The Dream Shake

The One Where Kyle Lowry Loses His Mind

2012-05-26T18:41:32Z

For whatever reason, Kyle Lowry has gone and joined the trend of superstars begging — in public — for his franchise to either comply with his most specific wishes or else move him to another team who will gladly do the same. It's the basketball world we live in, where superstar players not named Kevin Durant hold loyal franchises hostage to their wishes and expect to be Player-Coach-GMs, even with multiple years left on their contracts. It's sad, pathetic and in most cases, it is uncalled for.

And then we come to Lowry, who is far from a superstar and far from a franchise player. He doesn't qualify to be listed in the realm of "unhappy stars." Instead, he's somewhere else entirely, somewhere far off in the universe, presumably in its unshaved left armpit. Nobody goes there for a reason. It smells like shit.

If NBA players were sealants, you could plug Lowry into a leaking dam, and while he'd prevent the whole thing from collapsing, little by little water would keep leaking through. That's where Lowry is on the scale. It's not a bad role, but it's not a role that entitles him to make the comments he has made.

Really, just who does he think he is? Since when does the least-ugly flag girl tell her high school she wants to captain the cheerleading squad?

At the same time, I think anyone can spot Lowry's motivation. He's mad that he got Wally Pipped. He wants to be a starter and he thinks Kevin McHale didn't play him enough late in the season. That's fine. I'd be pissed too, so long as I could ignore the fact that Goran Dragic single-handedly brought Houston back from the dead. If I could ignore that McHale made the right decision — that he stuck to his most reliable guns in favor of using damaged goods clearly not ready to handle the same responsibility — then perhaps I could see Lowry's point.

But that's just not possible. McHale made the right call by playing Dragic, and if Lowry thinks that one full season's worth of borderline All-Star-worthy play should guarantee him playing time no matter what, clearly, Lowry is out of his element.

There's no doubt in my mind that prior to this episode, Lowry was the guy going forward. He's no superstar, but he's a good player on a good contract. To me, the Rockets would be better off letting Dragic walk elsewhere to be overpaid. But suddenly, that's all up in the air. It shouldn't be. The Rockets shouldn't let Lowry's words dictate their direction as a franchise, but now they must look at the alternatives. Lowry's contract is moveable. In re-signing Dragic and trading Lowry, Houston gets something in return for losing a point guard.

Also, from our nosebleeds, Lowry just lost all credibility as a so-called "team leader." This isn't what team leaders do. Next time he tries to pull that card, we can all point and laugh.

This wasn't supposed to happen with Lowry. It just wasn't. He's a likeable guy, a team-first player who plays hard every night. But take another look. Take away that team-first mentality. Take away the confidence you once had in him, and replace it with uncertainty. Suddenly, Kyle Lowry isn't worth it. That's all it takes, sometimes. Just one simple spoken sentence to the media:

"If things aren't addressed coaching-wise, I guess I have to be moved."

"I guess I have to be moved." To me, that sounds like an expectation, as if Lowry thinks that any above-average player who doesn't like his coach is suddenly deserving of a trade. As if it's in his contract, right? Section C, paragraph 2: "If the player does not get along with his coach, he has to be moved." Forget the whole process of trying to work it out. Forget the fact that Lowry is a player and not a general manager. Forget all of that. Let's just subscribe to the current NBA arrogance that is slowly killing the sport. It makes me sick.

So, uh, sorry about that new contract, Kyle. Sorry the Rockets sent the previous starter at point guard packing, just to give you a chance to win the role for good. Sorry about all those hidden snippets in the media that labeled you basically untouchable. Sorry for the votes of confidence amidst comments that questioned your legitimacy. Sorry, from all of us. We mislabeled you. We thought you were worth it, and apparently we were wrong.

Kyle Lowry Weighs In On Dispute With Kevin McHale, Future

2012-05-26T04:13:00Z

This summer, the Rockets have a pair of tough decisions on Kyle Lowry and Goran Dragic's futures. Today, Lowry weighed in on the Rockets' potentially moving him, revealing a conflict between him and Coach Kevin McHale. In the interview with the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen, Lowry remarked that "it would be tough" to bring both him and Coach Kevin McHale back.

Here are a few excerpts from Feigen's story:

Lowry does not believe he and Goran Dragic, his successor as the starting point guard this season, will both return to the roster next season. Lowry was even less confident he and Rockets coach Kevin McHale can successfully coexist.

"I don't think so," Lowry, 26, said. "I honestly think it would be tough. Things have to be addressed. The situation would have to be addressed.

"If things aren't addressed coaching-wise, I guess I have to be moved.""We're both capable starters. We both want it. It's going to have to be a situation where they make a decision on one of us.

