yeahh i undertand. But Bonzi can actually draw double teams(like the spurs game).. he can ACTUALLY attack the basket too... and if u look at the update i posted on the "Bonzi on the inactive list thread".. he might actually get ONE last chance to prove to JVG to change that Damn Rotation..
Agree with all you said. Utah actually has Okur and Fisher who have championship experience and players like Kirinlenko and Harpring are also playoffs tested. On other hand, rockets only have Deke and Juwan, maybe Bonzi if JVG decided to use him, have great playoffs resume, t-mac is well tested in the playoffs but not winning, yao only has 2 playoffs experience. I just dont think Rockets has an edge!
Even Juwan has only been to the playoffs twice, and one of those times his team was swept in the first round.
Why are we surprised that this team will go as far as Tmac and Yao will take it? I really feel that as much as battier does for the team- there are times I think he should contribute more to offense. He has the skills- but we just dont want him to worry too much about scoring except the 3 pointers. We will win great if the two stars do well- and the role players score the open shots- else it is no secret that Yao will be triple teamed and Tracy will be pestered. Bonzi- whatever your opinion is- has to be an option. He is the one guy who can add some scoring punch and actualy play some defense and give us some size. Frankly I still think we can win it all. But Tmac needs to be Tmac- right now he is no where close to Superstar level
I agree with the OP that we need more offense from the forward positions. We've got two great hustle role players in Battier and Hayes but they - particularly Hayes - aren't enough of offensive threats to keep opponents' defenses honest. Last offseason, it was reported that JVG wanted a power forward with good outside shooting to play alongside Yao. They haven't found him yet but they should definitely keep looking. As for this current team, there was a string of games earlier in the season (back before we had both our superstars back) when the second unit combo of Bonzi and Juwan Howard was looking real good. That and the strong play of Mutombo got me thinking that we may have enough depth to really compete. But take Bonzi out of that equation and with Mutombo coming back down to earth, our second team is looking shaky.
Guys better get used to the idea that the Rockets are a sinking ship. If they get out of the 1st round this year it will because the Jazz had four starters break a leg or something. This team has no floor leader: T-mac should retire because he has no passion for the game and Yao cant' do it because of his limited stamina. JVG is not the right coach for a team with limited talent and no scoring. Which is basically the roster JVG put together. I've wanted to believe in the team for a long time, but the thrill is gone as they say.
This is the team that CD and JVG put together, it is what it is.......there are versatility options on the team but they are a year or so away and at the end of the bench. So, this is a flawed team, which can win on any given night, but conversly can also lose on any given night. The team knows what has to be done, it knows it's identity, and the players know what is being asked of them. IMHO, it comes down to strategy, as teams ratchet up the defense and offense in the playoffs, how will JVG respond? How will the Rockets handle adversity? How will they handle the fronting of Yao? How will they handle quicker perimeter players? It will all come down to adjustments, and effort. I am HOPING that they get past Utah, but unfortunatly that is a far cry from believing they will. The Rockets have enough talent to compete if everything goes well, but in the playoffs that rarely happens. So, we shall see what JVG has up his sleeves.....if it is just "We have to work harder" then I think the team is done for in round one or at best round two. DD
There is a saying that I have come up with: "When its time to take a dump, its not the time figure out where your donut muscle is located." What does this have to do with the Rockets? The playoffs are just around the corner, there is nothing JVG can do at this point in the season to look at other options(i.e. bench combinations, 10 day contracts, etc...). Its looks like JVG is a man who is feeling the first urges to relieve himself, but can't seem figure out how he going to go about doing it. You can almost feel the sense of urgency welling up in Jeff as each game goes by. So what are we as fans to do? IMHO, we should all just relax, sit back and enjoy where ever the Rockets take us--for better or worse.
rockets are a top 5-7 team in the league and people complain. Did watching bad basketball at the end of rudy's tenure corrupt how you view the game? THis is a solid team with class acts. Of course they dont have the all around talent and athleticism that they probably need to be a legit contender but thats what happens when horrible draft picks are made one year after another and big contracts are given to crap players.
I don't know, it seems that the Mavs rebuild through trades and free agency...only Howard and Dirk are really from the draft.......Devin Harris has been ok.....but most of their team is from trades. The Suns are the same, with a lot of their contributors coming through free agency and trades. The Rockets got Yao and Luther from the draft and the rest of the guys from trades. It seems that one of the biggest problems with the Rockets has been their inability to get the right players in trades.....they may miss a lot more than others.... Although....Tmac, and Battier were good trades......but can anyone really say the Rafer for Mike James deal was good for the Rockets? And did we really not pull the trigger on a J-Ho for MJ trade? I think the Rockets are close to contending, but IMHO we need the coach to loosen up a bit and play some of the young guys, and Yao has to continue to become even more aggressive, especially on the glass. DD
Are we suppose to be happy with a middle of the pack team, especially when we have Mac and Ming? Hey, I'll cheer them on, but I'll get pissed off at our shortcomings, mistakes, and losses like the next fan.
as great as our defense is, a team with t-mac and yao ming should be one of the most dominant offensive teams in the nba, yet this team has struggled to score 100 for the past 4 years. that alone is enough to tell me something isn't right. whether that's coaching or personnel is a chicken-or-the-egg question that i don't think we'll ever know. but one of the 2 has got to change next year if this team really wants to be a contender.
i kind of want us to lose these games since we'll most likely not have home court just so gundy will bring bonzi back
If only we pulled a Utah and bombed away a draft year filled to the brim with quality PGs. That 2005 draft kills me. Not that I don't like Luther, but look at the PG depth in that draft. Raymond Felton. Chris Paul. Deron Williams. Monta Ellis. Nate Robinson. Grahh....if only we had tanked that year rather then last year, our PG problem would probably have been solved very well. Just dreaming of what ifs... PG: Deron Williams/Rafer Alston PG: Chris Paul/Rafer Alston
How can you blame Rudy now? All those players and bad contracts are gone. Taylor was given away when we could have had PJ Brown.... We will not get past the 1st round - one and done- I expect. I also expect Van Gundy to get an extension. So you still have Van Gundy. He's not going anywhere Leave Rudy alone-he is gone - never to return
Then why don't you go root for some other freaking team then. These type of pointless posts are getting really tiresome...
Battier has never been named to the NBAs 1st or 2nd All Defensive teams so I don't see how he can be called a great defender, he doesn't possess the athleticism, size and wingspan to be a great defender. He plays workman like defense and his best attribute is his technique in taking a charge. He's a very good defender not great, his lack of accolades prove it.
well its not all on him. BUt you have to admit that blowing multiple draft picks doesnt help your team. rockets have done a good job the past couple years to get some young talent to fill that void. a 50 win team (without yao for much of the season) and a team that is at least 7 best in the league is not middle of the pack. plus, to be brutally honest, both have doubts around them about their ability win (not me personally, but that argument could be made) dirk/josh howard are their big dogs. but i wasnt saying you have to build through the draft, but it certainly helps. if nothing else they have used some of their draft picks as assets to get other players in trades. Plus, them having almost a 100 mill in contracts doesnt hurt either. marion/barbosa/amare. thats a good start. Plus, joe johnson was used to get diaw and some draft picks (like i mentioned before if nothing else draft picks can be used for trades). But yes, there is also a certain amount of improvement that needs to be done in the offseason and luckily the suns were under the cap. Something the rockets havent had the luxury of.
