The bench is here because a new one isn’t coming. Coach is being forced to develop players. Coach can’t or won’t —> looks the same. Most of the better coaching comes from developing one’s own team/players. MDA needs to go to work instead of watching a system and then making adjustments after 2 or 3 games. The players are already here. Here are the choices: Spacing Big —> IHart Rebounding/Defense Wing—> Clark Scoring/Energy —> Clemons All 3 are playable NBA players, coaching will make them rotation worthy.
I'm not sold on Clarke. He hasn't shown anything, even in G League, to make me believe he's ready to contribute in the NBA. Clemons and IH have proven they belong in the league. I agree that Clemons and IH need some burn. I especially think Clemons needs to be paired up with Harden to take advantage of the late double 4 on 3's. The inverse is Rivers and WB would be paired together which could really hurt us. When Gordon comes back, unless Rivers gets really hot from 3, I think Clemons should get his minutes. Rivers has actually played well this season, but I don't think he's the right fit for this team. We need a fearless 3 point shooter who can play off others. Rivers will pass up a 4 on 3 with multiple jab steps, then a defender all over him.
We have to get another scorer to come off the bench. The problem is we don't have a lot of money to spend. So, I think we should go get Jamal Crawford and Michael Beasley. It could only help the bench because we are last place in the NBA as far as points from the bench. We need to also make a trade for either a stretch 4 or a 3. The ideal would be Kevin Love or Blake Griffin, but thats very expensive. These are the best moves that we can make. (Not Likely) Trade with New York for either Marcus Morris($15M) or Julias Randle($18M) (Likely) Trade with Chicago for Lauri Markkanen($5M) (The Cheapest Deal) Trade with Detroit for Thon Maker($3M) Bottom line we need size at the 4 in the starting lineup. PJ will be put at the 3, which is his natural position, and we will more resistance against teams like the Lakers, Clippers, Mavs, Sixers, and the Bucks. I'm just saying.
Clark had a run with Melo at the start of last year were he showed value. He is a keeper, not flashy but more team oriented —> defense. His skills are what winning basketball is when our team has players like Harden and Westbrook to carry the offensive load.
Knicks players are interesting and probably very available, the problem is we can't match those salaries unless we trade Tucker or Capela, and at that point is that worth it? Bulls aren't moving Markkanen, especialy for bad assets, he's probably their best player. Maker sucks. Griffin and Love would cost us Capela and Tucker...or Westbrook so, now, the more i think about it the more i think swapping Westbrook with Griffin might make sense, and not just for us (Gordon can start next to James and Danuel), but also for the other team (Pistons were the most interested team in Russ this summer), while i don't see the Cavs having interest in a swap with Love. The problem (assuming Westbrook is a problem) here is, unless James is on board, we're not going to trade Westbrook.
Yeah, on paper he's more of what we need then McLemore or Thabo (at this point), just play him, maybe he'll suck, but just try, we have nothing to lose now, scrubby and washed players are getting the starting spot and/or 20/25 minutes anyway, what's the problem in giving a chance to another scrub? I don't get it...
I like you thought process but Tucker is not a scrub he is being asked to play out of position and is still able to find some success.
Not referring to PJ obviously, i was talking about McLemore, dude is a scrub (same term some guys use here to talk about Hartenstein, Clark and Clemons) but still started with House out and got plenty of minutes.
Imagine the Rockets last summer sign Trevor Ariza. And then trade him for Oubre (and Rivers) like the Suns did.
MDA only likes to use starter, he will not give much time for bench. We have to think about to get good starter like Beal or Kevin love into the team to play.
Looking at the few assets the Rockets have to deal, came across this deal: https://basketball.realgm.com/tradechecker/saved_trade/7251165 Rockets Out: Nene (can’t be traded until January 15th) X Spurs Out: Trey Lyles (can’t be traded until Dec 15th) and DeMarre Carroll (can’t be traded until Dec 15th) Lyles: 6’9”...24 y/o...17.3 mins/ gm.....4.1 pts..... .468 (FG%)... .424 (3P%) D Carroll: 6’6”...33 y/o....11.1 mins.....2.3 pts..... .318 (FG%)... .273 (3P%).... .342 (3P% last season) Both (Lyles/Carroll) are having bad seasons with San Antonio and could probably use a change of scenery. Not having to trade Capela/Tucker/House is very instrumental in improving the Rockets this season. Rockets win the title......if the Spurs make the move to a division rival. Really Pops, are you just going to let one of the L.A. teams win it all. Bitter, bitter, bitter. Roster Westbrook/Rivers/Clemons Harden/Gordon/GGreen (injured) House/D Carroll/McLemore Tucker/Lyles/Gary Clark Capela/Tyson/Hartenstein Thabo ?expendable?
Numbers aren’t close to working. This is based on Nene’s contract being worth $10M in a trade. Unfortunately, that won’t be the case.
Yes, numbers increase per deadlines and/or incentives met. I’m guessing January 15th is the first mark. I don’t think even the NBA knows how to handle Nene’s contract. But I did add Thabo kinda when I put him as expendable (under roster)
I think at this point Nene’s contract will only be worth 2.5 mil or whatever it is. Won’t be $10 mil ever.
@Ziplicone There is flexibility in my post Nene $2.6M GGreen $2.6M Thabo $2.6M a Gary Clark or Hartenstein......Clemons? Not to mention picks. Skipped the fine details. The point is I would like those 2 players for cheap. Don’t be a stickler.....core base of a trade is there. Fill in the roster with Jamal Crawford free agent types to replace the spots in the roster we lose. Just bustin my ____ hmm. That’s ok.
cont’d Jonathan Simmons, Luc MaM, Dante Cunningham, Zaza Pachulia, Miles Plumlee, Tyler Zeller, .....pull Livingston out of retirement maybe.....nah. JR Smith? Povthress (SF), Dekker (SF), Blossomgame (SF), Ron Baker, Alex Abrines,...whoever is available. Corey Brewer. Lol
Hahaha. What tone did you interpret my post? I wrote “I think”, I don’t know how you took that as me trying to bust your balls. I wasn’t even positive. Had to look it up. But now that I have, and you seem to think I was in it to give you a hard time, I will point out Lyles and Carroll make a combined $12.5 million dollars, so you’re really reaching. Considering you’d need to dump four players on the Spurs you better give them some sweet incentives, and I don’t see Morey surrendering a first for the likes of Carrol and Lyles.