"It has nothing to do with Goran. I'm not happy with the way coaches handled things. If management wants to do something to keep Goran, I think I'll have to be moved."

Jump for more on this developing story!

Kevin McHale and Daryl Morey both downplayed the dispute, saying that Lowry can still come back without a problem.

McHale:

"I didn't think we had too much of a problem coexisting this year. Everybody has a little beef every once in a while. I didn't feel like (there were problems). He apparently did. There were times that we didn’t agree on things. There were times that I got on him. I don’t think it was unduly harsh on anybody."

Morey:

"I think Kyle and coach McHale are both winners and both competitive guys. I don't anticipate any issues going forward."

We've obviously been leading to this confrontation for months because of Goran Dragic's impending free agency, but the quotes about the apparent rift between Lowry and McHale gave concrete backing to rumors of squabbles in the locker room. Management clearly did not want to make the brewing discord public knowledge, but information had begun filtering out that McHale had angered a number of veterans.

What's next? Kyle Lowry is a tremendous player, but he's no Dwight Howard. The Rockets are not going to fire Kevin McHale after one season solely because one of their best players had a bad relationship with him. Perhaps the two can work something out if the Rockets cannot re-sign Goran Dragic as they are hoping to, but look for Lowry to be traded sometime in July. Kevin Martin could be following him out the door.

The Rockets clearly have big plans for the summer, and a Kyle Lowry trade could help bring those plans to fruition. With Feigen's story today, that trade just became a lot easier.

What say you, Rockets fans?

TDS 3-On-5: We Pick a Point and the Rockets Need to Pick a Path

2012-05-25T15:17:10Z

Welcome back to the 3-on-5 Roundtable folks! This week we’re joined by our new addition, Xiane. The reason it’s not 4 on 5 yet is that one of our intrepid contributors has one of those "real life" things I read so much about. He’ll be rejoining us next week and we’ll be playing with only one man down from a legitimate game! We had a lot of fun with your questions this week. You asked us to pick a side in the battle of the point guards, to look at what this team needs to pull off to consider the offseason a success, and we even go out on a limb to pick a starting lineup on opening day!

We want to encourage everyone to continue the submissions because this column lives for you guys. This week we owe a special thanks to mtl1986, makinmajik, joshsm07, Irish Thrasher, and Tisbee. We want to remind you that you can submit questions by e-mailing tdsmailbag@gmail.com, tweeting your question to @VismundGarret, or posting the question here.

Dragic or Lowry? - mtl1986

BD34: I come down on the side of Lowry in this but can I pick the "political" answer and say it doesn’t matter. Point guards are emerging as the "dime a dozen" commodity in the NBA right now. Point guards are putting up big games across the NBA and the quality of competition across the board is getting close to parity. I think Dragic brings more length than Lowry but that’s about it. Kyle is the more disciplined point guard but he comes across as more vanilla to me. Dragic struggled in the half court as a starter and made strides towards improving it but I’m still not 100% sold. I think the reason we talk about trading Lowry is because he’s got a known price tag. They’re about the same age and Kyle is on a known cheap deal. It’s a push but they’re both replaceable.

Xiane: I think either one could push a team towards a title. That is, a team with either all its players in the caliber of Lowry, or what we think Dragic is capable of long term, or a team with a marquee player of some sort. The current iteration of the Rockets doesn’t fit that, because Lowry for most of this past season, and half of the last one, was the Rockets best player.

When it comes to choosing one or the other I learn towards Lowry, simply because I think he’s less emotionally volatile than Dragic. I think Dragic brings a couple of skills that are pretty special across the entire NBA, namely finishing on the break and increasing the tempo until opponents implode. That is worth a lot, as I believe we’ll see in free agency. Even so, the element that has consistently held Dragic back is his outlook, or emotional state. When signing him to a big deal its important to consider whether he will be the revelation of the end of this season, or the basket case he was in Phoenix. The delta is much higher for Dragic than Lowry, and Lowry’s now-established level of play is essentially equal if not better. So, Lowry.

ak2themax: For me, the biggest thing is the health of Lowry. I think that’s going to be the key for the Rockets as they ponder whether or not to sign Dragic to a huge contract. All things being equal, I like Lowry a little more than Dragic but it’s more of a gut feeling than an actual stance.

I don’t think Dragic was necessarily "playing for a contract" or anything like that at the end of the season. He’s clearly quite good. But knowing that Lowry starting taking his steps into stardom after he signed a contract with the Rockets makes me feel like he’s more like the real deal. I hope he’s healthier, because the fact of the matter is that his return may have cost the Rockets the playoffs. But I do think he can be the point guard on a championship team, no question.

