Morey on the hot seat?

[MaxRider]

Did Morey get criticized for the Lin contract and now the Howard signing?

Seems like these ran counter to his own philosophy, unless it's about guards over dribbling or Howard trying to post up while the rest of the team watches.

Lin was pretty good for his role, he just had some major blunders in that series against Portland, the problem there was signing him over giving Dragic another g'teed year.

And Dwight was VERY good the first two years, he was worth it. Maybe he'll show his worth this post season again


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It really was not Lin over Dragic... Morey hates to give player options to non-franchise players.... basically it was after let Dragic Walk, signing Lin was important...initially Morey did not project that much money for Lin, but with less money and no poison bill, knicks would match... and Les does not mind to give a little extra to make Knicks harder to match...the rest is history..

Lin was solid in the Portland series, his game4 TO was over blown, there was more than 30 seconds left on the clock and one possession game, anything could happen, this is NBA after all...
Lin had a disaster playoff run against the OKC though, was overwhelmed in game1, got injured in game2, and could not perform well after the injury, his presence on the court hurt the team ...

overall, Lin rewarded every penny the Rockets paid him on and off the court... good locker room guy, tough, plays hard, sacrifice his game to fit everything the team needs, Rockets fans really should not hold grudges against Lin...

I don't see how Dragic/Harden pair would have been better than Lin/Harden...Lin is a better defender than Goran...Both Goran and Harden are lefties, it is already hard to play with Harden as a ball dominant guard, and two lefties play together? it would have been a disaster for Goran's career... Goran was lucky he did not stay, I don't even see how he can survive for two seasons pairing with Harden...he is not Lin, he would have complained, asked for trade...or simply Morey would have traded him anyway

He gave Harden the option before he became the star. His problem is he didn't trust his players. He will take big name players from other team but he won't believe in those on his team.

[wco81]

WAs there any sign Morey was in trouble? Will this series make any difference? Will his tweets come back to haunt him?

Harden is one of the 10 best players in the league but when he's dominating the ball, the other players can mostly hope to catch and shoot.

Beasley and Montejunas can get their own shots sometimes.

Of course Howard didn't work out and he'll soon be gone. So whom would they target in free agency?

Morey is held as the leading proponent of analytics but seems like the minor moves are all over the place.

First they let Josh go, even though he helped them win that series against the Clippers. Then they bring him back after he didn't work out in LA.

Second, they try to trade Montejunas and has to take them back. He's played well the last two games, probably should have been playing more in the first two.

Third, they gave Terence Jones a lot of playing time early in the season but looks like they're permanently soured on him?

Fourth, of course the trade for Lawson who didn't work out at all.

Fifth, can they do better than Brewer and Terry as key rotation players? Or did Harden and Howard's deals not allow them to do much better?

Sixth, above all, the Dwight signing didn't work out. The most they will have done is to get to the WC Finals and that was pretty improbable, down 3-1 and down by a lot. So they didn't get the results they hoped when they signed a franchise center.

Also, they must have let Parsons go for cap reasons? Seems like the Rockets were at their best when Parsons was there.

[MaxRider]

WAs there any sign Morey was in trouble? Will this series make any difference? Will his tweets come back to haunt him?

Harden is one of the 10 best players in the league but when he's dominating the ball, the other players can mostly hope to catch and shoot.

Beasley and Montejunas can get their own shots sometimes.

Of course Howard didn't work out and he'll soon be gone. So whom would they target in free agency?

Morey is held as the leading proponent of analytics but seems like the minor moves are all over the place.

First they let Josh go, even though he helped them win that series against the Clippers. Then they bring him back after he didn't work out in LA.

Second, they try to trade Montejunas and has to take them back. He's played well the last two games, probably should have been playing more in the first two.

Third, they gave Terence Jones a lot of playing time early in the season but looks like they're permanently soured on him?

Fourth, of course the trade for Lawson who didn't work out at all.

Fifth, can they do better than Brewer and Terry as key rotation players? Or did Harden and Howard's deals not allow them to do much better?

Sixth, above all, the Dwight signing didn't work out. The most they will have done is to get to the WC Finals and that was pretty improbable, down 3-1 and down by a lot. So they didn't get the results they hoped when they signed a franchise center.

Also, they must have let Parsons go for cap reasons? Seems like the Rockets were at their best when Parsons was there.

Les, the owner, said last week
Morey is not going anywhere

[Mr. E]

WAs there any sign Morey was in trouble? Will this series make any difference? Will his tweets come back to haunt him?

I do not think that he is in as much jeopardy as some have stated. I do think that his next coach (I'm hoping JVG) will have more input on how the team is constructed and how they will play.

I'll break apart the rest of your post to give my answers. These are my opinions and other Rockets fans may disagree.


Harden is one of the 10 best players in the league but when he's dominating the ball, the other players can mostly hope to catch and shoot. - Agreed. The Rockets problem is that until they got Beasley they didn't have anyone else who could create offense and the team was not getting Howard or Capela involved. Harden has been the only real option. You'll notice that all four players I've mentioned have their own significant shortcomings and they haven't been able to cover each other's weaknesses.

