I'm not going to talk about bad we are defensively, offensively or any individual and please refrain from doing this. My problem with this team is simply the lack of effort, no willpower, no fight, no grit and frankly not even trying to play aggressive. This team seems to lack the mentality they had when Deke, Battier and Hayes were here. Those were elite defenders, which now we have not. Still, there is no excuse for the way the team is performing. The Rockets are not the only team, hell the main problems with all sports players and teams in the world I believe is a lack of true effort. The kind of mentality Yao had, Scola had / has (I don't know anymore about him), Hayes had and luckily Lowry still has. An example of Lowry's mentality per Feigen: This is what we need from the whole team, not just an individual. I know Yao used to be out on the court early as he knew what was expected of him and felt the pressure of being a leader. Lowry is the new leader but it shouldn't just be the best or the star player that does these kind of things. The whole team should want to win so badly, they all come to practice earlier than needed. When will our players wake the hell up, realize they are making millions playing their favorite game and realizing they owe it to the fans, the team and most importantly themselves to work as hard as they can to try to win. I want to guys diving for loose balls, hard fouls, guys try to get into the paint so defend it with your life, bump them, knee them, try every damn thing. This is soft as ice cream and if this keeps going I will not watch a single game again until they come out and perform. I like it that Scola was quoted after last night saying it does not matter if it's the new coach, trying to adjust and all that, and in reality it really isn't. The Rockets main problem starts with a true lack of aggressiveness, toughness and of will. I do not mind the Rockets losing, in fact this season it's probably not such a bad thing with the 2012 draft, but not trying and giving up is shameful. Now some of you might say I'm overreacting and we've had periods like this before, couldn't agree with you more but then I ask you: who or why did it change ? I can think of only one reason the Rockets are in the state they are in which is the loss of Chuck Hayes. Hayes was becoming more vocal the last 2 years and emerged as a leader last year. Per Feigen about last year's team: I can imagine the loss of a leader who lead by example on defense more than anything. Still, I think that is no excuse because why do you need a player to show you in the game he is giving it his all before you start doing ?? Isn't the winning part or at least wanting to win enough ?? Our commentators have said this during the streak and playoffs on numerous occasions that when Tracy shows effort, especially on defense, this rubs off on the whole team. They even went as far as saying a team needs its star player / leader to give the example. So in other words: players see Tracy not working hard, they figure we might as well not work hard either or some ****, right ? Please correct me if I'm wrong but I figure if this is what our commentators and other people really believe, that is just a piss poor kind of excuse isn't it ? To me it shouldn't start with any leader, star or other player for that matter. It starts with yourself, and if you don't have that willingness to win maybe you shouldn't be playing sports. Sometimes a coach can light a fire under players asses and of course this is needed, at times when you hang your head during timeouts or half-time or during the season when you're in a bad place. I understand our players are human and everybody goes through a game where he doesn't give a 110% or even a 100%. In conclusion, I am giving our team more time since the Rockets have turned it around before. However, every single game they display this kind of effort especially on defense I say: no excuses.
The roster has too much turnover for the team to have an identity. I don't think there is one "asset" who believes they will still be in Houston in two years. Hell, probably half the players expect to be gone long before that. In other words, much of the problem can be summed up in one sentence: The Rockets have no core.
Without Hayes and Battier, the transformation has been completed: this Rockets team is soft as my pillow. (Visualize Hakeem shaking his head at Bud, Martin, Scola, Hill, etc... ineptness to play defense).
Are you implying that players are not working hard because they think there is no future in Houston ? Also since you use the word asset, you think the way Leslie & Morey have handled contracts and trades and everything, players feel in a way like an asset and disconnected from the organization ? I have been wondering about this, with no top player every mentioning wanting to come to Houston, constantly letting good talent become free agents - Deke, Hayes & Artest come to mind, contracts only getting extended when their hands are forced like with Lowry and Scola. Telling the world how much you think Martin is great with your statistics and after one real season ready to trade him again (Morey). I do think all these things play a role but these things shouldn't affect your effort when you play a game you really love right ?
Thats a very important point right there. We lost a major part of our identity ever since YAO-TMAC era was over. Since then our identity was being kind of a grimey team. We weren't winning titles but no one wanted to play us, we always grinded them down no matter what the result was. We dont even have that now with Battier and Hayes gone.
Lack of talent and heart. I'll try to break it down for every player. I've highlighted where I think the main problem is with this team. Kevin Martin one of the worst offenders of lacking effort. This guy has no drive to win other than as if it's a pick up game amongst friends. I know we don't know him personally but you can tell by the body language and how lazy he looks out there. Even when he's on a scoring rampage, it's just because his shots are falling in or he's getting the calls from officials, it's not because he is enforcing his will and he wants it so badly. I am also a Kevin Martin fan by the way, I always want him to play well and am happy when he pours down his occasional 40 points but my opinion remains that the 40 points is because shots are falling for him, not because he's imposing his will on the game. Kyle Lowry Solid effort night in, night out, I have no complaints on him. Courtney Lee Usually gives solid effort Luis Scola I believe he tries and does what he can Jordan Hill/Thabeet/Buddinger Hill and Buddinger lack the talent to be among a contending starting 5 line up. They also lack the drive required to be a contender. These guys don't care about winning every game. They play hard when they want to and have the energy but won't do it probably even 50 percent of the time. Thabeet is actually in a another category on his own. Terrence Williams/Patrick Patterson/ Chandler Parsons/ Samuel Dalambert/ Dragic All these guys have been with us barely a year or less but I believe they give us the effort but just haven't played together long enough yet. Johnny Flynn Sucks
My wife who is a casual fan ( of the spurs, grrrrr ) was watching the low lights of tonight's game and summed it up when she said two things that were painfully obvious, even to someone who knows very little about the game: 1. 'the Rockets guys are just standing there on offense. 2. 'ever since Yao & McGrady have gone, the team looks like it's not trying anymore. Yao & McGrady were good & the Rockets were good then too.' We need to watch some 80's Bad Boys video's & get McHale too teach our boys the art of 'don't come into my house forearm to the head', or Mutumbo to show our bigs how to sharpen their elbows to protect the paint & make opposing teams at least think twice about driving the lane. From what I saw today, my 7 year old daughter could have scored 20 on lay ups tonight.
