I_Like_Dirt wrote:
And CCJ, the Rockets aren't building like the Thunder did at all. They're doing something completely different. It appears to be a little bit of a hybrid between how the Nuggets built and how the Celtics built where they aren't going to tank in between and are going to try and maintain a certain semblance of cap flexibility like the Nuggets did (only imo they've done a better job) while at the same time trying to flip their accumulated assets and cap space into multiple star players while keeping a functional supporting cast around them like the Celtics did. The real question for them is if they can either find that follow up move or luck into one of Montiejunas or Terrence Jones or any other of their forward prospects into becoming an allstar.
Thanks for that info, ILD. I appreciate the input. Specifics and not loose comparisons or any overgeneralization.
I could have just said the Rockets and the Thunder both have GMs who are building talented rosters in a hurry. Presti had high lotto picks and found a gem in Ibaka. Here's a link to what Presti said this past August, when he signed Ibaka to 4 years, $48M, even with the possibility of losing Harden on the horizon.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/1 ... 03630.html"At 23 years old (by the time next season starts), we really do expect his best basketball to be in front of him," Presti said in a conference call, hours before his wedding.
Presti dismissed the notion that Ibaka's signing means that Harden's departure is inevitable. But with more than $50 million committed per season to All-Stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and starting center Kendrick Perkins, there is not much room left in the budget for Harden, who earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic team that won gold in London.
Ibaka played for Spain's silver-medal winning Olympic team. Both he and Harden were eligible for extensions to their rookie contracts for the first time this summer and were set to become free agents after next season.
"We're going to continue our conversations with James. We very much value him," Presti said. "We want him to be a part of our organization moving forward. We're excited that he's a member of the Thunder and we're hopeful that he'll be with us for years moving forward."
Presti also said:
"There's still a commitment for us to try to find a way to make it work for everybody, but we know there's going to be some difficult decisions that have to be made," Presti said. "We're looking forward to trying to figure those things out, and having Serge in place is certainly a benefit for our organization moving forward knowing that we have another core player that will be with us for the foreseeable future."
"I think with Serge, he does so many things," Presti said. "Obviously, his shot-blocking is a statistic that's most pointed to because it's objective, because it's measurable, but there's a lot of things he does for us in terms of just, I would say, deterring shots.
"He really helps our pick-and-roll defense and bails us out a lot of times."
The bottom line will be if Sam Presti/Clay Bennett underestimated Harden's value and/or overestimated Ibaka's, then they are in trouble. Could Presti have gotten Ibaka to sign for less? Could he have paid max to resign Harden, but amnestied Perkins? Was amnestying even feasible? I don't know.
Houston's GM drafted well relative to where he picked. I guess I should have left any comparison to OKC's approach at that. You understand a lot better than I do how the teams built, I_Like_Dirt. I have an opinion about their talent but not so much the process.
I stand corrected, I_L_D. Thanks, again.
shh, snitches get stitches. Ask millertime!