What does the front office need to do before the start of next season for you to consider the off season successful? - Makinmajik

BD34: Pick a direction. Any direction. Please. Every year Rockets fans say "We’re one piece away." or "If not for injuries then..." or "We shouldn’t make a change for change’s sake." or any other of a battery of excuses that come up CONSTANTLY and where are we left for it? Picking 14th, just outside the playoffs, and peddling out the same tired lines. I, for one, am sick of it. This front office has shown no problems in moving large contracts (Tracy McGrady) or players (If they broke your heart moving Carl Landry they don’t care about player loyalty) and manufacturing other excuses that can be untangled by those won’t hold water with me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not putting the futility on Daryl either, he only has the resources his boss gives him. If the team got gutted for draft picks, perfect! Successful offseason in my books. If the team gets gutted for a *long term* star? Successful offseason. If we pick another 6’9" or low ceiling player, I will personally tweet a photo of my buttcheeks to Leslie Alexander and Daryl Morey.

Xiane: A lot of changes. I’m working on a piece on this, so I don’t want to rehash it all here, but I’d say that this offseason will tell the tale of future direction. I think if the Rockets manage a big-time signing (Pau Gasol is very available) then they go towards building a team that gets to the second round every year, and could dream of the WCF. If they don’t, I think the party line in media remains exactly the same, but the reality shifts to a new five year plan for Red Nation, one that involves the "T word", but will be called "playing the young guys".

ak2themax: For it to be "successful," the Rockets would need to make a splash in the offseason. And when I say splash, I mean pull off some kind of coup that lands us Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard. That would be a success, in my mind.
Thinking a little more realistically, it would involve landing at least one player in the draft who can be part of the rotation or part of a trade for a starter. We’ve got young players, good contracts, two first round picks, and a GM who is always wheeling and dealing. It’s time to go get something.
Oh, and signing Courtney Lee is a must, unless you need the cash to sign someone better.

With some boards having the Rockets drafting a point guard, how do you think that will affect the resigning of Goran Dragic and Sergio Llull coming over to play in the NBA? - Joshsm07

BD34: I don’t think it impacts the signing of Goran Dragic or Sergio Llull’s coming over at all. Primarily because we’re not going to resign Dragic for anything other than an S&T deal and Llull isn’t coming over. If the Rockets draft a guy like Marshall, I’m happy because I floated the idea out in early mock drafts. A pure pass point guard in this league? I’d be happy. He’s another example of the fact that you can draft a point guard who can eventually move into the starting position eventually but doesn’t really have any star potential.

Xiane: I don’t see the Rockets going PG with an early pick. They’d rather lure Llull. All Llull has to do is look at the past couple of seasons to realize that chances to log big NBA minutes are abundant with the Rockets. No one in the the NBA would promise Sergio Llull a starting job. The sooner he realizes it, the sooner he comes over. He doesn’t have Scola’s track record. He’s not a high pick like Rubio. Euroleague stats per 40 are like 16pts, 6 assists. But he doesn’t play 40 minutes, he plays about 24. Why a guy who can’t crack 30 minutes in Spain thinks he needs an NBA starting job is beyond me. In my opinion getting about 24 minutes a night as a backup and as a combo guard is about what he’s doing now anyway. Maybe he really is scared. That’s all speculation of course, I don’t know what Llull is thinking.
I have a feeling the Rockets think that even if Llull stays in Spain (and that’s about 65% I’d say) that they can find a good backup fairly easily, or later in the draft. PGs are thick on the ground in the NBA at present.

ak2themax: Point guard is too easy to replace in the NBA. It’s a guards’ game right now, so there’s tons of available talent. Llull will almost certainly stay in Spain, and Morey will almost certainly take the best players available at 14 and 16 in the draft, regardless of position. Stockpiling assets is what he does, and he isn’t going to change that strategy now.

Which Rocket (in recent memory) would you most like to see (or have seen) win a title? - Irish Thrasher

BD34: Well, there’s the obvious throw-away, Yao Ming. I’ll also give some love to Chuck Hayes, Shane Battier, and you know, even Tracy McGrady. I feel like all of those guys are the safe picks. If I’m going out on a limb, two guys I’d like to see find success (in general, if it’s rings, awesome) are Jermaine Taylor and Donte Green. Taylor because I think he lost as odd-man-out in Houston and he should have been kept and Donte Green because he was, for a fleeting summer, a Rocket, and I think he could have solved a lot of our problems with our training staff and player development.

Xiane: Yao. Also, Yao. I’ll say a bit more. Yao Ming.

