Daryl Morey did his introductory press conference on Monday afternoon alongside Elton Brand, Josh Harris, and Doc Rivers.
That’s it. That’s the entire lede.
Let’s get right into the key takeaways:
On the idea of small ball, here’s what Morey said about how much of the 2020 Rockets’ style translates to this roster:
“First I’d say that how we play is going to be up to Doc, and that’s one reason I’m excited to be here, to work with a championship coach like Doc. I think he agrees, and he can jump in, but the best way to win in the NBA is to take your talents and figure out how to utilize them the best. It’s not to take your talent and hammer it into a particular system. It’s to try to get the most out of who you have. It doesn’t take much to look at when Joel is on the floor and healthy, and he’s been in here twice a day for quite a while, he’s very focused and motivated – that this is an unbelievable defensive team. And he’s an extremely good offensive player. He’s the kind of player you win championships with. We were trying to build the best kind of team around our talent in Houston, but here Doc is gonna take the talent we have and use them to the best of their ability.”
Rivers followed by saying that he loves the roster and thinks it will fit, though they have to get “into the lab” and look at it.
Other notes:
It’s still going to be a collaboration, but a different one. That’s the gist I got from two questions on the topic.
Elton Brand pointed out that in an earlier press conference he was looking for ways to improve the front office, and adding Morey was one way to do it. He says he’ll accept whatever his role may be.
“I’m going to follow Daryl’s lead,” Brand said.
To piggyback off that, I asked about the organizational chart and hierarchy of the front office with the additions of Peter Dinwiddie, Prosper Karangwa, Jameer Nelson, and departure of Alex Rucker.
It seems like that’s still being ironed out a bit, but this is what Brand had to say:
“Well this is Daryl’s first day. We’ve had a lot of meetings. He’s been to my house and we spent some hours together out on the Main Line. We’ve been in the city with Doc, meeting in secret places. But we’re figuring that out and in the next few days we’ll have the org chart and the roles and who is going to do what. Daryl can speak to that if he wants to, but he’s excited about the hires that we’ve made, that I’ve made, and he looks forward to working with everyone.”
Morey followed up by explaining that he has a very collaborative style and thinks the best ideas can “come from anywhere.”
That might sound a little concerning based on the fact that the Sixers just tried a collaboration that they admitted did not work, so essentially this is something similar, but with a bona fide and experienced figurehead.
“Ultimately someone has to make a final decision, and that’s on me, Doc, and this group on the stage,” Morey said. “But once you make that decision everyone gets behind it, and you’re collaborative before that. Any sort of ‘my way or the highway’ doesn’t yield championships, in my opinion.”
More notes:
That’s it.
Here’s the full video: