let's be honest with ourselves...

I would be lying to myself if this is how I view our team. Consequently, the rest of your post had no meaning for me.

 

Golly gee, verse, NOBODY wants to envision the team like that. But apparantly you do. However, you said let [us] be honest with ourselves....I honestly don't view the team like you do.

 

Let's not confuse your opinion with the opinions of others. Since you are stating your "feelings" on the matter, we can't all be honest AND agree with your opinion. You see one thing. Others see something else. That's just reality.

 

I agree that we will suck and be one of the top 3 worst teams in the NBA and have a very good chance of getting Ming. Thats the only thing that has me excited.

 

THE BAD:

1. we are a one-dimensional, poorly coached, poorly prepared, underachieving, uninspired basketball team. FALSE

2. steve francis probably won't be 100% till after the allstar break FALSE
3. glen rice probably won't be 100% till after the allstar break TRUE
4. cuttino mobley is playing through two injured ankles TRUE
5. motay is out for the year TRUE
6. cato and dribble-o (mooch) are sucking up cap room I SUPPOSE, BUT EVERYONE IS.
7. we are free falling TRUE
8. THE TEAM WE CURRENTLY HAVE (EVEN HEALTHY) HAS ZERO CHANCE AT COMPETING W/THE WESTERN CONFERENCE FALSE

THE GOOD:

1. we have a sh*tload of talent and - on paper, at least - are one big man away from being western conference threats. TRUE
2. we could have a top 3 pick. FALSE
3. there are at least 2 very good big men coming out (ming and marcus) TRUE
4. torres is proving he might be our future small forward. TRUE
5. our future 1-4 is solidified. TRUE


THE SOLUTION:

1. play the kids (torres and griff alongside cat and steve and kenny). UNDECIDED

2. decide if griff is going to be a damn 2, 3, 4 or 5. HE'S A 4 DAMMIT!

3. prepare to trade kt in the offseason for another draft pick or to package him with cato or dribble-o. DEPENDS ON GRIFFIN

4. suck. not purposely. with the purpose of developing players (griff, torres, tmo, kt) NO

5. suck. not purposely. with the purpose of preserving steve francis' feet. YES

6. DRAFT MING!!! he's 7'6, 260+. he has good range. he LIKES TO PLAY DOWNLOW. IF AVAILABLE

7. fire carroll dawson. this offseason sealed his fate, coupled with the cato fiasco. NO

8. move rudy to gm. good "player-guy", piss poor coach. NO
sorry, but he has

a) NEVER shown the ability to coach any kind of motion offense. FALSE & IRRELEVANT
b) no control over his team (unless he's telling the rockets to walk the ball upcourt. FALSE
c) ridiculous game preparation (we always fall behind). FALSE
d) terrible sub patterns (kt gets 6 boards in the 1st Q then sits until 3:00 left in the 2nd Q.) FALSE

9. hire someone to a short term contract until they PROVE they can get the most f/this team!!!
a) johnny dawkins?
b) calvin murphy?
c) james worthy?
d) bob hill?
e) dean smith (i wish!)
f) danny ainge NO THANKS (You could have at least picked some worthwhile replacements)

 

I think you are overreacting. I think that we have a better lineup in street clothes than we do in uniform. I think that every person I've spoken to personally and heard (or read) that I trust or think knows what he/she is talking about believes that Rudy was and is a good coach and that the Rockets freefall has little to do with his coaching skills, but he is an easy scape goat because the team is bad.

I think that the vast majority of people who watch the games are so frustrated by the losing that they don't pay attention to the real problems we have with players being out and the one's we have just not having that much talent.

But, to respond specifically...

1. we are a one-dimensional, poorly coached, poorly prepared, underachieving, uninspired basketball team.

Disagree. I think we have serious problems but I don't think it is because the team is poorly coached. Poorly prepared? I think that is a mistake because it isn't poorly prepared, it is lack of experience. Show me a team that plays 4 rookies (including two non-draftee's and a 19-year-old) significant minutes who won't have problems with their players. As for uninspired, you cannot fault this team for hustle. They work their asses off. They just don't have the talent to succeed.

2. steve francis probably won't be 100% till after the allstar break
3. glen rice probably won't be 100% till after the allstar break
4. cuttino mobley is playing through two injured ankles
5. motay is out for the year

Agreed on all counts.

6. cato and dribble-o (mooch) are sucking up cap room

This is just reality. We can't fix that one at the moment.

7. we are free falling

Definitely.

8. THE TEAM WE CURRENTLY HAVE (EVEN HEALTHY) HAS ZERO CHANCE AT COMPETING W/THE WESTERN CONFERENCE

Disagree. I don't think that we are a championship contender as is but I don't think the Rockets believe that either. I think they are a playoff team with a couple more years of experience under their belts.

1. we have a sh*tload of talent and - on paper, at least - are one big man away from being western conference threats.

We do have a lot of talent but I'm not sure we are simply one big man away. We have to find out who will play what role and adjust the line-up to suit.

2. we could have a top 3 pick.

Doubt that.