Beasley and Montejunas can get their own shots sometimes. - Agreed. And they are two of the players that I want back next season. Beasley is not a good defender, however.

Of course Howard didn't work out and he'll soon be gone. So whom would they target in free agency? - I do think that Dwight will opt out, but I don't think that it is set in stone that he will not return. It depends on what the market shows for him. As for free agency they will go hard after Durant, and possibly Whiteside or Horford. I personally hope that they go after Teletovic.

Morey is held as the leading proponent of analytics but seems like the minor moves are all over the place. - Yes, and while some have been successful others have...not been. It's easy to look at Brewer this season as a horrible decision, but after last season that deal he got was considered a bargain for how he contributed to the team. His drop-off may just be a symptom of the entire team being sick.

First they let Josh go, even though he helped them win that series against the Clippers. Then they bring him back after he didn't work out in LA. - They actually did not want to let Josh go last offseason. He had an offer for more money from Houston, but he took less from the Clippers because they told him he'd have a bigger role. He admitted after coming back that he made an error in judgement, but by then everything was out of whack and he wasn't going to fix their problems.

Second, they try to trade Montejunas and has to take them back. He's played well the last two games, probably should have been playing more in the first two. - Blessing in disguise. They made that trade because they were not getting anywhere with him on extension talks and because there didn't seem to be a market for Jones (who is in the same situation). They didn't give him away as they got a potential lottery pick back for him. I was very upset with the deal when it happened and I'm glad that Detroit got cold feet. And yes, he absolutely should have been playing more in the first two games. Completely baffling why he wasn't.

Third, they gave Terence Jones a lot of playing time early in the season but looks like they're permanently soured on him? - Yep. However, if Motiejunas had been healthy he would have gotten more of those minutes early on.

Fourth, of course the trade for Lawson who didn't work out at all. - Less said the better.

Fifth, can they do better than Brewer and Terry as key rotation players? Or did Harden and Howard's deals not allow them to do much better? - Based off of last season both were seen as solid contributors on good deals. I still think that there could be a role for both, but only if this team shakes whatever sickness has plagued them. It starts with leadership and coaching.

Sixth, above all, the Dwight signing didn't work out. The most they will have done is to get to the WC Finals and that was pretty improbable, down 3-1 and down by a lot. So they didn't get the results they hoped when they signed a franchise center. - Overall Dwight was a good signing. The team would not have been as successful without him than they could have been with him. If he moves on I won't see his time in Houston as a waste. He was a net-positive while here. He does need to adapt his game.

Also, they must have let Parsons go for cap reasons? Seems like the Rockets were at their best when Parsons was there. - Parsons left because he wanted a bigger spotlight and he didn't like the idea that the team was trying to pursue a "third option" when he considered himself to be that third option. The timing of his deal during that free agency period was a pretty big FU to Houston from both him and Cuban. What most thought would happen was that the Rockets would make their free agency move and then re-sign Parsons, being allowed to go over the cap at that point. They were actually at their best last season after he left. Ariza filled his role more than capably, other than being able to create offense. I don't think that Parsons' departure had too big of an effect on the Rockets team. I'm not saying that I wouldn't mind him coming back if he chose to; but from all accounts it sounds like he burned some bridges. If he opts out of Dallas I don't know where he'll end up.

[wco81]

I didn't know that about Parsons.

I just remember the Rockets being tougher for the Warriors, in the regular season, when Parsons was there.

[K_chile22]

I didn't know that about Parsons.

I just remember the Rockets being tougher for the Warriors, in the regular season, when Parsons was there.

They also weren't that good then


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[moofs]

It's been 10 years. I think is time for Morey to go. His strategy is not working. We can argue all day how he did his job, but this franchise seriously need a change. You can't really change if your GM remain the same.
Don't worry guy. Les will not fire him this off-season. You need him to convince FA to sign here. No, I don't think Durant will come here.
I think the best he can do is Barnes and Whiteside (yeah, overpaying them).

I agree 1000%
morey needs to go
last year the clippers gave us a free ticket to the wcf had nothing to do with morey
moreys fans are like we made it to the wcf thanks to the great job morey did ... bull s hit
morey s u c k s

I've learned that you guys can't be talked out of this mindset. It doesn't really matter, thankfully.
I'd note, though, that he's only really had 5 years to build the team, not 10.

When we previously had McGrady and Yao, we were stuck. I said several times during that period that we would never win with Yao, but Yao would also never be traded because of the extremely lucrative trade relations he provided with China.
Yao retired after the 2010-2011 season (McGrady after 2009-2010). It took about a year to acquire Harden, and 2 to acquire Howard. We had 2 good runs since then, one done in by bad luck, one done in by running up against one of the greatest teams of all time.

This year was pathetic. I was reluctant when we signed KJ, I was reluctant to extend Beverly for so much, and the Brewer signing outright scared me. Lawson, well. Nobody can read the future. Sure enough, though... 3 players whose games were based on athleticism and who were right around 30 all declined at the same time. Go figure.

