Screw the Lotto! We are not going to be worse than Chicago and the Clippers, even if we tried. The chances of our ping-pong ball coming up would be slim. It would be better for the team to fight their way to the playoffs. At least they will get a taste and then thirst for more. Losing like the Clips and Bulls is demoralizing. We are not that bad. We compete. It makes no sense to me why you would not want us to make the playoffs. It also makes no sense to me to think that we couldn't catch Dallas, Minnesota, and Denver. ------------------ SpaceCity of RocketFuel
Space - I don't think the playoffs are out of the question, either. However, I think that with the direction of the franchise being rebuilding, I don't think that there's anything to be gained by going to the playoffs and getting humiliated by a much better team (which would most likely happen). It's very discouraging to see the way the Rockets have plummeted - they have been in contention for as long as I could remember. I think missing the playoffs this year would be a blessing in disguise. A higher draft pick next summer sure as hell couldn't hurt once Dream retires. A bit of a Catch-22. Win later, I say, as this year isn't looking that great... [DISCLAIMER] - none of this is to suggest that I am not rooting for the Rockets!
I think I'll be rooting for a playoff prediction even though I think we'd be better off missing it. I think a good lottery pick and the knocks of not going to the playoffs will be of more benefit next year than bowing out in the first round with a worse draft pick. All the same, rooting for the lottery is not how I want to spend the season.
I think the Rockets should play to win EVERY night; however, the final indignity to this season for the Rocket organization and the fans would have to be a 1-8 playoff matchup with Portland.
Not trading Hakeem set the rebuilding project back two seasons. The decision was loyalty or business sanity and we chose loyalty. Face it, would you rather have Hakeem with this team or Kevin Willis, Doug Christie, Corey Maggette and (Wally Szczerbiak/or/Jonathan Bender)? I hate to keep bringing that up, but every time we talk draft/rebuilding, it frustrates me how at the time some of us said the Rockets would regret it in a year or two, and already it appears that way. Anyhow, my point being we're now rebuilding. I root for the team to win every game but realistically, what I really want is for the Rockets to find some pieces to add to this young puzzle -- and in my mind that's through the draft. I think the only sure thing the Rockets have is Steve Francis. Anderson, Mobley, Drew, K Thomas, Rogers and Cato are all exciting to me, but none of those players are guys the Rockets can pencil in at a position for the next 10-15 years. Not yet anyhow. It all comes down to what you think will help this team more: Making the playoffs and probably losing in the first round or adding a good player through the draft. There are pros and cons to both. ------------------ Clutch CLUTCHCITY.NET -- SPREAD THE WORD "We have to admit how disappointed we are in Kelvin Cato, the Houston center expected to be a shotblocking, rebounding monster but looking more like Shawn Bradley every day. If that's not reason to start playing better, nothing is" -- Eric Karabell, ESPN
Clutch, I still don't regret keeping Dream. Even if it would have been profitable in rebuilding, I would lose some love for the organization that would make the product, however good, somewhat sullied. And while Christie and two picks (minus Anderson who may not have come) would have been great building blocks for the future, I think losing Olajuwon would also hurt the rebuilding process. Toronto had a very young team when they began and they stank. Then they started acquiring some veterans to steer their young core in the right direction. The result was that they have some good young guys from the future being tutored by some old vets who will get them in the proper mind-set, the proper work-ethic, and into winning ways. They wanted Olajuwon to help in this process. Now, especially with Barkley out rehabbing, we need Olajuwon to teach the young guys how to conduct themselves and to help them from being out-and-out losers. This intangible resource could be the difference between the agony of losing with good players (seen all too often in teams like the Wizards) and bouncing back to the top.
JuanValdez -- Well said. I certainly can't disagree with you the way that was said... and I hope you're right about Dream being a good influence on the team. Just frustrating to me to hear we need a small forward and a power forward and those players were available with the draft picks... and they have huge potential.
It was a mistake. We should of done that deal. Think about it, For a 36 turning 37 year old guy getting a deal like that. MAN!!
I don't think the Rockets are regretting not trading Hakeem. Like Juan said, Anderson may not even be here in that case. A few months ago, before Pippen blew up, Barkley's career ended and Hakeem got hurt, we were set to rebuild and contend for the championship at the same time, with a lineup of Francis, Anderson, Pippen, Barkley and Hakeem, with Mobley, Massenburg, Drew, Thomas et al coming off the bench. That scenario is very rare in the NBA, and we had a shot at it. We almost had the best of both worlds. To say we shouldn't have put ourselves in that position is like saying we shouldn't have made the Barkley trade because we didn't win the championship. You just can't predict some of the things that happened that landed us where we are now (which is still a very good situation). Like I said at the time we didn't pull the trigger on the Hakeem trade, a shrewd organization like the Rockets' will never fall to the bottom for very long.
I think we should strive to make the playoffs. It would be horrible for Stevie to be in his third of fourth year without any playoff experience at all. The more he gets at a young age, the better.
OK, the Championship is pretty much out of the question. While anything can happen, it is pretty safe to say that we will not be pulling a Knicks this season. I'm not even going to worry about what the Lakers, Blazers, Jazz, etc. are doing. Let them fight for the top seeds. I am going to focus on playoff slot number 8. I still feel that the playoffs are a possibility. It's not unrealistic to think that we can get there. Denver currently holds slot #8. They are only 3 games ahead of us. Minnesota is 2.5 games ahead and Dallas is ony 1.5 games ahead of us. Watching this young team is exciting but throw in a subplot and things get a little more fun. Like I said in another post, if these guys can at least hold our position in relation to those 3 teams or maybe gain on them, then we have Dream's return to look forward to. With Dream back we should be able to compete enough to hang on to the 8th slot or better. The race is on! ------------------ SpaceCity of RocketFuel
I would rather not make the playoffs in the 8th seed. I would rather take my chances in the lottery and free agent market. Go Rockets 2000-1 DaDakota
I think we should try to make it to the playoffs. There is just no way in h*** we will. We just are a young team who is a little light in talent now, I can accept that as long as we play hard and progress.
