Hi all.... I talking to my old buddy Billy Artest last week, and we discussed (privately) amongst other things his feelings about being in Houston a little over half a season in. My question to my beloved Rox fans is this: How do you feel half a season into having Ron on your team? Anything surprise you? Better/Worse than you thought? When we all last spoke, it was the start of the year, and everyone was giddy. Perhaps that's still the feeling, but I'm just curious. PS: DH>Yao
i think he will prove to be valuable later on. right now we are working out some issues and his shot selection is at times questionable. his effort is undoubtable and i love his toughness. overall i'm glad he's here.
While some are calling for his trade and he needs to change some things with his play on O I believe he could be very handy for a playoff run... his toughness, work ethic on D and hustle are something the rest of the team generally lacks and normally these trends catch on with team mates.
We really enjoy his toughness, his work ethic, his willingness to come off the bench and to be a good team player. We like the fact that he was truthful and hasn't had any "antics" this year that can be detremental to the team. His spot up three point shooting has been excellent and helps to sprend the floor tremendously. He has a positive influence on the youngins; we constantly see him providing feedback to some players during timeouts. We question his defense sometimes, he gambles alot for steals and his man can get by him. Sometimes on bad shooting nights, he just keeps jacking contested shots, which causes him to have a bad percentage. Overall we might have set our expectations too high, but to be honest, nothing matters until the playoffs. While we all expected a 60 win season, there is still a great upside to this team. Right now the biggest question is whether or not he will stay once the season ends. He is an asset and brings alot of value to the team. Some say he doesnt fit into the system and that is true so far, but it doesnt mean RA cant eventually make it work. The biggest concern is how to make him effective on the floor with Tmac. I think alot of us would like to know what kind of payday he is expecting, because if we can't keep him for long term, it would be ideal for the Rockets to let him go this year. Ron is a great guy and seems like a fan favorite.
No one player has been great for the Rockets at this point, but Ronalds consistent effort is much appreciated. We will need him desperately before the end... Hopefully we can keep our big 3, but make a small deal to bring some talent into the starting lineup. Rafer and/or Battier have got to go for some more talent in the starting line-up...
Surprise me? He's entertainig to watch. He plays to the crowd and I get a laugh at his antics with the refs. Better/worse? He's slower latteraly than I would have imagine but that ankle is most likely to blame. He gambles for steal alot and roams defensively a little too much for my taste. Am I still giddy? Yes! This is like our preseason, we have flashes of what we can be and a healthy Ron is a key piece to that. We haven't played well and even with all the injuries and defensive lapses were holding our position in the standings.
I didn't think we had a chance to get Ron in the off-season, but he was tops on my wish list as the perfect fit. I haven't changed my mind. IMHO, its up to Coach to integrate the team, and make full use of Ron's talents, which hasn't happened so far, with all the changing lineups and injuries. ... this team will come together, and peak at the right time ... you watch. As long as we're injury free come playoff time, it'll be fun to be a Rocket's fan.
mr. dave, i think it's still too early to judge. the big three haven't palyed enough games to give me a big enough sample to judge them. the real bench mark for me is how they perform together in the playoffs.
Cons: -Erratic 3 point shooting -Terrible shot selection, not always bad, but he's needs to work on it -Too small/tight of a uniform, get an XXXXXL for Ron, cause he doesn't fit in his current one Other than that, I'm happy with Ron here. That's about it.
I like his defense and intensity. I also like what he did in the Minnesota game, posting up weaker defenders and going toward the basket instead of shooting long jumpers. I like his spot up 3 point shooting. Tell Ron to tell Yao to practice going aggressively toward the basket and dunking on fools in pre-game warmups.
I was "giddy" to learn that Artest was joining the Rockets for one reason: attitude. He still has it. It is the same attitude that JVG had - play hard, play defense, don't ever give up. That is Artest's strength. Other Rockets have hustle. Some have the "never say die" attitude. Artest has a slightly different one though. He seems to see an NBA game as a street fight. He wants to win, not for the fans or his posse, but to show everyone that he is the best and deserves to win. Can that attitude blend into a cohesive team strength? Can it rub off on some of the Rockets "soft superstars?" Either way, I'm glad that he is a Rocket if that answers your question. He's not the only Rocket with heart, but he's got attitude.
So you're gonna post that you had a "private" discussion with Ron about how he feels being here, but you aren't gonna tell us what. Then you're gonna stir the pot some more (albeit with a perhaps playful tone) by saying that Dwight Howard is better than Yao? I'm not quite certain what you're trying to accomplish. A straightforward question would have gotten the job done, and probably agitated me (and maybe others) a little less. Or maybe I need to go to sleep.....
