Discussing Other Teams' Moves Part 2

[LyricalRico]

^ But apparently the Maloof's don't want to trade him.

[hands11]

Deron Williams == coach killer.

Kind of interesting though, Blatche puts up numbers, team starts losing...

Here is cooling off the less minutes.

http://espn.go.com/nba/player/gamelog/_ ... ay-blatche

Still playing ok overall but we know Dray needs his touches.

I totally disagree that coaches don't make a difference. Of course great players make a bigger difference but most team don't have a boat load of great players. Coaches set the standard. The motivate. The install the offense and defense. They dictate the focus of the team. We all know a Scott Skiles team is going to bring it defensively. That is because it is his focus and he gets everyone to buy in. A good coach can do that and it makes a difference. Coaches also control how plays, with whom and when. Also makes a big difference.

It takes both players and a good coach. But if you have LeBron, Wade and Bosh, then the coach has a much easier go of things. At that point it is more managing egos to get them to play well together which also takes talent.

[closg00]

If you're Houston, do you waive Royce White?
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nb ... s/1799099/

[LyricalRico]

^ I've been baffled at Houston's handling of this from the beginning. They supposedly did their research and should have known what they were getting in to, and yet they somehow seem to have had no real plan for working with White. It's like they expected him to just "get over it" once he was drafted and are totally unprepared for him to actually have unique needs.

What did his college team do? They obviously knew how to make it work with White. Why didn't Houston start out by doing something similar and build from there? Sure, maybe he would have missed some road trips, but at least they would be building trust and avoiding this public battle over how he is being treated. And maybe over time White could have been helped to expand his ability to manage his anxiety and be a regular contributor to the team. Now they may never get any production from him and he could very well be on his way out of the league.

[queridiculo]

It takes two to tango and in the Rockets case it seems there's a lot of busted toes and a complete absence of rhythm.

Obviously we don't know the full story, but considering the commitment the Rockets made to White when nobody else was willing to, I don't think it's entirely possible to absolve Royce here.

I understand White's challenges, but as an outside observer it seems like he plays the victim card way too much.

The absolute truth is that it's up to HIM to make the best out of situation, not the other way around. I'm not sure he's appreciative of the opportunity he's been afforded here.

[LyricalRico]

^ I thought about that as I was typing my post above and it's true we don't have all the facts, but I still put more of it on Houston. It's not like White was undiagnosed and they didn't find out about his anxiety until after he was drafted. They knew and they still chose to not only draft him, but to use a first round pick on him and guarantee him at least a 2 year deal. But this D-League assignment in the middle of the season after they've already had issues just smells like they were unprepared for Royce White to be on their team and they are just trying what they know as an NBA franchise and not what he actually needs.

[hands11]

Looks like all of us that wanted to draft Royce didn't take this serious enough either. Royce to DC would have been a very bad move. Could you imagine adding that distraction to a 4-24 record.

Personality and mental make up should be heavily factored in when drafting or adding any player. Its the difference maker. That is what lowers Cousins value and in the case of Royce, its what keeps him off the court.

[I_Like_Dirt]

^ I thought about that as I was typing my post above and it's true we don't have all the facts, but I still put more of it on Houston. It's not like White was undiagnosed and they didn't find out about his anxiety until after he was drafted. They knew and they still chose to not only draft him, but to use a first round pick on him and guarantee him at least a 2 year deal. But this D-League assignment in the middle of the season after they've already had issues just smells like they were unprepared for Royce White to be on their team and they are just trying what they know as an NBA franchise and not what he actually needs.

There is probably some traction to the Rockets not having great communication - Kevin McHale is probably one of the worst coaches they could have in that respect after a year where he admitted that he didn't communicate well with his players so the team was blown up to get rid of almost everybody.

Still, I place this more at White's feet. It's looking like they wasted their draft pick, but lots of teams draft busts every year. And while White looks like he's very quickly burning his bridges in the NBA, there have been lots of NBA players who have done the same thing without White's diagnosed issues. Really, White's mental health is the only reason this is getting the type of play that it is. White still has the responsibility to either take care of himself or to find people that will help him make the right choices. Just because the Rockets are his employer does not mean they're suddenly responsible for taking care of everything for him. That kind of thing has been done in the NBA and it never works out well because it breeds distrust in the locker room over special treatment for players. Whether White recognizes this or not, the dilemma here goes beyond just him and he has the choice to either accept some responsibility for it or to watch the NBA leave him behind. The Rockets have to protect their interests after a point. Everybody on these boards could be volunteering or donating money to mental health causes and yet most aren't, or are not doing it as much as they physically could because they've got to look out for their own interests as well. The Rockets are no different here.

[closg00]

Why don't we see the Wizards on this list?
http://www.nba.com/dleague/assignments_2012_13.html

[LyricalRico]

Why don't we see the Wizards on this list?
http://www.nba.com/dleague/assignments_2012_13.html

Don't you read Ted's blog? All of our young guys are already "fundamentally sound"!

[closg00]

Why don't we see the Wizards on this list?
http://www.nba.com/dleague/assignments_2012_13.html

Don't you read Ted's blog? All of our young guys are already "fundamentally sound"!

[montestewart]

Why don't we see the Wizards on this list?
http://www.nba.com/dleague/assignments_2012_13.html

A D-League assignment on the Spurs or the Thunder could be a rotation player or even a starter on the Wizards.

[fishercob]

James Harden is going to be an All-Star this year; he's having a fabulous season and would seem to have an even brighter future.

But OKC is probably pretty damn happy themselves; this trade could be a true win-win.

Very quietly, Kevin Martin is putting up nearly identical numbers to what Harden did last year in OKC. Not quite the rebounder or playmaker, but his shooting is similarly brilliant.

The Kyle Lowry pick that Houston included would be #6 overall if the draft was today based on current standings, and that could go up.

If OKC can get Martin to re-sign at a reasonably reduced salary (3/$24M?) and amnesties Perkins (a crummy player who owes Kevin Garnett a lot of money), they will be fine salary wise for next year and beyond.

Hell, OKC could just trade Perkins, the TOR pick and Lamb or Perry Jones to Cleveland for Varajeo and they'd be significantly upgraded and perhaps the odds-on favorite to win the next few titles.

[LyricalRico]

Hell, OKC could just trade Perkins, the TOR pick and Lamb or Perry Jones to Cleveland for Varajeo and they'd be significantly upgraded and perhaps the odds-on favorite to win the next few titles.

Wow, hadn't considered that. Although trading Perkins instead of using the amnesty clause would mean they'd still have salary issues if they also re-signed Martin. So it still might be better for them to keep the pick and try to get a young big to fill that spot longterm.

[fishercob]

Hell, OKC could just trade Perkins, the TOR pick and Lamb or Perry Jones to Cleveland for Varajeo and they'd be significantly upgraded and perhaps the odds-on favorite to win the next few titles.

Wow, hadn't considered that. Although trading Perkins instead of using the amnesty clause would mean they'd still have salary issues if they also re-signed Martin. So it still might be better for them to keep the pick and try to get a young big to fill that spot longterm.

I guess it depends on what Martin would agree to. If he'd do 3/$18M they'd probably be fine. If he is going to take the top offer he gets, then it would be tougher. Given the money he's made and where he has played, I bet he stays in OKC. The Thunder can also cut Thabeet or include him in the trade for further savings if they want.