Twelve months ago, the Houston Rockets were in no man's land. Their roster looked like a yard sale for NBA teams. An incongruous set of pieces, some interesting, some depressing, but nothing fitted together. The most important piece in the organization was hidden, away from the court, stashed in a three pieces suit. I'm talking about Daryl Morey, the general manager.
This man.
Along with my boy "Handsome" Rob Hennigan, over the last twelve months Morey has secured his spot as the top dog of NBA front offices. Masai Ujiri be damned, he is good but he's just the bronze medalist in this race. Let's examine Morey's brilliant wrap sheet of the last year, that lead to its culmination. The very deliberate and very foreseen (by him) signing of superstar free agent Dwight Howard.
Right before last season, the Rockets were going nowhere fast. They just had the strangest draft, picking three prospect that don't add up together, including the now infamous Royce White, that kingpin Morey has recently shipped to Philadelphia for a one year supply of cheese steaks and a karaoke machine. The strategy behind one of the most spectacular franchise turnaround I can remember was slightly break-neck, but relied on an important factor. Opportunism. Patience is a dying virtue and Daryl Morey happens to have lots of it. He kept a mediocre franchises with lots of bargaining chips, waiting for the savior.
Thing is, in the currant state of the NBA, Morey knew very well that savior would come, and he did. On the first occasion, he played his card rights and acquired James Harden, the third-wheel superstar of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Harden's value was at an all-time low after choking in the NBA finals, but he wanted max money. The man Bill Simmons nicknamed Dork Elvis unloaded a one-dimensional shooter nobody wanted (and yet his best scoring option at the time) Kevin Martin, an intriguing prospect (who's still intriguing) in Jeremy Lamb and a first pick that wasn't even his, for a potential superstar.
On his first night in the Rockets uniform, it became clear that acquiring Harden was the right move. Along with Jeremy Lin, acquired in last year's free agency sweepstakes, he created a super-dynamic backcourt who could penetrate and space the floor like very few others can. They made everybody's life easier. Second round pick Chandler Parsons was fed multiple scoring opportunities, made the most of it, gained confidence and has blossomed into starting small forward material, borderline all-star, even. Other signing Omer Asik, who was backup center in Chicago, was given starting duties at center and became a steady rebounder, who's prone to show crazy numbers on every given night. The pieces started making sense.
The momentum started shifted and the Rockets turned into a dynamic, upbeat scoring machine. Blind luck moves like signing Patrick Beverly, who nobody wanted, turned into a savvy investment as he's about to run the decent, yet overpaid Lin out of town. Morey has drafted in the second round of this year's draft, Isaiah Canaan, who's bound to become a valuable rotational player, if not a starter down the line. He is compared to my boy Raymond Felton, yet I think his ceiling is slightly higher as his game is a savant mix of athleticism and skill.
I am 100% sure that Daryl Morey did all this amazing work with one goal in mind. Get the most sought-after free agent since LeBron James in 2010, Dwight Howard. The 2013 Houston Rockets are more dynamic version of the 2010 Orlando Magic. They are younger, clutcher, more athletic and they make more sense together. All they needed was that devastating presence in the post, a go-to guy in the pain and guess which franchise developed dominant centers? You got it...
Not only it's a brilliant acquisition for the team, but Morey managed to make his team a brilliant move for Howard. It's a win-win situation, the foundation of efficient business. Jeff Van Gundy said on an epic televised rant that Howard seek a championship team, but a low pressure situation, to be the best paid player and the number one scoring option on a team and to make everybody happy about it. The 2013 Rockets are as close as it gets to that.
Howard's co-superstar in Houston is James Harden, who's easy going and bound to become the best shooting guard in the business. They have Parsons and Canaan who can space the floor beautifully, an explosive point guard in Beverly and intriguing kids like Donatas Motiejunas and Terrence Jones who will have their minutes coming off the bench. They will contend. The Houston Rockets, who have about the most loving fanbase in the NBA, who are appreciative of their luck to have Dwight Howard aboard, will content for the NBA championship next year. But that's not even the most beautiful.
Howard WILL thrive in Houston. He will do a lot better than he did in Los Angeles. Why? Because the team WILL be built around him. On top of having a legacy of great post players with two-times champion Hakeem Olajuwon (whom Dwight will be able to turn to for advice) and Yao Ming, they are coached by ANOTHER legendary post player in Kevin McHale, who was probably waiting for the day he'll coach such a talent. Unlike Mike d'Antoni, McHale WILL use Howard in an efficient role. If the big man can remain healthy, his number will take a dramatic spike upwards.
Isn't that beautiful? Doesn't it make you cry in awe? BUT I'M NOT EVEN DONE YET!!!
