My point was that correcting HeyPartner's age comment was not relevant. Not that age isn't relevant..... [/QUOTE] Please stop confusing explanation with excuses. There are 30 teams in the NBA that are competing for a title and there are finite player spots. The Mavs had a HOF player who will more than likely retire as a Mav, and only won 1 ring. It sucks how hard it is to win in this league, but that's no excuse to be a chicken little or to give up on all the things that make the Rockets good.
No. Even if the Rockets have been stinking it up it was still important to take the step out of the first round.
It's hard to remain rational and calm, I agree. The problem with you and your ilk is you lack context and just make up benchmarks so you can point your finger and say "see! see!". This team is generally run well. At this point, we need to change up our head coach and retool and bring it next season. When you set the bar consistently too high and lack the willingness to adapt or understand the circumstances you will have an extra tough time. Our record with the Clippers the last 4 seasons indicates we simply don't match up well. Speaking of matchups, we matched up very well with that 2009 Lakers team with our pace and quick PGs. Morey assembled a great team that year that would have gone far with a healthy Yao. Ok?
I think so. teams like spurs fought hard and lost in the first round, they still get respect from everyone. Loses like this in second round? I am not sure.
You get considerably more respect if you go down fighting in the first round than if you get humiliated or quit in the 2nd round. Just look at Portland last year. After Lillard's miracle shot everyone was talking about how good the Blazers were looking and that they could be dark horses for this year. Then the Spurs completely man handled them and the perception shifted to them being a 3rd tier team. Good enough to get to the 2nd round, not good enough to really threaten anyone. And when a team quits, the perception shifts to the team lacking the mental make up to handle the pressure cooker of the play offs. That's why everyone talks about the play offs separating the teams that could be contenders versus wannabe contenders. Barring a huge turnaround it's pretty self-evident which category the Rockets are heading towards.
Honestly I don't care about what people will say. At the end of the day there is a good chance the Rockets will be a top 4 team in the west next year, so other fans can talk trash until they see the Rockets on their schedule next season. But So many great players were called chokers and quitters before, that's whatever to me.
Chokers, yes. That gets stuck on players fairly or unfairly if they under perform or their team loses. Care to name a few that were called "quitters"? I don't seem to recall any that were accused of quitting in the middle of a play off game, especially one where the series was still within reach.
