So how many 'to-go " guys are we going to have on this team next season?

Dear Rock, I agree with your statements. Sac had a good all around team and that is why they did so well. My point is going into the Lakers series, if I had to predict a last minute game winning shot, I would have guessed that they go to Webber. Or perhaps that cagy vetran Divac. Maybe somebody drives and kicks out to Peja (OK Turkalu since Peja was injured). But when it came to nut cutting time, Bibby is the one who stepped up.

I don't think anybody would have predicted that. That includes the Lakers and Kings both, though I am just guessing. OK maybe Bibby's mom knew he could do it. My point is that things are different under pressure. Pressure is why Sac won three of the first five, could have been three of three or three of four with a few breaks or calls. But, I think LA would have won in the end anyway, because they have proven they can handle the big pressure. Sac is new to it. They will be a better team next year because of what they went through this year.

Thats kind of where I see us now. A lot of talent, a lot of optiions. Only time will tell if we are good enough to find out who
has the championship mettle.


By the way BigEZ, don't forget that Francis was hurt at the end of the year. I suspect his arm hurt a lot more than he let on. I am pretty sure it effected his game, as his jumper looked bad for the last part of the season.

 

I don't think we should get too far ahead of ourselves yet. Right now, the only go-to guys on our team are Steve and Cat. By "go-to,", I'm thinking of someone we can rely on in the 4th quarter when the game is on the line. Cat, although streaky, is not scared to have the ball in his hands and take big shots. Steve has also shown a willingness to put the team on his back (when Rudy lets him). Besides that, the others are unproven. Eddie's got ton of potential, but nuntil he develops some versatility on offense, he's primarily a 3-point weapon off a dish from one of the guards. MoT, even when he puts up numbers, usually does so in the 1st half, not when the game is on the line. Rice has a lot to prove with the Rockets. Even when healthy last year, he had very little mobility, creativity, or shot-making ability, esp. in 4th quarter. Moochie's a lot more likely to dribble out the shot-clock than make one of his 30-foot heaves at the buzzer. KT did a pretty solid job during 4th quaters last year, but he isn't a sure bet to get off a shot over a taller defender and doesn't pass that well out of a double-team if he were to have the ball in the clutch. I'm with everyone else on the site hoping Ming and Nachbar become all-time Rocket greats, but we'll have to wait a little while for them to develop. Unfortunately, the 4th quarter is where I saw the Rockets repeatedly lose games last year becasue they lacked this very weapon-a go-to guy. I'm hoping this year, our guys will step up and we'll be on the right side of those 1-5 point games.

 

What a refreshingly candid review.

 

Go To guys:

Francis, Mobley, Griffin, Kenny Thomas, Rice, Taylor. Those are all guys that could have been considered "Go To" guys in the past. You never know with Ming and Nachbar. They could be as well.


Please Don't Go To guys:

Morris, Collier, Cato. Cato is not a go to guy, but I like having him on the court. He can get a few easy dunks and trash baskets. A lot of times, a guy that cleans stuff up can turn a losing team into a playoff team. I just hope Cato figures out how to hustle.


Overall:
We have a lot of potential. Let's just hope that at least half of it comes out.

 

I don't know about "go to" guys, but the rockets have plenty of player that can create their own shot.