[Chron] March could be a fortelling month for Rockets

J.R. · 03-03-2009, 08:44 AM

Lock if already posted

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...n/6290493.html

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Who are these guys?

Three-quarters of the way into the NBA season, we’re still trying to figure out what these Rockets are made of.

Entering their first home game of the month tonight against the woeful Toronto Raptors, the Rockets are 38-22, two losses behind last season’s pace.

One would think this squad is better than last year’s, right? Probably.

Still, the Rockets have a long way to go and a short time to get there if they are to end their embarrassingly long playoff-series victory drought (12 years).

Aaron Brooks needs to learn how to close out games. Ron Artest needs to convince himself he doesn’t have to take every shot down the stretch. Rick Adelman probably needs to be told that while Brooks and Kyle Lowry on the floor together in the fourth quarter might work against the likes of Minnesota, he shouldn’t try that against the big boys.

The team needs to be reminded that Yao Ming is its best player. Its best option. And the tall guy.

Don’t laugh. Sometimes people have to be reminded just how big the 7-6 center is.

“We had a tough time with — you know, Yao’s huge,” Minnesota coach Kevin McHale revealed to the media after the Rockets rolled his Timberwolves on Sunday.

As if part of a cult, all the Rockets say: “It all starts with Yao, and it all goes through Yao.” Then you watch the games, and that is not the case.

If Yao isn’t the focal point of the Rockets’ offense, Brooks and Lowry have as much hope of leading this team to playoff glory as Brooks and Dunn.

It was good, but ...

February was a hectic month for the Rockets. A strange month. A good month.

Yet doesn’t it seem as if opportunity knocked and they didn’t open the door?

Adelman said it would be crazy to expect his squad to roll off 22 straight wins as it did last year, but before the season began he was giving a wink-wink, non-nod at how sweet February could be.

Sweet it was, but not real sugar sweet. More like that fake stuff in the pastel-colored packages.

The Rockets have won 10 of their past 13 games and are fourth in the conference playoff standings, trailing No. 2 seed San Antonio by 21/2 games. If a team won 10 of every 13 games throughout a season, it would finish with 63 wins. That would be a heck of a season.

But for a team with high hopes, this was a weird 10-of-13. (Even with the Tracy McGrady distraction and the Rafer Alston trade.) All three losses — as well as the Rockets’ past six defeats — have come to teams with losing records.

Ten teams in the Eastern Conference have 29 or fewer  wins. None has a record bet-ter than .500. The Rockets (38-22) have losses to each.

On the other hand, the Rockets have victories over each of the top five teams in the East (Cleveland, Boston, Orlando, Atlanta and Miami).

“Some wins are bigger than others; they are that night, at least. But they’re all important,” Artest said last week. “Every loss is the same ... bad.”

Pressure is on them

It is at the point in the season when the “every game counts” mantra is a popular phrase despite its illogical implication that losses now count more in the standings than do losses in November. Right now, every one does count more psychologically because you’re checking the standings daily, but they all count.

Seemingly meaningless losses to the also-rans last month could mean the difference between playing the first two games of a playoff series at Toyota Center (where the Rockets have a nine-game winning streak) or on the road (where they’ve lost four of the last five and 10 of the last 14 and are 14-16 on the season).

With the team playing road games against possible playoff foes Utah (twice), Denver, New Orleans and San Antonio, we will learn a lot more about these Rockets in March than we did in February.

With only 22 games remaining, we can start talking playoffs. We just have no idea how well these Rockets will do in them. We don’t know who they are because this team is still learning how to play together.

durvasa · 03-03-2009, 08:49 AM

quote:
If Yao isn’t the focal point of the Rockets’ offense, Brooks and Lowry have as much hope of leading this team to playoff glory as Brooks and Dunn.

Yao was the focal point of the offense against Minnesota, and he got 7 FGA. That's going to happen sometimes.

the_hustler · 03-03-2009, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by durvasa

quote:
If Yao isn’t the focal point of the Rockets’ offense, Brooks and Lowry have as much hope of leading this team to playoff glory as Brooks and Dunn.

Yao was the focal point of the offense against Minnesota, and he got 7 FGA. That's going to happen sometimes.

and that is where you need someone who just went through a micro fracture surgery.. even though he might choke at times...

playoffs are gonna be difficult.. esp if we are gonna meet the jizz..

she'sdone · 03-03-2009, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_hustler

and that is where you need someone who just went through a micro fracture surgery.. even though he might choke at times...

playoffs are gonna be difficult.. esp if we are gonna meet the jizz..

We don't need Me-Mac. Artest will prove that Mr 8M > Mr 23M.

MisterPink · 03-03-2009, 09:31 AM

Thanks.

You know, it might just be my imagination, but I seem to remember us being very good on the road last year. I mean, better on the road than at home.

Wasn't our FT% significantly higher on the road?

