CNN Article Houston's problem Van Gundy's coaching, McGrady's firing has Rockets floundering By Kelly Dwyer, Special to SI.com At this point in the season, it's hard to find a bigger disappointment than the 14-15 Houston Rockets. Though how well the pairing of Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady would work out in the standings was unclear from the start, a 50-win season didn't seem out of the question. Growing pains and depth issues were to be expected, but few potential worst-case scenarios predicted the Rockets out of the playoff bracket as of December 30th. Even worse, Houston began so sluggishly that a season that began with dreams of a deep playoff run devolved into a campaign on the cusp of rebuilding. So, in an attempt to save a season quickly slipping from their grasp, the Rockets, in a span of five days, made two trades to bolster their struggling backcourt and hit the bricks for a pair of winnable road games with hopes of improving their station. First Tyronn Lue was shipped to Atlanta for Jon Barry. Then Boki Nachbar and Jim Jackson were sentenced to New Orleans for David Wesley. The parts didn't mesh well at the start as Houston was trounced by the second-worst team in the East by 28. Though the Rockets avenged their embarrassing loss to the Bucks by barely beating a LeBron-less Cavaliers team on Wednesday night, they've still got miles to go. After eight years as a head coach, Jeff Van Gundy still runs the sort of offensive sets that junior high teams would have down pat after one gym period and McGrady still launches ill-advised shots from all angles. Lucky for the Rockets, that was apparently enough to down a Cavs team intent on losing by 25 points. The win over a depleted Cavs aside, this needs to stop. No one expected McGrady to unlearns his chuck-first instincts (fashioned during Orlando's desultory 21-61 campaign last season), but Van Gundy isn't exactly putting T-Mac's to the fire. And while Ming is having another fine season, his one assist to every three turnovers nearly mitigates his 52 percent shooting and 19 points per game. Apparently Van Gundy has given up on tapping the nobler instincts McGrady showcased his first few years in the league (thinking pass, playing without the ball, showing a proclivity toward full-court defense) and has allowed him to shoot at will, seemingly often out of a 1-on-4 set. If McGrady maintains this mindset, the most creative passer on Houston's squad could be Yao Ming (Barry and Bob Sura's poorly-conceived dishing forays don't count), although his one assist to every three turnovers nearly mitigates his 52 percent shooting and 19 points per game. On paper, the Barry-for-Lue swap was a smart one for both teams. Atlanta needed a backup point guard not named Royal Ivey and Houston was desperate for anyone who can get the ball past half court. With Charlie Ward out for six weeks after knee surgery, Barry's touch could help, but he's 2-of-13 from the floor as a Rocket, despite being handed the starting gig. Trading for Wesley, on the other hand, makes no sense. Bostjan Nachbar hasn't shown much in Houston as his shooting woes couldn't makeup for the occasional strong move toward the goal but losing Jimmy Jackson will be a killer. Jackson's strength allowed him to check taller, quicker and younger opponents on the perimeter and in the post, and he shot just under 40 percent from behind the arc. Wesley may be a month younger than JJ, but he isn't nearly as accurate a shooter and nowhere near the dynamic defender Jackson is. This was a pointless trade. The Hornets will be Jackson's 11th team, assuming he shows up in New Orleans. As of Wednesday Jackson's failed to report, and New Orleans has suspended him indefinitely. Unfortunately for Rockets fans, Wesley will suit up for Houston. Not only does Wesley's addition mean the Rockets will maintain a plethora of players on the wrong side of 30, but add another veteran who has a history of making curious decisions with the ball and on defense. A little leadership would help but it appears no Rocket seems capable of spurring his teammates onto greater things. Barry could be a solution in this area, but after signing with the Hawks to finish his career near his adopted hometown, a trade to yet another team (his eighth) cannot have him in the best of holiday spirits. Houston is just a half-game out of the playoff bracket, but with Denver, Utah and even Memphis looking to improve dramatically, they're going to have to make some hefty personnel changes. And with the Wesley and Barry trades already under their belt, it's hard to see the Rockets front office coming up with anything special.
thats it. i quit, the rockets are in full blown rebuilding mode. they will not make the playoffs, they suck, and the magic are laughing their asses off. t-mac is waaaaaayyyyy overrated and yao is too. great a team of old losers and a lame coach that is all talk. well, i can always watch my knickerbockers! ooops. there goes jamaal....
Pretty good analysis. This team is going to continue the struggle throughout a tough Janunary schedule. Outside Tmac, we have close to zero athleticism. For all those applauding the recent trade. The Jacskson trade just didnt make any sense. So quit saying as if Wesley was such critical upgrade to the "system" already. Boy, screw up a good player while not doing yourself a favor. What gives. One wordumb.
you guys are seriously depressing the trade isnt as bad as you guys say it is yallmean dont act like you know the future cause you dont buddy who cares if we got a new guy here and jim left well be fine, it aint the end of the world
Nobody knows the future including you. No, not the end of the world. But certainly far short of the season expectations in the summer.
