Season's Pretty Much Over - Thoughts moving forward?

Build around Amen, Cam, and Jabari. Sengun I just don’t see as the guy to build around

Start Amen next year at SF as we work on transitioning Fred at the deadline or after season

Cam should start but that’s up to what we do with Green. Cam would be nice to still have off the bench next year with Tari and Adam’s

Jabari is looking good and I think Amen & Cam will take a small leap next season

Future looking good but what to do with Jalen

 

YES. They should be as committed as the Nuggets were when their coach said he would not trade Jokic for anyone in the world.

Yes. I think his role will be similar to Jamal Crawford (one of 11 people he follows on Twitter). But only if he fixes his 3-point shot.

It's not an either/or. We need to keep FVV. Amen is great, but he needs more time, alongside FVV (not instead of FVV).

Needs to learn more. Great prospect. But he should never be allowed to wave off Alpi or Jeff Green. Next time he does that crap, he should be yanked.

Hopefully a rich man's Robert Horry. SF/PF type. Next year, 17/10 with 2.5 threes made per game and 1 steal/1 block should be the goal.

Depends on what we could draft in the next draft. If we could draft Reed Sheppard, I would do it. We need elite 3-point shooting, badly. If we can package them with Jalen Green for an elite guard, I would consider it, opportunistically.

It's super concerning. We really miss Tari. He is so important. We should extend him for as long as possible, as soon as possible, assuming he will have returned to full health by then. It's really weird that after several months, they still don't seem to have fully figured it out from a medical perspective. I don't understand how this is possible.

A better backup center (can we extend Steven Adams prematurely?). Great 3-point shooters who can also defend.

Trade Jalen Green, get elite 3-point shooting, perimeter defense and shot-blocking/rim protection via draft, trade or free agency.

 

@AroundTheWorld read my mind. I found myself agreeing with most of his answers. Three areas where I diverged...

1.) Commit to Sengun when he shows a 3 point shot. With a 3-point shot, he is an MVP candidate. With his current 3-point struggles, I am of the opinion that he is more a 2nd or 3rd option on a contender. With a 3-point shot they can run the offense where Alpi sits out top and finds cutters/open shooters off motion. Without a 3-point shot, the other teams just sit back and pack the paint and guard 5 on 4. I do think he will eventually unlock the 3-point shot, but I do not want to lock in on him as THE Franchise player until he shows it in game. I also think he is likely to get a max extension.

2.) I am definitely in the camp where we "keep the draft picks and develop players" to replace players who bust/get injured/get too expensive - regardless of current need. Every NBA team has 5-10 players at the end of the bench who are developmental or league minimum players. Effective rosters are 18 players with 15 regular contract and 3 two way players. Bringing in 2-3 rookies a year and developing them makes sense. While very few will get serious minutes on the Rockets after this year, the optionality of controlling a rookie for 4 years is too great to pass up.

3.) I think either Tari or Jabari will be sent out in a consolidation/rebalancing trade next summer (2025) or one of the next two trade deadlines. I think they will both be players who rank as 3rd - 4th best on a contender - more than just role players, more like fringe all-stars, but I don't think we will be able to afford both of them at extension time. I am positive on both as NBA players.

 

1) Can and should the team build around Sengun and how committed should they be?
First and foremost, I still remain unconvinced that Sengun is a player worth building around. For all the concerns I've had regarding him since Day 1, he has done very little to address any of them. He's not a star, much less a superstar and the latter is what we want as the guy to build a team around. If we HAD to pick someone from our current roster, it would be Sengun with a ton of reservations simply because he's been the best player on a team where NO ONE has stepped forward as that franchise player. That said, I would not commit to Sengun until he shows a consistent middy/3pt shot or at the very least, a HUGE spike in his FT%.

2) Is Jalen Green's time done? Can he ever be a real basketball player?
I don't think JG's time is done. I do think no one has any delusions anymore of him being a superstar and now the question is whether he can even be a borderline star. As for any questions regarding if he is a real basketball player, that's just idiocy talking.

3) How ready is Amen to take the reigns? What to do with FVV?
Amen cannot shoot, his dribble is suspect, and there has been absolutely no indication that he can actually run a proper offense. No, he is not ready, at least as someone to control the offense. For that matter, neither is FVV. We have a **** offense which has continued to look like **** regardless of whether FVV plays or not. As for FVV, I don't think he's a bad player but he is not a star much less a $40M star. Thankfully, he is an EC next week and I for one cannot wait to see him traded.