Our schedule has been very strong and our team just doesnt have enough talent. I dont really think it´s lack of heart, just that if jordan hill plays as your starting center your team probably sucks.
I think some people are saying that if he had heart then that statement wouldn't be true. I like the way things are going, I may be the only one, but if things keep goin like this with both us and the Knicks losing we will get some good draft picks, perhaps keep Lowry and Dalembert and trade the rest of the team next season. Morey just tried to trade Martin and Scola to get Nene and Gasol, he clearly knows this team needs a real center and an all-star. I think we should give Morey a couple more seasons and see what he cooks up, no one should expect anything from this team and it baffles me how everyone is upset. People want our young guys to get pt but I think Morey is shopping Bud and Martin so thats not gonna happen yet.
A great observational thread. Agreed, this team has very little talent. Our last few drafts have brought little talent and we haven't made a significant player acquisition since Martin. We are too small, too slow, too underskilled. And... its too early to judge McHale yet. So losing shouldn't be a surprise. What is a surprise, and very frustrating is the lack of effort. Opponents are driving to the hoop uncontested. Not just the Kobes and Durrants of the League, but the James Freaking Hardens too. All the while we settle for pull up jumpers. Then whine about not getting calls. For the first time in my life I stopped watching a basketball game (the Clippers debacle) and I almost pulled the plug again last night. I am actually weighing whether to even watch the tonight's game. And if someone who lives and breathes basketball is souring on the team so early, you can guess what the casual fan will do. Luckily there is still college and high school basketball to watch...
Huh? The only talent we lost in the offseason was Chuck Hayes. And we have signed Dalembert which was supposed to upgrade the interior defense. (Unless you count coaching talent ) This same team (+ Hayes, - Dalembert) played extremely well toward the end of last season.
Totally agree. We've played 7 games. 6 have been against last year's playoff teams & the 7th pulled off the trade of the year, thanks to Stern. We're still trying to blend a new coach with the players & we've already played our only b2b2b. Realistically we should win 8 of our next 12 games. Then the tankers will start complaining that we're winning too many games. Just can't please everybody.
That's part of the problem, our players are built or driven in the same way, because alot of those players from the Pistons teams were already made like that. Laimbeer, Rodman, Zeke, Mahorn, and others were fiery, anyway, as well as ultra-competitive. You should read the story about some of their practices, where they often were getting into fights and etc. But, once they got out on center stage, they utilized that into a team function. We have to draft or sign those type of players, which in our cases were basically all Van Gundy/Carroll Dawson type players. Mutombo, Battier, Hayes, and Artest (brought in by Morey). This team cannot do that, for the reason that we do not have players who can tussle or play some really aggravating defense. Most of them are strictly perimeter offensive players, or are serviceable starters, at best, except Martin, Lowry, and Scola. Alot of posters are wanting this team (and players) to be something that they are not, which is a very competitive and talented group of players, some of which who have some higher ceiling of potential. With that being said, I do think our rosters would be pretty d@mn good with two or three extra pieces, not necessarily superstars, but at least all-star worthy or someone who is all-around good player and someone who is dynamic player. Some might not agree, but I do think the Kevin Martin experiment should end, if he's truly that unhappy, here. If a player is unhappy, especially when he thought he had the confidence of the team (yet they tried to throw him in that trade debacle). Like Lamar Odom, he probably does want an out at this point, or tinkering on management trading him. He probably will get dealt, eventually. While, Scola has been cool as cucumber, and more professional about it. Personally, I like our current players, but I do not think they need to be given too many starter responsibilities. Which is why I am not hard (or freaking out_ on Budinger, Hill, Williams, Lee, Adrien, and Patterson). You can throw in Morris, and possibly in the future Motiejunas. They are more suited for being backups or serviceable players, simply being a work-in-progress or players who have reached their apex. The team does not necessarily need to be overhauled, or grossly wasting the seasons away for more draft picks and possibly shipped out of town for such picks . . . cap space. In the last 2 seasons or so, we've lost the following players: Dikembe Mutombo Ron Artest Carl Landry Aaron Brooks Shane Battier Yao Ming Chuck Hayes We didn't replace those players, production, which is why we are struggling now. But a bigger point is that, those players do not come along every day. It's going to be a minute for improvement.
Ummm no. Offense yes, defense he doesnt do what he can and he doesnt try. He NEVER goes out mid range to guard the shooter always staying for the rebound. He doesnt jump and barely contest post up. You had a lot to say on other, bolded as you put it on important stuff but yet had nothing to say on Scola. Invalid post makes post invalid.
