I know, I said I will give Rudy a while to see what he can do without Superstar Post-up players. So far, I am not impressed. How difficult can it be to call for a Pick'n'roll, so that Rockets' PG can roll and shot a midium jumper? (Did Rudy count how many times Nets did that to them?) How hard can it be to call for some backdoor cuts? Rudy, since he is insisting calling each play, then why not call something other than one-on-one isolation clear-out(We know other teams are going to trap Francis). What was that dump-it-to Hamilton play last night? Since when has the guy become the offensive intiation player? I am glad Francis is questioning Rudy's decision to take him out of the game. Francis needs to be the on the court with "Cat" right now. Does Rudy remember how they came back from 20 points down in Boston. Who were in the backcourt? Rudy, if other teams know for sure they can beat your team, they will play with great confidence, and thus no matter how great defense your young players are trying, teams will beat you. Do you remember how many bad to mediocer point guards in last few years were playing like MJ once they play your Rockets. The reason is that they have confidence, they all wanted to eat Maloney's lunch. So, you have got put two of your best players in the game at the same time right now, in order to score. If you hope Drew and Bullard to beat other teams, while your main guy on the floor is trapped, and the other is seating on the bench, then you should resign today. [This message has been edited by Caveman (edited December 12, 1999).]
What can Rudy ever do that would please you, except resign??? I've had people do thing to me personally that I didn't totally dislike to the extent you have this thing for Rudy. You don't care for this team more than most of the rest of us, but we can't find one person responsable for all the faults like you seem to be able to. [This message has been edited by E.J. Tucker (edited December 12, 1999).]
Go back to your cave. Your reasoning is clouded brother. Nobody here wants to respond repetitive accusations and slanders, only to your blatant negativity.
There is one person at fault for the Rocket's tribulation. Stern the Rat!! He paid the officials, he finds ways to discreetly injure our players(the flu?, a hernia?). Stern lurks in the shadows, plotting for the downfall of the Rockets, waiting for his machinations to transpire. Ewing has no ring, Shaq has no ring, and why? because of some lowly DREAM! Ever since Stern has found ways to frustrate the rocks. Remember all the bad calls in the Utah series in the West Conf Finals? Who got UH to pitch that job to Drexler? Who pushed for the Pippen trade? Who was behind the anti-stadium pep rally? STERN!!!! He is smiling at his handiwork now. The team - in the hands of a rookie? L's piling up? Rockets and Saints, soon to become hand in hand in mediocrity and LOCATION? The Rockets will show him though, Houstonians will show the evil Stern, despite the fact that ..... ------------------ now -WE- are the underdogs
Whoa let's not just blow Caveman off he makes some good points. We all want to win and throught it all will be some good times and some bad. The champions are the ones who take the negative criticism and do whatever is in their power to correct it.
Even with everyone healthy our team was never as great as alot of you people think it should be and because of that you want to blame everything on Rudy... Look at all the injuries... can you not see we are missing the two best players on the team... By far... no contest... Frances may be a great one eventually... but he's not now! Hell there are times I don't even think he's playing as smart as Drew... So give rudy a break... the team was making strides... even after Hakeem went down and now we lost Barkley and truth fully I'm ready to throw in the towel ... but Rudy isn't ...Somehow he thinks we can still be good... I don't see it Not unless we acquire another star player a... and by the time Olajuwon comes back we may be so deep in a whole that the playoffs at best may just be a dream... And that's a hard enough pill to swallow... [This message has been edited by Old Man Rock (edited December 13, 1999).]
Hmmm.....seems some people are getting kinda testy around here these days. Cavedude has just as much right to express his opinion as anyone else around here without getting hammered. You may not agree with what he has to say...but get real...your not showing much class with your personal attack. Rudy's not completely blameless for the situation. Neither are the players. MoonDogg --------
Moonie, I don't know how long you've been around here, but reading one post from Caveman after another about how badly Rudy sucks and on and on gets more than tiresome. Everybody is entitled to their opinion, but people who hammer it in again and again deserve some hammering of their own. Rudy doesn't suck, the current roster does. We are not a team capable of making the playoffs, and its because many of the pieces for such a run don't fit, or at least don't fit yet. If Rudy does suck in one area its that he hasn't taken Walt Williams out of the starting lineup yet, and I think just about everybody here can agree on that.
People who hammer it again and again deserve some of their own? I don't remember how many times Charles Barkley has been crucified much worse without any base, and none of the CB defenders told people to shut the f*** up or crawl back to caves. So show some class and let people say what they wanna say. Francis expressed his doubt towards Rudy, should he shut the **** up too? Merely asking Rudy to resign is by no means slander or blatant. The response is way too reactionary in this thread.
Two comments: 1. There isn't anything that ANY coach could do with this line-up. I know, we've been spoiled with good teams for the past few years, but I'm afraid we're out for a year. Let's just hope our hiatus is short, like San Antonio's. Earlier this year, I was angry at Rudy for playing the dump-it-down system, However, I feel that we *did* see marked improvement in the first 20 games, just as Rudy T promised. 2. While caveman has been redundant, the response was a bit aggressive. We all want the same team to win here .
