[IKO] Amen Thompson to undergo MRI. Left arena in walking boot and crutches.

Keep up that energy when the Rockets drop to the playin area because their best player is out.

DD

 

In fairness - they were not going far in the playoffs either way. Their team as currently constructed is built more for regular season success - with lots of young players, lots of depth and a lack of a franchise player.

 

Who knows? All we can do now is to pray that this estimate is overall accurate. While I’m no expert and can’t read MRI results, when I’m looking at the replay, it doesn’t seem that Amen’s poor landing was that hard. We all saw a year ago the harsh ankle twist of Sungun, and eventually it was only a level 2 sprain and by the summer he recovered it. So considering how far worse Sengun ankle twist seemed compared to Amen, I do hope that within 2 weeks he’ll be good to go.

 

Yep, we are still a good bit of playoff experience and a superstar breakout (or trade acquisition) away from actually contending for rings.

 

That is just loser talk - no one knows where they end up, even today - they should be better, but Ime is grinding them down, this injury to Amen is a great example of stupidity and chasing something that doesn't matter.

There are no excuses, with unnecessary risks.

DD

 

Anything is possible - but from an objective point of view, the Rockets were never likely to go deep in the playoffs for the reasons I outlined. I also don't think they have underachieved at all. I love the Rockets and want them to get better (and they will) but the team as currently constructed is competitive but not anything special.

 

This is quite possible, if not likely.

 

Amen had no business out there in a blow out game with the starting point guard out. This falls on coaching. I don’t know about y’all but Russ ruined the triple double, it doesn’t have the allure anymore so why bother. Let me see a quad double and then talk to me.
Bad timing for the injury hope we can weather the storm

 

It's a fun stat for a lot of players. The team didn't have a game the night before or the next day and Amen was only at 33 minutes when it happened. Sucks that it happened but it's something that almost every coach in the league would allow if the player wanted the last rebound.

 

Minny is the only real threat. They have the easiest schedule remaining and they're 4 games out. Conversely Memphis may also drop down alongside us. The goal for this rest of the season should be to maintain 6th or higher to avoid the play-in.

 

I don't always agree with DD, but I have to agree with him here. Yes, I think we know our limitations with this roster, but even then the coaching staff should be doing everything possible to get as many wins as possible. Getting a higher seed, thus homecourt advantage in the 1st round, could propel us to win a series.

Freak injuries happen, but I don't think any of us would be upset if this would of happened in the 1st quarter of a game we needed to win versus the 4th quarter of a game that was already wrapped up.

 

Sorry to burst the bubble but the majority of superstars were not considered “the one” till they had playoff victories.

Playoff victories create superstars just as often as superstars create playoff victories. The teams who grow their own always end up with more depth. Homegrown teams and super teams win titles. That’s the history of the NBA.

They were still calling Jokic too much of a negative on defense before he went on to win a title and during the run lifting his rim protection from average to elite in those playoffs. They were saying Brown doesn’t deserve the max when he got it and then they said he didn’t deserve the super max. That’s their Finals MVP now. Giannis’ jumper, Curry’s ankles, people just have a really short memory and only remember their own predictions that went well.

Almost all the top 10 stars today were not considered stars before they were seen in the playoffs. To say we know we don’t have one without ever having been to the playoffs and on a team with atrocious spacing in the regular season is a mistake and it will be proven to be a mistake very clearly.

If superstars did all that, we’d have a title from Harden. If superstars were obvious to detect from the start, one of the allegedly best GM’s in the league would not have traded him to us for nothing.

Just time to stop imagining that you have a good instinct for this. That’s not instinct, that’s just you getting ahead of yourself.

 

waitaminnit... ONLY Level 2? The one I had, with a similar drop and landing, swelled my ankle to cantaloupe size and I was on crutches and in a boot for 6 weeks. Now I was 22 so maybe the old-age comparison stands here, relative to Amen but that young fella needs to listen to his body and NO ONE else.

 

not certain what you are trying to say???

 

i've been down this road before with rockets and astros injuries report.

be prepared to be without amen for an entire month.

 

Good win tonight.

 

Who said the Rockets should avoid making the playoffs?

Superstars don’t lay dormant and then suddenly become great in the playoffs. They are great in the regular season and carry it over into the playoffs.

Giannis, Curry - Shai and numerous others all were already on the trajectory to being franchise level players. They didn’t magically go from non all star level players to superstars in the playoffs.

As for James Harden - he took the Rockets farther than anyone else on the Rockets in 25 years and likely would have won a title if not for a Paul injury and a great Warriors team.

The last team to win an NBA title without a franchise level player? The Pistons 20 years ago? I can think of two teams in the last 40 years…. the exception that proves the rule.

You have gone from arguing that the Rockets didn’t need a superstar to arguing that the playoffs will turn one of the Rockets into a superstar….are you are acknowledging that the Rockets will not win big until they have an elite player?

Until the Rockets have a player that is the best player on the court consistently and can carry them to wins - they are not going to be great. They will be competitive and win their share of games but it will be a grind.

If your position is that you believe there is a superstar already on the Rockets that will emerge - I’ll say it is possible but I wouldn’t count on it from a percentage basis and from what I have seen from the players, but they are young so it is possible. Amen Thompson could become a superstar if he makes major leaps the next few seasons but that is far from certain.

 

He trying to cast the curse on Amen now. We doomed.

 

Nek minnit: "unfortunately we've had to amputate"

This is a Rockets injury we are talking about after all...