As one who has watched Rockets for decade, having been through the Olajuwon, Francis, Yao/T-Mac years all the way to the current iteration, I am very much aware of how important it is to have a franchise cornerstone or two. The NBA is a league where one or two players can really affect a franchise and game, unlike the NFL or MLB where you need a deeper team chalk full of solid, fundamental players to succeed a majority of the time. All NBA general managers are aware of this, especially Houston’s Daryl Morey.
Morey made a giant splash right before the 2012 season when he acquired James Harden from the Thunder in exchange for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb and the 12th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft (Steven Adams) along with two other non-lottery draft picks. Then last summer he added Dwight Howard into the fold via free agency. Going from a 2012 team that had zero stars to two cornerstones in less than two years was nothing short of wizardry by the man known for championing the advanced analytic.
Rumors have recently swirled that Morey is going to go after both Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Love this summer in an effort to procure a third star, giving the Rockets an official “big three”.
To which I say- don’t do it, Daryl.
I understand why Morey is enamored with those two options. Melo is an elite scorer and looked at as a franchise-changing star. Love is a monster on the boards and can dominate in the post while stepping out for three’s, too. There are plenty of teams looking to go after them- and I don’t blame them. But Houston shouldn’t be one of them.
When looking at the two options, going after Anthony is more feasible than Love. They could even keep Parsons as their small forward, potentially while putting Anthony at the four, making him a mismatch nightmare for the opposing West power forwards. In the rumored deal, Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin would be involved as well. As interesting as it would be to have another scorer alongside Harden who would force teams to play smallball, it’s a waste of time and money.
Houston scored 107.7 points per game, good for second in the league behind the Clippers. What would Anthony make them? 110 per game? The questions of Harden and Howard coexisting heading into the season and then during it were substantial at times as they struggled to find a rhythm. Add in Anthony- a player who needs the ball frequently to be effective- and you go from having a headache to a migraine real fast.
Houston is a team predicated on speed and relies on their fast breaks and ball movement to beat foes. Anthony is a player whose game favors the half court and would halt the ball in a heartbeat. Also factor into the equation that Melo, like Harden, is known for saving his energy on defense in favor of scoring. The problems Houston faced against the Blazers with Lillard and Aldridge torching them often would not be answered. More of a strain would be placed on their defensive stalwarts (Beverley, Parsons and Howard)- and that’s not fair to them. Plus Parsons’ effectiveness would be severely undermined as he’d be the fourth scoring option.
When you look at Love potentially coming to Houston, it is certainly easier on the eyes. Their problem at the four would be solved on both sides. Terrence Jones-while good- was mismatched against bigger fours often, especially against the Blazers. Love and Howard would be the most imposing rebounding duo in the league, and neither one of them would step on the other’s toes in regards to their styles. Howard would likely find love for a deep two or three often. Harden would still have plenty of room to operate on the outside and could be more effective as teams would have to prepare for all three. At times last season if either Howard or Harden were taken out of games by other teams defensively, the Rockets struggled to win.
The problem with Love? He’d cost too much. Parsons would have to be included in the trade package along with Lin, Asik and multiple picks. They’d have their third star and a good fit, but their future building would be limited. If for some reason it didn’t work, or there was an injury- Houston wouldn’t have many options to change their path.
So it begs the question: what do the Rockets and Daryl Morey do? After watching their Southwest rival and 2014 NBA champion Spurs dominate the Heat, the money is in building off of what Houston already has.
The Spurs have won five titles since 1999, tied with the Lakers for most in that time span. They don’t keep themselves as contenders by going after big names and bigger contracts. Popovich as head coach and president of the Spurs has a vision. He doesn’t stray from what works, and stays true to it- even when others may question if it will work. Back in 2010-2011 after the Spurs lost the the Grizzlies in the playoffs, you’d be hard-pressed to find a team or GM that wouldn’t have tried to trade Parker for assets. Then last year, after Ginobli all but disappeared during the 2013 NBA Finals, Popovich stayed with him. It paid off, as Ginobli was integral during this year’s title run.
The Spurs’ championship run is ironic for two reasons. First, Houston was 4-0 against them this year which adds more fuel to “the NBA season doesn’t matter” argument. Second, the 2014 NBA Finals MVP-Kawhi Leonard- went 15th in the 2011 NBA draft. Houston had the 14th pick and chose Marcus Morris. At 38th they would take Chandler Parsons, whose swiss-knife abilities should not be taken for granted.
Morey must follow the Spurs’ philosophy. In a day and age where delayed gratification and patience is at a premium, Morey must not be swayed by those “norms”. Like any good company with a great foundation, promote from within. Pick up Chandler Parsons’ option. Trade away Asik and Lin who are due to make a combined 30 million in 2014-2015. Use the money saved by not going after Melo/Love on a perimeter defender (Avery Bradley, Trevor Ariza, Thabo Sefalosha) and maybe even a low-post presence (Greg Monroe, Pau Gasol, Boris Diaw, Chris Andersen). The former Rocket Ariza would be a great fit ideally, but he might be looking for too much money. It would also be risky as he only has done well in contract years. If he could come at a cheaper price than expected, he’d be looked at as a potential sixth man of the year.
Instead of having a team ranked highly as a contender heading into the season, Morey’s focus should remain on where they stand come playoff time. A quick fix and big splash by adding Anthony or Love may be a utopian vision for Houston, but they should go the organic route and not be so quick to miss what’s already under their nose.
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