The general consensus is yes, they are a good team due to all the points the topic creator mentioned, but they could be much better since they have T-mac and Yao. With great power, comes great expectations </variation of spiderman quote>
I take you to task on this point. The two teams with true Playmaker Point guards we have won ZERO games and lost SIX. Alston is not good enough a starter for a team which plays the BIG man game.
I expected them to win no less than 60 games! With all that has happened through injuries and JVGs inability to develop players, I consider that you are right and 50+ is quite good!
I think the Rockets have 2 players that are better than any two players on the Mavs or Phoenix rosters... Therefore they should be demanding better effort and competing for division championships...barring injuries of course. Yes, I have high expectations..... DD
'Point' well taken, but - I would take, right now/this year/this playoff run, Delonte, Jack (or Roy), and/or Foye (or James) to QB this Rox group. APG is meaningful, but what about APM and/or to whom the assists fly?
I wonder why people bring this up so much. Everyone in the same conference pretty much plays the same schedule. There's no unbalance towards playing teams in your own division. Unless a division winner is so bad it can't even place in the top 8 of it's own conference, divisions in NBA means squat. As for expectations... I never cared for much in the regular season. Especially with T-Mac's back problems last year, I was simply hoping this team would be clicking heading into the playoffs. My biggest disappoint was Bonzi. Because with him, at least we look to have enough talent to be a contender. Without him, we'd have to pray for monster playoff performances from Yao and T-Mac to truly make a memorable run.
No they're not. On your other points, however, I tend to agree with most of what you said. I am OK with the season for the most part, but frankly the only thing I care about is playoff success. The Rockets could win 60+ games and if they lose in the first round in the playoffs I would consider the season a total waste.
I expect rings and trophies every year... neither of which is instant. Of course that is in the "hope" realm of expectations. In the reality realm, I was hoping the injury bug didn't take us out of the picture again. That said, I actually think we did better, so far, than I expected... especially considering the injury bug bit some more this year. And while I have never loved JVG, he deserves a real look for COY.
I also I want to point out something rafer did really bad. FG% for his shots( I bet at least 50% of his shots are wide open!!!!!)
So, the team is good enough to compete for the 2nd or 3rd seed without Yao for half a season but does not have enough to compete when they have all of their players healthy. >DOES NOT COMPUTE<
It is nice to have a good season and show progression. Dallas and San Antonio have had many good seasons but when the postseason ends in defeat it always leaves a bitter taste, an empty feeling wishing you could win one more! Remember how much it stung when we lost in the playoffs to Dallas.
If there had been a poll at the start of the season, "Do you expect Yao and McGrady to be out a combined 40+ games", I think most of us would have answered yes. The phrase, "if they stay healthy" was so common it was scary. I think our most common prediction (from fan polls) was that the Rockets would win between 55-60 games. Kind of a contradiction, we expected Yao and TMac to be out, yet we also expected the Rockets to win. I guess hope is critical to win championships.
If we do not have the best record in the NBA every year I will be "critical" and show how smart I am by pointing out the weaknesses of the team over and over. That will make me very happy. I will refuse to appreciate what we have, hoping some good things happen while completely supporting my team, smiling all the way. Why? Because I am Party Pizza darn it, and I demand perfection.
I am not Second Round or Bust We *CANNOT* lose to the JazzHoles Rocket River I predicted 55 wins. . . .i was a little off then again i did nto predict the injuries. .. so I want a Mulligan
Why don't you just say what's own your mind, Jeff. You like Van Gundy and think he has done a great job. That is fine for you to think that. I on the other hand see a team with 2 of the top ten players in the league who are underachieving. I see a coach who's stubbornness and inflexibility has cost us a few games. Just the other night refusing to play Tmac cost us a game we easily should have won. I don't doubt for 1 minute his basketball intelligence. But that only qualifies him to write a book and announce games. His handling of players is horrid. He has favorites placing some on pedestals and treating others like Garbage Scow. The Rockets right now have enough talent to win it all and yet they struggle against the Portlands and Hornets of the league. The Jeff Van Gundy test failed, it is time to move on. He is more of a distraction than anything else at this point. I have always felt that winning in the NBA is much more about the players than it is about the coach. The coach should never be bigger than the team. Most coaches at this level are smart enough to take a good team and make them a little better. Van Gundy doesn't share my sentiments. He has stated at this level every team has enough talent to win it all. It's about motivation and desire. It sounds to me like he is saying it's the coach that makes the difference. Well if that isn't an example of someone who is full of himself I don't know what is. If he is going to make such statements than he should be held accountable for those words. I know many on this board feel if he gets us out of the first round than we should bring him back. Well in the words of Van Gundy the Rockets are talented enough to win it all so winning a championship should have no bearing on firing Van Gundy. In fact I can think of no better June than for the Rockets to win it all and release Van Gundy. That would be sweet.
