I'd say... Bucks 103 Rockets 92 Ireally like the Rockets a lot and have for a long time (I miss Vernon Maxwell, lol)...but I hope you give my Bucks some respect, because they will have earned it by the end of the night.
Awful teams don't have winning records. Awful teams don't beat Indiana on the road, slaughter Minnesota at home, etc. Francis and Mobley are not career losers- regardless of whether this team makes the playoffs or not, a loser, in my book, is one who loses more than he wins. Francis and Mobley have been involved in more wins than losses. The Rockets do not give basketball - and sports - a bad name. The present-day Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Clippers, and many others are much worse. You can set your expectations as high as you want. I think, however, in all fairness, you should be using the phrase "according to my expectations" after each of your sentences.
Actually, they have been involved with more wins than losses, unless you discount Steve's absences 2 years ago. Geez, maybe they are losers.
I'm sorry, but I don't think 26-21 is a "winning" record. It screams out mediocrity, and with the talent on this team, that just isn't acceptable. After four years in the lottery, I expected a lot more from this team. The 2000-01 Rockets were a better team than this one. Hakeem, in his last season as a Rocket, was ten times the player Yao is today. Francis of 01 would shred Francis of 04 to pieces. Mobley is just as crap as he's always been. Mo Taylor has never even sniffed the playoffs. The curse of Moochie continues to hang over the city of Houston like its ozone. This team is gutless. Missing the playoffs year after year, and showing no signs of getting any closer, is enough to classify this shameful assortment of players as career losers.
High expectations Huh. My prediction is that Redd shows that he sould have been in the 3 point contest over Cat. If we lose. Everyone on this board PMS's how we should have traded Steve for TJ ford and some other cap filler. If we win. All's Dandy.
How is 26-21 not a winning record? Exactly how talented is this team? If you were a Grizzlies fan, would your expectations be the same? Comparing the 2000-2001 Rockets, a full season, against a half-season, 2003-2004 Rockets is inaccurate and inconclusive. Hakeem was not 10x the player Yao is in his last Rocket season. Francis of 01...oh, just forget this. Your message is obviously an attempt at sarcasm. Any labeling of Steve or Cuttino or Jim Jackson or Yao as career losers is, well...
Yes, this is a mediocre team. This season so far is exactly about what I expected. Many folks were far too upbeat this summer when the only significant addition to the team was the replacement of the coaching staff. Coaches are important but ultimately, it is the players who determine success or failure. And that's been the problem now for 5 years. Taken individually, these guys are talented athletes and basketball players. Taken collectively, they form an average to below average TEAM. For five years now, nothing has been done to alter the attitudinal makeup of the Rockets which is why they continue to lurch along in .500 land. I love RudyT with all my heart but even I am forced to admit that under his watch a climate of diminished responsibility took hold in this franchise. Simply put, there was no accountability for their stupid play, lack of basketball development and personal maturity. The Rockets, as a collective entity, stagnated and started putting an inferior product on the floor. They were able to do this because of all of the "Rocket apologists" both within the organization and without who settled for this crappy brand of basketball. With no one really demanding excellence from the Rockets, the entire franchise slid into NBA lottery land. Now here comes along JVG who eats and sleeps basketball perfection. Add him to this disinterested cast of characters and you get what we have now: a driven and demanding coach at odds with a team that has not had to face responsibility for their actions in 5 years. Small wonder there appears to be "conflict" between coach & team. The Steve Francis incident of the past weekend concisely demonstrates what is wrong with the Rockets: the players lack the dedication and the will to do what's necessary in order to become champions. Sorry to report that the heart of a champion no longer beats in Houston. SF and the rest of his cohorts all talk a good game about wanting to win and such but the proof is in the results and the results thus far say that this may very well be year 5 in the NBA lottery.
HillBoy, Good summary. Team has (I hope ) hit rock bottom. Tonite and the upcoming games will define this team and their future. Their character, collective will, and lack of team play and consistent effort, have been exposed for all to see. After 47 games we are what we are. My heart hopes for a strong rebound tonite and ultimate playoff berth. But my head tells me something different. I'll ALWAYS be a Rox fan but they're damn hard to watch right now. D R
Rox always got kicked by a high-speed team with a quick Guard like Ray Allen. So be careful of T.J. Ford! Here is a story about T.J.Ford Click here to read the whole story Wrote By MICHAEL MURPHY Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle "For our team, it's very important to have a true point guard like him," Porter said. "With the makeup of the players we have, it's very important to have a point guard who knows that passing is important, who tries to get his teammates involved and who tries to help us win. I think he has that kind of commitment, and it's obviously a plus to have a guy like that." ---said coach Terry Porter who thinks the Bucks have one advantage in having the little man (T.J.Ford) running the show.
But TJ's downside is that he can't play a lick of defense nor shoot the ball well...but he's in his hometown tonight,so TJ's dangerous.
