Honest Question

[Mr Exlax]

If you were one of the haters of the Rockets this offseason and made fun of our moves or non moves, how do you feel it has worked out for us so far? Ariza, Brewer and Smith come out cheaper than Parsons and are gonna have more output. Then we have a great chance to trade for Dragic. I'm not gloating. I'm just curious as to what those naysayers think now.

[fpliii]

Ariza > Parsons IMO

[el gringos]

Right on everything until you called your chance to trade for Dragic great. What do you add to motiejunas to make your chances great?

[Mr Exlax]

Ariza > Parsons IMO

I don't think so. I think Ariza is better for the Rockets than Parsons is though.

[Graviton]

I thought they were going to be the same one dimensional pretenders, but their defense is actually legit this year. If they keep it up in the playoffs we will see some upsets. The moves they made obviously helped.

[J Shuttlesworth]

Ariza has been shooting like shit. James Harden has carried the team on his back, especially when guys like Beverly and Howard went down and missed some games. I expected the Rockets to be worse after the offseason, but look at them go. Harden is tearing shit up, and they're winning. Really curious to see how Smith fits in. Is McHale any good at handling bonehead mentalities?

[Mr Exlax]

Right on everything until you called your chance to trade for Dragic great. What do you add to motiejunas to make your chances great?

I've been seeing TJones, Papa, Canaan and Johnson's names floating around. I think Capella too. Dragic is gonna leave the Suns for sure I would imagine.

[fpliii]

I don't think so. I think Ariza is better for the Rockets than Parsons is though.
Maybe.

[J Shuttlesworth]

Ariza is just in a shooting slump. I doubt it will continue too long. He's managing to make Kobe look efficient

[Mr Exlax]

Ariza has been shooting like shit. James Harden has carried the team on his back, especially when guys like Beverly and Howard went down and missed some games. I expected the Rockets to be worse after the offseason, but look at them go. Harden is tearing shit up, and they're winning. Really curious to see how Smith fits in. Is McHale any good at handling bonehead mentalities?

We don't need Ariza to be scorching from deep though. He helps us more on defense than we need him on offense. Harden is playing how I expected him to play when we first traded for him. McHale doesn't do anything good imo.

[Akrazotile]

First of all I was among those who said Ariza was actually an upgrade to Parsons before the season started so I have no crow to eat on this topic but dude...

People who dont automatically see everything YOUR team does as a perfect sure thing doesnt make them "haters."


Seriously what is with people? Oh, you dont think my team is winning the chip this year? HATER! YOURE A HATER!!!! YEAH KEEP HATING, HATEY. We are gonna shove it down your THROAT this year HATER.


Its like mindless nationalism applied to basketball. So awkward.

[Mr Exlax]

First of all I was among those who said Ariza was actually an upgrade to Parsons before the season started so I have no crow to eat on this topic but dude...

People who dont automatically see everything YOUR team does as a perfect sure thing doesnt make them "haters."


Seriously what is with people? Oh, you dont think my team is winning the chip this year? HATER! YOURE A HATER!!!! YEAH KEEP HATING, HATEY. We are gonna shove it down your THROAT this year HATER.


Its like mindless nationalism applied to basketball. So awkward.


Huh?

[J Shuttlesworth]

We don't need Ariza to be scorching from deep though. He helps us more on defense than we need him on offense. Harden is playing how I expected him to play when we first traded for him. McHale doesn't do anything good imo.
Yeah but Ariza can hit some 3s though. His jumper is good. Rockets will be even better when Ariza is playing up to his potential

[Milbuck]

No excuses. Not even trolling either. Harden has as much talent as any MVP-level player could ask for. Dwight, Ariza, Smith, Brewer, Beverley, D-Mo, Papanikolaou, Jet, TJones if he gets healthy, etc...Anything less than the WCF is a complete and utter failure.

[UK2K]

Right on everything until you called your chance to trade for Dragic great. What do you add to motiejunas to make your chances great?
Pelicans lottery pick is pretty nice

[UK2K]

No excuses. Not even trolling either. Harden has as much talent as any MVP-level player could ask for. Dwight, Ariza, Smith, Brewer, Beverley, D-Mo, Papanikolaou, Jet, TJones if he gets healthy, etc...Anything less than the WCF is a complete and utter failure.
Now that the Rockets signed Smith, I would say second round. WCF as a floor is a stretch. I think OKC and LAC are still better than Houston.

I wouldn't be upset with losing to OKC in 6 in the second round. No shame in that.

[el gringos]

Pelicans lottery pick is pretty nice
So a pick in the 10-12 range and motiejunas? I take what I said back, that is a great chance- IF they trade him. Which IMO is unlikely.

[tpols]

No excuses. Not even trolling either. Harden has as much talent as any MVP-level player could ask for. Dwight, Ariza, Smith, Brewer, Beverley, D-Mo, Papanikolaou, Jet, TJones if he gets healthy, etc...Anything less than the WCF is a complete and utter failure.
Thats no better than what Chris Paul has.. Or Kevin Durant, or Tim Duncan, or steph curry etc. Only two teams can make wcfs.

[JebronLames]

If you guys get dragic, does he start?

[UK2K]

So a pick in the 10-12 range and motiejunas? I take what I said back, that is a great chance- IF they trade him. Which IMO is unlikely.
I think I'm in the small minority of Rockets fans who think Dragic won't help us.

I think Harden, with his vastly improved defense, being sandwiched between two elite defenders is the way to go.

Now Houston has Smith, they start 4 guys who can legitimately make second team all defense.

[Milbuck]

Thats no better than what Chris Paul has.. Or Kevin Durant, or Tim Duncan, or steph curry etc. Only two teams can make wcfs.
And they're all WCF or bust teams as well. Hell, for OKC and SA it's championship or bust. The improbability of the goal doesn't make failure less disappointing.

[Mr Exlax]

I think I'm in the small minority of Rockets fans who think Dragic won't help us.

I think Harden, with his vastly improved defense, being sandwiched between two elite defenders is the way to go.

Now Houston has Smith, they start 4 guys who can legitimately make second team all defense.

I think he'll help, but not really a necessity. Harden has been doing just fine being our distributor on the floor. The only real upside with Dragic is another playmaker on the floor. We'd lose Bev's berserker defense.

[Milbuck]

I think he'll help, but not really a necessity. Harden has been doing just fine being our distributor on the floor. The only real upside with Dragic is another playmaker on the floor. We'd lose Bev's berserker defense.
If you can't get a secondary creator on the perimeter, like a Dragic, you guys need a Ryan Anderson-like PF. Someone who can stretch the floor extensively, open up driving lanes for Harden and clear space for Dwight. That guy and Ariza would completely distort the opposing defense. It's like the shooting equivalent of a secondary ball handler, either way you're taking so much pressure off Harden.