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Remembering the 04/05 Rockets

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Carl Herrera, Nov 9, 2013.

  1. Carl Herrera

    Carl Herrera Contributing Member

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    The frustrating and inconsistent play of the first 7 games reminds me the start of the 2004/2005 season.

    That was a year that started off with great excitement: the team made the playoffs for the first time in a while the year before, and added a 2nd legitimate elite player, Tracy McGrady, to the one they had, Yao Ming. Fans were expecting great things out of that pairing. And then the team started 6-11 by December 4. Much consternation was experienced by fans, including myself. (And it was doubly frustrating because the Orlando Magic, the team from which McGrady came, was 11-5 at that point, behind Steven Francis, Cuttino Mobley, Kelvin Cato and some rookie called Dwight Howard).

    But then the team started turning things around. Tracy McGrady got more aggressive (after some heart-to-heart with Jeff Van Gundy), the team got more comfortable with each other, and a pair of late-December trades (for David Wesley and Jon Barry) and a February deadline deal (for Mike James) helped balance the roster and brought additional 3 point shooting to the team.

    That team ended the season 51-31. The roster turned out to be flawed and was too old and small to compete with Dallas in a 7 game playoff series. But it was a good year and, flawed as they are, the Yao/McGrady pairing would probably have done somethings but for injuries.

    Anyhow, I think the lesson from that team is that it takes time even for very talented players to mesh. The 04/05 team eventually did, and this team most likely will, too. Also, this team is in a better position than the 04/05 team to improve. The 04/05 Rockets were older and depleted of depth and assets (having traded 3 starters from the 03/04 team for McGrady). This team has younger players who have already shown that they can contribute and can improve or at least not start to decline/breakdown too quickly.
     
  2. ashleyem

    ashleyem Member

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    That was because had JVG at that time but now our coach is Kevin mother****ing McFail.
     
  3. Geronimo

    Geronimo Member

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    We beat Dallas in a 7 game series, just couldn't beat the refs.
     
  4. Captain Hook

    Captain Hook Member

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    Kevin McHale is a great position (Big Man) coach, but a horrible Xs and Os coach. Xs and Os wins championships in this league. Hopefully he can get better. Even Eric Spoelstra got better but then again McHale didn't have a Pat Riley to learn from
     
  5. Carl Herrera

    Carl Herrera Contributing Member

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    Guess what people were saying about JVG at that time?
     
  6. ch0c0b0fr34k

    ch0c0b0fr34k Member

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    I like the message, but the difference is between McHale and JVG.
     
  7. ashleyem

    ashleyem Member

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    JVG at least led the Knicks to the Finals, what has McFail accomplished?
     
  8. cfansnet

    cfansnet Member

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    Truth. Also, H&H is no M&Y. But at least they're healthy.
     
  9. Carl Herrera

    Carl Herrera Contributing Member

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    [​IMG]

    And maligned as he was as a GM, he also built the only playoff squads in Timberwolves history so far and acquired the guy, Kevin Love, who is likely to be the next one to lead them into the playoffs.

    Also, people were not saying that "We'll be OK because JVG took the Knicks to the Finals" in 2004. It was mostly "Fire Van Dummy!"
     
  10. Man

    Man Contributing Member

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    Growing pains.

    No doubt we'll start figuring things out, though I do think McHale's laissez faire approach means the team probably needs more direction and instruction from someone else..
     
  11. daywalker02

    daywalker02 Member

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    he can't play now, can he? With that leg of his.

    I don't really think he is a bad coach.
    And overlooking his game plans he is just to stubborn to listen to better coaching assistants or management.

    You can only do that if you have championship pedigree as a coach. He thinks he is a championship caliber coach because he won as a player.
    Just plain wrong.
     
  12. Easy

    Easy Boban Only Fan
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    Actually, the difference is between Morey and Dawson.
     
