most of you were so eager to hold the door wide open for Hakeem Olajuwon, the greatest athlete in our city's history, and the only athlete to bring this city a professional sports championship. you had no problem seeing him walk right out the door and head to canada, and scoffed at the idea of him wanting to get paid a few million to finish his career here. my question: why are so many of you defending rudy and showing such loyalty towards him? like hakeem, rudy's "skills" are long gone. hakeem won us 2 championships almost 10 years ago. you want to give rudy some credit for that?? fine. but he's done jack squat since. we now have a team that has proven it can beat the league's best. our record doesn't reflect our ability. this team plays down to the level of the lesser opponents. to me, it's glaringly obvious that motivation is key in this. i blame rudy 100% for that. throw in the fact that his substitution patterns and minutes dispersion have been maniacal (i.e. giving a washed up, zero defense glen rice 30 min/game, and inexplicably not giving nachbar a chance 30 games into the season, to name a few), and i think that it's abundantly clear that the rockets time is now, and that rudy should be given the axe. it tickles me how many of you try and justify that he should be the coach of this team given what you've seen this season. i think les alexander is a tremendous owner, and, while i think he is to an extent loyal to rudy, he realizes the teams potential, and wouldn't hesitate to make a change this season, maybe if we dipped 4 or 5 games below .500. i would never root for us to lose games to get to that point, but, maybe that would be best in the longrun.
Rudy's loyalty to the team and Houston is why fans are loyal to him. He was here before Hakeem, before Moses, before any current player, long before the championships, etc. He was a player, an assistant coach, a coach, and maybe even a scout (not sure about that). He's just about been a Rocket since the Houston Rockets have been around. The fans didn't push Hakeem out the door. It tickles me to watch so many of you spaz over this. Now we have one of the "fat" boys rooting for us to lose so Rudy can get fired. This is no doubt a true fan.
Imagined if Rudy got the boot and Phil Jackson was hired to replace him???!!!!! Quick poll: who would continue as Rockets fans? who would bail?
Rudy is the last icon remained from the Championship squad. His presence is a continuity from the past, reminding the fans of their ole glorious days.
damn. i would really hate that. I would still be a rockets fan, i've been a rockets fan all my life. But Phil JAckson .
"most of you were so eager to hold the door wide open for Hakeem Olajuwon, the greatest athlete in our city's history, and the only athlete to bring this city a professional sports championship. you had no problem seeing him walk right out the door and head to canada, and scoffed at the idea of him wanting to get paid a few million to finish his career here. " That's a vague generalization. Perhaps those of us who are loyal to Rudy were also fiercely loyal to Hakeem. I myself thought Hakeem earned the right to leave Houston on his own terms and thought they ought give him what ever he wanted, however, I think he really did need to make the move to Toronto. He was under the illusion he could still play at his previous level and that the only reason he wasn't producing like he used to was that they weren't giving him the oppurtunities they used to and were using their young players too much. The Dream had to go to Toronto to find out that wasn't true, and if he didn't, he probably would have always wondered. Now he doesn't have to. "my question: why are so many of you defending rudy and showing such loyalty towards him? like hakeem, rudy's "skills" are long gone." Well, you didn't offer anything to support this statement unless it's the statements below that I will promptly rip apart. "hakeem won us 2 championships almost 10 years ago. you want to give rudy some credit for that?? fine. but he's done jack squat since. " How in the world are you going to say Rudy had nothing to do with that and it was all Hakeem? Rudy couldn't have done it with out Hakeem, sure, but do you think we'd still have those banners if Bill Fitch were our coach? Also, the championships were in 95 and 96, it's 02 pal, almost 03. the most recent championship was 7 years ago. How long did it take the Lakers to get back to being a championship quality team after the Showtime Lakers? (and they had Jerry West, the so called best GM in basketball the entire time). Right, it was about 8 years before they were back in the playoffs. We're right on that pace. How long did it take the celtics? the Pistons? They may be in the playoffs, but it's only because the eastern conference is so pathetic. Detroit couldn't beat the Clippers in a best of 7 if you ask me and the Celtics don't have a decent big man or a point guard. And when I say they don't have a point guard, I mean they literally don't have a point guard. Rudy and CD are great at bringing in the talent and Rudy is generally great at keeping the talent happy and productive. Not every team is lucky enough to have a coach like that. "we now have a team that has proven it can beat the league's best. our record doesn't reflect our ability. this team plays down to the level of the lesser opponents. to me, it's glaringly obvious that motivation is key in this. i blame rudy 100% for that. throw in the fact that his substitution patterns and minutes dispersion have been maniacal (i.e. giving a washed up, zero defense glen rice 30 min/game, and inexplicably not giving nachbar a chance 30 games into the season, to name a few), and i think that it's abundantly clear that the rockets time is now, and that rudy should be given the axe. " This is absolutely ridiculous. First of all, why do we have such a young and talented team? Because Rudy is an amazing talent scout. Because Rudy and CD have turned this team around in no time flat. Again, look at the previous dynasties and how long it took them to rebuild. It was just two seasons ago we had the best record to ever not make the playoffs, all from the aquired talent we had before we ever even had a losing record. Why is our team playing down to the level of lesser opponents? because they're young and inconsistent. Just as most every other team as young as ours is with the exception of Indiana. Are you really going to tell me Isiah Thomas is a better coach than Rudy? As to giving washed up, zero defense Glen Rice 30 minutes a game rather than giving Nachbar a chance, are you at the Rockets practices? Do you know how Boki is playing? How well he is progressing? And one more thing, if defense is your concern do you really think Boki is going to be the answer? Please point me to a european player who knew how to play D in his rookie campaign. I beg