Season's Grades and random thoughts. Rick Adelman: A- What can you say about Rick, he is as advertised. We made it to the second round, and he finished second in COTY voting. We gave him a bunch of criticism during the begining of the year because we all expected him to mold this talent into a sixty win team and a championship. After a slow start, he was the one we all pointed the finger at, despite the plethoria of injuries and shifting lineups. Rick really began to shine once the lineup was settled in the final 30 games or so, and this team really took off. I shutter to think what this team is capable of under Rick with a full compliment of healthy players for an entire season and I look forward to seeing it next season. I have a few criticisms of Adelman in his coaching styles however. I think he is very slow to make adjustments on the fly. If there is a glaring problem in the game, you often don't see it fixed until the following game. This leads to stretches when the teams looks disasterous, yet will have a remarkable turnaround once there is time for a practice. Furthermore, he has a tendency to not stick with the hot player. I can think of numerous games where Wafer was simply on fire in the first half, yet saw little time in the second half. The same happened with Scola/Landry. Usually one or the other has a great night depending on the matchup, yet Adelman tends to stick with his standard minute allocations, despite the game flow. I would love to see Adelman here for a long time. Elston Turner: A- While we don't hear very much about how assistant coaches prepare the defense, I think it is safe to say that Turner did an excellent job. Even with the size limitations on our players, you never found very many holes in our defense once the lineup was set. I am not sure how much of our suffocation defense is credited to Turner and how much to just the players in general, but it was clearly among the best in the league. I think we can improve with another defensive big to either play alongside Yao or back him up. It is sad to see Dikemebe go, hopefully we can find a solid replacement for him. Daryll Morey: A+ I don't normally give out A pluses, but in Morey's case I don't see how you can label his work as anything other than perfection. Every move he has made this season has been pure gold. The Lowry trade is looking better everyday and the Artest deal was a literal steal from Sacramento. I know this was last year, but his drafting of Landry and Brooks were amazing. I take comfort knowing that this franchise is in very capable hands going forward. Morey has a huge task ahead of him this offseason, but I cannot wait to see what kind of magic he performs. Yao Ming: B+ Yao is a beast. He is a hard worker, unselfish, great teamate and a lock to score if he gets the ball in the right spot. He would of recieved an A if he could of managed to stay on the court for the entire playoffs but it is what it is. At this point, I don't see Yao getting any better than he is right now. The only improvements I can see from him would involve him being able to move better, which is something you cannot teach him. The intangible benefits are nice as well. Yao is an international icon, so he brings extra wealth and an exclusive market to the Rockets Organization. Furthermore he also adds the "Chinese Shoe Contract" incentive for most of his teamates. That perk is beyond measuring when constructing a team, as it gives us an edge when entering a competitive free agency market. On the defensive end, Yao is a presence in the paint but leaves something to be desired as far as picking up fouls and blocking shots. He is almost useless when teams with shooting big mean come to town (Toronto, Indiana, Utah). Unfortunatley, the chronic season ending injuries are becoming a problem. As much as he brings to the table, it is easy to forgive and forget, but it is something to consider going forward. Would you want to keep him if I told you he would be un-available for 2 of the next 4 playoffs? I certainly hope this isn't the case, but it is entirely probable, given the recent history. At this point I would consider atleast quietly shopping him for for a superstar. Now don't get me wrong I am not a Yao hater, but if Dwight Howard or Chris Paul were offered for Yao, would you take it? I would. Either way, I wouldn't mind Yao finishing his career here as long as he remains effecient. Tracy McGrady: D+ Tracy Tracy Tracy, what do we do with you? Tracy spent the entire year out of shape and injured. I know some of you, with the "what have you done for me lately" mindset, want to demonize him and blame him for all of our problems this year, but I havent forgotten last year and the other times when carried our team, so I personally believe he has earned somewhat of a break on this one. Tracy didn't handle his injury very well and is notorously bad at communicating these things with the team and the public. I think most of us expected Tracy to do what Wafer did