Yes, ever the optimistic, but after dropping another game, Houston may have to worry about the struggling Nuggets, persistent Jazz and the inspired Portland team. There's about a dozen or so games left and with the way Houston has been playing, 6 losses in the upcoming stretch will likely leave the Rockets with an absolutely useless season. What would you do if the Rockets made the lottery again (I believe they get no picks if they do?)
Still 4 games ahead. The fate is still in Rox's hands. It's still up to them. It's time to show how much they want to be in the palyoff. The next 4 game strech is crucial. There are several very winnable games. It's not the time for the Rox to panick, but to excel.
unless i saw the standings wrong, we are 5 losses ahead of the 9th seed, portland (MFer the jazz are in 8th now!) meaning even if we lose 6 the rest of the way portland would have to lose one to tie us and if they lose 2 we're still in. of course there are actually 14 games left so we could lose more than 6, but portland or denver will have to go on a very nice run to catch us even then.
If I am correct then it is lottery protected. So yes we will have our first round pick. But the bigger question to the management is that they don't know who to pick. If you look at all the draft picks from the last 7 yrs. you tell me how many of them are still in the NBA. Most of the players picked after rockets have blossomed into consistent stars in the league or at least are contributing something to their teams. The years we won championship, that team was not assembled by current management. One thing which this management had done so well in the past was to package players and draft picks to land superstars on the team (Example Barkley, Drexler). Now it seems they can't even do that any more. For the past 30 yrs (since 1975) three things were always their with the team. 1. We always been lucky with Centers (Moses Malone, Dream, and now we have Yao.) 2. We always had good PF on the team who will give you consistent double double every game. 3. We always surrounded centers & PF with good shooters, and we have had some great ones. they might not have been all world athletically like Francis but were very consistent in spot up shooters. Now if you look at the team, you have center in Yao but the rest of the team are inconsistent and are not very good spot up shooters. This is the problem with this team. I don't believe even during Matt Maloney era we had a team which turned over the ball 20+ a game. Now tell me how are we suppose to win in this league with so much inconsistency and turning over the ball. Right fully if you look at it, 80% of the time we beat ourselves. For us to have championship caliber team we need to find Stud PF who can play with Yao. The kind of PF who will give you double double every night to go along with few block shots a game. We also need to find consistent shooters. Priority with PG would be to make sure he doesn't turn the ball over and if need be able to do spot up shooting on a high percentage and play defense. The biggest problem with this team makeup is bad, we don't much value with the players on the bench, I don't know what we can get from them, if we decide to trade. And we have also mortagaged our draft picks for the future. The only tradeable player we have is Mobley and Francis.
Rockets are 3-15 on the road against the West Eight of their final 14 games are road games against the West.... uh oh!
well.... 3 wins in those 18 games on the road vs. the West translates to a 16.7% win percentage. So, if we stay true to form we can expect to win 1.3 of the 8 road games left against the West. In other words according to the stats we can expect to lose 6-7 out of those 8 games. We've definitely lost some close ones such as last night, but our 5 game cushion in the loss column might not be as comfortable as some of you guys think.
gut check time! time to put up or shutup. No excuses. Just play hard night in night out and we should be ok. Just don't fall asleep duning the stretch like last year. If we don't make the playoffs, I think I'm going to kill somebody.
We'll make the playoffs. I feel fairly confident of that. I also 100% want them to make the playoffs. However, if I had to look at a silver lining in NOT making the playoffs, it would be this: - They will make big changes in the offseason. Any decent showing in the playoffs may have CD and company still coveting this Fool's Gold and muttering "My Precious!!" - We keep our draft pick ... #14. Right now our pick would be between 19 and 21 and would go to Utah. We're in sore need of trading assets and depth ... this could potentially be something. Again, don't misunderstand. I 100% want the playoffs and unlike years past, I don't root for more lotto balls here.... we badly need the postseason experience. But I'd atleast see those two things as positives if we didn't make the postseason.
Gollum is already taken, his name is Sam Cassell. Clutch, interesting takes. I also do fear the "Fools Gold" scenario. But like you, i really do want them to make the playoffs. It is important for the team to take that next step. But it is nice to know we have our 1st rounder IF we dont make it and are back in the lottery.
The biggest thing holding the Rockets down is a couple of bloated contracts. My own opinion is that SF will be traded, unless the Rockets over achieve, by pulling a first round upset. It would not surprise me in the least if YM is the only Rockets player, from this season, to still be on the team in three years. Raven
I hate to be pessimistic...and I do think (and hope) the Rockets will make the playoffs. If any team is capable of blowing it totally though...its our Rockets. They have proven this over the last several years. So if they blow it and miss the playoffs again...I wouldnt be at all surprised.
i thought it was jeff van gollum anywhoo . . . i can image it now ok folx. . . . how about this trade steve francis and mo taylor for allan houston yao - oakley - jjackson - houston - m jackson at least until they can rustle up starks to put jj on the pine rocket river