I don't know if I posted it, but while I've noted that reluctance before, I've also noted the question of "What were the other options? Break up a team that just went to the WCF?"

I'm not saying that Morey doesn't have flaws in how he GM's the team - every GM to ever run a team has had flaws - but I don't think it's questionable that saying that he "s u c k s" is lunacy. I don't know what exactly it is that you guys want, but your expectations are ENTIRELY unrealistic.

I mostly agree with Mr. E's analysis of the issues at hand (aside of Brewer). Good points.

[tha_rock220]

WAs there any sign Morey was in trouble? Will this series make any difference? Will his tweets come back to haunt him?

Harden is one of the 10 best players in the league but when he's dominating the ball, the other players can mostly hope to catch and shoot.

Beasley and Montejunas can get their own shots sometimes.

Of course Howard didn't work out and he'll soon be gone. So whom would they target in free agency?

Morey is held as the leading proponent of analytics but seems like the minor moves are all over the place.

First they let Josh go, even though he helped them win that series against the Clippers. Then they bring him back after he didn't work out in LA.

Second, they try to trade Montejunas and has to take them back. He's played well the last two games, probably should have been playing more in the first two.

Third, they gave Terence Jones a lot of playing time early in the season but looks like they're permanently soured on him?

Fourth, of course the trade for Lawson who didn't work out at all.

Fifth, can they do better than Brewer and Terry as key rotation players? Or did Harden and Howard's deals not allow them to do much better?

Sixth, above all, the Dwight signing didn't work out. The most they will have done is to get to the WC Finals and that was pretty improbable, down 3-1 and down by a lot. So they didn't get the results they hoped when they signed a franchise center.

Also, they must have let Parsons go for cap reasons? Seems like the Rockets were at their best when Parsons was there.

Morey is great at planning and evaluating players. He's found countless late first round and second round gems. The Rockets' former GM, Carroll Dawson, would have given Scola, Lowry, Brooks, etc all big long term deals and the Rockets would have been a 42-45 win treadmill team. Morey, on the other hand, traded guys who were up for big raises, and ultimately that flexibility allowed him to snag Harden and sign Dwight.

You're absolutely right about his tinkering though. He's also too involved in the offense. The whole "threes are more valuable" mentality makes sense, but it's not something you can force, and he tried to force it one McHale, who himself isn't a great coach. The next coach, not Daryl Morey, needs to decide the offense and also be more involved in player decisions.

[old rem]

Frankly, if he wasn't evaluated after this disaster of a season, it'd be a failure on the part of management. Everyone should be evaluated after every season.

IMO this season was a "victim of success" season. We went to the WCF with a bunch of 29-30 year olds, then signed and rolled over a bunch of 30-31 year olds. Not the greatest strategy with a bunch of guys who rely on athleticism, but the alternative is scrapping a 56 win team that just gave a 67 win team a nasty dogfight, with one of the scrapees likely being the C, who is a "superstar".

I mean, what do you do?

We NEED shooting. In the worst way. Our defense fell apart with the athleticism. Our shooting was never great. Our competition is two of the top teams of all time.

Seriously. What else could happen?

Morey is a smart guy. I'm sure he wrote down all the risks of having done what he did and had Les sign off on it.

Don't get me wrong, this season has finally given me some doubts on Morey's basketball acumen, and his soft skills. It's been a miserable season (as partly evidenced by me not posting much - granted I've also been insanely busy).

But again, what else should have been done?

In spite of Max's perpetual pessimism, that would have likely been grousing about Warriors management for not having already won their 4th championship 27 games.
The fact that something didn't happen already doesn't mean the process was bad. It only means that some calculated risks didn't pay off.

While we haven't won a ring in the last 10 years, we've won an average of 49 wins, with no losing seasons, and 5 seasons between 52 and 56 wins, while retooling 2 new superstars within 3 years in the middle.

Yeah, it's no dynasty.
We don't have Duncan. We don't have James. We don't have Curry. Our team hasn't been bad. The Clippers are still winless, too. The Grizzlies fell apart. What do you want? This year was a miserable setback, but lack of ultimate success is not failure.

Outside view is.. like yours. Morey lost his "genius" label but will survive...for now. Rockets went downhill. Obviously....there's gonna be questions. Morey got a good rep. However......getting part way there with a high $ roster? Not real good. Rockets FLAWS offset the strengths. It's repairable. If Morey can't fix it......next year this time.. he's in trouble.

[old rem]

I didn't know that about Parsons.

I just remember the Rockets being tougher for the Warriors, in the regular season, when Parsons was there.

They also weren't that good then


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Yeah.. BIG difference. Harden is a FORCE on the offensive end. Harden is a MESS on D. Dwight can be GREAT in spurts .. but is so variable. Brewer? Actually not bad, a "get what you pay for" . Motie has become good after a slow start. Rox are like Cavs west. They can go with offense or defense. They need BOTH. The Warriors and Spurs are setting the RULES for 2016. You can't do ISO. You can't have big holes on D. Time will tell.