Where is this team headed over the next few years? The TMac and Yao era is over......I think? It looks as if we are going to build around a center now that brings in a ton of revenue, but is not going to bring any rings here anytime soon as the MAN. I was such a fan of the Yao/ TMac duo. I am very sad on how things have transpired over the past 5 years with these two. We have some young players on this team that can be decent players in this league for the next decade or so, but none of them are game changers. I don't know where Morey goes from here??? I think the safe play is to build around Yao and bring in another all star caliber player in the next year or so and go that direction. The only problem with that is that I don't think that will work unless we grab a Wade or a Bosh. Morey is going to have some huge hurdles to leap in the next few years. If it were up to me, I would let the current team play out the year and see how the current group of players mesh( Yao, Artest, Scola, Battier, Brooks, Wafer, Lowry and Landry) I think we have some good young talent from the position of where we drafted them. None of them are going to be all stars. I hate to say this but I think the fastest way for us to become a championship contender again is to dump all of our stars in the next two years and try to get are hands on a player like John Wall who will be entering the NBA draft in 2010. Unless we get our hands on a Wade caliber player in the next year or so, this team is going nowhere under Yao and crew. MAN I HATE INJURIES!!!! I pray that we bring in a superstar here in 2010! If we don't, I think its time to start over. This team can be good for the next 5 or 6 years as is, but if being good is what we are looking for then I am rooting for the wrong team. I want to be great and I just don't see how that is possible right now with this team and Yao as the man. Sorry for the long rant. An upset Rocket fan, Trackwell
IF Tracy can possible come back (IF)... and IF we sign artest over the summer... and IF the team could possible create some kind of chemistry with the addition of a healthy McGrady(IF), and IF we can stay healthy throughout the 09-10 season... I think we could possibly win it all. But I still believe in now. I think we can do some damage.
i think the first step is not sign artest next year. he is just too old to get a longish contract. sad to say but i think you try to trade tmac and maybe one of our younger players with a good contract for a top 10 player if possible. or you try to sign one as a free agent after next season. if not i think your right the rockets are screwed. they dont have any draft picks. and they are too good to get one that is high in the near future. dont want this team to be stuck like the wolves or grizzlies were in the recent past good enough to make the playoffs every year and thats it.
f0ck winning or losing...as long as yao playing and some of my other favorite players played. Its still entertainment...i mean if they win, do we get anything? NO! its just there for entertainment. Sometimes, stuff just get too dam carry away and it seem too personal lol...just a game, live it and enjoy it, WIN OR LOSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAO MING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dude I dreamt that exact same thing the night before the trade deadline. I was pissed when I woke up.
We look at things an a whole different level. I like Yao, but I am LOVE THE ROCKETS. It is all about what have you done for me lately. It is a game, but I ALWAYS watch to WIN.
You hit it on the nail. To make this as clear as possible.........I would rather the Rockets have the worst team in the league in order to grab young talent in the draft, and have tons of cap space. Then being a team that wins 45 + games every year and never get past the 2nd round. Atleast on the first senario we can dream of being great..... I am so scared our team is going to turn into the the 2nd senario.....
I do have faith in Morey though. I like Landry, Brooks and Wafer as small pieces to the big puzzle. I just wish we had Rudy Gay to go along with those other three. I do think that Yao will be a part of this team for another 7 or 8 years though, I am cool with that as long as the other peices are young up and coming talents.....
Yao/ ????? Scola/ Landry Artest/ Battier Wade/Wafer Brooks/Lowry That team would be something else! Anything other then this Im afraid is not worth it and we should look to get young.
I don't know what team your looking at, but it's clearly not the one I am. We have young, cheap talent all over the roster. I would say that this team as it is now has a far better chance of winning than any team in recent years. We actually have depth to accompany two star players in Yao and Artest who has been playing much better since being a starter. Not to mention the most important thing, we're building CHEMISTRY! This is no longer the Tmac, Yao isolation show. This is about ball movement and getting the ball into the hands of guys who know what to do with it when they're open. I would take a strong team over Yao and Tmac dominated basketball any day of the week. Then there's McGrady's contract. Say we find where are weaknesses are in the remainder of this season and playoffs. We have a ridiculously massive expiring contract to sell off to fill any remaining holes next year. I for one am extremely happy we're past the McGrady show days. That can only take you so far.