this year which was capitalize on the defensive attention Yao recieved and penetrate when he was fronted. Tracy had trouble adapting to the new system and Ron being on the court, but to his credit, had only a few games to adapt. I will give him credit for actually playing in the begining of the year. Shane was out and Tracy came back early to try and fill the void on the wing until Battier was healthy, despite obviously still being injured. Tracy is a remarkable talent, but it is questionable whether or not he will ever be "that guy" ever again. As of right now, he is a juicy expiring contract that needs to be transformed into additional pieces to help the team moving forward. Many people see him as a cancer and a quitter, but I like to look at him as more as someone who tried to play injured, but failed. Take that for what it is worth. Ron Artest: C+ Ron was a virtual nightmare on offense, taking many bad shots and disrupting the flow of Adelman's scheme. On defense, Ron was above average but gambled a little too much on steals allowing his man to get by. Toughness and leadership, as well as entertainment value were all positives for Ron. He is a free agent this year and tough decisions lie ahead for Morey and company. I beleive it is essential to not overpay him from the second round euphoria. The market is down, and there are not many great alternatives out there this year, so I think we could snag him for relatively cheap. Personally I believe "toughness" is a little overrated, but I know many will disagree with me. Anyway, back to this years performace, Artest was probably most valuable as a spot up three point shooter. I was actually surprised by at how good a shooter he is when wide open. TO his credit he was playing with a hurt ankle for a large portion of the season and he improved somewhat once he was healthy. If Ron does resign, he needs to find a way to be more effecient. It was pretty clear Morey was trying to move him at the deadline. I believe there was a failed Caron Butlet deal in the works, so I dont honestly know where the management stands on him. Shane Battier: A- Shane is a defensive stud when it comes to explosive wings and a spot up three point shooter. Shane's value is very apparent when we play seven game series against Roy/Kobe types. I can't imagine how much worse the post season would of been if Roy and Kobe were shooting at higher percentages. As is, I am a big fan of what Shane brings to the team. Role players find a way to be great without the ball and Shane epitomizes this. He went through a bit of a shooting streak late in the season, but picked it up during the playoffs, which is all you can really ask of the guy. Shane never allowed Kobe to get under his skin and loose his cool, which is remarkable. I want to keep Shane on this team for the rest of his career. He is everything that is good about basketball. Don't forget his leadership during the playoffs either. I won't soon forget his huddle speaches that were played before the Laker games. Luis Scola: A- Luis was as consistant as it gets. He was a double double waiting to happen on any given night. His crafty inside post moves are some of the best in the league and he is as durable as they come. He was particulary foul prone in the begining of the season, but learned to play more conservatively as he gained experience. His defense leaves something to be desired, but it is certainly not below average. I was a bit surprised at how good he was with his midrange jumper, which is something that looks to be pivotal in this offense. I love Scola and I want the offense to run through him more next year, so our offense stops looking so predictable. Furthermore, I think we should lock him up for the long term as he is extremely underated. If this guy hits the open market I think we will lose him. My only gripe is about the flopping. I think it is terrible for the game and it needs to go. Aaron Brooks: B+ The organization showed alot of confidence in AB when they traded away Alston and gave him the promotion to starter at the trade deadline. I see a bright future for Aaron once he becomes a bit more experienced and comfortable with the position. He has terrific speed, shooting, and penetration ability but makes poor decisions at times. His assist levels were low compared to turnovers, but I expect this to improve. Many people predicted he would be a terrible defender, but I never found this to be the case throughout the season. He was durable and had a great series against the Lakers, garnering national attention. I think he is the future and I think we should trust him to grow as a player while wearing a Rockets uniform. Personally I am hoping for a Tony Parker esque learning curve, but that might be a bit much to ask. Either way I look forward to watching him play! Von Wafer: B+ Nobody saw this kid coming. Wafer reminds me so much of Vernon Maxwell, it isnt even funny. This kid has all the weapons to be extremely potent as a scorer. He is