It’s really a shame he’s not firmly enshrined as Mr. Rocket, like Hakeem (and for the sake of being from Houston, Drexler). Yao did everything to be that except win a title.
A couple of Yao facts for those who only think about the end of Yao’s career: In his first three seasons Yao logged 144 out of 146 possible regular season games (so enough with the Oden comparisons already). From 2002-2009 Yao played in 481 out of 574 possible regular season games (84%). Let’s see Andrew Bynum do that before anyone considers him to be in Yao’s league. Bynum’s logged one good season, and is about as reliable as a Trabant.

ak2themax: Gotta go with Yao. Very few players in the NBA made me care about them as a person, but Yao was the exception to the rule. It’s a damn shame that he didn’t get a ring, even as a veteran ring-chaser with another team.
Thinking outside the box, Chuck Hayes, Carl Landry, Moochie Norris (the hair!), and Shane Battier come to mind. All were tireless workers who helped the team at any cost. And if we’re looking at current players, I hope that Scola and Lowry one day get a title. Preferably with the Rockets, of course.

Who starts for the Rockets on opening day? - Tisbee

BD34: Alright, opening day, I think the starters will be:

Kyle Lowry, Kevin Martin, Chandler Parsons, Luis Scola, and Samuel Dalembert.

I have little to no faith in the idea that an impact move will be made to dislodge any of these starters. In my heart of hearts I want Kevin Martin and Luis Scola gone and, although the cap savings are tempting with Dalembert, I can’t see his contract going to the wayside unless we land a Brook Lopez, Roy Hibbert, or JaVale McGee. Best case scenario on opening day (If my lack of faith gets punished) I would go with:

Kyle Lowry, Tyreke Evans, Chandler Parsons, Donatas Motiejunas, Brook Lopez.

Xiane: I think this is more open than people might suppose. You could say Lowry, Martin, Parsons, Scola, Dalembert but I think that Morey’s seat is at least warm, and he probably knows that won’t really work without perfect luck. (Which the Rockets never have.) So there will be changes. Here are two possibilities.

Lowry, Lee, Parsons, Patterson/Motiejunas, Gasol

Trade: Scola and Martin for Pau Gasol This gives LA a center who’s a center and a PF who is a PF. It gets Kobe some rest, and what the hell would defenses do about a small lineup with Kobe going inside and then kicking to Martin for 3?

Dragic, Lee, Perry Jones, Patterson, Gasol

Trade: Lowry to Portland for first rounders, and make the Gasol trade with LA. Draft PJIII with PDX pick. Sign Dragic, Lee.

Incidentally, I think Jones is a SF, and his results are about what you’d expect if Kevin Durant had been stuck PF for two years, well worse, obviously, but similar. I think he’s either a star or a complete bust though.

The hitch is Patterson. He’s really an ideal complement to Gasol if we see Good Patterson and not Bad/Hurt Patterson. Gasol’s game has been basically wrecked by ceding the low block to Bynum. In Houston he could go back to center, and Patterson could deploy his deadly short jumper in the high post. There’d be three outside shooters to contend with, and Gasol’s really good on the break, so that’d be a nice mesh with Dragic. It’s a good bench if you draft a SG, with Motiejunas, Dalembert/Camby, Parsons, Budinger and maybe Llull. If Patterson isn’t good, perhaps Motiejunas is the starter.

ak2themax: Lowry, Martin, Parsons, Scola, Camby.

Meet the new lineup. Same as the old lineup. But wait! With Camby patrolling the interior, Martin’s terrible defense gets hidden. Parsons takes the best perimeter player anyway. We know Lowry is a bulldog. The real issue is Scola. But in this group having some post offense is nice. If the team wants to go defensive, Patterson can come play the 4 and Lee can step in for K-Mart. If more offense is what you desire, Motiejunas and Budinger can come in and start popping threes. It actually doesn’t sound too bad on paper. But paper doesn’t win championships.

Rockets Looking at Alexey Shved

2012-05-23T19:22:01Z

Rockets Looking at Alexey Shved

The boys over at Ridiculous Upside had an article about Evan Fournier (Someone of interest on The Dream Shake recently) and in the course of the article talks about 6'6"-6'7" point guard from CSKA Moscow. The Rockets are taking a look at him. He's a big point guard who plays well in transition with great athleticism and an outside shot. He excels at getting in the lane. Concerns arise over his defense and size but as far as second rounders to look at, I think it's tough to beat the idea.

Chandler Parsons Earns All-Rookie Second Team Honors

2012-05-22T22:48:59Z

The All-Rookie teams came out today, and the second team was headlined by our very own Chandler Parsons.

