Apologies for opening yet another thread on this topic - I don't do it often. Now I’m excited about having TMac and this is possibly the step change we need to be real championship contenders. But when you follow a team, there comes a time when you have to say enough is enough. I mean, where do you draw the line between following a team and your affinity with its players? I’ve followed the Rockets since my first trip to Houston in 1989 – long before the current crop of players were in uniform, so it’s not like I am just a Francis bandwagoner. But I saw these guys (Francis and Mobley) get recruited out of college, and I saw them grow up with the club. I was a season ticket holder for over 3 years, and I sat and watched them night after night. I thought they were committed to the club long term and vice versa, and I took comfort in that. It’s not like we were insufferably bad either – we had just made the playoffs and the future was looking bright. A young core, all under long term contract. I guess it’s just a sign of the times. I will always follow the rockets, but I can’t help but feel that a part of the team has gone. Wholesale personnel changes, and signing a superstar with whom you have no history, cheapens the experience for me.
I completely understand where you are coming from. I think alot of long-time Rockets fans have a hard time seeing players get traded, because some of us have the tendency to get attached to seeing these players day in and day out. I watched Steve at San Jac and at Maryland, I was happy (not right away, I also watched Dickereson @ Arizona, loved that guy) when he came to the Rockets. Cuttino was great when he came in, never had love for Cato. But I think we need to see this as a message from Rockets management to the fans, simply stated...We're going for it. A player of McGrady's caliber does not come along very often, and if you have the opportunity to acquire that special player, you have to do it. For four years the Rockets were left watching the playoffs from their couch. This past season they were first round and out. The same team from last season was most likely going to do the same thing next season. I think Les, CD, JVG, and co. realized this and decided to make the change. An opportunity presented itself to better the team, and they took it. You have to give up quality for quality. Steve was a special player, as was Cuttino. But in the end, I think the changes being made to this team will benefit in the long run, and I think they are better suited to go against some of the better teams in the West. Can't wait to see what other acquisitions are made this offseason.
A big makeover for the rox this year....im sad to see francis and cuttino go....i remember jumping for joy when we got francis in the trade...he was fun to watch grow, and while doing so, i grew as a fan
Well, I know how you feel. Those guys are definitely part of the family, and forever will be. However, after these years of watching iso plays clinics, turnover exhibitions and bad shots competitions, I think the joy of success will finally outgrow the pain of change. It might break our hearts at the beginning, but if there is no change, the chance of long-term enjoyment and eventual success might never come. Here is the solution, grow to love the Y-Mac combo for the next 10 years and the 5 rings we will get. You will feel, after all, it's all worth it.
i agree completly. I'm sad to see francis and mobley go, they are just part of houston for so long, and i think they were great players. now if i look at the roster i do not feel anything for the players. I'm still a rockets fan. and i know i will gonna feel the same for Mcgrady as i did for francis, but at this time it is sad to se them go. Go ROckets good luck mobley and francis, see you in the finals
Did you guys feel the same way when Otis Thorpe was traded for Drexler? Or when Cassell was traded for Barkley? You choose one or two players to build around, the rest are ancillary. Yao is clearly the player to build around, and TMac is FAR superiour to Francis and Mobley. This team just doubled their basketball IQ..... JVG is doing the right thing. Just think of it this way....after 5 years we will finally be able to cheer for a successful fastbreak !! DD
If Francis and Mobley had not been reluctant to have Yao Ming on the team and would have cooperated with management and JVG then there is a strong possibility that they would still be here. But as they were selfish, dribbling ,limelight seeking and refused Yao the ball so many times , they deserve not to be with the Rockets.
If you get all emotional about players, you end up with a Jeff Bagwell at 17 million bucks eating up all salary. Look how that's worked out. Its a business.....
you mean there is someone here that hasnt figured that one out yet?? it so damn obvious, it isnt even funny. hey, I thought sporting multiple nicks was a no-no around here..whats the deal?...did Yetti get banned and now he is back as YingYang...or did he do that cause no one responded seriously to any of his crap as Yetti? anyway.... DaDa...Im shocked.....you must be joking..that statement was so far from any degree of truth that I cant see how you would be agreeing....but remembereing your distaste for the guards....I guess it shouldnt be unexpected.
heh....no worries...Im not gonna hassle you about that...you are the only other one that seems to enjoy giving the Snowman as hard of a time as I do. besides....that quote you posted had to been posted with tongue firmly in cheek(or in his azz, whats the difference?) since Yetti has never said a kind word about Cat or Steve.
I'll tell you at what price success....at the risk of going another 20 years in this city w/out a championship (and no, I don't count the Comets) or this team completely starting from scratch when Yao signed with another team. The bottom line is that Yao is the focal point of the franchise. From a talent perspective, from a potential perspective, from a marketing perspective, from a business perspective (you can't forget about the marketing and business side of this...it is huge). I know this has been discussed before, but there are two types of players with championship rings: 1. the Hakeems of the world and 2. the role players. It is waaaaay too early to think of Yao as anything other than an Hakeem type of player - that's the type of potential he has. With that said, do you continue down the current path? JVG admitted it, this team probably wasn't going to improve that much as it matured. Or, do you make significant changes and give Yao the resources needed to become an Hakeem (back to the marketing and business side...you don't have a choice. If you want him to stay in Houston, he has to be successful. There is too much money at stake to let him sit on a second teir team his entire career - He would have signed somewhere else if we hadn't made this type of move)? The only two players the Rockets had of interest were Steve and Cuttino. They were the only guys that were going to bring enough talent to help Yao. Steve AND Cuttino might win a championship one day, but it won't be as Hakeem type players. More than likely, it will be as backups in the late stages of their careers - if you can come to terms with that as part of Rox management, you have to make this move. In my opinion, this all goes back to the day we won the #1 pick a couple of years back.....I think Steve and Cuttino's days were numbered then. Yao was truly a franchise altering selection (no SF pun intended). ...one last point. Even if you thought SF/CM could have brought a ring to Houston with Yao, how many would they have won.....1 MAX. CD and LA just gave US the chance to win several...
I think it's important to remember that Steve, Cat and Cato were not "gotten rid of." They weren't just dumped. They were SACRIFICED to get T-Mac, which JVG and Rockets management believe will at some point give us a better shot at a banner than the old core did. I tend to agree that last year's squad had pretty well maxed out their potential, even though I liked them.
