With the team in a state of disarray and big changes on the horizon, how will the Rockets measure their success? Let's face it the waters around Toyota Center are murky and visibility is low. We don't know for a fact how much JVG influenced this years roster moves so it's hard to blame CD for the first round failure. We do know that JVG played a short rotation and left many of CD's acquisitions on the bench to rot. I for one believe Jeff has worn out his welcome in Houston and I think Adelman would be a great replacement. But that's only one variable in a sea of variables for this team. For example, let's say we upgrade our roster slightly this off season and get a better starting PG and we get past the first round in the playoffs. Some will say it was the improved roster that led the Rockets out of the first round. What if our roster stays put yet T-mac and Yao develop leadership and killer instinct they lacked up until now. Some will say it was star power that got us farther in the playoffs. What if our new GM turns into the next Bryan Colangelo and the team succeeds with the diamonds in the rough he finds? What if JVG coaches next year and finds his way deep into the playoffs as the head coach of another team? It's going to be an exciting season next year for a lot of reasons. The Jazz and Golden State Warriors have proved that the NBA is wide open. The Jazz could go all the way this year and that brings up another twist in the JVG saga. What if we did lose to the NBA champs in the first round? Adelman could do a great job and yet giving him credit will not be a simple thing to do depending on many other factors. If you don't believe it'll be tough to measure future success just ask yourself who got the better deal: Orlando or Houston in the T-mac deal?
Bare Minimum: 2nd Round Ideal situation: Conference Finals I anything more would be gravy and less would be a total bust. Now to put this terms of perspective, When Adelman takes over then the JVG era is over period. No if, but, coulda, shoulda cause it's Adelman's team and Jeff had 4 years to show improvement but failed. People forget we were already a playoff team in 2004 before McGrady's arrival. So it's not like JVG had to build something from scratch and then have someone take his creation and take it to the bank. He got his shot 3 times against LA, Dallas and now Utah, if he can't get pass the 1st round then maybe he should not be our coach.
exactly. w/ mac and yao healthy, we're on the cusp. gotta continue to add to the mix. can't break it up now. if utah can make it, we can too. dallas won't be any better. suns will still be great for a few more yrs. we match up very well w/ the spurs. so we're on the borderline. i feel if we break out of the first round, we can go all the way. but we're stuck right now. but anything less than a championship w/in the next 3 yrs like u said is a failure.
JVG took that 03-04 team to the playoffs, breaking a serious drought. After the McGrady trade, esp. in the 04-05 season, he did build something from scratch, the 03-04 was more or less gone, new pieces and more added as the season went on. Look at those 3 shots they had to get past the first round before you act as if it were a forgone conclusion that they should have advanced. 03-04 Lakers had their 4 future hall of famers, the 04-05 Mavericks were just more talented than the Rockets (refs didn't help our chances either) and this year well they had serious deficincies at the PG and PF spot a strenght of this year Jazz team.
The Rockets don't have a leader, it was very evident in the last set of playoff games. That is why we need a Good Playmaker Starting Point Guard who can lead this team on the court! The Rockets were most fortunate to win so many games during the season but if you look closely at the results they performed on the poor side against the top teams. So when Morey is saying that this is a 60 win team and that it needs only a few small tweeks, he is taking through his nostrils instead of his mouth. If he is the quiz kid on the computer he should see more than he is seeing, possibly he is not really a basketball man and can't descern the answers from all the stats . Firstly he should sit down and replay the seven games and see why we were no match for Utah- all the questions & answers are to be visualised from these games.
60 win season and a series of Championships! Of course this will mean a MAJOR Roster changes and a young inovative coach who can develop the team in to-days style of play and Yao Ming as a versatile player and not just a stick near the paint.