Parsons received 10 first-team votes and 13 second-team votes from the 29 coaches who were eligible to vote for him (coaches cannot vote for players on their own team, so McHale couldn't pick CP25). Since three players tied at 40 points, there were actually 7 all-first teamers to go with the 5 second-team members. Parsons was one of the only two players out of the 12 who were drafted in the second round.

In the 63 games he played, the Rocket finished with averages of 9.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, with a couple of assists and a steal thrown in. Parsons' pre- and post- All-Star break numbers are striking. Before the break, he was shooting 43% (30% from three) and scoring about 8 points per night. Afterwards, his shooting jumped to 47% (36% from three) and his scoring improved to 11.5 points per game.

However, most Rockets fans know that his major contributions came on the defensive end. Parsons was frequently called upon to defend the opponent's best wing player, so on a nightly basis he was chasing the likes of Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, and Rudy Gay. Few rookies are given such tough assignments on defense, and even fewer succeeded like Chandler Parsons did last season.

So congratulations to Chandler Parsons, and we can't wait to see what he does for an encore.

LeBron, Wade Submit Game For The Ages

2012-05-21T14:20:37Z

Did you miss game 4 between the Pacers and the Heat? Well then you missed one heck of a contest.

The first half was an extension of game 3. The Pacers were the aggressors, getting their shots within the offense and generally looking like a team prepared to knock off the much-hated Heat. Heading into the locker room at halftime, the Pacers held an 8 point lead, had the crowd fully behind them, and looked kind of unstoppable.

But right before the first half ended, two things happened that set up the Heat for their comeback.

First, the Pacers stopped attacking the basket. They started settling for jumpers. Most of them were going in, which bailed them out. Rather than realizing that they needed to become more aggressive, the made jump shots encouraged them to continue shooting from distance in the second half. Big mistake.

The second was the awakening of Dwyane Wade. With two minutes remaining, Wade hit a three over Paul George. That sounds simple, so let me explain. Paul George was all over Wade. George wasn't letting Wade breathe. And Wade just rose up and stroked the triple. Confidence restored.

Then Danny Granger lost his mind. I see what Granger is doing, acting like a tough guy and trying to intimidate the Heat and encourage his team by showing that he won't back down from the Heat. Okay, that's fine. But after Wade was fouled by Roy Hibbert on a drive, Granger felt the need to go trash talk Wade.

The third quarter was all LeBron and Wade. It was an absolute exhibition. From the 2:50 mark in the second quarter until the 1:30 mark in the third, no other Heat player scored. During that 13 minute period, the Heat scored 38 points. During that same stretch, they allowed 16 points.

LeBron finished with a measly 40-18-9. Wade went 30-9-6 with no turnovers.

I've already said that the loss of Bosh is devastating, but if the Heat play like they did in the third quarter (and get Udonis Haslem from 2006 to keep showing up), they're going to be tough to beat on their way to the Finals. Thoughts?

TDS Writer Roundtable 3 on 5

2012-05-18T23:33:41Z

Well folks, here we are again. This Friday we talk about Daryl Morey, Marcus Morris, Courtney Lee, Goran Dragic, Marcus Camby, and our Europeans. We appreciate the suggestions and hope you guys enjoy this column. I want to remind everyone that submissions can be made in three ways. You can e-mail tdsmailbag@gmail.com, post in this thread with your questions, or tweet at me @VismundGarret. We encourage as many submissions as possible because this column is about you guys... and the Rockets, mostly you though. A bit of a disclaimer, trade proposals and what not, although fun to receive, are best left for the fanposts, you guys are better at it than we are and there's literally millions of ideas that can be tossed around.

This week we can send our thanks out to Dupax, Joshsm07, and mtl1986. We usually look to give 5 different posters an opportunity every week, so by all means, be as eager as you want to when submitting questions. Just to give you a heads up, in the coming weeks after the draft order is set we plan on doing a TDS Mock Draft where each writer has a group of teams to pick for and we even have a guest contributor for that week. Join us after the jump to see what was rattling around the heads of Pat, AK, and myself this week.

Are Goran Dragic, Marcus Camby, and Courtney Lee coming back? I'd love to see them back rather than those 3 guys above (Lowry, Martin, and Scola). - Dupax

BD34: Of the three of them, I see Camby as having the greatest chance to come back. He’s expressed interest and I feel like he would be willing to come back on the cheap and be the spiritual successor to Dikembe Mutombo. I think Dragic priced his way out of Houston and if he signs with the Rockets it’s for a sign and trade deal. I’m inclined to say Courtney Lee priced himself out of Houston as well and unless the Rockets agree to part ways with Kevin Martin, Courtney isn’t possibly satisfied with being the back up after his showing as a starter here. The Rockets have expressed far more interest in retaining Goran Dragic than they have Courtney Lee, so I don’t even think we’ll be able to get a worthwhile sign and trade out of him.