somewhat turnover prone when he doesnt get the ball in the ball in open court, but is great when he gets the ball with an open lane to the basket. He was particularly usefull in situations where Yao is fronted and he can get a running start to the basket. His passion is both a pro and a con. We still all wonder about the bench incident, but you can tell this kid brings it when he is on the floor. He can be somewhat of a black hole when he gets the ball, but I consider him shooting the ball a good possesion, because he seems to hit them at such a high rate. I hope he resigns here and takes a fair contract. I find it hard to justify spending more than 2 million dollars on him, but that kind of money may come from another club. Defensively he could use some work, but it wasnt terrible and atleast he tried to make an effort. Ive heard rumors he can be obnoxious in the locker room, but at the same time I see him dancing in the middle of the huddle, so his antics might be something the team feeds off of. Carl Landry: B+ Carl is explosive when he is in the zone, but can be wildly incosistant at times. He is much like Wafer, in some games he has it and others he just doesn't. He is most valuable lurking under the rim and feeding off good distributers like McGrady and Brooks. He was very productive when he shot the elbow jumper, but we didnt see very much of that shot after the all star break for some reason. His streakiness was a problem, but it is good that we don't have to rely on him very much. We saw virtually none of him in the Portland series and only 2 or so great games in the Laker series, but thats what you can expect from a bench player. Carl is very good for what he is paid and I like him very much. I would like to see him continue to improve his jump shooting and defense over the summer. Unfortunatley I have a feeling if we move McGrady for anything good, it is likely Carl will be included in the deal because he is so attractive from a contract/youth perspective. Kyle Lowry: B+ Kyle was a mid season pickup via trade with Memphis and Orlando. Although we didn't get to see very much from him, we saw alot of positives. His ability to get to the line is very valuable especially considering how many fouls Yao draws on opposing bigs. His defense is above average and turnover rate low. He is a more traditional point guard than Brooks and many clamor for him to start while Brooks comes off the bench. I disagree as I believe Brooks is much harder to defend than Lowry, despite a little less ball control. It is hard to find fault in Lowry's game, but he was quiet in the Laker series, having a few Rafer esque 1-6 shooting performances. I would like to see Lowry improve his outside shooting a bit and expect good things from him next year, once he is a bit more acclamated to the system. Kyle is fearless when it comes to penetration and doesn't mind putting his body on the line. He was a great pickup for the team and I expect him to stay here for quite a while. Chuck Hayes: A- How can you not love Chuck Hayes? He is a situational lockdown defender at the 4. Chuck didn't see much time this season till Yao went down but stepped up to the plate when called on. I love having Hayes on the bench, because you know he can come in and bring instant toughness and smarts. I dont know what Chuck does during the offseason, but I hope he spends atleast some time practicing free throws. How about that game winning play in Portland? One 30 second stint on the floor, one game winning play! Brent Barry: C+ I was a little dissapointed in Brent as I thought he would be much better on this team than he was. He had a tendency to miss a bunch of open three pointers, which I did not expect. He was a solid body to fill up a few minutes here and there, but never made much of an impact. I wouldn't be surprised to see him traded as filler or not be resigned. I like him alot as a person and I hope he works in our front office once he retires as a player. White, Dorsey, Mutumbo, Cook: Incomplete Didn't really see enough of these guys to give an appropriate grade. This offseason I am hoping for some some changes to be made in our "core". I am a big fan of our role players and bench crew. They really showed what they had taking games for the juggernauts that are the Los Angelas Lakers. I sincerely hope we keep that crew intact for the long run. The key in my opinion is to get this "superstar" situation worked out so that we are getting the most talent available, and on the floor, for the money we are spending. As far as I am concerned they can trade/sign Yao,Tracy or Ron or not, whatever the front office thinks will beneift us the most. I just want a closer and some major talent on the roster and healthy when we make a playoff run next year. When I look up and down this roster it is hard to find any weaknesses when everyone is healthy. The only thing I think is missing is a backup big man to help Yao out. Great job this year Rockets and I will see you in October!
