So the person that hired Morey isn't responsible? We were **** before Morey and we are still ****. Les needs to sell the Rockets to someone that knows basketball.
No, who was the team's best player all of last year, and where is he these days? Oh yeah, getting chicken and Waffles in a walking boot. While Shane may be the clubhouse leader, Aaron Brooks is the leader on the floor. And people have been wondering why I like the guy, he is VITAL to this team....VITAL ! DD
Hola Amigos!!! Which two of these players are injured on the team? Aaron Brooks....Luis Scola.....Yao Ming. That's right. Fabuloso! Look, when two of the teams best players get back, I'm sure the record will start to level itself out. The 3-9 (or whatever) looks worse than it probably is. Everyone seems to have given up in a hateful panic.
Whats wrong with the Rockets? hmmmmm. Maybe its not the players, the coach or the GM. Its soooo easy when their is a problem to break the franchise into its component parts and place blame in one area. Sorry, but I dont buy entirely anyone's argument to this point. No, I think our primary foe is mental. This year, unlike last year, came in with expectations. Strangely, this team strives on being an underdog, but chokes when the bar gets raised. The guys relaxed last year knowing without Yao, they were meant to achieve little. They love to fly under the radar and surprise people. But more than anything, they were concentrating on their game and NOT what was expected of them. This year, I see a team that is trying not to lose, rather than one trying to win. If you have ever played competitive hearts, its like this team is throwing the queen at the first opportunity, rather than holding it and being patient enough to give it to the low man. Instead of letting opportunities come to them, they are trying to create everyone themselves. With a read and react offense, you have to let what the other team gives you be at the heart of what you do. Instead of playing to the other teams weakness, we are trying to play to our strengths. Our strength IS taking it to the opponents weakness. A supposedly deep bench should on most nights be able to insert players that create miss matches. Instead, we are trying to pound the ball into our best players and then wondering why we cant score in the 4th when the other teams adapts. Its too easy for our opponent when we play like this. A great example was in the Bulls game when they fronted Scola in the final minutes. They knew what we were going to do. Yes, back in the Hakeem days, that was ok cause that man couldnt be defended by one man ever. We dont have a guy that will always draw 2 or 3 defenders, thus opening things up for others. I think the Rockets suffer right now from what ill call Deferment. They are trying to get certain guys established. They are trying to get certain guys the ball. Seems reasonable. Except that when the other team starts focusing on them, its our 4th and 5th scoring options that are open. And those later scoring options have become hesitant to shoot, feeling like they need to defer to Yao, or Scola or Martin. This deferment works on a team that has genuine super stars. Guys that can create their own shot. Until we have someone like that, everyone needs the green light. Everyone needs to feel confident in taking their own shot. The McGrady era was often characterized by players defering to him. Standing around at times waiting for McGrady to make things happen. Interestingly, the team got better in many ways when his presence was no longer on the floor. Its not because he was replaced by a superior player, but because you had relative equals on the floor without him and the other players felt like they had no one to defer to. The beginning of this year with Yao in the fold has had a similar effect. Everyone wanted Yao to be the guy. The man. The focal point sooo bad, that without realizing it, they started the deferment mentality once again. Those that see the certain improvements in the team while Yao doesnt play are seeing this, imo. MJ once said that the game is 90% mental. I believe this applies not only to individual players, but to the team as a whole. The Rockets need to get back to the mentality that any player on the team can be the difference maker. They dont have the go to guy. Last year in route to a 20-13 record with a poorer team than the current one, made this leap. They believed in each other because they had no other choice. And later because it worked.
True, and they were trying to shoe horn in Yao and 24 minutes a game, and barely losing to the elite teams in the league, on the road. Now, with him gone, and the 24 minute anchor out too, we are losing to the dregs of the league by double digits... AB is our closer, he is the leader on the floor, he is the most important player on this team..... I am sorry that many fans can not see the obvious.....his skillset is unique and it is not covered by anyone else on the team, he is VITAL..... DD
