How much Rockets will improve next season?

scrabbarista · Post #21 » by **scrabbarista** » Tue Jul 4, 2023 6:36 pm

Childs wrote:

The shooting

Man, I've seen this several times, but I still lost it.

watpho71 · Post #22 » by **watpho71** » Tue Jul 4, 2023 6:40 pm

ChumboChappati wrote:Regardless of the overpaying issue, Rockets have definitely improved a lot. They finally have a real PG who can be a good mentor and be the closer if need to, in Fred. Their defense should improve a lot with both Fred and Brooks. Plus they get 2 pretty good rookies in Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore.

I think their starting lineup would be Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith Jr, Alperen Sengun with Kevin Porter Jr., Jae'Sean Tate, Jeff Green, Jock Landale among major backups. This team is much better than the last season's team.

Last season's team finished with 22-60 record (.268). How much Rockets will improve next season? Do you think they can reach .500?

I also saw how Drake made fun of them calling them a Chinese league team where Fred has signed . Maybe this will light a fire in them? It would be great story if they can finish ahead of Raptors next season

And not to mention the hiring of Ime Udoka, impact.

phanman · Post #23 » by **phanman** » Tue Jul 4, 2023 6:49 pm

They will improve but so has the rest of the West. I don't think we are going to see a big jump at all and they'll remain at the bottom.

- The 8 teams that made the playoffs will all still be in contention to repeat their performance.
- The Pelicans are theoretically going to bring back a healthy roster that features Zion and Ingram + improvements from Herb, Trey and Daniels. On paper they are good enough to knock out one of the 8 teams
- The Thunder are right there, and internal improvements throughout the entire young roster + the return of Chet is going to be interesting
- Both the Jazz and Mavericks could have made it last year but decided to tank to get that draft pick. They'll be better moving forward with no reason to be bad again.

That leaves the last 3 teams:
- The Blazers who shouldn't even need to tank, they'll just be bad.
- The Rockets who inexplicably paid Dillon 20m for 4 years to steal minutes from Amen, KPJ and Green.
- The Spurs who are the real wild card with Wemby.

Bobbymcgee · Post #24 » by **Bobbymcgee** » Tue Jul 4, 2023 6:51 pm

Well, their center rotation isn't bad.

JPriest · Post #25 » by **JPriest** » Tue Jul 4, 2023 7:11 pm

FVV the closer? that's the joke of the century. he'll pound the ball trying to create space, realize he's too small and slow, and then hoist up a hail mary brick or an air ball.

timO · Post #26 » by **timO** » Tue Jul 4, 2023 7:28 pm

They add FVV-Amen-Brooks-Green-Landale

they had KPJ-Green-Jabari-Eason-Sengun

30-35 wins seed 11-13

unless amen is a stud and Green and the other youngers develops a lot, wich can make play-ín 7-10 seed.

pick 5-9 to okc will be welcome.

at worst case they win lotto, or be 10-16.

ChumboChappati · Post #27 » by **ChumboChappati** » Tue Jul 4, 2023 7:57 pm

JPriest wrote:FVV the closer? that's the joke of the century. he'll pound the ball trying to create space, realize he's too small and slow, and then hoist up a hail mary brick or an air ball.

FVV was the closer of the Raptors when they won the championship in 2018-19, just 4 years ago. And he was so good that he even got a vote for Finals MVP over Kawhi.

JPriest · Post #28 » by **JPriest** » Tue Jul 4, 2023 8:01 pm

ChumboChappati wrote:
JPriest wrote:FVV the closer? that's the joke of the century. he'll pound the ball trying to create space, realize he's too small and slow, and then hoist up a hail mary brick or an air ball.