4) Is Cam ready to the alpha scorer or should he learn more next year?
No, Cam has the BBIQ of a rock. He constantly plays out of control and whenever he does anything outside of shooting, we are reminded of why he fell so far in the draft. Cam should be a 6th man off the bench until he learns how to make smart passes in the flow of the offense.

5) What is the future for Jabari Smith? What should be his trajectory?
I can easily see Bari becoming at minimum a 20/10 power forward who can play off any star / superstar. Players who can get points within the flow of a game and be a tertiary option to take over are rare in the league. Bari is way closer to that goal than any of our other prospects are to their respective goals.

6) What to do with the Nets picks?
I think we package them with a player to try and either trade up or for a disgruntled star.

7) What the hell happened with Tari and is this a concern moving forward?
Full disclosure, I AM NOT A DOCTOR. This is purely speculation and is most likely medical BS. My guess is it's similar to whatever happened with Kawhi where some type of atrophy occurred. They keep mentioning stress reaction flaring up. If he continues to be out next season, then I would definitely be concerned.

8) What should we target in free agency? And what does next year's starting lineup look like?
If Harden wins a ring, we should target him. Beyond that, I would personally like to see us pushing for the following players:

• Doug McDermott
• Klay Thompson
• Buddy Hield

 

I don’t think the season is over but to indulge the thread:

I think we should try to acquire a player worth the max or maintain our flexibility with assets.

Mikal Bridges will get cheaper to acquire but I’m not 100% sure he’s worth the max. I would much rather try Cam at the 2 before overpaying for Bridges. Wouldn’t offer more than 2 FRP’s. I’m only willing to postpone Cam’s development for a max player.

In the absence of a max player becoming available, just acquire more players who can both hit the 3 and play defense at SG/SF/PF. Wish we had snatched Grant Williams at the deadline. Would have been an excellent upgrade from Tate and Uncle Jeff.

Unless some miracle light turns on in Greens head or he overwhelmingly beats Cam out in training camp, I think we should stick him in the 6th man role next season. If he doesn’t like that, trade him for best offer.

I’m really on the fence with Dillon Brooks. I don’t know if his value will ever be higher and I’m nervous that he’ll never hit 40% again from 3. Trading him for a backup SF on a shorter contract opens up cap space sooner. I’m quite certain Tari will end up a better defender and shooter but also not so sure about Tari’s health. Tricky situation there but I predict Ime won’t want to trade him, they’re similar humans and they seem to be friends. Brooks has surpassed all expectations this season.

I don’t want to see Bullock, Holiday, Uncle Jeff or Landale around anymore. Tate will have to go too but only because we have a log jam. If he’s willing to be a 3rd stringer, keep him around at the tiny salary for emergencies.

I honestly don’t want another rookie on this team. There’s way too much youth on this squad and it’s time to get someone who doesn’t need to work on anything to be useful. I hope we package the Nets pick for a max player or use it to acquire a 3&D player like Cam Johnson.

I know that if we do nothing but internal improvement, draft someone and replace our bad signings we will make the playoffs so I’d like to be non-panicky this summer. We should not be negotiated like we’re desperate AF (ahem Rafael).

 

I think they should, yes. Thankfully, none of the other young talents on the team are bad fits with Sengun, so there is no reason why building around Sengun (which, really, just means adding shooting to what we currently have) should mean that the other young guys won't get opportunities and plenty of room to grow and, perhaps, even exceed Sengun as the centerpiece of the rebuild.

It should be done. He's a shooting guard who can't shoot (is getting worse year by year in fact). He destroys our spacing. And the team consistently does better when he is off the court. And we have better young prospects that he is now blocking minutes and usage for.

The great thing about FVV is that he can play off ball as well. So we can start Amen, continue to start Fred, let Fred guard 1's, and utilize Amen's defensive versatility to guard the best opposing wing. Then on offense both Amen and Fred know how to affect winning both on ball and off ball, so they shouldn't get in each other's way -- and Fred can continue to help hold the reigns for at least one more season, while Amen continues to get used to being an NBA level floor general.

He's ready to be an alpha bench scorer. For now, I think that's his best role: let him come off the bench, and get buckets aggressively. And then, if he continues to develop to where he is just too good to keep on the bench, then it will be time to start letting him start over either Dillon or Fred.

He seems like he is on a great track imo. Shooting well. Rebounding well. Defense has taken a jump. Gotten better in the midrange. I think just let him continue on in the path he is and see if he becomes even more consistent and excellent in the current role enough to where you want to up his usage.

