I haven't started a new thread for a few months, or maybe even longer. So please bear with me, if I am just piling on what everyone has been saying. We all know lots of things can be said about every one of our players. Yao - he's nowhere near his old top form, whether he'll ever reach that level again, it remains to be seen. But after the whole foot bone structure was "re-designed" and 15 months away from basketball, the way he's playing in the best league in the world in the first 4 games, I see encouraging signs, although he's EVEN slower and his timing for rebounds were EVEN more off, for now. Scola - he just dominated everyone in the summer, and he's still doing very well offensively, although he missed some shots he normally makes. Defensively, his on-man defense was never good, while he's a pretty good rebounder. Shane - he's definitely slower in defense. But he's the only willing to guard opposing best wing man night in and night out, and usually does a pretty decent job. His offense skills were never really his strength. AB - he's a PG relying on his offensive skills rather than floor general capability, from day 1. He was celebrated last year, and his defense wasn't better. KMart - he's young with lots of upside, and is a pretty good shooting guard. His defense was never good, and maybe under JVG he could pick it up faster, but we can't change that. I don't want to list every single player here, all I want to say is. our best players all have their strengths and shortcomings. They are not going to be a new LBJ. Maybe Yao will get better as he's further familiar with his "new foot" and real games. But at his peak, he was never a great rebounder. Yao's 24 minutes cap is not ideal, but if we don't want to break him right away (even if you want to trade him with a bag of potato chips, you still don't want to break him now), we better listen to the doctors and live with it. If the team feels that it's too hard to deal with, fine, bring him from the bench and play him for 15 mins. At this moment, he can't lead you, yet, but he can always help you. AB's failed contract extension certainly could be distraction in some sense, but since no exception was made, I believe he has accepted that and moved on. I don't see that is affecting his game. Those players are the same players, and with some addition and part of Yao, it should be a better team than last year. That's why I ask what is wrong with this team, instead of individual players. Because something wrong with 1, 2, 3, or 4 players, still can't justify such poor showing. As a Rockets fan, we kind of get used to losing. But it matters how we lose it. I don't see happy faces in long stretches during those 4 games, even when we are leading. We look frightened and we look uncertain. There is no passion, no energy, no fight. Something wrong in the locker room? Something wrong between the coach and players? Something wrong between new and old players? It's got to be bigger than individual player problem. Nobody is playing at their high levels as we saw before. Well, except for a few minutes of a few bench players. I am curious whether Shane is calling players' meeting. I am curious whether RA is sitting down with the starting lineup. I am curious whether Les and/or DM has reached out to players. 0-4 is not scary, but everyone seems to be disinterested is scary. I am not dreaming of an all-star team, but reasonably expecting a team with current players playing at their average level and with decent energy. But they failed altogether. So, what's wrong with this team?