FVV was the closer of the Raptors when they won the championship in 2018-19, just 4 years ago. And he was so good that he even got a vote for Finals MVP over Kawhi.

lmfao, no he wasn't the closer. Kawhi was. Siakam hit the game winning shot to win the championship. FVV made some big shots sure but he was also terrible until the Bucks series and has been so unclutch ever since. you obviously haven't watched the Raptors enough to fully assess FVV. dude's brick city in the clutch but believes he's Michael Jordan and puts it on himself to hoist up terrible shots come hell or high water.

kenwood3333 · Post #29 » by **kenwood3333** » Tue Jul 4, 2023 8:04 pm

Their improvement wont show up on the win/lost column, but likely in terms of on court discipline.

Tor_Raps · Post #30 » by **Tor_Raps** » Tue Jul 4, 2023 8:04 pm

JPriest wrote:
ChumboChappati wrote:
JPriest wrote:FVV the closer? that's the joke of the century. he'll pound the ball trying to create space, realize he's too small and slow, and then hoist up a hail mary brick or an air ball.

FVV was the closer of the Raptors when they won the championship in 2018-19, just 4 years ago. And he was so good that he even got a vote for Finals MVP over Kawhi.

lmfao, no he wasn't the closer. Kawhi was. Siakam hit the game winning shot to win the championship. FVV made some big shots sure but he was also terrible until the Bucks series and has been so unclutch ever since. you obviously haven't watched the Raptors enough to fully assess FVV. dude's brick city in the clutch but believes he's Michael Jordan and puts it on himself to hoist up terrible shots come hell or high water.

Haha what did I just read? Fred the closer?

Gonna be a fun year in Houston. Let's revisit this thread a few months into the season lol.

Jadoogar · Post #31 » by **Jadoogar** » Tue Jul 4, 2023 8:17 pm

Yea i'm thinking mid 30s. They added FVV and Brooks but the core of that team is still extremely young.
FVV shouldn't be your #1 guy. Jalen Green is too young to be a #2 guy. I hate Kevin Porter Jr. Amen Thompson is a rookie.

People are going to be yelling at them next year when they don't make the playoffs for spending all this money.

BostonCouchGM · Post #32 » by **BostonCouchGM** » Tue Jul 4, 2023 8:19 pm

signing Brooks to take minutes away from Amen is peak stupidity. And I'm tired of hearing about FVV's supposed leadership. The guy barely tried on defense last season and was a high usage chucker on offense. He showed zero leadership. All those young guys on the Rockets will be just as pissed as the Raptors young guys when he's jacking up 30 footers and not getting back on defense. In a loaded west I think they'll be lucky to win 32 games. The only positive is after the season Ime Udoka fanboys won't be able to claim he's a great coach as he'll be exposed badly as the fraud he is. You should hear how Celtics fans go on about him. It's embarrassing

Jadoogar · Post #33 » by **Jadoogar** » Tue Jul 4, 2023 8:20 pm

ChumboChappati wrote:
JPriest wrote:FVV the closer? that's the joke of the century. he'll pound the ball trying to create space, realize he's too small and slow, and then hoist up a hail mary brick or an air ball.

FVV was the closer of the Raptors when they won the championship in 2018-19, just 4 years ago. And he was so good that he even got a vote for Finals MVP over Kawhi.

lol just go back and watch the Sixers' series. Fans were begging for Jeremy Lin to take his minutes

SoulJah · Post #34 » by **SoulJah** » Tue Jul 4, 2023 8:28 pm

is this the first time a lottery team have given out $300million contracts in next few years to literally still be a lottery team. Their spending seems more like just the sake of spending.

Dan Z · Post #35 » by **Dan Z** » Tue Jul 4, 2023 8:31 pm

phanman wrote:They will improve but so has the rest of the West. I don't think we are going to see a big jump at all and they'll remain at the bottom.

