Couldn't find any thread abt this in the first two pages. Lock it if posted. Did Clutch tell us abt this? http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_y...lug=cnnsi-workinprogress&prov=cnnsi&type=lgns Work in progress Kelly Dwyer, SI.com ClutchFans.net is the undisputed granddaddy of NBA fan sites. Launched in August 1996 by David "Clutch" Hardisty, the page stands alone in the annals of online hoops fandom due to the sheer volume of its Houston Rockets coverage. Fan-penned columns, game recaps, scouting reports and statistical breakdowns cover the site, in addition to a lottery-pick generator that has been (ahem) "appropriated" by bigger, corporate-run sites. Adding to the frenzy is a message board that boasts 19,000 registered posters and offers the most intelligent NBA fan back-and-forth you'll find on the Web. With the Rockets looking to rejoin the ranks of the NBA's elite in 2006-07 after coming off an injury-plagued 34-win campaign last season, we asked Clutch six crucial questions about the team he has covered for more than a decade. ADVERTISEMENT SI.com: Can Tracy McGrady play shooting guard? In coach Jeff Van Gundy's offensive and defensive schemes, will it even matter? Hardisty: Shooting guard is probably the biggest hole for the Rockets right now, so it would be nice if Tracy could fill that position. In the end, however, I don't think it is really going to matter. Shane Battier will pick up the toughest defensive assignments as he and McGrady will man the 2-3-4 -- at times with a shooting guard like Kirk Snyder or Luther Head on the floor, and at other times with a power forward like Juwan Howard or Chuck Hayes. SI.com: Did Juwan Howard retire last summer? Hardisty: Juwan is a good scorer who can stretch the interior defense by knocking down the mid-range jumper, but the problem is he doesn't provide too much else at this stage. His rebounding and defense are really sub-par and he reminds you of a Shareef Abdur-Rahim in that, for whatever reason, he's not a guy who impacts winning. He could be a very good player for the Rockets off the bench, but unfortunately they don't yet have a surefire power forward better than Howard -- though Battier will see time there. And look out for Hayes. SI.com: Why do you think Yao Ming gets such stick from the national media? The guy averaged 22 and 10 in 34 minutes a game last year, and yet most writers seem to regard him with the same stereotypes (ineffectual, soft) that dogged him in his '02 NBA debut. Hardisty: Anyone who thinks Yao is any kind of stiff clearly has not watched him play or is blinded by stereotypes of his nationality or size. I think some members of the media don't like to admit being wrong, and many of them had no problem calling him a future bust in '02. He's always been a highly skilled player who can put up numbers, and he's improved each season. With that said, in the middle of last season even I would have questioned whether he was a true "superstar." He was averaging 19 and 9 -- very good numbers -- but he just did not seem to have the mentality needed to dominate the game. However, in the final 24 games of last year before he was injured, a lightbulb seemed to go off in the big man's head -- he averaged 26.6 points on 54 percent shooting, 12 rebounds and 1.9 blocks during that stretch. If Yao has truly grasped the fact that no single NBA player can really stop him, the rest of the league should be concerned, because there are definite signs that Yao is becoming a force. SI.com: Does this team have the depth to compete with the big boys in the Southwest Division? Hardisty: I don't think you can say that just yet about the Rockets. While T-Mac, Yao and Battier form a strong trio, the Rockets are loaded with "maybes" beyond that. Rafer Alston is a solid passer and playmaker but hasn't been the long-range shooter the Rockets need at the position. Snyder improved in his second season with the Hornets, but he's a question mark. Chuck Hayes and Luther Head were pleasant surprises, but both are just entering their second seasons. And while we could see an impact on the rotation from Steve Novak, Vassilis Spanoulis and/or John Lucas III, all three are unproven rookies. A lot would have to come together at once for the Rockets to be on the same level as the Spurs and the Mavericks. SI.com: How do you think the transition between outgoing GM Carroll Dawson and incoming personnel boss Daryl Morey will go? What players on the current roster are already Morey's kinds of guys? Hardisty: It's early, but I think the transition will go fine. Morey may be young, but he's very intelligent and will learn a lot from Dawson next season. The key is how the chemistry between Morey and Jeff Van Gundy forms; I really think Morey is going to be as much of an asset in helping determine rotations and player combinations that are successful as much as he is signing players and making trades. Battier is clearly his type of player -- Morey had a lot of influence on that trade. Battier is efficient in all areas of the game and does the little things that often get overlooked to help teams win. He should complement Yao and T-Mac nicely. Another player who has to be high on Morey's charts is Hayes, who is extremely high-energy. While Hayes is undersized, he was in the top three in the league in rebounds per 48 minutes and top 14 in steals. I anticipate that we will see a lot more of Hayes this season. SI.com: What about these Rockets would surprise fans of other teams? Hardisty: I think their record in general this season could surprise many. After their disastrous '05-06 season, Houston has fallen off the map for many NBA fans looking toward '06-07, and I would be careful in overlooking them. McGrady's health is the big key. If he can play pain-free this season -- and admittedly, while he claims to be healthy, that's a big if right now -- the Rockets could surprise to the tune of 50 wins. I believe they are a piece or two away from being considered among the elite of the West (in particular they need better three-point shooters), but a healthy McGrady and Yao is as good as any one-two punch in the NBA. Updated on Wednesday, Aug 16, 2006 12:51 pm EDT
Kudos to Kelly and Clutch! And thanks to ymc for the find. (unless it's around here somewhere, and we missed it!) Nothing to disagree with Clutch about in the interview. Depth and 3 point shooting are a need. Tracy and Yao have to stay healthy for the season. The Rockets are being overlooked. All true. Hell, I'm glad we're being overlooked by the media. It'll make it that much sweeter when we start pounding other teams and racking up the wins.
Neat. Hopefully, this article will not result in a torrent of new bbs users. Is free registration still on? Great questions, Kelly, and great answers, Clutch. I think JVG might disagree with the comment that Juwan doesn't impact winning. But history would indicate you're spot on with that take. Also, I would have suggested changing the title of the article to something else, though. I read "Work In Progress", and my immediate thought was the article was still being worked on.
great work kelly, and props to clutch when i saw the first word in the article i was like daaaaaamn! i like that!
Kelly doesn't look like anything I expected though. Much younger than I thought, he looks like he is fresh out of college.
Congrats to Clutch and crew. Congrats to all the long time posters who also make the site. I think I'll print this out and show it to my wife and son.
Congrats clutch! It's been said in the 10-year thread and the other thanks clutch and co. thread, but THANKS CLUTCH! This really is the place to be for us Rockets fans.