Depends on how high it is. If it is about 8, then I say grab Reed Shepphard. Bring him in as a bench shooter for next year, because we desperately need shooting. A shooter of his caliber operating off of Amen and Sengun could be amazing.

Seems like a freak injury that got mismanaged. It is a concern moving forward, yes. All we can do is hope the org, the players, and the doctors they are both consulting are able to figure our wtf is happening, and he is able to come back next year without any long term effects.

I don't think we're going to have cap really, so we probably won't be a player in free agency. I suppose we could use the MLE to bring in a vet shooter for bench depth, but seems like we have everything we need under contract already, assuming Tari and Adams are healed up and ready to go by next year. As for starters, I'm hoping the starting lineup on opening day next year is Sengun, Jabari, Eason, Amen, FVV -- with Whitmore, Adams, and a rookie shooter (e.g. Reed) coming off the bench.

I'd trade Jalen for the highest first round pick we can get for him, even if it was pretty low (even as low as a pick in the 20s) and draft a project big to be a 3rd stringer next year, get developed, and to hopefully be able to take over for Adams in 25-26 season as our backup center. Other than that, I'd bring back the team we have and trust in the continued development of our young core.

 

Unless Sengun gets back to his pre all star break form to finish the season, I don't think he's a guy you build around.

We know it's not Jalen. We know it's not Jabari.

Right now the best bet is on Amen. He has a true superstar ceiling.

To be clear, I am not saying you give up on Sengun. He is still growing, I just think what we are seeing now is a bit of his real limitation as a centerpiece.

 

Pray that a legitimate game changing star becomes available for trade in the offseason otherwise we will be in NBA hell via mediocrity.

 

This does not look like a team going after the play in. However the Phase 2 of the rebuild is on an average and respectable path. No longer the worst team in association. Keep building those good habits and chemistry!!!!!

 

I agree with everything in this respnse except I doubt we can get a first for Jalen. Regardless he needs to go even if we have to cut him. I also have no issues with Cam starting and Amen being the super sub at the 1,2, or 3.

 

Zaccharie Riascher. A 6'10, who in some cases too young to drive a car shooting over 40% in 3 point-shooting is a can't miss NBA Draft player. It would be sad, if NBA gifts this french guy to the Spurs. We have 0 chemistry, 0 hope and 0 chance against any team that has playoff experience. Even if we make the playoffs, the NBA refs want Lebron and Curry to win playoff series, they ain't getting younger and NBA wants playoff viewership- Taylor Swift isn't available.

 

#1 - Get a competent GM that knows basketball...go from there.

 

This years season was so Cinderella like at first.
All the talk of surpassing expectations has fizzled out though.

I expect us to get 34 wins or so.

That is the reference point for next year.
To do better than that.
At least 41 wins and a play-in birth are my hopes/expectations for next year.
It also my hope we win big in off-season moves.
Something bold and game changing.

 

You can build around Sengun if you got efficient shooters around him..We already have the athletes in the rotation to take advantage of easy scoring opportunies he provides. He doesn't necessarily have to be superstar but I would like to see his physicality be improved, especially defensively.. Trade Jalen for a couple good rotation pieces from a shitty squad ( Pistons, Bulls) .. Draft the best backcourt shooter available.. I don't give a flying f**k where he's from.. Bring in a physical big that understands defensive rotations and positioning.. (?l ...
FVV ( for 1 more year)
Cam
Dillon
Bari
Sengun

Bench:
Amen
Eason
drafted shooter
Jeff Green
physical big
Whoever u get for Jalen , hopefully a shooter and a big
Landale if he regains competence
Forgot we had Adams on the books.. Landale can bounce


Let's roll with it

 

Yep, start by firing Stone. He's made too many bad bets and squandered away too much draft capital. After that, start shopping everyone. The rebuild needs a rebuild.

 

If we can get a first round draft pick for Jalen Green, we should absolutely jump on it…though I’m pretty sure our GM might disagree with that given what he turned down for Tate, a guy who doesn’t play much now even while Tari is still hurt.

Basketball is more than box score. Building a team and a culture and an identity is about getting the right guys on the bus. Udoka gets the first shot at determining who should or should not be on the bus. It seems pretty clear to me that Jalen is not an Udoka guy which almost feels like a “duh, of course” comment.

If a guy doesn’t fit, you don’t keep him around because you hope he might throw up a nice box score off the bench. A whole lot of guys can do that. Also, there’s a contract coming up there.