3. there are at least 2 very good big men coming out (ming and marcus)

I'm not sold on Ming yet.

4. torres is proving he might be our future small forward.

I don't think he will be a starter. I honestly see him as a Mario Elie type - an offensive and defensive spark plug off the bench.

5. our future 1-4 is solidified.

Probably depending on how Griffin figures in. If he can become a guy who can play minutes at the center, we could be set at 1,2,4 and 5, but, in general, I agree.

1. play the kids (torres and griff alongside cat and steve and kenny).

Personally, I'd like to see more of this. At this point, we don't have much choice anyway.

2. decide if griff is going to be a damn 2, 3, 4 or 5.

He's mostly 4 with some 5 mixed in.

3. prepare to trade kt in the offseason for another draft pick or to package him with cato or dribble-o.

I do think that we are a little overloaded at some positions. The Rockets will have to decide how to handle that, but I would think that some trades, releases are likely in order. If Taylor comes back healthy and EG progresses, KT could be on the block. Frankly, that's not a bad problem to have.

4. suck. not purposely. with the purpose of developing players (griff, torres, tmo, kt)

I don't have a problem with that if Francis is out and others are out as well. If the minutes are there great. If not, do what is necessary to win. You don't want to ingrane losing into anyone.

5. suck. not purposely. with the purpose of preserving steve francis' feet.

Well, cut down his minutes and rest him well for sure.

6. DRAFT MING!!! he's 7'6, 260+. he has good range. he LIKES TO PLAY DOWNLOW.

I'm just not sold on him yet and that is assuming China will let him leave to play.

7. fire carroll dawson. this offseason sealed his fate, coupled with the cato fiasco.

Dawson also engineered the EG deal, the Francis deal. He brought in Kevin Willis and helped to find Torres and Tierre Brown. No one is 100%.

8. move rudy to gm. good "player-guy", piss poor coach.

I just don't agree about the poor coaching. As for GM, Rudy has said on numerous occassions he has NO interest of working in the front office. He loves to coach. If the Rockets wanted to move him from coaching, a line would form at his door of other teams who would want to sign him as their coach the same day.

sorry, but he has

a) NEVER shown the ability to coach any kind of motion offense.

As Juan said, this is irrelavent. Neither has Pat Riley or Lenny Wilkens.

b) no control over his team (unless he's telling the rockets to walk the ball upcourt.

I disagree. You can't possibly know what plays he is calling, what he is doing in practice or how he is handling players personally. No one is speaking out against him in public and, in private, players from all over the league talk about how guys who play in Houston rave about what a great coach Rudy is.

c) ridiculous game preparation (we always fall behind).

This isn't true. They have had some problems recently, but it isn't because of lack of preparation.

d) terrible sub patterns (kt gets 6 boards in the 1st Q then sits until 3:00 left in the 2nd Q.)

Disagree. There are moments when I'd like to see Griffin more or some other situation, but I think that about nearly every team I see. Coaches have patterns and the good one's stick to them.

9. hire someone to a short term contract until they PROVE they can get the most f/this team!!!
a) johnny dawkins?
b) calvin murphy?
c) james worthy?
d) bob hill?
e) dean smith (i wish!)
f) danny ainge

This is a laughable list. Good grief! Most of these guys aren't wanted by anyone else, so why would we want them now?

 

Let's be honest.

1) The Rockets are playing with the second string which gives them additional experience, but we will lose more.

2) They probably won't make the playoffs due to Steve's injury. There wasn't much room for error to begin with.

3) With Torres we have another piece of the puzzle.

4) KT is another piece of the puzzle-- at least as a 6 or 7th or 8th man.

5) Griffin still has a good chance of being part of the puzzle.

6) The puzzle will not be complete till we get one or more starting stud frontline player.

7) That player will not come this season barring a miracle recovery by Taylor or a stunning trade of Willis plus others to a desperate contender.

8) With Walt's contract ending and a pretty good pick we might get the frontline piece of the puzzle this summer. Perhaps by packaging them both together.

9) Our next big chance of getting the frontline piece of the puzzle is through free agency when Rice's big contract expires. (Don't forget one of the reasons we got Rice was to dump his big contract in thre years,) just when we're ready to rock.

10) Unless you have Shaq and Kobe you don't advance far into the playoffs till at least 6 of your top eight have played together for two years.

11) We're glad Rudy didn't pull a Phil Jackson or a Van Gundy. Leave your team when it is down so you can walk into an already completed rebuild to make you look like a genius.

12) Finally let's be honest we still enjoy the Rockets during the intellectual and emotional challenge of rebuilding like Rudy T does.
If we don't we can pull the fan equivalent of a Phil Jackson. go fishing and watch movies for two years till the Rockets are rolling again.

 

JV, I'm suprised you're already sold on Oscar Torres. At least that's what I'm assuming given your agreement with the statement that 1-4 is set. If Griffin is a 4, where do you envision Mo T when he comes back?

Jeff,
if we're still two seasons away from being a playoff team, do you still envision Stevie being with us at that time? How do you rate the chances of him staying if we barely miss the playoffs again next season?