For Real... Artest: B at a minimum... here's the deal, b**** and moan about his dribbling and taking too many shots, but we didn't exactly have a lot of options...
Now when you say influential, what do you mean exactly? When he flexed to the crowd? When he got in Kobe's face? When he got a custom Rockets haircut? Ron is a likeable guy that brings toughness and passion, but as a basketball player he was a bit below average.
In terms of intellect, you're a bit below average. Artest is considered one of the best two-way players in the game.
LOL, because I gave him a C+ I am a moron? I am sorry my opinion of him is not what yours is, I guess that makes me an idiot. His defense was solid, but his offense was atrocious, which is exactly what I wrote.
Ron brought toughness, passion, work ethic, defense, swagger, among many other things to this team. In previous years, this team has been a pushover. They would play defense and then back down when confronted. This team never backs down now. They are in your face and tough and that all stems from Ron Artest. Despite what haters say, he still had a pretty damn good defensive season. His offense was pretty solid for most of the season as well. He came here expecting to be the #3 guy and during the playoffs, he had no Yao or Tmac, yet his composure held this team together. He was the leader and HEART of this team and if you don't see that, you must not have watched this fantastic team this season. His qualities rubbed off on this team and gave them more drive and toughness than they have had in over a decade.
I am glad he did all that, but he also shot 40% from the field. Statistically he was one of the worst in the league who shot as much as he did. This is particularly troublesome when you factor in how good he was from behind the arc. Here is post season stats by position: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/stati...one&qual=true&seasontype=3&pos=sf&season=2009 Here are regular season stats by position: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/stati...one&qual=true&season=2009&seasontype=2&pos=sf
Here are my two cents: Adelman A++ Give this man credit for where we are now considering the ups and downs throughout the season. NOBODY could have done a better job on the Rockets in this season and we are fortunate to have him here. Morey A Great job signing von Wafer and trading for Artest and Lowry. But "A+" should be reserved if he somehow managed to get Lebron or Wade or CP3. Yao Ming A- Great job in keeping yourself healthy in the regular season and the first round. Despite some occasional 6-point performance, he gave his best all the time. Memorable comeback in Game 1 against the Lakers. Can't blame him for being injured. TMac F He is the distraction of the great season and he is the major reason we can't get the 2nd seed. Favorite movements: "Oh I need a 2nd medical opinion" "I will play one game out of 2" "My team is an average team!" "I MAY or MAY NOT perform a surgery before the trade deadline so you can't trade me HAHA." "Lakers will beat Rockets!" Ron Artest B+ Toughness. Leadership. Defense. Although he occasionally jacked up clueless shots and made stupid decisions, he cared about the team and gave his all. Major reason why we got out of the 1st round in 12 years. Shane Battier A- Shane stepped up his leadership role since TMac went down and Rafer was traded. Great job defending Kobe and we will remember the bloodshed. Aaron Brooks A- Stepped up BIG TIME since Rafer was traded. Made Morey look like genius. Lots of ppl forgot he's only a 2nd year point guard who played barely in his rookie season. Can't ask for more for a late first-round pick. Von Wafer B+ Another genius move by Morey. Early in the season he is still fighting for the last spot with DJ Strawberry and now he becomes a valuable backup who brings shooting and athleticism to this relatively slow and unathletic team. He can change his attitude a little bit in this new team with great chemistry and brotherhood. Kyle Lowry B+ Great pickup. I admitted I was sad to see Rafer go but looking back this is a great move. A good, young PG who consistently attacks the basket with high bball IQ. Carl Landry B+ Didn't look as impressive earlier in the season but man, this guy is ALIVE. Played well in later in the season and stepped up in the Lakers series. Mandry continues to provide energy when the starters play sluggish. Luis Scola A- Always give his best with a winner attitude. Provides veteran leadership despite playing for his 2nd year in the NBA. Stepped up in the playoffs against Aldridge and Odom/Gasol. Chuck Hayes A- Stepped up since Yao went down and played great defense against Gasol. He would be perfect if he could ever develop some offensive game. Less backdoor cuts passed to him since TMac went down. Deke B Great cheerleader and played well. It's unfortunate he ended his career like that. Others INCOMPLETE
Im glad you just look at stats and don't watch Rockets games, now I know what kind of clueless individual I am conversing with. Plain and simple, without Ron, the Rockets do NOT make it past Portland.