Eat The Head · 03-03-2009, 09:50 AM

rockets realistically will get as high as 2nd seed or as low as falling out at 9th.

this team is still work in the process.
still one season away from being a contender.
from next season on things will be different.

trueroxfan · 03-03-2009, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by she'sdone

We don't need Me-Mac. Artest will prove that Mr 8M > Mr 23M.

you're an idiot. when will you people learn we effing need tmac (healthy) we may get lucky and win a round, but i don't expect a miracle underdog championship this year

trueroxfan · 03-03-2009, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eat The Head

rockets realistically will get as high as 2nd seed or as low as falling out at 9th.

this team is still work in the process.
still one season away from being a contender.
from next season on things will be different.

how many times are we going to say this? how are we going to be any more of a contender next year with an enormous contract on our books from a guy who may not even play and if he does it wont be until the end of the season

ElPigto · 03-03-2009, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trueroxfan

you're an idiot. when will you people learn we effing need tmac (healthy) we may get lucky and win a round, but i don't expect a miracle underdog championship this year

See, this is the best approach to take, don't expect anything and I bet you'll be going crazy if anything does happen by any crazy chance. :D

By the way, we aren't going to get lucky to win a round (1st round), we are going to win because we are the better team. Lets not be this pessimistic now.

Chiron · 03-03-2009, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by she'sdone

We don't need Me-Mac. Artest will prove that Mr 8M > Mr 23M.

Love the name Mr.23 Mil

The more I read about Mr.23Mil the more I realize he is not a winner. Heck his name should be Mr.Me Because its all about him.

Eat The Head · 03-03-2009, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElPigto

See, this is the best approach to take, don't expect anything and I bet you'll be going crazy if anything does happen by any crazy chance. :D

By the way, we aren't going to get lucky to win a round (1st round), we are going to win because we are the better team. Lets not be this pessimistic now.

i agree, crazy is good. crazy should be good.

she'sdone · 03-03-2009, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trueroxfan

you're an idiot. when will you people learn we effing need tmac (healthy) we may get lucky and win a round, but i don't expect a miracle underdog championship this year

Poor T-Slack lover, Your girl Me-Mac need Shark to help her pass the 1st round. Why we need such a pansy?!

Championship? Does T-Slack deserve the title? No! Hell no!

Blake · 03-03-2009, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trueroxfan

you're an idiot. when will you people learn we effing need tmac (healthy) we may get lucky and win a round, but i don't expect a miracle underdog championship this year

The same TMac who refuses to play defense?

The same TMac who refuses to move without the ball when we run plays?

The same TMac who camps out on the three point line and watches the other players set screens and move around?

The same TMac who quit on the Rockets in the middle of the Toronto game?

The same TMac who admitted quitting and justified it by "I get frustrated when I don't have the ball in my hands"

The same TMac who kills momentum by jacking up long range jumpshots with 20 seconds remaining on the shot clock when we have a big lead?

The same TMac who refuses to run through screens while defending?

No thanks

All I expect is effort and team play...he gives us neither

Layupdrill · 03-03-2009, 10:46 AM

Mr.Me is Tmac and he gave us several heartwrenching game 7 losses and he gave what he had, now he doesn't have IT, you guys are hating on him for making that paper in his CONTRACT... too bad he has a bum knee otherwise I'm sure he'd be dominating everyone in the league still and giving us game 7 losses like nobodies business. MOTHERF*$^%&R I'M ILL

she'sdone · 03-03-2009, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blake

The same TMac who refuses to play defense?

The same TMac who refuses to move without the ball when we run plays?

The same TMac who camps out on the three point line and watches the other players set screens and move around?

The same TMac who quit on the Rockets in the middle of the Toronto game?

The same TMac who admitted quitting and justified it by "I get frustrated when I don't have the ball in my hands"

The same TMac who kills momentum by jacking up long range jumpshots with 20 seconds remaining on the shot clock when we have a big lead?

The same TMac who refuses to run through screens while defending?

No thanks

All I expect is effort and team play...he gives us neither

Excellent post.
We don't need a sluggard.
We need a warrior!

**Rockets2K** · 03-03-2009, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by she'sdone

Poor T-Slack lover, Your girl Me-Mac need Shark to help her pass the 1st round. Why we need such a pansy?!

Championship? Does T-Slack deserve the title? No! Hell no!

What a great style of discussion you use! I'm soooo impressed.

If you cant make an argument without resorting to personal attacks, dont make the post.

I foresee a demotion to rookie in your near future.

she'sdone · 03-03-2009, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockets2K

What a great style of discussion you use! I'm soooo impressed.

If you cant make an argument without resorting to personal attacks, dont make the post.

I foresee a demotion to rookie in your near future.

Don't you see that guy call me idiot prior?

Shroopy2 · 03-03-2009, 02:51 PM

Rockets "could use" McGrady but dont NEED McGrady, huge difference. Technically people will still say it like needing so-and-so on the court, but never put dependence on one person. Especially one that sold out the team

I'd still like to know the Rockets road record with McGrady, compared to other Rocket players to see if he made a difference there.

esteban · 03-03-2009, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trueroxfan

you're an idiot. when will you people learn we effing need tmac (healthy) we may get lucky and win a round, but i don't expect a miracle underdog championship this year

There are still Twac fans on this board?? LOL!

ralphabetsoup · 03-03-2009, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blake

The same TMac who refuses to play defense?

The same TMac who refuses to move without the ball when we run plays?

The same TMac who camps out on the three point line and watches the other players set screens and move around?

The same TMac who quit on the Rockets in the middle of the Toronto game?

The same TMac who admitted quitting and justified it by "I get frustrated when I don't have the ball in my hands"

The same TMac who kills momentum by jacking up long range jumpshots with 20 seconds remaining on the shot clock when we have a big lead?

The same TMac who refuses to run through screens while defending?

No thanks

All I expect is effort and team play...he gives us neither

Do they still pack his special throne chair when he travels with the team to watch from the bench?