  13. Carl Herrera

    Carl Herrera Contributing Member

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    Do people really think that this team, unlike the 04/05 team, will not turn it around because Jeff Van Gundy is not the coach and Kevin McHale is? JVG is a good coach but he doesn't have magical power like that.

    Or more to the point, Kevin McHale doesn't have the magical power to make a talented team suck. The 2012-13 Rockets without Dwight Howard won 45 games while coached by McHale. The 2011-12 Rockets were over .500, essentially the same record that Rick Adelman achieved with the 2010-11 squad.
     
  14. daywalker02

    daywalker02 Member

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    We had way better offense and way better ball movement with that 45 game squad.

    It's not about sucking right now. McHale's team always tend to give hope and fail at the end.
    If the team is predicted to go 57 wins they probably go 50-52 for a reason.

    We were on a good road to a 6th seed and we barely made 8th spot last year.
    We were on a good road to a 8th spot 2 years ago and we failed to a mediocre 8th spot.

    At least Adelman had less issues with Players and players liked him other than McGrady in his last season.
     
    1 person likes this.
  15. daywalker02

    daywalker02 Member

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    Fixed.....
     
  16. shastarocket

    shastarocket Contributing Member

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    You betta check yo self.

    As Carl Herrera already mentioned, CD pulled some awesome mid-season trades turning trash into gold.
     
  17. Carl Herrera

    Carl Herrera Contributing Member

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    The problem is that CD got some moves right, including important ones, but the mistakes that the team made under him (and Rudy T, who really had front office power) ultimately undermined the team even when it had stars. The too-expensive contracts handed out to guys who under-performed, the mismanagement of assets (trading a 1st round pick to dump Glen Rice's salary), etc. all took a toll on the team's talent level and ability to surround its stars with good players.

    Yes, guy like Barry, Wesley, Sura made a difference in 2004-05, but having to rely on them prevented the team from matching up with Dallas' younger and biggeg wings like Josh Howard, Jerry Stackhouse, Devin Harris when they went small and then all these guys basically became washed up in 2005-06. CD did a good job MacGyvering a supporting cast in 2004/05 but some of the earlier mistakes made under him was why they had to resort to MacGyvering in the first place.

    Morey had done a much better job managing the team's assets both in the Yao/McGrady era (acquiring the likes of Battier, Artest, Scola, Landry, Brooks) and thereafter. The team has managed to acquire two elite players while keeping sufficient supporting players and trade assets (draft picks and players) to further improve the team.
     
  18. shastarocket

    shastarocket Contributing Member

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    ^My intent was never to say CD > or = Morey.

    I was simply saying that in 04-05, CD did an admirable job assembling a playoff squad out of trash. More incredible was how quickly the new pieces fit into the system and became integral to our second half surge.

    Was picking up David Wesley on the same level as picking up Beverley?
    In the long run, of course not.
    But in the microcosm of that season, every mid-season move was practical, made sense and (most importantly) worked.
     
    #18 shastarocket, Nov 10, 2013
    Last edited: Nov 10, 2013
  19. Merovingian

    Merovingian Member

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    The sooner players realize their role, responsibility, and limitation, the sooner we can get going.

    So far still few have been defined by the coach and its not profoundly clear and committed on the court.
     
  20. Hmm

    Hmm Member

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    There are key differences in your comparison, however. JVG had to deal with a team that had just lost 3 of it's starters from the previous year. One of Van Gundy's obstacles was trying to get the most out of so little (it was really Yao/Tracy and nothing else that year until those mentioned acquisitions.)

    Lastly, JVG's team did have direction that was clear from the beginning, they just lacked the talent - and in some cases, the right mindset/intelligence - to properly execute it.

    I don't see any direction from McHale's camp. Everyone continually appears lost and unsure about what they should be doing and what their role actually is on this team. Games have been won on talent alone - unlike JVG's teams these Rockets are brimming with talent - in spite of that lack of direction and team cohesion. There are very little similarities.
     

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