I typically don't make threads because usually what I have to say is not worthy of things beyond a post. I feel though, that things have been depressing these days and am currently in a happy mood. I actually feel pretty good about this offseason and I wanted to share a bit of my Rockets cheer. So as we all know, it’s been a rough offseason. Melo and Bosh spurned us to stay home. Lebron, well… did anyone here seriously think we had a shot? We lost Parsons on a questionable move by Morey to let him out of his contract a year earlier and a king’s ransom paid by Cuban that we can only hope he will never get near his money’s worth. We paid a low first rounder to find a new home for Lin. Stings, but something we braced for already. Asik I am actually not to bummed out about and I will get to why later. Oh and to possibly top it all off, there is a chance Thunder Killer Cisco may take his talents to Salt Lake City. Yup… this offseason kind of blew. Anyways, NEW BEGINNING! There are plenty of things that are amping me up for the upcoming season. To curb my enthusiasm, I will limit my homer gushing to just 5 points: 1. Dwight Howard – This guy has been an absolute beast for us. Sure Superman may be a bit more gravity challenged nowadays, but he has been immense. This guy changes how opposing teams approach on offense. He is quick to challenge on the perimeter and has been pretty efficient on offense. Them turnovers though Dwight… take care of that ball better! Either way, Dwight has emerged as a real leader on our team. He has shown he can grind when it gets tough and Fakerland was a thing of the past. I for one am so glad he is leading our frontcourt. 2. James Harden – Defensive woes aside, Harden is supremely talented on the offensive end and should only become more consistent and crafty. A few more first round exits though, and the Bearded One may find himself approaching T-Mac status. Fear not though! I have a feeling that this season and post season really embarrassed him. He has been de-pants so to speak with everyone outside the Rockets (fan base notwithstanding) absolutely roasting him for his lack of D. He has seen his stock tank with influential media heads because he allows career nights. He will come back with a chip on his shoulder this season. He will be angry and he will want blood. As far as his D… there is a saying that goes “When you hit rock bottom, there is nowhere to go but up.” I believe this is his D. It can only improve. 3. Trevor Ariza – At this point in his career (and contract), Ariza will not try to go all Jordan like Parsons was prone to do. Ariza is also by far the superior defender and will be much more energized on the defensive end due to the marginalized role on the offensive end. The stress free role of 3 and D with slashing will suit Ariza very will IMO this time around. He was also a better shooter than Parsons last year. Let’s see if he can sustain that this year. If so then guys, we have found our defensive wing! 4. Troy Daniels – This guy has ice in his veins. The rookie hit a game winning three like it was nothing. TD is one of the purest shooters I have seen and when you are teammates with Dwight Howard that is a GOOD THING! His D is shaky which will be an issue if he ever plays alongside with Harden. If he plays next to Nick Johnson or Beverley, it would be exciting to watching the cannons boom from deep. If TD can turn into a Steve Kerr type player for us and hit clutch threes and lots of threes, it’s going to be awesome having him come off the bench as a spark plug. 5. Nick Johnson – While I do not believe this guy will be the next Chris Paul, I do really, really like his game. What worries me however is if his court vision and passing ability translate to the NBA pace. Right now his court vision has surprised me at times, but his passing is a smidge too slow. A lot of those assists IMO would have been steals in the NBA. His jumper is also very shaky as well. If he can prove those 2 areas as non-weaknesses at the NBA level however, he can very well serve as a rich man’s Courtney Lee IMHO! Honorable Mention: Pelican protected draft pick These are just a few of the things I am amped up about. How about you guys?
Haha! Epic fail by me.. this should be in GARM actually. Well if a mod wants to move it, I would be grateful!
Looking at the rockets bench full of unproven players and only one consistent shooter, this season GARM will have a meltdown
Houston we have a sports town, and it will start with the Texans. Just like a Rocket, the only way to go is up. Go Houston!