- The 8 teams that made the playoffs will all still be in contention to repeat their performance.
- The Pelicans are theoretically going to bring back a healthy roster that features Zion and Ingram + improvements from Herb, Trey and Daniels. On paper they are good enough to knock out one of the 8 teams
- The Thunder are right there, and internal improvements throughout the entire young roster + the return of Chet is going to be interesting
- Both the Jazz and Mavericks could have made it last year but decided to tank to get that draft pick. They'll be better moving forward with no reason to be bad again.

That leaves the last 3 teams:
- The Blazers who shouldn't even need to tank, they'll just be bad.
- The Rockets who inexplicably paid Dillon 20m for 4 years to steal minutes from Amen, KPJ and Green.
- The Spurs who are the real wild card with Wemby.

Even if Wembanyama lives up to the hype I doubt he'll be good enough for the Spurs to be a good team. They have a good coach (obviously) and Devin Vassell seems to be good...Zach Collins when healthy is good...Keldon Johnson too...after that it's mostly young guys.

Blazers I agree with.

Jazz I'm not sure about. They could use a point guard, even though Dunn played well to end the season.

Mavs will compete because Luka is good.

Thunder will fight for a playoff spot. I don't see them tanking.

Houston improved, but you're right...I don't see a big jump forward in the standings. They need Jabari Smith and Jalen Green to improve (or any of their young players...I just think those two are the key ones...maybe Senguin too).

whatisacenter · Post #36 » by **whatisacenter** » Tue Jul 4, 2023 8:32 pm

kenwood3333 wrote:Their improvement wont show up on the win/lost column, but likely in terms of on court discipline.

Probably spot on.

Jadoogar wrote:
ChumboChappati wrote:
JPriest wrote:FVV the closer? that's the joke of the century. he'll pound the ball trying to create space, realize he's too small and slow, and then hoist up a hail mary brick or an air ball.

FVV was the closer of the Raptors when they won the championship in 2018-19, just 4 years ago. And he was so good that he even got a vote for Finals MVP over Kawhi.

lol just go back and watch the Sixers' series. Fans were begging for Jeremy Lin to take his minutes

are Raptors' fans supposed to be known for being rational or something? :lol:

Godymas · Post #37 » by **Godymas** » Tue Jul 4, 2023 8:34 pm

i am not looking forward to watching a team where FVV, Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green are taking the most shots and averaging 40% FG

The assembly of guys who have had nothing in common in the past is going to be so bizarre, I sense a catastrophic failure in a competitive west.

Dan Z · Post #38 » by **Dan Z** » Tue Jul 4, 2023 8:34 pm

SoulJah wrote:is this the first time a lottery team have given out $300million contracts in next few years to literally still be a lottery team. Their spending seems more like just the sake of spending.

My guess is that they did it so they'll be more professional as a team. They needed vets to help with that (I'm just not sure if they needed to spend 300 M to do so).

Jadoogar · Post #39 » by **Jadoogar** » Tue Jul 4, 2023 8:35 pm

whatisacenter wrote:
kenwood3333 wrote:Their improvement wont show up on the win/lost column, but likely in terms of on court discipline.

Probably spot on.

Jadoogar wrote:
ChumboChappati wrote:FVV was the closer of the Raptors when they won the championship in 2018-19, just 4 years ago. And he was so good that he even got a vote for Finals MVP over Kawhi.

lol just go back and watch the Sixers' series. Fans were begging for Jeremy Lin to take his minutes

are Raptors' fans supposed to be known for being rational or something?

lol it didn't come from no where. FVV was genuinely terrible in that series.
Tbf, Sixers were a great defensive team but to say FVV was the closer on a team with Kawhi, Lowry and Siakam is just plain wrong

Message Boar · Post #40 » by **Message Boar** » Tue Jul 4, 2023 8:41 pm

Well, their young guys should all improve a bit, naturally. And you have to figure the coaching has improved in a big way. FVV/Dillon are weird fits though and almost ensure the offense will be inefficient. And the culture thing won't do a full 180 overnight.

I'm thinking like 33 wins with average health. Even that feels on the optimistic side, honestly.