Patrick Harrel: If I were to put money on it, I’d guess Camby and Lee will remain in town while Dragic takes the money from Portland or whatever other point guardless team offers him a blank check. The Rockets have never liked to lose restricted free agents, and Courtney Lee doesn’t seem to be an exception. Arron Afflalo’s monster deal is frightening for the Rockets’ front office, but I’d expect Lee’s deal to fall well short of that. Look for Camby to sign a two year deal for reasonable money that includes a player option on the second year.

ak2themax: Daryl Morey has already said that Lee will be coming back since he’s a restricted free agent. There’s some politics in that, but either way Courtney Lee will probably be a Rocket next season. Marcus Camby seems likely to return as well. He’s tall. That’s really all it takes. But the real key I think is his leadership skills. Everyone knows Camby has been around. He knows what’s up. McHale said as much about him and Earl Boykins when the team was doing well. As for Goran, that comes down to him alone. I see Portland and Utah throwing the kitchen sink at him, and both franchises would love to have the guy and would improve immediately. I think he does leave because somebody is going to offer him Mike Conley money (5 years, $45 million) and I don’t think the Rockets will feel inclined to match.

When do you think our drafted players playing overseas will come over and what impact will that have on the team? - Joshsm07

BD34: Motiejunas is confirmed to come over next year to save the Houston Rockets franchise (if I believe what I read) but I think this question is aimed at guys like Sergio Llull. I’m going to blow your minds and remind you all that we also have Maarty Leunen, Brad Newly, and Lior Eliyahu overseas. Maarty Leunen is just a guy we have draft rights on, a floor stretching PF, he is not coming over. Lior Eliyahu was a guy I wanted to see brought over a couple years ago. He’s a smooth 6’9" forward and I felt like he could slip in to the SF spot in the NBA and work on his game over here. I like what he brings. Brad Newly is a 6’7" SG overseas. His game is predicated on hustle and athleticism but his consistency is lacking in a big way and I don’t see any room for the guy here. His game just isn’t good enough. As for Llull, I know I posted a fanshot a while ago about how there was room to work with a buyout but I don’t see him coming over either. Remember how Ricky Rubio said he was staying in Europe because there was more there for him? Yea, I said he was running from NBA competition (Which he has since done a good job proving me wrong) but with Llull I think it’s 100% legitimate. He’s one of the best players on a great team in Europe and he starts. I’m horrible at translating the European game to the States but I wouldn’t come over here to be a back up when I’m a starter in Spain. Especially at the money he makes and the fun he looks to be having over there.

ak2themax: Gotta agree with BD on this one. I think if Dragic leaves and the Rockets can’t find a suitable replacement for him, they might try to coerce Llull into coming over for training camp and the preseason. I’m not so sure that Quad-L is dodging the NBA, but he probably likes how his life is going over there. And remember the last point guard the Rockets brought over from Europe? Vassilis Spanoulis was his name, and V-Span is back in Greece. I’m sure Llull knows his story and may have even spoken with him. As for Motiejunas, he’ll come over and 9 out of 10 Rockets fans will be disappointed when he doesn’t take jersey 42 and try to be the next Dirk Nowitzki.

Patrick Harrel: There are really two guys the Rockets have the rights to who could make a difference: Donatas Motiejunas and Sergio Llull. Motiejunas is a big man who should come over for next season and immediately contribute. The Dirk and Pau Gasol comparisons are ridiculous, but I’d expect him to be a solid bench player from the start with the possibility of growing into a pretty decent starter. His rebounding has improved in the last year, and that has really boosted his stock in my eyes.
Llull is a different case altogether. He’s played fairly well and improved his NBA prospects in recent years, but the talk out there seems to indicate that he’s going to be looking for a chance to be a starter, a la Ricky Rubio. He’s not a Rubio-caliber prospect, but he isn’t chopped liver either. I would be shocked to see him in a Rockets jersey next year, though depending on how things shake out next year, he could be a candidate to come over for the 2013-14 season.

