PrintQ&A with Daryl Morey
Rockets' GM shares his insight on opening week
Jason Friedman
Rockets.com Staff WriterHOUSTON - Now that the regular season is underway, Rockets.com will sit down with general manager Daryl Morey on a regular basis to get his thoughts on everything Rockets-related. If you've got a question for the GM, send it to us (email link at bottom) and we'll try to get it answered next time.
JCF: So the team is undefeated, but I know there are still some kinks to be worked out. Let's start with the good stuff: What are the positive things which have stood out for you thus far?
DM: I think Tracy attacking the basket. He’s obviously still fighting through his health issues, but he’s showing improvement in terms of attacking the basket.
Yao Ming appears to be getting his rhythm back. I think he’ll still be up and down as he comes back after surgery, but his play has been encouraging.
Aaron Brooks has given us the jolt off the bench we were hoping he could deliver. The second unit as a whole has given us a real boost. Brooks and Barry playing together with Ron, Chuck and Yao has been really strong.
And Ron Artest has been as advertised; playing hard at both ends and being a guy who anchors things as our two top stars work their way back into form. I thought Ron’s defense on Durant Saturday night really set the tone for us to finally take off in that game.
JCF: And the negative?
DM: We're out of sync defensively. Even though we’ve held people to low numbers, I think a lot of things are not where they should be; especially in terms of our transition defense. I think having Battier back will help, but that’s also a group responsibility. So it’s something we have to focus on.
We have also tended to get too one-on-one focused on offense. In our best games, we move the ball and get a high percentage of our baskets off assists.
JCF: That surprises me because so many of the guys on this team are known – and I believe rightfully so – as unselfish players.
DM: I think it happens when you’re playing teams you think you are supposed to beat - Oklahoma City and Memphis probably fall into that category for us, although we try not to underestimate anyone. In the Memphis game, Tracy had O.J. Mayo on him and that’s a match-up Tracy can win individually. Then if they put someone else on Tracy, Ron gets a good match-up. So even though we ended up with a lot of one-on-one play, they were good match-ups. But what can happen is it saps the energy of everyone else who starts watching one guy go at a player one-on-one all the time.
JCF: You also mentioned that you’re happy to see T-Mac be aggressive in taking the ball to the basket. I’ve seen that too, and it surprises me a bit since I’d think it would be tougher for him to attack the basket when he’s lacking his usual explosiveness. What do you chalk that up to?
DM: A consistent message for us since I’ve been here is that Tracy is most effective when he’s going to the basket. I think he’s trying to be very effective during the minutes he’s on the court and I think he’s very focused right now.
JCF: Let’s talk about the second unit a bit. I’ve developed a bit of an unhealthy infatuation with the Barry-Brooks combo…
DM: They are good offensively and we like pairing them with Ron, Chuck, and Yao – we cut off most of the penetration and then Yao’s there to protect the rim. But that lineup works pretty well; it’s very difficult to guard.
JCF: How much do you credit Barry for Aaron taking that step forward?
DM: It’s hard to know. I credit Aaron the most, since he’s put in so much hard work, and then the coaching staff as well. Brent’s been a positive influence on everybody, but mostly on Aaron for sure. That said, I think how good Aaron ends up being is up to Aaron. He’s got all the ability in the world and I think he’s really starting to tap into what he can do.
JCF: I don’t want to overstate things, but is Aaron a vital key to this team getting to where it wants to go this year?
DM: I think one of the great things about our team is that there’s no real vital key. I think we’ve got the ability to address issues across the roster in case of injury. Each loss hurts – With Shane out, we lose his shooting and tremendous defense; especially in transition. With Aaron out, we lose his speed and quickness. So with each person, we lose something, but I do think we’re good and deep enough to manage through any reasonable set of injuries.
JCF: Speaking of which – spoke to Shane today and he said he doesn’t really have a timetable…
DM: No, he seems to be enjoying the time off (laughs) I’m just kidding, of course, he absolutely hates being out. He’s really focused on the right thing. In some ways he is more mature as a player than I am as a General Manager. I mean, I just want him out there. That’s why we have doctors, however, and Shane’s been very focused on making sure that he’s 100% in April and not now.
JCF: You mentioned how much you like Brooks and Barry pairing up with Ron, do you foresee the possibility of re-visiting the idea of Shane being inserted into the starting lineup (when he’s fully healthy, of course)?
DM: I think that’s up to Rick. I think either way he goes will be fine. What will matter will be who gets the most minutes and what lineups play – not who starts. But I do think it’s very viable to start either. But I don’t know what Rick will do. Maybe he’ll change it up a few times depending on match-ups and how things are going.
JCF: I know it’s hard for you to comment on today’s big trade, but one of the things that struck me was its unique timing. Why would a deal like that go down the first week of the season and not during the summer so both clubs could have more time to properly integrate its new puzzle pieces?
DM: You never know. It’s probably something they talked about all summer. But in situations like that sometimes an assumption that one team makes about how they’re going to play turns out to not be true, so that greases the wheels of a trade. Actually, I’m surprised more don’t happen around now because you often talk about a lot of stuff over the summer that doesn’t happen because people have hope that things will go a certain way. But sometimes you can know it’s not going to work a week in. Usually it’s more like mid-December, but sometimes you just know right away and then your hold-up to the deal doesn’t exist anymore.
JCF: Given your ties to the Celtics, what was your reaction to their ring ceremony?
DM: I was very happy for them. They worked hard to get to where they are and deserve it. I have a special fondness for them as they were my first organization. Also, I thought they designed some nice rings. I talked to them and they’re all going to be taxed for like the next six months straight. Most of them didn’t get their rings until two days ago because I guess there’s some big tax advantage. So be careful what you wish for – when we win the title, everyone will be grumbling about the taxes.
JCF: You’ve received a fair amount of national exposure lately. Do you worry at all about how that can affect your ability to do business?
DM: I don’t think any article changes how we do anything. I’m certainly not seeking the publicity; especially since we haven’t done anything yet. I think we’re sort of the go-to analytics team right now, so that’s why stuff comes out. I also don’t think it affects other teams. Every team is confident in what they do and they’re not going to let an article change how they deal with a team.
JCF: OK, last question. I know you've got a lot of interests and things going on outside the world of basketball. What I don't know is how on earth you manage to maintain any sort of life balance when you have this all-consuming job which – if you so desired – could occupy every second of every single day of your life.
DM: I don’t (laughs).
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