[Houston Press] Just a little patience...

I like your writing style. It was long, but it didn't seem that way. Easy to read. I usually don't read many things over 2 paragraphs long, hahah.

 

Nice coverage again Fritz. I posted my comment on the blog page (figure your bosses can give you more credit that way~ )

 

Very nice job, Jason. A good read. Excellent use of quotes, from Bonzi in particular, and I liked how you segued from one point to another, seeming to touch all the major bases without just giving a rehash of the game. Keep them coming!

 

Note from somebody who makes a living on the Internet: If you want to support Jason and the alternative paper, click his link anyway. The Chron may not need your clicks, but the Press does.

 

I expected Steve to play more than he did last night, but we won and it not being a blow out had more to do with Tmac's 7-22 shooting than our PG play. The main problem Francis is having right now is being so foul prone and his defense. He is averaging 7 fouls per 48 minutes and had 2 in 10 minutes last night. Adelman rates him as the worst defensively out of him, James and Alston, with Alston being the best by a good margin. Of course Adelman also acknowledged that some of that could be conditioning that he expects will improve. Who knows if the lack of play time for Francis is because of the quick fouls or because Adelman liked the way the game was running with the line up he had, or if perhaps Steve's back was still an issue that they decided not to push since it wasn't needed. Rafer had a decent game, 3-9 shooting being the only negative, which was sadly a better % than Tmac's last night. The problem for Rafer is not only does he miss alot, but his misses are some of the ugliest you can imagine, which just makes them stick in your mind even more.

 

It was always going to be hard for so many new players to fit especially when they are looking for their shots. I'm disturbed that James is not playing with the attitude and toughness that he is known for for. Bonzi too hasn't shown enough fight. I honestly feel he goes through the motions at times. Francis needs more minutes to become consistent. If most of the players aren't capable of fighting through as a team when the going gets tough,then patience and time won't be enough.
I'm not advocating a trade but the guys have to show focus and determination. Rick has got to figure a way out to get more out of them.

 

I thought the article was good but the GNR analogy was r****ded.

On another note, if Rafer is still with this club after the trade deadline, I would imagine his minutes are reduced significantly to around 15-20 mpg max. We have to be showcasing him.

 

I never understood the "show case" arguement. Show casing Rafer for what? He is what he is. If anything "showcasing him" has hurt his trade value because his 3 pt % is down this year to date. He is a poor shooter that plays solid defense and makes good decisions with the ball. GM's are not going to value a veteran player more because he has a few good games, nor turn down a trade if he has a few bad games. It's not like he is a rookie that teams would gamble on based on "potential".

The reality is that the rocket's consider him the best of several subpar options. Maybe Steve can beat him out, but he hasn't played enough games to say for sure at this point. James has been more of a shooting guard than a PG, and is shooting worse than Rafer, so he really isn't in the debate. Besides if Rafer was playing exceptionally well this year, to the point that his trade value was increasing, why would we want to trade him? What would you be hoping to get back by playing him alot and then trading him that you wouldn't get if he was playing less?

 

Very nice article, as always fritz.

It's stuff like this that makes me yearn to be a sports journalist. Of course, it sucks being a beat writer. But that's another thing altogether.

 

yeah, the "showcase" argument is kind of stupid.

 

This is the second time Skip got to play the whole 2nd half. I think Rick Ruler likes to go with what is working best at the moment. The starters were on a roll so he stuck with the starters. Rafer played solid. Didn't shoot well (surprised?) but he played with lots of energy. On another note, once again we gained/expanded the lead once Francis and the Bench Bombers came into the game.

 

I also like your writing style, but starting off with GnR worship (plus photo) seemed really out of place.

 

Good thing you post the link here, then. It isn't the easiest article to find on the Press' website.

 

It's spelled Axl, not Axel. Other than that, good job!

 

Thanks for sharing, it's an obvious win-win for you and the BBS.

BTW - I found this an interesting point: “Sometimes it’s tough on us when you just kind of stand around and watch Mac and Yao shoot the ball all the time,” explained Wells. “But that’s the plays that we’re calling, they’re our best players, so that’s the obvious [strategy]. But it’s better for us sometimes to get our rhythm together because, like I said, it takes a lot of pressure off them and they can have days like today where they don’t gotta do everything and have the cape on their back and save us.”

Manu's 'bench' play is top-notch, starting with his attitude and continuing thru his massive talent. Somehow RA needs to inculcate some of that into Bonzi and The Bench Boys.

 

dude you are the man. favorite rockets blogger right here.

 

really appreciate you posting the link here fritz

I enjoy your columns, and since Im somewhat lazy, this way I always get to catch them.