If anything, why didn't your Utah Jazz beat the Houston Rockets that year??? <CENTER>HA HA HA HA!!!</CENTER>
Again, no one is trying to be disrespectful. That's you who start the disrespect. Get a life, MAN! Stop whining like a baby!
Gang, I don't mean to tank on purpose, but I think we should let the young guns grow, and learn. The only way to do that is to play them. I think we should let the young guys play until they drop. I want to see how good Steve Francis will be, is Kenny Thomas as good as he has looked? Can Cato develop on the low post? I just want Rudy to ride these young guys, and I think that TANKING will naturally happen as part of the growing process As for us TANKING in 84, Rudy and Carrol were part of that staff, and we all know that the Rockets TANKED on purpose that year. DaDakota
Dadakota, One of the reasons those Rockets teams probably decided to tank it was that they could guarentee the first pick with the worst overall record. Tanking it now guarentees nothing but more ping pong balls. Being that as it may, I see your point and agree to a certain extent. Like others have mentioned, you can tank it in many ways. It isn't necessary to tell your guys not to give 100%. You can do it through bad substitutions or a bad offensive and defensive system. The most important thing is that you want to build momentum for the future. That means that you take the visionary stance and run what you think you will end up running next season. Therefore, not only are you playing young players, but you are putting them in the offensive and defensive system that they are going to use beyond this season. ------------------ Rockets When? Rockets When?
one of two things will happen, people... 1) we will be a lottery team or 2) we will make the playoffs and a)steve francis will win the league ROY and possibly ROY. b)cato will also win Most Improved and Defensive Player of the year c)mobley will win 6th man of the year know what i mean?
Moonbus changed my mind on this. Now I say don't tank it. His point that tanking this season will be bad for the chemistry/morale/character of our growing team is a sound one. They need to try their hardest to get to the playoffs. However, management should not try to get a veteran to fill Barkley's shoes (I wish we had Othella). They should let the young'uns fight through and place wherever they can in the end.
Tradition? You only have tradition, if you still have the same mgmt & owner. When the Rockets tanked (I'm not sure they did) those games back then to get the #1 picks, the GM was Steve Patterson & the Owner was Charlie Thomas. Just because they were willing to tank the games, it does not mean the current mgmt & owner would. IMHO, RT is a fighter, he will not purposly tank games. Like Barzilla said, there is nothing better than rising in adversity. If Rudy is true to his word about "The Heart of A Champion", he will NOT tank games. What kind of messages are we sending to our current players if we tell them not to try as hard? Why would our mediocre to scrub players willing to do that? So that they can be replaced next year by a more talented player? Don't tell the players that you are tanking games even though you are by making bad substitutions or making stupid strategic calls? (I know some of the Rudy detractors will say 'he already is doing that'. So just save it.) How do you expect your players to respect you? I say NO TANKING!!! Win and lose with your head held up high and with your dignity held in tacked. JR, I think both RT & Dream deserve credit for those championship. I don't think they would've won it without either one of them and the others (Elie, Mad Max, Cassell, ...) I hope you are not suggesting that if we lose this year, it is all Rudy's fault, but if we win, it is all due to Francis, Cato, Mobley? Damn heypartner, you beat me to it.
moonbus,,,thx more input is better...no matter who's first. This is not training camp. These games count. try to win them the best you can Rudy. "The Heart of a Champion" !!!!! Clutch City is about blowing a 20 POINT LEAD in the 4th Q after the Oilers blew a 35-3 lead, yet refusing to give up the next day. Now we are 20 points down. Tanking will be the final blow to the Heart of a Champion. Besides: Who's going to tell me they would not go to a game if they had tickets,,,slide down to the 10th row in the 3rd quarter...and give me a High Five in the 4th quarter if Cato takes an alley-oop from Mobley for a win!!!! Take a seat beside me and the other fanatics in the upper deck and tell me you are going to scream for tanking. enjoy this game...every game people. there are basketball players here in houston who don't like to lose. Now we get to see their heart and what they are made of inside. tanking is for fantasy basketball!!
