It's Up To Rice

This is the best part: "The Rockets will need to replace Taylor's rebounding, but Rice can make up the scoring burden." Lol! That extra rebound Taylor had been getting is going to be missed!

 

Here is the article. The part that pissed me off is where this writer ranked us in the West. Before the Mo injury he had us making the playoffs. Now he has us ranked below the Sonics and Clips!


Throwin' Elbows: Rockets counting on Rice to produce

September 6, 2001


ROCKET SALAD

These have not been good years for Glen Rice. From the 1993-94 season through the 1997-98 season, Rice was one of the league's best scorers, averaging more than 21 points per game for five straight seasons. But two years ago, with the Lakers, Rice had his worst season since his rookie year, averaging just 15.9 points and shooting a career-low 43.0 percent. He complained about a lack of playing time and scoring opportunities in the Lakers offense. Little surprise, then, that Rice was traded to the Knicks last offseason.

Call that, "Be careful what you wish for, Glen, Part I."

After being traded to the Knicks, Rice found even fewer opportunities behind Latrell Sprewell and Allan Houston. He played just 29.5 minutes and averaged 12.0 points per game, both career lows. Again, he was not exactly happy.

Call this, "Be careful what you wish for, Glen, Part II."

Rice is a Rocket now, and he has been left without any handy excuses. When he was with Los Angeles, he could point to the triangle offense and claim that he was not being used correctly. When he was with New York, he could point to Houston and Sprewell and say he was not getting consistent playing time.

Never mind that Rice is 34 and simply may have lost his deadeye aim. Never mind that he has not shot well since his 1999 elbow surgery. And never mind that his feet are sore. Rice was a victim of two systems. Or so he would say, at least.

In Houston, which received devastating news that Mo Taylor could be out for the year after tearing his Achilles' tendon, we're going to find out the truth about Rice's stroke. The Rockets need him. If he struggles, Rice will have no excuses handy.

Assuming the Rockets make no further additions (more on that to come), they will enter the season with one of the league's best backcourts, Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley, and possibly the league's worst frontcourt, with Kelvin Cato, Kenny Thomas (or possibly rookie Eddie Griffin) and Rice. If Rice somehow returns to that mid-1990s Charlotte form of his, when he was shooting 47 percent and averaging 22 points, it will take some of the sting out of the loss of Taylor. The Rockets will need to replace Taylor's rebounding, but Rice can make up the scoring burden.

If he doesn't, well, it won't be for lack of opportunity this time.

ROCKET SALAD, PART II

It is very, very difficult for a team to convince the NBA that it deserves an injured player exception. But that's what the Rockets probably will try to do.

The NBA's collective bargaining agreement provides a team the chance to add a player when it loses a player for the season to injury. The team can spend half the injured player's salary on acquiring one new player, either a free agent or through a trade. The Heat used this exception to acquire Cedric Ceballos from Detroit after Alonzo Mourning got hurt.

Word is Taylor will try to make it back in six months, and if that is possible, it lessens the chances that the league will grant the Rockets an exception. But if Houston does get an exception, it could cause jubilation in the land of misfit free agents. Taylor will make $6.5 million this season, so the Rockets would get a $3.25 million bonus. Right now, there are more free agents than there is money to be spent, and the possibility of an extra $3.25 million on the market means a lot to unemployed guys like Anthony Mason and Marc Jackson, two possible replacements for Taylor.

ROCKET SALAD, PART III

Of course, no one likes to see a player get injured, especially a guy heading into what seemed like such a crucial season, as Taylor was.

But the injury does raise the prospects of opening a playoff spot in the West. Houston barely missed the postseason last year, and personally, I had them penciled in for this year's playoffs. I don't think Francis and Mobley can carry the team to the playoffs without Taylor, though, even if Rice has a good year.

So let's update the West's playoff list . . .

ETCHED IN STONE

1. Lakers
2. Kings
3. Mavericks
4. Spurs
5. Trail Blazers
6. Jazz

WRITTEN IN PENCIL

1. Clippers
2. Timberwolves

WRITTEN IN INVISIBLE INK

1. Suns
2. Sonics
3. Rockets
4. Nuggets
5. Warriors

 

He's got the Blazers and Jazz etched in stone? That's a joke! The Blazers are one Rasheed Wallace detonation of completely unraveling, and the Jazz are so old that they better hope and pray for their string of remarkable luck of avoiding injuries continues to hold true. Because if it doesn't then they are screwed.

 

That elbow surgery had nothing to do with Rice's shot being off. *Sigh* I agree with Rice being key, I think he can go off for 15 to 16 ppg in the Rockets open offense this year. He is a career 4 rpg player so that would definitely be needed. You read my mind to Manny, I can KIND of understand the Blazers, though they are trying to add players to a team who had horrible chemistry. The Jazz are old and thin, losing versatile players like Danny Manning, losing PG, and possibly losing Olden Polynice. Even if they re-sign Olden Polynice it's freaking OLDEN POLYNICE! Their back-up PG is John Crotty. 'Nuff said about that. Granted he always lights us up, but unless the Jazz play Houston 82 times a year they're in a world of hurt.