What do you expect from Marcus Morris this coming season?(whether it be him being traded, him seeing more time and being productive, no improvement or etc.) - Joshsm07

BD34: I expect Marcus Morris to benefit from an offseason, summer league, a year to take in what he could from the NBA, and more exposure to the Rockets development staff. Now, having said that, I still don’t know how that translates for him. He’s got minimal experience at the 3 in the NBA and in his limited time (After having some strong showings in the D-League) he looked lost and listless. He very well have all the raw talent and tools needed to make the leap to the 3 but he’s 22 and has been playing basketball for a decent span, all at the 4, and that is a lot of material to un-learn/replace.
I think he sees spot minutes because his game is in need of refinement to earn more than that at the position. We still have the draft and free agency to endure which will signal either boom or bust for Morris. If the Rockets can land a high caliber 3 in the draft or free agency that dislodges Parsons, I don’t see a reason (outside of injury) to give Morris much playing time. There was talk of PJIII and the Rockets and NBAdraft.net has him slated as a SF/PF, if some draft magic happens (doubtful) and the Rockets could get a Kidd-Gilchrist or Harrison Barnes do you really see Parsons retaining the starting spot over those guys? Much less Marcus Morris challenging for minutes? Parsons would make a great 6th man though (Yes, I came around to this feeling).

ak2themax: Morris hasn’t been a bust, but a he was a disappointment. He’s too much of a 3-4 tweener, and there’s not really room in the league for that unless you’re LeBron James, in which case you’re a 1-5 tweener. Just like all Rockets players, I expect Morris to be shopped heavily or maybe thrown into a deal. Clearly, he doesn’t fit in McHale’s system as it exists now, but there’s always room for improvement. He’s proven in the D-League that he can contribute. Now it’s time for him to use offseason workouts and training camp to improve his stock within the organization.

Patrick Harrel: I’d expect improvement, if only because his rookie season was bordering on an unmitigated disaster. Morris experienced tremendous difficulties in his rookie year, and thankfully a number of these problems can be remedied. The first major problem was that his shot simply was not falling. For a player of Morris’ offensive acumen, shooting below 30% for the season isn’t going to cut it. With more time on the floor to get comfortable, expect that to increase in his sophomore year.
The second problem is more worrisome. Morris transitioned from being the primary offensive option at Kansas to being a bench player for the Rockets. The bench can certainly use his one-on-one skills, but there is no doubt that he is going to have to find a way to contribute in other ways to stake a claim to his rotation spot. Even though it’s harder to be as effective of a rebounder at the small forward, a 7.4 rebound rate is very poor for a player lauded for his toughness.
With a full off-season to prepare and the likely thinning of the wings in front of him in the rotation, Morris has a great chance to stake a claim to a rotation spot and help the team as a sixth man. Unfortunately, I just don’t know if he’ll do it.

Is Courtney Lee a starting 2 guard in this league or is his offence too sporadic and unpredictable? - mtl1986

BD34: I think it depends on what team we’re talking about if you want specific instances. I mean, obviously he’s not starting in LA or Miami but I would happily estimate that Courtney Lee is a starter in over 50% of the league. Even on championship teams. Courtney is a two-way guard and I think if you’re looking for a starting 2 in this league you can do a lot worse. A team like the Bulls would see a major boost from a guy like Courtney. His offense is sporadic and unpredictable but he doesn’t shoot you out of games. Courtney’s ability to play intelligent basketball and defend is his major asset. When his offense is working he’s happy to take his shots and stuff the stat-sheet. If his shot isn’t working he’s content to run the offense and defend. His efficiency and numbers dipped a bit as a starter but I see that as a condensed schedule/more exposure issue than I do anything else. The major thing to remember is he gave us some great 20+ point performances and wasn’t a liability on defense, which is a major benefit for most teams in the league.

ak2themax: He’s a starting 2-guard unless you have Kobe, Wade, Eric Gordon, or that James Harden fellow (who doesn’t start, but let’s not kid ourselves). There are several other teams where he would compete for their starting job, but I think he could start for 20 teams in the league. That includes the Rockets. His offense isn’t really as sporadic as advertised. In fact, I find he consistently finds ways to impact the game on both ends of the court, even when his shot isn’t falling or he’s not being aggressive enough on offense. I can’t count the number of times Lee made a great play on defense and I thought, "Whoa, how long has he been in the game?" But in terms of defense, I don’t really want to know that he’s in because if I do it means he’s probably getting lit up. But I would like to see him become more assertive on the offensive end. He’s way too good to be the fourth option on offense.

Patrick Harrel: In a word, yes. Courtney Lee is a perfectly adequate starter, certainly an upgrade over the version of Kevin Martin that was playing for the early second half of last season. As a starter, Courtney Lee averaged 14 points on 43% shooting and 40% from behind the arc. For a player that is also a pretty decent defender, those numbers are about what you’d hope for from your starting two guard.
On the assertion that his offense could be "too sporadic," I don’t really see that. Once he entrenched himself in the starting lineup, his offense became pretty consistent, even if he had a few off nights. My bigger concern would be that his defense was a bit sporadic. Most people accept defensive value to be somewhat constant from game to game, and Courtney Lee is one player that puts that concept to shame. Overall, he’s a good defender, but far too often Lee got beat early from a longer opponent and backed down to easily, giving up the battle too soon. We saw this against the Lakers a few times (when the Rockets were forced to guard Bryant with Parsons almost exclusively), and other teams with long wing players might look to take advantage next year.

