are supreme talents. If you are a long-term fan, do you want one more year of barely making/missing the playoffs, or do you want to be a top 5 seed for the next 8 years (think the Thunder)?

[rednation]

For a team to play at a championship level, they must first change the culture. With the right players, the right coaching and a lot of hard work, there's no telling what they can do. The '04 Pistons proved that as there was no "superstar" on the roster. Tanking and hoping to get lucky in the draft lottery by, both, landing the top pick and that the player actually pans out, is a cop out in my opinion. Teams like Minn, LA, Tor etc. Have been bad for years and have been occupying annual spots in the lottery but are still bad teams. Getting on the right track starts on the court. If McHale can get the young centers to play at a much higher level, they can compete with anybody. The Rockets have pieces that can contribute on championship teams. Why should they help other teams achieve that goal?

[Rahat Huq]

For a team to play at a championship level, they must first change the culture. With the right players, the right coaching and a lot of hard work, there's no telling what they can do. The '04 Pistons proved that as there was no "superstar" on the roster. Tanking and hoping to get lucky in the draft lottery by, both, landing the top pick and that the player actually pans out, is a cop out in my opinion. Teams like Minn, LA, Tor etc. Have been bad for years and have been occupying annual spots in the lottery but are still bad teams. Getting on the right track starts on the court. If McHale can get the young centers to play at a much higher level, they can compete with anybody. The Rockets have pieces that can contribute on championship teams. Why should they help other teams achieve that goal?

I have to disagree with this:

1. The Boston Celtics did not have a winning culture before winning the title. In fact, they were awful.
2. That Pistons lineup had 5 All-Stars. The Rockets don't even have one. In addition, that Pistons team was the only one in modern history to win with that model - not good odds.

[Blake Couey]

So I'm all for tanking this season. There are whispers of a Kevin Martin trade with Minny. They have too many players so it would probably be a 2 for 1 or a 3 for 2. Perhaps something like Martin for W. Johnson and Beasley? Or maybe Johnson/Randolph? I would take either of those, move Scola for a late 1st round pick (to Orlando perhaps, they are in need), and then have 3 picks heading into a deep 2012 draft.

I'd be thrilled for Beasley/Wes Johnson trade, although Im not necessarily ok with tanking it may be the best opportunity we have for the future of the Rockets. Id like to see Scola go to Milwaukee, maybe for a protected first rounder?

[majik19]

Wouldn't this be the year not to tank, because the draft is so deep?
Assume we finish with the "9 seed" again, if you will. That puts us probably with the 14th pick. The draft looks about 10 deep (and right now I don't see much difference between #1 and #10.)... so a small trade up, or a few more losses could put us in that range. No need to "tank" for a top 5 pick in this draft.

[Blake Couey]

Wouldn't this be the year not to tank, because the draft is so deep?
Assume we finish with the "9 seed" again, if you will. That puts us probably with the 14th pick. The draft looks about 10 deep (and right now I don't see much difference between #1 and #10.)... so a small trade up, or a few more losses could put us in that range. No need to "tank" for a top 5 pick in this draft.

Because whether you finish 9th or 15th in the conference the ONLY difference is your draft pick, and as our team is generally the same quality (mediocre) as last year the end result is the same, we miss the playoffs. So why rely on having to make a trade which we'd likely get screwed in moving up and go get that top 5 pick on our own! Either way I will still root for the Rockets, I just hope for major changes in the future so we can compete for a championship.