USA Today: Rockets Have Red Hot Glare Going Into Break

[Faos]

It's good to see the Rockets picking up some run in the national media more and more these days. I need to go back and find a link to the Florida dorks who were calling out the Rockets a month or so ago saying the Magic got the better end of the trade. Suckers.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2005-02-17-west-notes_x.htm

Rockets have red-hot glare going into break

By David DuPree, USA TODAY

The Houston Rockets are on a roll. A big one. They have won eight in a row entering the All-Star break and are the hottest team in the league. They are being talked about as a legitimate title contender after earlier being called one of the league's biggest disappointments.
The trades for David Wesley and Jon Barry, the return of Bob Sura from offseason back surgery and the learning curve of Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady playing together have made the Rockets a tough matchup for opponents.

"The addition of Wesley and Barry was great for us," McGrady says. "It gave us more speed, more shooting on the perimeter and more mental toughness."

The Rockets, always a strong defensive team, have been scoring, too — 104.5 points a game during the streak compared with 91.9 before.

"Our defense has slipped a little bit," Sura said, "but we've made up for it on the other end."

One of the league's taller point guards at 6-5, Sura has kept everyone involved, averaging 12 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.4 assists during the streak.

"Everybody is pretty comfortable with their roles, playing together as a team," McGrady says.

[hrockets2k]

Title Contenders :eek: So soon. I dont want to get my hopes up.

[Fegwu]

Most of those "national" journalist are 'whores' including Dupree, Rosen, McCullum. They will do who is hot at the moment and intelligent journalism be damned.

[Rockets2K]

I prefer to think of them as "possible title contenders".

Basically, if the planets are in the right alignment, adn our boys get really lucky and play hard...we can beat anyone in the league in a 7 game series...and it wouldnt be the first Rockets team to come from the #6 seed to go to the finals.

granted...Im tryin not to expect that out of them...but it is folly to think it is impossible.....just improbable. ;)

[baller4life315]

Originally posted by Fegwu
Most of those "national" journalist are 'whores' including Dupree, Rosen, McCullum. They will do who is hot at the moment and intelligent journalism be damned.

Rosen is the funniest of them all. He'll write an article about a player or team, make the headline positive then proceed to go on and bash the player/team throughout the entire article.

[pickymen]

I think a Howard deserves some credit too for picking up his game after playing more minutes.

[qrui]

Originally posted by hrockets2k
Title Contenders :eek: So soon. I dont want to get my hopes up.

so don't. you know the media, they'll turn on you the second you have a slightest slack..

[rvpals]

I think we have a real chance to win it all this season. As R2K said, we're possible title contender.

Remember the Kobe & Shaq's lakers in their first championship? They were shaky but eventually get the job done in Phil Jackson's first season as a lakers' coach. IMO, we're at least as good as that Lakers team.

[Jerry36]

Originally posted by hrockets2k
Title Contenders :eek: So soon. I dont want to get my hopes up.

I could be wrong, but I think the Rockets are about to get exposed as not being Title Contenders.

[Harrisment]

I agree, we're possible title contenders, but I don't think we can be considered serious contenders yet. Those first 9 games after the break will tell us a lot about what kind of team we really have.

[Oski2005]

I didn't expect us to have any kind of extended winning streak this season, I'm glad I was wrong.

I don't understand this "the national media is just now jumping on the bandwagon" attitude. I mean, it's not like the articles are filled with stuff like "I knew all along the Rockets would turn it around." They all say the same thing "the Rockets looked bad early in the season, now they've turned it around." Is the media supposed to kiss the Rocket's asses when they have a losing record? And it's national media, the rest of the country doesn't want to read about losing teams. Also, this isn't the same team that had that losing record. Sura came back, we made some trades, and Van Gundy had to tweak his offense.

[krocket]

Originally posted by pickymen
I think a Howard deserves some credit too for picking up his game after playing more minutes.

I think JHo deserves a big pat on the back. MoT got his chance to start and didn't get it done, now he has moved OFF the end of the bench. When JHo got his chance he has come through with the points and the rebounds. Now I am not saying that he is all-star caliber or the man we would all like to see at PF, but he has stepped up and earned his pay-check the last 30 days.

[room4rentsf]

I agree.. Jhoward has played like we all hoped he would. Play decent low post defense while being a threat on the offensive end and making teams pay for double teaming on Yao.

J

[Rockets2K]

Originally posted by Harrisment
I agree, we're possible title contenders, but I don't think we can be considered serious contenders yet. Those first 9 games after the break will tell us a lot about what kind of team we really have.

I dont really think even the diehard homers(like me) honestly believe that we are for real title contenders at this point...

but.

If you look back, the actual *best team* doesnt always win the title...

sometimes other factors come into play, injuries, flukes, teams getting on a roll and playing over their head for a series or so...

My sole point was that you never know what can happen...if the Rockets continue their great play of late and build on the consistency and chemisty they have shown they can have.....you never know what can happen once the playoffs get here.

Teams that kickass in the regular season running and gunning find out that it isnt that easy to blow thru the playoffs like that...see Dallas.
Teams that are actual contenders run into injuries that have the potential to knock them out of the playoffs or cost them the finals...see SA and Lakers
Crucial blown calls can make all the difference in a series....see Sac

Its one thing to be pessimistic like Jerry and think that this team doesnt have it in them to keep it up....but to not recognize that this team can beat just about anyone on any given night and once they get to the playoffs...***** can happen.....is just being blind to the possibilities.

Like was mentioned before....we know of another team that had a impossible run form the #6 seed....it can happen again.

[franchise23]

Originally posted by Fegwu
Most of those "national" journalist are 'whores' including Dupree, Rosen, McCullum. They will do who is hot at the moment and intelligent journalism be damned.

yeah...if we go on a small losing streak they will call us a big dissapointment once again.

[saleem]

Juwan deserves a lot of credit along with the rest but as soon as we lose the press will start criticizing us.