Is Morey on the hot seat and if so, how long before he gets fired? - mtl1986

BD34: This is a question I’ve had to put a LOT of thought into. Is Morey on the hot seat? From the fans I would bank on it. From the owner? I feel relatively certain he’s safe for another year or two at the max. Morey, I believe, bought himself some time in Alexander’s eyes with the failed Pau Gasol trade (Since it was out of his hands). If we’re being 100% fair, I don’t even think Oklahoma City or San Antonio’s GM would be safe in Houston. I say this because Alexander refuses to go through the draft and that eliminates some of your best options to build this franchise up.

Morey has done a great job at assembling role players and he proved that no contract is too large to move (McGrady) but without a high draft pick or a major player worth trading around he hasn’t been able to deliver the home run everyone wants. I don’t hold that against him, honestly. If you’re going to a gunfight and you are only given access to a spoon, you’re going to be hard-pressed to come out alive. Morey has gouged out a lot of eyes with that spoon but whoever the next GM is will be presented with the same problems. Do I think he could stand to take more chances? I am very vocal on that. Morey does need to stop playing it safe and really should offer more in a trade to deliver anything because middling talent (We draft 14th, complain all you want but our results are middling and you win with talent) will yield middling talent but a LOT of middling talent could yield something more than that, which would be a step in the right direction. I think Morey is the right GM to have if you greenlight him to blow the team up or tell him "don’t be stingy, spend big" but under his current constraints? I don’t see him here in the next two years and I’m not a fan of that feeling.

ak2themax: Nope, not on the hot seat. Right now he’s kicking rocks and it’s driving the fans crazy. But there’s a saying when it comes to coaches and GMs. "Listen to the fans enough and soon you’ll be sitting with them." Morey got here on advanced statistical analysis and measured "risks." Les Alexander knew what he was getting with the Boy Genius, and I don’t see him giving up on the experiment any time soon. As long as Morey doesn’t outright fail with a move (which is unlikely), he’s safe. I’ve said before that Morey is like the LeBron James of GMs: arguably the best, but hasn’t really closed the deal yet. But then again, I’d take LeBron James over anyone else in a heartbeat.

Patrick Harrel: He’s not on the hot seat. Some fans are pissed off at the lack of progress over the last three years, and Morey and Alexander know that. Still, Alexander fully trusts Morey and that has not changed. There was talk from the front office that the "veto" had set the Rockets back three years, and some were quick to dismiss that as hyperbole. Watching the Rockets struggle last season, that appears to be an apt remark.
Because I expect Morey to be around for the long haul, It would be silly to put a time frame on his departure. Crazier things have happened, but I would be shocked if anybody but Morey was the GM in a few years.

Can Anyone Stop The Spurs?

2012-05-18T04:56:20Z

You would be forgiven for thinking the Spurs might get upset in the first round against Utah. After all, the Jazz's bigs could have done exactly what Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol did to them the year before. I picked the Spurs to win the series, but going into the playoffs I wouldn't have been surprised to see the Jazz beat them in 6.

Looking back, I was an idiot.

I have to cut myself some slack. I mean, condensed season, dependence on youngsters, a 2-2 season split with the Rockets...

This didn't seem like a Spurs team that could win a championship. Simply put, they didn't remind me at all of the teams from '03, '05, or '07. They do kind of resemble the '99 squad, which was also during a lockout year.

Tim Duncan looks 28 again, Tony Parker can still get in the lane at will. Heck, Manu Ginobili doesn't even have to play that much anymore because they don't need him. Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, and even Boris Diaw have been revelations and are contributing serious minutes on offense and defense.

They're currently on a 16-game winning streak. Their last loss? April 11 to the Lakers. In the next 9 days, they played the Lakers twice more. They won by 23 and 24 points.

Looking at this current streak, it's almost impossible to believe that the scores are from Spurs games. I guess I'm too used to the Van Gundy teams playing the Spurs and saying that the first to 80 would win. During the streak, they have scored over 100 points 15 out of 16 times. They have score 110 points or more 8 of those times. Their closest game during that stretch was a 87-81 game against Utah in game 4. Neither the Jazz or Clippers have scored more than 92 points against them yet.

These are crazy stats! The ball movement is ridiculous, the team has no internal issues to speak of, and they're just rolling. The Spurs are on a different plane of existence right now.

Can anyone stop this train, or do the Spurs win their first even-year title? I guess I'll go on the record and say it's theirs to lose at this point. They're my pick.