Now, Omer Asik wants out of Houston because he'll be caught riding the pine behind Howard. So Daryl Morey approached Atlanta Hawks' GM Danny Ferry with a proposition he can't really refuse. Atlanta has a situation with free agent Josh Smith, they could lose for nothing next week. Morey has a chip Ferry wants, a real, reliable, starting center that would free superstar Al Horford of rim protecting duties. Does an Asik for Smith sign-and-trade is fair? HELL NO! Howard and Smith would form an insane, super-athletic front court next year that would make it impossible to score at close range. But can Ferry really say no?
Dwight Howard is a spoiled brat, but he's a dominant player when his head is in the game and Daryl Morey has given him every potential variable for that to happen and it will happen. The Rockets are expected to do great things next year. Bill Simmons, I like you a lot but the Dork Elvis moniker has to go. He should change his name straight up for Elvis Morey, because right now he's the King of Houston.
On his first night in the Rockets uniform, it became clear that acquiring Harden was the right move. Along with Jeremy Lin, acquired in last year's free agency sweepstakes, he created a super-dynamic backcourt who could penetrate and space the floor like very few others can. They made everybody's life easier. Second round pick Chandler Parsons was fed multiple scoring opportunities, made the most of it, gained confidence and has blossomed into starting small forward material, borderline all-star, even. Other signing Omer Asik, who was backup center in Chicago, was given starting duties at center and became a steady rebounder, who's prone to show crazy numbers on every given night. The pieces started making sense.
The momentum started shifted and the Rockets turned into a dynamic, upbeat scoring machine. Blind luck moves like signing Patrick Beverly, who nobody wanted, turned into a savvy investment as he's about to run the decent, yet overpaid Lin out of town. Morey has drafted in the second round of this year's draft, Isaiah Canaan, who's bound to become a valuable rotational player, if not a starter down the line. He is compared to my boy Raymond Felton, yet I think his ceiling is slightly higher as his game is a savant mix of athleticism and skill.
I am 100% sure that Daryl Morey did all this amazing work with one goal in mind. Get the most sought-after free agent since LeBron James in 2010, Dwight Howard. The 2013 Houston Rockets are more dynamic version of the 2010 Orlando Magic. They are younger, clutcher, more athletic and they make more sense together. All they needed was that devastating presence in the post, a go-to guy in the pain and guess which franchise developed dominant centers? You got it...
Not only it's a brilliant acquisition for the team, but Morey managed to make his team a brilliant move for Howard. It's a win-win situation, the foundation of efficient business. Jeff Van Gundy said on an epic televised rant that Howard seek a championship team, but a low pressure situation, to be the best paid player and the number one scoring option on a team and to make everybody happy about it. The 2013 Rockets are as close as it gets to that.
Howard's co-superstar in Houston is James Harden, who's easy going and bound to become the best shooting guard in the business. They have Parsons and Canaan who can space the floor beautifully, an explosive point guard in Beverly and intriguing kids like Donatas Motiejunas and Terrence Jones who will have their minutes coming off the bench. They will contend. The Houston Rockets, who have about the most loving fanbase in the NBA, who are appreciative of their luck to have Dwight Howard aboard, will content for the NBA championship next year. But that's not even the most beautiful.
Howard WILL thrive in Houston. He will do a lot better than he did in Los Angeles. Why? Because the team WILL be built around him. On top of having a legacy of great post players with two-times champion Hakeem Olajuwon (whom Dwight will be able to turn to for advice) and Yao Ming, they are coached by ANOTHER legendary post player in Kevin McHale, who was probably waiting for the day he'll coach such a talent. Unlike Mike d'Antoni, McHale WILL use Howard in an efficient role. If the big man can remain healthy, his number will take a dramatic spike upwards.
Isn't that beautiful? Doesn't it make you cry in awe? BUT I'M NOT EVEN DONE YET!!!
Now, Omer Asik wants out of Houston because he'll be caught riding the pine behind Howard. So Daryl Morey approached Atlanta Hawks' GM Danny Ferry with a proposition he can't really refuse. Atlanta has a situation with free agent Josh Smith, they could lose for nothing next week. Morey has a chip Ferry wants, a real, reliable, starting center that would free superstar Al Horford of rim protecting duties. Does an Asik for Smith sign-and-trade is fair? HELL NO! Howard and Smith would form an insane, super-athletic front court next year that would make it impossible to score at close range. But can Ferry really say no?
Dwight Howard is a spoiled brat, but he's a dominant player when his head is in the game and Daryl Morey has given him every potential variable for that to happen and it will happen. The Rockets are expected to do great things next year. Bill Simmons, I like you a lot but the Dork Elvis moniker has to go. He should change his name straight up for Elvis Morey, because right now he's the King of Houston.
No comments:
Post a Comment