It's shocking that these so-called "journalists" get paid to write up garbages. Jon Barry not happy to be traded Houston? Maybe the dude should at least have the courtesy to check out what Barry was saying first?
I cannot believe this is meant to be any kind of serious analysis???!! We barely won against the Cavs?? talk about a negative spin.. And the way he disses T-Mac is just stupid.. Should you not be fined for writing about players you have only seen one game of?? And Sura is not a bad passer.. And it is way too early to say something decisive about the trade yet.. The Rockets are not that bad people!!! We started out horribly but have a pretty good record for the last 12 games or so.. Try to maintain a positive outlook and stop all this whining!!! Yao Ming is playing well now and T-Mac is too.. Let Sura grow more and more and let Wesley find his role.. Heck even Mo and Juwan have played decent recently.. I know we are not perfect by any means but could we please stop this whining like the end is near everytime we lose a game..
i uh didnt say i know the future you seriously thought we'd be a 50 win team, yallmean? if you even thought we had all the pieces already and were ready to compete then you are blind
How can you say that was good analysis? First of all, he is passing judgements on two trades because of 1 loss to Miluakee (when Wesley didn't play) and a win against the "Lebron-less" Cavs. Sorry but Lebron played an entire half and when he left the game the Rox were up by 10. I'll be the first to tell you that two or three games will not tell you how good or bad a trade is so the verdict is still out. As for JJ, I think you'll notice that we had one of our best stretches when he was injured and not not playing because of the flu/back spasms. He played terrible this season and jacked up way too many shots for the percentage he was making. T-Mac can have a bad percentage because he gets to the line, JJ does not. The real thing is that everyone admitted that JJ was the team leader. You CANNOT have a player of his caliber (or lackthereof) being the team leader. This move changed the chemistry of the team and has given T-Mac or Yao the opportunity to take over the duty that should be with them as the team leader. I think T-Mac will step here.
A little leadership would help but it appears no Rocket seems capable of spurring his teammates onto greater things. Barry could be a solution in this area, but after signing with the Hawks to finish his career near his adopted hometown, a trade to yet another team (his eighth) cannot have him in the best of holiday spirits. I thought Barry wanted to come to Houston for a long time. Did any of you hear that, or am I going crazy?
We were only 3 points up at the 2:30 mark or something like that. We lucked out when Tmac's "no-matter-what" shots actually fell throught and the LeBron-less cavs made careless mistakes. Not that I am negative, I am just telling what happened. Why did we lose to Bobcats the first game? If you think JJ was a problem of the system and this was why he was traded, I dont agree with that. Like I said in the other tread, had Gundy disliked him so much, why would have he played JJ for 40+ minutes out there. The truth is we were trying to get rid of JJ, but we were desperate for a guard that can catch&shoot so that we can look like the Knicks. So you say because of JJ, Tmac or Yao couldnt lead. How laughable is that. Had they really wanted to lead, who could've stopped them. I tell you what the real problem is. Nobody else on this team has a bigger hear than JJ, not even Tmac or Yao. This is why JJ is so upset to be traded.
ill quote rocketmanjosh for yallmean again "As for JJ, I think you'll notice that we had one of our best stretches when he was injured and not not playing because of the flu/back spasms. He played terrible this season and jacked up way too many shots for the percentage he was making. T-Mac can have a bad percentage because he gets to the line, JJ does not."
Sorry, but the Rox were up 10 when Lebron went out ... I'd appreciate it if you had something to back you up when you call me a liar. Go check out http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playbyplay?gameId=241229005&period=2 1:53 left in the 2nd quarter, Ira Newble enters for Lebron James when he gets hurt, Rockets are up 50-40. When did I say JJ was a problem or that he didnt have any heart? JJ was the leader of this team because he had to be. Neither Yao or T-Mac stepped up, so he took over that responsibility because no one else would. If anything the reason he got traded is because neither of them did step up. This is move that is going to FORCE one of those guys into that role. It's not really a move about what JJ did wrong, but I believe it is a move that needed to be made. Yes JJ had heart and I have nothing against him. He probably did not deserve to get traded, but from the Rockets perspective I believe it is something that needed to be done because something needed to change and when you area teams 3rd option and you are not producing as JJ wasn't this year, then you become expendable.
Well, I give you that. JJ does have poor shot selction tendencies. Explain me why the heck Gundy still played him 40+ minutes a game and played the end of every game he was in. Also show me a convincing proof that Wesley is what JJ is not.
