Should the Rockets tank or push for the playoffs?

[thesportsfan30]

Had a little discussion about this on the Magic/Rockets game thread and decided to write a blog about it on my website, Check it out Rockets fans, its a short read.

http://www.myeverydaysports.com/blogs/2011/1/22/should-the-rockets-tank-or-push-for-the-playoffs.html

[rocketsballin]

do u need more proof we're not a playoff team? we started this month 0-5. before january we only won 2 games vs 500 teams. we're not doing anything w/o a big roster change.

our only chance at the playoffs was with yao, and it wasnt a sure thing. w/o yao we're a 10-14th pick lottery team. hopefully there's no lockout.

it should be common knowledge when a team is 2 deep at every position with no star, they have to trade for a star. i dont care if we get melo, we need mor that him to win a ring, but at least he'll get us to the playoffs. if morey still wants this team to reach the playoffs, then he has make some trades.

[tisbee]

Again,the problem w/tanking:
Losses(games played) as of 1-22

Cle 35(43)
Min 33(43)
NJ 32(44)
Sac 32(41)
Tor 31(44)
Was 29(42)
Det 28(44)
LA 26(42)-note,game in progress at this time. Have an 11 game rd trip coming up.

Mil 25(41)
Cha 25(42)
Phi 25(43)
Hou 25(45)
Ind 24(40)

Notice the Rockets have played more games than any of the teams below them. The Rockets cannot lose games they've already played whereas the other teams can.(For example,if Indy plays at their seasonal rate,they would lose 3 of their 5 games yet to be played,giving them 27 losses.)
There are 6 teams w/5 or more losses than the Rockets,and what are the odds that they will also be tanking?
For an idea of how hard it would be,if NJ,Tor and Wash all played .500 ball the rest of the way,the Rockets would have to go 11-26 to get into top 5.(And that's ignoring the teams w/4 or less losses than Rockets.) And every loss by one of the three means the Rockets have to lose another.
To get into the top 5,the Rockets would have to go on a 10+ game losing streak.

[rocketsballin]

we're not makin the playoffs. if we try then we increase our chances of getting a worse lottery pick. if we tank we'll prolly go up a pick or two, i'd rather do that. of corse we're not getting a top 5, it's too late for that, and the players are too good to be that bad.

[thesportsfan30]

do u need more proof we're not a playoff team? we started this month 0-5. before january we only won 2 games vs 500 teams. we're not doing anything w/o a big roster change.

our only chance at the playoffs was with yao, and it wasnt a sure thing. w/o yao we're a 10-14th pick lottery team. hopefully there's no lockout.

it should be common knowledge when a team is 2 deep at every position with no star, they have to trade for a star. i dont care if we get melo, we need mor that him to win a ring, but at least he'll get us to the playoffs. if morey still wants this team to reach the playoffs, then he has make some trades.

Im not saying I dont have proof, It's just hard for me to not want my team to win but I know its for the better.

[rocketsballin]

it is hard, i had high hopes this season. i thought it would be the last year this mix of players could contend. but it's time to move on. too many problems on this team. mainly inside defense, closing game, lack of starpower. we got depth, role players, defenders, shooters, slashers. we have everything we need in a supporting cast.

i dont think we need a pg who can rack up assists cause rick is a great offensive coach, you can tell by how many pts we score.

[thesportsfan30]

Yeah I totally agree, we have the perfect setup to compliment a superstar perfectly, just couldn't get the star.

[Kal El]

what exactly do you mean by tank? like for the players to lose on purpose? because there's no argument there. its not possible because it is out of our control. and no player and no coach is going to lose on purpose.

if your asking us rockets fans should we tank, in the sense that if we should cheer to win games or hope for a higher lottery pick, that would be a reasonable question. but again cheering to lose games doesn't really affect the games. the season will play out and we see what happens and we go from there.

i agree we need a superstar. Melo is really the only one available at the time and he is going to new york, period It's where he wants to go and it's where he's going to be next season.

Remember the era post hakeem and pre yao ming. that's where we are right now. we just have to be patient. we were lucky to land yao ming in 2002 even though it didn't work out. The lakers were to the point where kobe wanted to traded before landing gasol. The celtics sucked for years and they lucked out by being able to put the big 3 together. the spurs lucked out by ending up with the best powerforward in nba history, via high draft pick due to injury... added to a team that already featured david robinson. cleveland in 03 lucked out drafting the next biggest thing in the NBA, it didn't work out. my point is we just need to be patient and take advantage of opportunities. play out the season. we should never tank... lets say we get the #1 pick and draft a kwame brown (fyi this years draft is supposed to suck). herm edwards said it best, we play to win the game.

