The thing I like most about having Artest on the Rockets

If McGrady was ever slacking, seems like he is improving now. Maybe it's Yao's influence or Artest's influence, but he is driving to the rim a lot more, getting a lot of FTs, MAKING the FTS. Although his defense is still in question (not questioning his effort, but the state of his knees), he is averaging 2 steals per game.

However, I still do expect him to continue to drive to the rim, even when he has a bad day. This also doesn't mean Artest isn't blameless if he shoots contested after contested shots. I also expect Yao to dunk that S(h)*t when he can.

 

...or get their asses kicked

 

2 words: contract year

 

...huevos mas grande

 

Great point DD. It's also the 1st time in years that the rockets don't need a superhuman effort from T-Mac to win as well. Ron Ron is going to push T-Mac in ways that rocket fans have never seen. If this team can stay healthy watch out in another 25 to 30 games from now. Scary to think that Battier hasn't even played yet.

 

I like that he plays hard because that is just how he plays. On the other hand, Mac seems to feign effort just so he can talk about how hard he had to push himself in any given game.

Artest has a no-excuses-needed-because-I'll-just-beat-your-ass mentality. Great to have on the team this year.

 

I like that Ron has the biggest pair in the NBA. When is the last time you saw a Rocket come to the aid of Yao when he was getting clobbered? I got so pumped in that Dallas game. I will take that technical everytime ...

Nobody even THOUGHT of messing with Hakeem because Otis Thorpe was a man beast. Just his presence was intimidating.

I just like that the Rockets finally have an enforcer down low in their prime.

No offense to guards like Bob Sura - who had some brass yarbles ...

 

Didn't McGrady say he will retire after his contract is over?

 

Sounds right, but hasn't Yao already been working very hard? So his effort just didn't have the effect to motivate the others?

 

To be fair though, T-Mac *always* seems to be feigning effort. That's just his whole demeanor with those sleepy eyes to the silky smooth play (props to pongd becuase that was a tight video).

 

I don't care what's motivating him, I care that he/Yao/(Battier) are leading by example.

Evan

 

Just for the sake of fairness, no one messed with Hakeem because he kicked people ass. Ask micheal cage, olden polynice, mitch kupchak, and others. There is something kinda wrong when a small forward has to come to the defense of the biggest player in the league.

Artest is great for a team like the rox because they're soft. They played hard, but there wasn't a form of nastiness on this team. Also, it takes a lot of pressure off everyone, especially tracy and yao to have really good nights every game. The margin of error is larger because now the opponets know its impossible for 2 or all 3 to be off. They have shown they can win without great production from 1 of them. Now the fate of the team isn't whether or not a sub 40% guy is hitting shots.

 

Dood, Hakeem was a bad bad mother in his days, maybe even one of the biggest bad asses in the entire league.

 

Otis Thorpe is one of my favorite Rockets of all time, but this is revisionism. No one thought of messing with Hakeem because Hakeem didn't take ***** from anyone.

 

I was speaking more towards the "OMG, I'm so tired from pushing myself to the limit in the 4th quarter of a playoff game" attitude. I don't give people credit for something the are "supposed" to do. (Stole that from Chris Rock)

I agree that his sleepy look and demeanor doesn't help that image, but I'd like it better if he didn't always have to tell us how hard he plays. Usually, if you have to tell everyone how hard you played, then you didn't REALLY put forth the effort.

Artest seems to play every 4th quarter like it is a playoff game, as do some other Rockets. Mac says that he does, but you don't always see it. Don't tell me, show me!

 

Yea, I dont think Hakeem needed an enforcer. Just watch some of his older highlights. He was a bad mofo.

 

I like how he moves all akwardly, as someone put it "Its like his body parts all move independently of one another, theres no fluid motion, yet it all comes together to form great defense."