you guys aren't supportive of the Rockets if you want them to lose. Did the players want to lose this game? Did you see all of them jumping for joy when they went ahead? sick...
Did anyone watch that Cleveland game a week or so ago? That was weeks after everyone said we should be tanking the season and playing for next year. But that was exactly the reason why you guys are full of it! I've watched that game 3 times, (TiVo) and it's just a wonderful game. 10 years from now I won't remember what are record was, but I'll still remember that game! I've been a fan thru the worst team in the league years and the championship years, also the disappointing losing in the finals years too, but I watch because I LOVE the team, and not for one single moment do I want them to tank it or play some scrub for next years sake. That's the way I feel like it or not.
Regarding the emotion and intent of the threadstarter, I agree 100%. I was completely disgusted with the win. We were in pretty prime position at the #7 spot, but then we had to go and screw it all up. It's little moves like this that impact the building of a franchise. This was ridiculously dumb. Just beyond ridiculously dumb - I can't really even describe the ineptitude of this team.
Do you get it, they beat a Denver team without Carmelo Anthony or Andre Miller. Heck, Denver was down 84-83, calls a timeout, and LEAVES MELO ON THE BENCH. They also did it with nothing to play for, and by using veterans who you know what they can and can't do going into next year. At this point the Rockets are playing for next year. They need a good infusion of young talent to surround T-Mac and Yao, and they won a game against a team that was as talented as portland or charlotte in crunch time.
Good post, and obvious to anyone but Van Gundy. It's almost like he was saying **** you to the franchise. How on earth do you manage to win, given our circumstances??
i think this whole thing is disgusting. i wanted the rockets to lose that game and i was dissapointed that they won but i can't jump on some assinine bandwagon that supports bashing a coach because he wants his team to play hard and give it their all every night. when i see the joy from someone like chuck hayes who busts his ass in game and i imagine during practice get a steal and a dunk for his first victory in almost 2 weeks then i wonder why i root for him to lose. i get the whole tanking thing but minnesota wasn't tanking when they beat us, golden state certainly hasn't been tanking and i'm glad van gundy isn't sending the wrong message to his guys. whatever though.
BigM - you answered your own question really, if it was a question. No, the Timberwolves weren't tanking when we played them .... not the ones on the floor anyhow. But no way would the Timberwolves have kept playing Deke, Howard and Wesley. What would be the point of that exactly? The Hayes steal and dunk was nice ... would have meant a little more to me if it didn't take massive Juwan Howard contributions to get there, or the Nuggets hadn't practically thrown the game by benching Carmelo during the entire fourth.
I am angry at JVG because I think he is short-sighted, he cannot see what is more important for the team, a meaningless win or a couple of slots higher in the draft. I am frustrated with him because he is so stubborn. I appreciate his persistence, but when it goes beyonds certain point and becomes stupidity, it pisses me off.
You guys are all serious? I thought for sure this was a sarcasm laced thread. You guys can't possibly think the team is ever trying to do anything other than win. While I believe guys like Hayes should be getting maximum run (I'm really curious to see if Lampe really sucks so devastatingly much as to not get any playing time down the stretch of this lost season), "You play to win the game." Karl was resting his key guys to keep them from getting hurt. Karl was trying to raise the level of play in his reserves that they might be better because of it in the playoffs. Karl wasn't trying to lose . . . He was trying to win with his reserves, and he would have if not for the culprits below. These things have nothing to do with the Rockets playing to win the game. If you're gonna blame someone, don't blame JVG. Blame the potential curse of Juwan Howard as he went off for 31. Blame Bogans and Hayes for playing hard and making plays. Blame Rafer for being solid from the stripe with the game on the line. If I broke the sarcasm chain you fellas have laid out so beautifully in this thread, please forgive me. I'll take the ribbing, and I'll confess to my detector sucking as much as Lampe. *** Please note: I have no confirmation as to the extent of Lampe's suckiness as he continues to get DNPs in this broken season.
did anyone catch this JVG made it on the list of top 100 unsexy celebs he is 86th http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12190404/
It is politically right to say "tanking a game is wrong". But pratically you need to do whatever it benefit to your organization. This is similar to the strategy that you foul the other team players at the end of a game when you are behind and you are running out of time. If you look at it from spiritual point of view, it is wrong, wrong, wrong. How are you supposed to foul some one INTENTIONALLY even if that person did not make any move? But who gives sh*t on this. Why can you not accept the fact that tanking is in fact good for the Rockets? What benefits do we get by winning the last two games? Nothing! We are still one of the worst teams in the NBA. We certainly play to win, but we play to win for next year, and the years beyond. Don't tell me that we want to carry over the "wining attitude" into next year. There is no such carry-over. Certainly last year's wining and attitude did not carry over into this year, and I do not see the logical link between the last two wins of this year and next year's team chemistry. Many scrubs of this team need to be replaced with telants this summer. Next year will be a another story. Some people said that there is no big difference between #7 and #9 pick, and drafting is unpredictable. This is just crap. These two games could very well make huge difference between #6 and #11 pick. Now which spot might give you a better choice, aside from the possibility of getting into top 3 draft? True, anyone could make mistakes in the draft, but statistically, high draft picks is much, much more likely to give you a better player! If you do not have a draft right to Pierce (and alike), no matter how well you are prepared before the draft, it is just irrelavent. This is especially true for this year's draft. It was a pain to watch the Rockets losing games this season. It is a torture to watch them win in the last two games with their moronic "heroic effort".
i dont think jvg is thinking very rationally these days....this is the 1st time he's never made the playoffs and i think his ego is severly bruised and hopefully he'll question his style and learn to modernize it a bit next season
There problem was that, there was no competition! They just handed the win to us with laugh. THEY DID NOT CARE IF WE WON. I would not be as mad if this game meant anything to either team. How can you feel good to win a game if the opponent even did not care, and that could set you back in your future plan?
Sincerely, what do you propose exactly that the players do? I'm not sure you could ever reasonably imagine that a coach is gonna tell his players before the game to not play hard. That's not realistic. Players play to be successful and win. Competitors compete to win. I've never heard of a case where players in any sport tried to lose (outside of personal gambling purposes). I agree however that youth should get the bulk of playing time. Chuck Hayes, Keith Bogans, Luther Head Stromile Swift, and Rafer Alston seem like they should get a majority of the minutes. Not only to develop their respective games, but to perhaps increase possible tradeability (I really can't imagine anyone taking JHo's contract). Overall though, you can't be upset that the team plays hard and wants to win. That's what they do. That's who they are. What else can you possibly expect from them? Side Note: From warm-ups, I've seen Lampe shoot lights out. Does this guy have absolutely 0% game outside of shooting warm-up jumpers?
Some of your guys really cant accept JVG is not smart as he looks this fact. Coach cant tell players to lose the game. But at this moment, why do you still give those players who probably wont play for the team next season 25,30 minutes? He must want to find some potential from 50 years old Deke, 36 years old Wesley,33 years old Juwon.
Tell that to the Spurs when they tanked to get TD. See if in SA has any ill feelings about the tank job. This game was pointless to win. We went from potentially having a Top 6 pick to being barely in the Top 10.