[HtownPA]

do u need more proof we're not a playoff team? we started this month 0-5. before january we only won 2 games vs 500 teams. we're not doing anything w/o a big roster change.

our only chance at the playoffs was with yao, and it wasnt a sure thing. w/o yao we're a 10-14th pick lottery team. hopefully there's no lockout.

it should be common knowledge when a team is 2 deep at every position with no star, they have to trade for a star. i dont care if we get melo, we need mor that him to win a ring, but at least he'll get us to the playoffs. if morey still wants this team to reach the playoffs, then he has make some trades.

I agree with everything except the Rockets winning only 2 games vs 500 teams, Knicks, Lakers, and Thunder. Just because the Knicks got swept, it doesn't mean they are not a 500 team.

[rdehonney]

Nah, it's not like this is the NFL where we know what we are going to get. Plus tanking brings on a losers mentality and I don't think our team has that, no we aren't close to being a great team and yes we have a lot of changes to make but we do compete every night. Besides all the teams that I remember clearly tanking(random injuries, benching starters, etc.) never got that first pick. This is a top heavy draft so if we can't get in the top 5 to grab kanter, kyrie, perry jones, or Derrick Williams it probably won't matter. I think we'd have a shot @ Terrence jones if we got into the top 10 but Terrence is another hard headed callipari boy and you know how that goes. We don't have time for these fools that wanna act like cousins when were rebuilding

[thesportsfan30]

Couldn't agree with you more Rdehonney.

[rocketsballin]

do u need more proof we're not a playoff team? we started this month 0-5. before january we only won 2 games vs 500 teams. we're not doing anything w/o a big roster change.

our only chance at the playoffs was with yao, and it wasnt a sure thing. w/o yao we're a 10-14th pick lottery team. hopefully there's no lockout.

it should be common knowledge when a team is 2 deep at every position with no star, they have to trade for a star. i dont care if we get melo, we need mor that him to win a ring, but at least he'll get us to the playoffs. if morey still wants this team to reach the playoffs, then he has make some trades.

I agree with everything except the Rockets winning only 2 games vs 500 teams, Knicks, Lakers, and Thunder. Just because the Knicks got swept, it doesn't mean they are not a 500 team.

ya i forgot about the recent knicks game. still only 3 that's pathetic

by tanking i dont mean play the worst basketball we can. i mean play the young guys more. try to win games but do so w/ giving some more time to the younger players. of corse thats not gonna happen, i'm just giving my opinion. it wont get us a top 5 pick, this team is too good to lose that much. but who knows, maybe there's a defensive big w/ size 2 picks before us. even if he turns out to be a backup its worth it. after all these morey hasnt gotten us a defensive big we desperately need, maybe it's cuz he loves short guys or cuz he really couldnt get one.

i dont mind still playing for the playoffs. gives our young players more motivation to get better so they can crack the rotation. i'm not against it, but after that grueling tmac/yao era, i dont wanna be patient.

[tisbee]

Because there are so many really bad teams this yr,if the Rockets started to tank they'd likely move from @12-16 in the Draft to @8-10. Now if the team is going to miss the Playoffs then having a better Draft pick is preferable. But,the chances are Morey has the pieces to move up in the Draft-if he's willing to pay the price-anyway.
As it happens there are many ways to tank that are not obvious. Houston did it decades ago by playing Elvin Hayes huge minutes in his last season and ended up getting Sampson. Orlando did it by sending McGrady home just after he scored 61 and promptly lost 12 straight to "earn" the top pick in a Draft that had Dwight,Okafor,Harris,Livingston-Cs and PGs which Orlando just happened to need.
Me,I'd trade Martin for a high First and expiring(s). Play Lowry,Bud,Battier and Brooks,Lee,Williams and see who's the future core.

[rocketsballin]

i dont think we should trade for a top 5 pick in this years draft cuz of the lockout. notta sure thing but it looks more like it everyday. players might stay in school for another year, and a top 5 pick might be a patterson pick instead of wall or cousins.

[M4P]

No point in tanking to get an 8 - 10 pick in a weak draft.

[Don Draper]

No point in tanking to get an 8 - 10 pick in a weak draft.

This.

We should absolutely be trying to make the playoffs but at the same time we need to start playing our young guys big minutes (ie. Jordan Hill). Tanking does get you anywhere unless you are a team lke Cleveland. We are also trying to attract free agents and tanking would do just the opposite of that.

[pr0wler]

I'm also in the group that wants to see the Rockets make a push for the playoffs. The draft is weak so not much value in getting a pick around 8-12 or so compared to a 16th pick if we make the 8th seed in the playoffs. Making the playoffs would help restore some confidence in the players and the fans. It would also give Houston the appearance as a more desirable location for free agents if our team does better as opposed to worse.

[zapatasblood]

Tank it by trading away Martin, Scola, Brooks, and maybe Hill for 1st draft picks and expirings.

[TMACFORMVP]

We're in the worst situation a team can be in, we cannot do either of those successfully.

[panthermark]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W42iiCcFbxE[/youtube]