http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/7636482.html? Rockets fan out for lockout Players get just 1 week of practice with new coach By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2011 Houston Chronicle July 1, 2011, 8:20PM For one busy week after the NBA draft, the Rockets filled Toyota Center with offseason workouts, putting players through individual drills and three-on-three games as new coach Kevin McHale got a good look at the hand he's been dealt. Then the lockout hit like a boot stomping in a puddle, scattering players in all directions. Barred from the practice court, the Rockets headed into their offseason, with no sense of when they reconvene or how great the cost will be of having not put in the time with a new coaching staff. As sudden and startling as the change had been from a week with as many as 11 players practicing to the lockout in which even their pictures were removed from the Toyota Center concourses and league websites, the reality of having been locked out with no end in sight hit home hard. "It's frustrating, it's disappointing, it's depressing for us," center Hasheem Thabeet said. "This is part of our job. I guess we have to go through it." 'We just have to wait' They could be going through it well into the scheduled start of next season. As much as they hoped to avoid the lockout, they expected and have accepted it. "I've been at one of the meetings. It was interesting to hear the dialogue," said guard Kyle Lowry, the Rockets player representative. "We're far apart. I don't think anybody wants a lockout, but it's a part of the business. Hopefully, we can figure something out before the season starts next year. The players' union will stick together. The executive committee and the players will try to get a deal done that works for everybody. "It's part of what goes into being in this business. We have to be patient and hopefully things work out for the better. We just have to wait." While they wait, Rockets players said they have arranged to train elsewhere. Lowry said he will work out in Houston but likely will return to the camp in Las Vegas he and Chuck Hayes attended last summer. Marcus Morris will work out with former NBA guard Pooh Richardson in Los Angeles. Jonny Flynn works with John Lucas in Houston. Kevin Martin and Courtney Lee have been working with David Thorpe in Tampa, Fla. Thabeet said he has been discussing options around the country but has not made his choice. Rookie Donatas Motiejunas has returned to Treviso, Italy, for a training camp there and said he intends to play for Benetton Treviso next season if the NBA does not start on time. "We can all spend the summer getting better, and I can take time to maybe see my family a little more," Lowry said. "I got to where I am in shape. I don't want to overdo myself and be ready right away. You can break your workout down to work on particular things for a longer time. "I'll definitely be in Vegas working out with my guy there, but I have things set up to get my work in when I'm in town. I'm going to try to get my teammates together in the summer so we can work out and play and get familiarized with each other a little more." Players around the NBA will make similar plans, but Rockets players believed the coaching change would have made the offseason work with McHale especially important. Instead, McHale and team officials cannot speak to players or their representatives, with the week together as much a reminder of the work needed as a step in that direction. It's 'going to hurt us "It's definitely hard, very frustrating," forward Jordan Hill said. "When you're with the Rockets, you have people to push you to get better. Some guys it will be hard. They are on their own, have never been on their own, never been through a lockout. That's why I'm glad to have the people I have around me. ... I'm going to do what I have to do to get better, even on my own. "It's going to be a long few months, but I have to keep my head up. It would be better if we could spend the whole summer to figure out the system, get to know the staff, get to know Kevin McHale a little better. It's definitely going to hurt us. When the lockout is over, we probably won't have much time to communicate and get to know the system before the season starts. It's definitely going to hurt us." There will be a lot of that to go around. As the Rockets discovered when they went their separate ways, there already is. Read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/7636482.html?#ixzz1QyPb7ZY0
Thabeet is going to check out his options and figure out where he is going to go..........yeah, right. He's clueless. I bet he gains 30 lbs. and comes back and gets hurt.
Yeah, I rolled my eyes when I read Thabeet had no plans yet. Why should be anyone be surprised that of all the players mentioned in the article, this guy is the only one without a plan. Like I said, useless.
I hope that Thabeet succeeds, becomes a good back up / occasional starter. It would be great for our team to have him produce.
Yeah, and Hakeem might as well come back to the league and score 50 points per game and lead us to 10 championships. Hahaha. Hasheem is garbage.
I dont see why he should be singled out...Lowry wasnt exactly sure of his plans either. He said he might got to train in vegas, hows that any different from Hasheem saying he's got choices as well, but hasn't decided? It's not like Martin and Lee have any new plans for the lockout. They're simply staying put where they have been. Hasheem has been working out, just like them, so at the moment his situation isn't really that different. His decision could simply be a phone call away.
I like this part, it shows good leadership from Kyle Lowry. Although I don't know how his going to get Motiejunas to come over from Italy for a player practice. Given that his one of the players Lowry and the other need familiarize them selves with. But if Kyle can pull it off that would be awesome. Also jopatmc and RedRedemption, chill out on the Hasheem hate. There's nothing wrong with the dude trying to weigh his options.
wtf is feigen doing talking to the players? i thought rockets staff and employees were barred from any interaction with them
Are we going to semantics? Lowry said he he will work out in Houston, and likely in Las Vegas, as well. What is Thabeet's plan again? He doesn't have one, yet.
The article didn't say he didnt have plans, just not a final decision. There's a difference. Having options makes it easier for him to make a decision, and more quickly, like this weekend. We're heading into a holiday weekend as well, so it's not like he's losing out these next 3 days. Also, take into consideration that Mchale probably told him to hold off on making any plans official just incase the lockout didn't happen, unlikely as that may have seemed.
Agreed. You guys are haters. Nobody here can claim they know Thabeet personally. He seems fairly intelligent, and I don't see why Thabeet's getting criticism for not deciding yet. It's not like he had alot of time to decide. The lockout happened yesterday!
Also, I really doubt the rockets are prepared to send off thabeet, for what could be months, on his own. It should be very important to them for Thabeet to fulfill as much of his potential as possible, either to keep him or trade him. You can bet they would have made some calls for him, if he really had no plans in motion. Maybe they did and that's why he has to sort through his options.