Depressing...

sun already secure the playoff spot. There isn't any point of trying their best to win...... you noe...

 

Suns probably weren't even trying today. However, in the future everyone will just look at the records and say the Rockets missed out by 1 freakin game.

We should have won that Eddie Jones-less Miami game at home!

 

The Rockets won out, The Suns won the one game they should have lost, its depressing. However had we taken care of just a few of the people we were supposed to have beaten we would be a "lock".

They will learn how to win. This season was nowhere near a waste, especially if you are a patient fan who understands the game.

It takes hard times like these to build character!

 

While I agree that the season was not a TOTAL waste, it was in many important ways. One being that the "system" that we've all been waiting patiently to see from the Rockets, the one we've been hearing about for three years now... the one that was supposed to be based on motion and not ISO's, is still nowhere to be seen. How long do we wait while Rudy either can't, or won't put a gameplan in place and have the players stick to it?

 

The one CRUCIAL game Rox should win is the first game against the Suns. Cat missed 2 crucial FTs at the end of the game that could ice it. Rox ended up losing by 1 point.

If Rox won that game, Suns would lose one more game. Rox would be 44-38, Suns would be 43-39. I do not really think Suns can make it even if they could beat Seattle today.

 

Yes this is dissapointing. I mean, we werent asking for much when we asked for the Twolves, Warriors, Mavericks, or Spurs to beat the Suns!!!!!! Any one of those teams would've been fine. Can never depend on your own fellow insiders (Mavs, Spurs) these days.

 

C'mon folks, the Suns deserved it.

Marbury and Marion played less than 23 minutes in the final 2 games. Their playoff spot was secure, what is the point in risking injury or fatigue?

 

While I hate the way it ended up....I don't consider the season a total waste. Most fans here think we should be the Yankees of basketball. Anyway............................there was no 1 crucial game. In all honesty we should not have won that game against the Clippers. That was quite a bull**** thing to call with no time left. Everyone wants to say that we should be better than 2 years ago(45 wins?). Even tho he wasn't "the man" Olajuwan was still the leader and won us more than a few games in his crippled state(before anyone jumps my ass...I know he missed most of the season!). I am not an optimist. The glass is half empty. The championship Rockets had to keep that team together for quite a few years before they learned to win. Almost traded Hakeem..blah...blah...blah..patience is needed...

Flame on

 

A better record than 9-19 vs the top 7 WC playoff teams.

 

The top 7 playoff teams were better than us, how can you fault 9 and 19? The problem was our record against non-playoff teams. That's what kept us out, not 9-19 against the top teams.
j

 

Of course, if the Rockets had made the playoffs, we might not see the changes we so desperately need on this team...

 

The suns wanted it more. The rox laid down and died I dont know what its gonna take to get some fire in this team. E Griffin shows no sign of being a star(we should have kept Rich Jefferson) I think we should trade Griffin, Norris, and possibly Cat but I really dont want to Cat traded he could be a good six man we should bring someone like Lamar Odom and and resign Posey. we could let Odom control the ball like Pippin and that would freeup Francis and Mobley and Yao would get his shots thats what we should do! So i'm not gonna say this was a waste of time it could turn out to be a blessing. Maybe we will make a major move that we should ve made at trading deadline Griffin,Mobley for Brand ?

 

Of course, even though the Rockets didn't make the playoffs, we might not see the changes we so desperately need on this team...

 

AFAIR, we drafted Jefferson at NJ's request, as a part of the picks trade. There is no guarantee that the Rockets would have got him even if they had kept the picks they traded for Eggie.

It is not a matter that we had Jefferson and where stupid to trade him...its a matter of why didnt we keep the picks..
I am personally willing to give Eggie, Rudy, and the rest of the team one more year to get everything working right. That doesnt mean dont make any moves, if you can trade to make us better, go for it...but dont start a fire sale just because they didnt do as well as you might have expected.
Sometimes, good things happen to those that have the patience to wait for it.

 

'A Train' on the mark again, you are so right! I caution you about being logical in this assumption. Have you noticed from the last day of the season, even Bill Worell, Calvin Murphy , Lisa Malofski, Les Alexander, Carrol Dawson and Rudy T have been trying to paint a softer more 'lovey dovey' picture about the season and the players.It does indicate that they are trying to ease us into accepting little or no action regarding changes in this off season? Will this cause the Fans to burn effigies of Larry and Les infront of the new Arena?

 

The Spurs screwed us by not beating the Suns. Just look at Duncan's stats that game compared to the rest of the season. Straight BS.

 

I agree. The Spurs would rather pllay the Suns than Yao Ming, they threw that game because they were scared of us. Scared of their best player getting the MVP award and our best player schooling him in the playoffs. Scared of history repeating itself. But its really our fault. It should never have come to that.

 

I don't know about that. They were just doing their best to put a positive spin on what everyone knows is a bad situation. Did you really expect them to admit to the media that this season was a failure? Did you think Rudy T and his staff would say anything other than that they expect to be back next year? Would Steve openly discuss the likelihood of playing for a different coach? Would Cat acknowledge the distinct possibility he won't be the Rockets' starting 2 next season?

Les is a businessman. He knows what's at stake this offseason. The team is coming off their 4th straight lottery season, and it's been 7 years now since the last time they even won a playoff series. They're moving into a brand new arena in the fall. The Western Conference is stacked and will only get tougher in the next 2 seasons. And let's not overlook the simple fact that the Rockets were often times unbearable to watch this past year. Add it all up and you know significant changes are coming in the next few months.

 

While the standings say "1 game" it really isnt. If the Suns had not wraped up their playoff seed after the Spurs game they probably would have beaten the Blazers and Sonics. Remember how well they were playing and beating the teams they needed to beat? They "coasted" threw the last two losses. So why the standings say "1 game" it really isnt. The Suns played their way into the playoffs while the Rockets wilted under the pressure and once the pressure was off they were able to win the last three games. Heck the team even admits this in one of the Rockets articles in the Chronicle today.

HOWEVER.

If I were the Rockets, next year I would print up posters that say "1 GAME" and put it on every Rockets player locker. Then make point to point to that poster EVERY TIME this team plays a crappy team like Denver or Cleveland. Make sure they know EVERY TIME they go out there, just ONE GAME can make a HUGE difference!

For the Tennesse Titans it was "one more yard"....for the Rockets it should be "one more game"

If for no other reason, this season should be a wakeup call to all of the Rockets players about the importance of EVERY game and coming to play hard every night. And if they can't learn from this example, then they shouldn't be here!