He not only drafted well, but there's not a lot of overlap between positions among all of the 1st rounders still left on the team.
At the beginning of the tank I thought the Rockets at a minimum needed to get one all-star level player. Otherwise it would be an abject failure. Stone has accomplished that because Sengun is clearly at that level. So I can clearly say Stone has a passing grade and shouldn't be fired. However, none of our other youngsters have reached that level yet, so I can't say he's done a great job. There is still good chance imo that one of Green/Jabari/Amen/Tari/Cam may reach that level, but until they do or unless Stone trade some of them for a superstar, I'm not going to say he's done an amazing job yet. Brooks and FVV I don't really give him credit. Given that the Rockets had all the capspace and the owner directed him to make win now moves.
This is silly. Every player on the roster Stone inherited is gone, and every player on the roster Stone either drafted, traded for, or signed in free agency. We don't know what the future holds, good or bad, but this is 100% his product. It was his cap moves that allowed them to have the space, it's his contracts he signed them too.
He made some bad moves, but clearly he has made some good ones too. I was wrong about Jeff Green. He's been excellent and they don't win tonight without him.
Funny thing is. The fan base when they signed Brooks and FVV were largely unhappy. Now they are singing the praises. Maybe Rafa just knows a bit more than yall about basketball. He had a plan in place and he knew that Ime could coach this talent to success.
That is narrative pushing, both FVV and DB were on their way out because the Raps and Memphis were not happy with them. More so with Dillon than with Fred (who clashed with Barnes and Ujiri wanted Barnes over Fred which was understandable) Stone has no way of knowing that they were unwanted but he struck when iron was hot. Secondly, those 2 were exclusively Ime Udoka's choices, indirectly it credits Stone but it is all Ime Udoka. If you want to call out haters, that is fine, but be precise about it. I still do not like their chucking for what is worth but I admit they are playing their hearts out, that is great to have. The risk that they got paid and do not play their 100% was given at any time though. Credit to Ime again.
I would agree... if not by the fact that he wanted Harden. Udoka forced him to change the opinion. Honestly, betting for Porter for 2 years, and now going for Harden as a savour or "leader"... makes me wonder if he really was aware of where the team was and what was needed to become a winning team.
Ok, but Stone signed Udoka. So Stone deserves that credit. He is also responsible for pushing forward on player acquisition. Stone 100% has his fingerprints on these moves and deserves the recognition. Udoka is just an amazing coach. Those two are separate entities.
Stone would have been fired with the Lakers or with a big market team......on the KPJ thing alone. He went blatant tanking without remorse and came up with raw players that need 5 years to develop and someone like Witus advised him on Sengün lol and get less credit? He would not have been able to do anything after that.
Well if your argument is hypothetical over reality then I have zero reason to continue this conversation. Like what? lol.
And you are Stone fanboy, what has that anything to do with me...... Did I say he was an awful GM? He was evaluated as the 17th or 18th best GM in the league and that is where I think he is. My gripe he is uncharismatic, not good with people, not good in the interviews......and now he has a stroke of luck and you Stone fanbois (if that is a real thing) jump up and down?
Coming away without Wemby that was the End result....nothing hypothetical about that. Fertitta was adamant on praying for Victor.... everyhing else was Plan B.....hoorah, Plan B worked better short term than Plan A.....guess what. 3 years tanking worth a little something......
What would you have done differently? Being realistic. Who did he draft or not sign that was a realistic option in the moment that would have been a better decision than the one he actually made? Disregarding late 1st round picks/2nd Rounders which have always been busts way more often than not. 2021- Chose Green over Mobley. (Great decision) Chose Sengun over the rest of the draft (Great decision) 2022- Chose Jabari Smith who was the consensus of the "Big 3"(TBD) Took Tari Eason over the rest of the draft( Looks good) 2023- Signed arguably a top 5 NBA Head Coach- Ime Udoka(Great decision) 2023- Amen Thompson (TBD) Signed FVV/Dillon Brooks (TBD) So let me ask? What would you have done differently? From an unbiased perspective. The Rockets are 1 game out of the 1 seed. He has killed it.
stone has gotten really lucky but he has hit on more than he has missed. imagine if oladipo signed his extension, or if KPJ didn't beat his girlfriend. imagine if OKC didn't let go of AL-P.
I would have picked another owner who is a big spender. If credit is what you want, you can have it. He did alright under the circumstances that Tilly decided to win big all of the sudden. But make no mistake, buying players with 100 million is not revolutionary. Any GM can do that. He still has to pay Alpe, JG, Jabari, Tari etc..... For now only Sengoon fits the bill of Number 1. For me, Ime deserves to be Coach of the Year and Assistant GM of the year bc Tilly and Stone would have signed Harden if not for him, well documented. And Stone would have kept KPJ if nothing ever happened. This was an earthquake like summer with monumental events like KPJ beating a woman, Harden not coming here. This normally does not happen in 5 years. People are cherry picking the trades or signings they most like. As you said before, try to compartmentalize what Ime did and what Stone did and who did more. I am not monumentally surprised now with the hindsight effect.
Why were they exclusive to Ime Udoka? Stone as we all know is very hands on in the roster, he even stepped in with Silas last year an interfered with rotations. Pretty sure Stone signed on those signings too otherwise they wouldn't have happened. Notice in the "fire Stone" thread when the Rox were 0-3 nobody was saying Ime was behind those signings everybody was saying fire Stone but now Ime gets all the credit? Lol. Also FVV and Brooks aren't chucking. Brooks even led NBA in 3 pt shooting at one point how is he a chucker? You sound like a hater when you say crap like that.
Why should he get credit for FVV? That was clearly and Udoka move considering Tilly/Stone wanted to bring Harden back. Clutch had been hinting the front office wanted Brooks, so I will give him credit for that.