The Rockets are going to be alright. I think we should re-sign Artest if he wants to stay. Unless him and Yao take us all the way to the ship. Which I'm not saying can't happen. He couldn't possibly expect to get to much of raise with this economy. With plenty of competition from high paid Vets such as Iverson, Marion, Boozer, Odom probably setting the market low, because most teams with money are holding out for 2010 hysteria. I don't think he'll be able to command that much money. Plus no matter what he does. Teams will always be hesistant to pay Ron big money because the fear of Crazy Ron is always in the back of their heads. So I think we'll end up keeping Ron. Besides We need Ron! He's the type of player guys don't want to pound with for 7 games. One game every once in a while. But knowing you're going to battle that guy for a possible seven games. Playoff intensity Ron. The Spurs barely survived at their best. I'm sorry Ron's A beast. But let me get back to the point. We have Mcgradys contract for a big trade. Or we could let it ride and get some big free agents in 09' and 2010. Houston has to be attractive We have Yao and a strong core. It won't all be on you! Which I think is a big plus for most players. The rockets have a strong team. Stronger than most people think. We have weapons and I can't wait to see what this team does this year in the playoffs and in the future.
There is the vaunted C word. Its like the Rockets can use this word and the I(njury) word every year for the past decade as our forever excuse. Im glad you have a positive outlook on our future, but lets be realistic. Players like Brooks/Wafer/Landry are a dime a dozen in the NBA. Stop for a second and evaulate. It seems Yao will not return to his 2 years ago form and no longer has a celing he is reaching for. Right now Yao is what he is. Not saying that he's not a great player, but he isn't Superstar enough to carry a team by himself or carry a good team to a Championship. He needs a half court team al la the Spurs to be dominate, and unfortunately we don't have the pieces or the Coaching style to fit him. We have absolutely zero chance of winning the title this year, and if we are not talking title, then there are no morale victories for getting to the second round, which is going to be much tougher this year than last year for the Rockets, short of Ron Artest becoming a beast in the playoffs, and Yao getting into a monster groove, and Brooks figuring out how to share the ball with a center, and stop being so defense limited. Star power rules in the NBA regardless of what you think, Id take the 05 to 07 Tmac and Yao dominance of the ball years in a heart beat if we had the pieces around them we had now. Lets examine the NBA over the last 10-15 years. Jordan/Pippen/Rodman Kobe/Shaq Duncan/Robinson Duncan/Manu/Parker Wade/Shaq KG/Pierce/Allen All those teams played Half Court games where the star players dominated the ball and their role players playing well in their defined roles. If we had the 05-07 Tmac, Yao ball with Artest, Battier, Scola, Landry, Brooks we could be considered a championship calibre team. We should of been this year, but once again Injuries, and Chemistry was the problem. Our best chance at a title is hoping that Tmac regains his 05-07 form (or some semblemce) Yao plays stong ball again, and we either keep Artest next year, or use his space for someone of equal talent (going to be hard to do) and make another run of this next year. Otherwise, its back to the drawing board, and sorry but Brooks/Landry/Wafer with Yao and Scola does not a contender make in any forseable future.
Post of the year!!!!! Man I couldn't agree with you more. This team is a good team right now without Mcgrady. They are good, not great! The problem with this team is that it is driving in circles. The ONLY way we contend for a championship is if McGrady comes back next year and is close to his old form. The chances of this happening are slim to none. This team is in a situation where they can be good for about another 5 years with the team assembled to date. Being good is not going to bring banners here. It might fill some seats and we might have a few winning streaksm, but we can't play with the Lakers right now. They would beat us in 5 games. I think we need to re-sign Yao and Artest to smaller deals and build young talent around them. I don't think that we are going to win this way, but I don't see Morey blowing it up and starting all over. I wish we could trade Mcgrady for a young up in coming talent and and some draft picks becuase we are not one of the top 5 teams in the NBA, and to me thats all that matters.