You're generalizing. I watched every minute of every game and follow stats closely. You seem less interested in discussion and more interested in insults, why is this?
So what you are saying is despite his bad offense, he brought leadership/ toughness and solid defense?
again, his offense was quite comparable to the offense of tmac from 2 of the past 3 seasons. They shot almost an identical percentage 3 of the past 4 seasons. So you are saying tracy was equally as bad except he completely ignored the defensive side of the ball. These stats are also coparing a #1 option in tmac to a presumed #3 option in Ronny. What I am saying is that Ron gave this team an identity and a culture that it has lacked for over a decade which is more important than anything else
I will give Ron A-. he did his best, and brought the toughness and defense to us, that's very important to us.
I don't know why you keep bringing Tracy into this, he was ineffecient as well. The difference with him was he was better at getting his teamates involved but was much worse on defense. He also consistently drew double teams and was great at getting Yao the ball in the right position. Yao has always been the number one option, and both Tracy and Ron were always #2, execpt the rare times when all three were on the court. So again, I don't know why you feel Tracy is relevant, this is about Ron this season. As far as identity and culture, I don't know about all that stuff. I am not in the huddle or the lockeroom so I dont know who inspires or gives identity, I can only give an analysis on what I see. I have a feeling you looked at the grade and didn't even read the descriptions. Again, if you don't agree, fine, everyone is entitled to thier opinions, but I stand by my grade of C+. "Ron was a virtual nightmare on offense, taking many bad shots and disrupting the flow of Adelman's scheme. On defense, Ron was above average but gambled a little too much on steals allowing his man to get by. Toughness and leadership, as well as entertainment value were all positives for Ron. He is a free agent this year and tough decisions lie ahead for Morey and company. I believe it is essential to not overpay him from the second round euphoria. The market is down, and there are not many great alternatives out there this year, so I think we could snag him for relatively cheap. Personally I believe "toughness" is a little overrated, but I know many will disagree with me. Anyway, back to this years performace, Artest was probably most valuable as a spot up three point shooter. I was actually surprised by at how good a shooter he is when wide open. TO his credit he was playing with a hurt ankle for a large portion of the season and he improved somewhat once he was healthy. If Ron does resign, he needs to find a way to be more effecient. It was pretty clear Morey was trying to move him at the deadline. I believe there was a failed Caron Butlet deal in the works, so I dont honestly know where the management stands on him."
Daryl Morey shouldn't get an A+. Signing 37 yr old Brent Barry to a 2 yr contract was a poor decision. Also, drafting Joey Dorsey, another undersized PF with no offensive skills, was also a bad choice - especially when a legit 7 footer in DeAndre Jordan was available. I would give you him a B to B+. Ron deserves higher than a C+. Nothing personal, but the fact that you gave Artest the same grade as Brent Barry is ridiculous. A C+ is reserved for somebody who is slightly above average. As rhino17 pointed out, the Rockets would not have made it to the 2nd round without Artest. That alone pushes his grade up. I would give him a solid B to B+ as well. I don't have any problems with the rest of the grades you handed out.
Fantastic report card, i agree with every single grade, which is rare because im a naturally argumentative person. The haters on this board should stop nip picking