Some of you people should be ashamed of yourselfs for such a nasty reply ! The Cavedude has as much right as any of you blatant people to write down his opinions. He does make a few good points ... why can't he be complimented on that? NO ! instead he is blown to peaces by people that only want to see the sky blue and birds sing 24 hrs a day..... well, news for those of u that fall under that category,,,, it aint gonna happen ! Just accept it as it is and see the world as it is... not as a fantasy . The rox have major problems and not all the blame can be put on the players , some of it is Rudy T. so face up to it okay? he is a great coach but he is not perfect , no one is .
The Rockets problems are many. One I think IS Rudy, but I think it's that he's GM and coach, and he'd be better off doing a good job of one and not the other. I think he's shown too much willingness to "change plans" on a whim, to have almost no nucleus to the team. I think also you have to realize that Rudy has put himself in a position where he has a bunch of NBA journeymen on his team right now that really don't belong in a day-to-day NBA role. Look at Walt Williams. For some reason, Rudy always coveted the guy. But, put him in a starting lineup and ask him to produce for you day in and day out, and he just can't. The rest of the team is young and just learning the ropes. No matter what plays he calls, the Rockets aren't going to look so great at this point. Phil Jackson always had Jordan to bail him out. Pat Riley coached Magic and Kareem in the Showtime days... Has he won a ring since then??? Nope. And for Rudy, his security blankets are gone now. Hakeem's out and Barkley's done. I say let Hakeem retire a year early then go try to get Duncan. (OK... Wishful thinking).
There's nothing else to do but attack Caveman. Everyone's sick and tired of hearing the same old b**** and everyone's tired of telling him he's wrong. Every posts he makes is the same thing. For once it's be nice for Caveman to offer something serious and inciteful to the board. But it's always Rudy this and Rudy that. But I'm not going to worry about it any more. I just wont read or respond to his posts anymore. If the rest of you are wise you'll do the same. Maybe he'll eventually go away.
C'mon guys...give him a break. We all have our opinion as to why things aren't going the way we expected, but I think he makes some good points. The Rockets(not naming Rudy specifically) just do not seem able to recognize a pick -n- roll, although this is nothing new. Teams have been abusing the Rockets with this simple play for years. Why they can't defend it is beyond me. One point Caveman made that I bring up every time the Rockets are without their superstar post players is why the Rockets continuously dump the ball into low post players like Hamilton and Cato from the current roster and Stanley Roberts from last years roster. As far as I am concerned, unless Hakeem or Kenny Thomas are in the low post, no plays should be directly ran in that direction. Cato and Hamilton are good players, but we all know Cato's game is more suited to the running style and Hamilton is a garbage man at best. Now I like Rudy. He has alot of talent as a coach and is great at scouting talent, but his methods simply are not working with the current roster of players he and C.D. have put together. He is going to have to find a way to utilize the talents of the players he has or he will be out of a coaching job within 2 years. Lets hope it doesn't go that far. ------------------ There is no offense without a good defense.
I think it's interesting that none of you have even bothered to mention that Rudy T. is NOT working with the roster that initially projected to start the season with. And the only people that can take his rings are airport security. That being said, I think that the only danger he presents to the rox is not making changes quickly enough. We have to respond with revamped offense. If you ever really take a look at our offensive set now - sans Sir Charles - there's a big hole in the floor wherehe used to occupy the baseline. What does that give us? 0 rebounds and 0 offensive movement. Everybody wants to work outside in and slash to the basket. Clearly we only have three players capable of that kind of mobility: Franchise, the Cat and Shandon (when he feels like it). And when opposing teams decide to trap and limit that outside-in movement we have absolutely nobody working under the bucket for the easy two or the rebound from the crappy 18-footer or 3-pointer. Hence, our high turn-over ratio. Rudy's going to eventually recognize that fact. He is a good coach. Whether he decides to pump the run-n-gun offense up a notch to cover the hole is going to depend on whether or not he decides to go with Cato or Two Sandwiches. I think what makes him hesitant to change the plays is that the guys are young and he doesn't want to have to start all over again when and if the Dream comes back. ------------------ [This message has been edited by PanGOM (edited December 13, 1999).]
P.S. - Is anyone else sick of Two Sandwiches' Hail Mary passes? P.P.S. - Keep your eye on 'Los. ------------------ [This message has been edited by PanGOM (edited December 13, 1999).]
Cave Rudy benched the starters for lack of effort. I think he was justified. He has to get their attention somehow. Pan Two is a better passer when he calms down. He's trying to hard. But the Hail Mary offense kinda goes with our team Ole defense.
If that was the case, why did Rudy sit Francis, who was having a great game up until he was sat, out for the entire 2nd quarter? Why is it when Carlos Rogers is having a good game, you don't see him in the second half. Why Walt Williams continues to start? Why Anderson is grumbling about making a mistake coming to Houston. Why is Francis even questioning where his minutes are going. Why did the Rox pay 42 million for a guy who gets scrub minutes. Especially when Hakeem, Barkley, and TMass are all out? Get frustrated all you want, but these are young guys who aren't going to learn if they are pulled for every turnover.
Is Shotting 5-9 while getting hurridely double teamed evey time you touch the ball a lack of effort. Don't punish Francis and Rogers, just because Cato and Williams suck!