you. So, if neither are going to give us any D, do you really think Boki can shoot better? Don't forget Glen Rice is the third best 3 point shooter of all time. Boki hasn't earned his spot yet. He hasn't even produced in the junk minutes he has been given. "it tickles me how many of you try and justify that he should be the coach of this team given what you've seen this season." What I've seen is Rudy lead a young team to third place in our division. A REALLY TOUGH DIVISION! But hypothetically, let's say that Rudy never was a good coach and he just rode the coat tails of Hakeem to those championships. WHO CARES?!?! quit whining and watch him ride Yao's coat tails to a few more then! sheesh. "i think les alexander is a tremendous owner, and, while i think he is to an extent loyal to rudy, he realizes the teams potential, and wouldn't hesitate to make a change this season, maybe if we dipped 4 or 5 games below .500. i would never root for us to lose games to get to that point, but, maybe that would be best in the longrun." Les is a great owner but Rudy is in no danger of losing his job, because lets face it, nine times out of ten when coaches get the axe it's because the fans are blood thirsty and demanding change. Coaches are the easiest scapegoat. It seldom seems the case the departing coach is actually replaced by a better coach during the season. Houston fans are excited about Rockets basketball right now on a whole. Attendance is up some, Yaomania is in full effect and everybody is more optimistic. I work for a company called Sports Travel Plus and we represent about half of all NBA teams. When they come into Houston, I meet them and greet them. I sometimes get a chance to talk to members of opposing coaching staffs and don't think they aren't very very weary of this Rockets team. Also, they always go on and on about Yao. I really just don't even understand this kind of talk. There is no problem, Houston. Just sit back and watch this young team grow together, and if they don't start reaching their potential in a few seasons, then start yelling for Rudy's job.
Fat boy, I totally agree with you. I've been calling for Rudy's job for several months now. He's clueless out there, and the players obviously don't listen to him. I love the Rockets, but loving the Rockets and accepting the fact that our coach is not getting it done are too completely different things. We all have opinions in this matter, and the truth will come out in the wash one way or another. BBS, when people complain about Rudy, they usually make several valid points. I've yet to see many posts praising what the man has done recently. Hating Rudy doesn't make us bad fans. In fact, it shows that we are taking the time to want change for the better. It also shows that we are willing to go against the grain to make this happen. We Rudy haters my not be popular, but you all have to admit that you all have thought at one time or another that an monkey could run better plays. His offense sucks, his substations suck, his use of the zone sucks. Nothing that I’ve seen thus far in the season has convinced me that he’s still the right man for the job. Rudy T needs to be moved somewhere else in the organization, (perhaps GM) and Les needs to bring in a coach to get #@$@# done. Period. I’m all about loyalty, but I’m more loyal to us winning. Lets put Rudy’s feelings on the back burner, and do what’s right for this team.
This town has suffered through countless sports "tragedies" over the years. The Oilers, Astros, and Rockets have all broken our hearts. Rudy T. helped deliver the first legitimate sporting championships to the city (AFL not counting). Loyalty towards his accomplishments is something many in this town hold with great pride. The man ended the bleeding after all those decades of pain. I don't mind giving him a few years with the new-and-improved lineup before possibly giving him the boot. Its the least we can do.
I don't think we should fire Rudy at this time. He had giving a lo to this organization over the years. He need more time to put the pieces together with the new style of play. But one thing that I wish Rudy would do more is stop babying the players. I read the Chronicles today and read that Rudy was saying in the game against the Knicks the team had great effort and great execution (at times) and good basketball. I might have miss something but I didn't see a great effort from the team especially from the defensive side with the exception of Posey. They have a great execution in the loss to Utah by moving the ball around but against the Knicks what I saw was more isolations, 4 guy standing around when the ball go down low to the post,etc. I didn't get the chance to review the tape like Rudy did but from what I remember about the game, they were so-so effort at best and bad execution at time. In the article from the Chronicles, the players didn't seem too concern about the loss. They kind of saying there is nothing to be panicking or concern about. I agree it's only one loss and there is still a lot of basketball to be play. I agree that it's not time to panic. But I wish that they would play more with a sense of urgency. They have to realize that one loss count the same at the beginning of the season as a loss at the end of the season. They need to focus on every game as though it's the last game of the season. With the way the race for the playoff look in the Western Conference, one loss could be the difference between going back to the lottery or going to the playoff. I see Rudy is using positive reinforcement to motivate the team but for some players it doesn't work. They need spanking before they do things right. Again Rudy has give a lot to this organization and he deserves the loyalty that the organization had given him. I see nothing wrong with that. But I think sometime you need to change your approach if what you are doing is not working.
listen dr. of dunk and others....don't miscon.strue my words. i certainly would NEVER root for them to lose games. i simply said that if this is what it took to get rudy out the door, maybe that would ultimately be the best thing. i mean, during last season, if the rockets had won 5 or 10 more games, then we wouldn't have gotten Ming. but we certainly weren't rooting for them to lose at the time. i no doubt love Rudy and everything he's done for the city and the organization, but the moment that Hakeem Olajuwon was let walk out of the city to finish his career in Canada, all threads of loyalty that this franchise ever had were erased. les made it clear that day that WINNING, not loyalty, is his goal. anything is fair game with les, which i can respect. it's gonna bother me for the rest of my days that hakeem didn't finish up here, but, still, i can respect his decision. i think some of your problems (obviously by your statements) is that you are way too eager to give Rudy credit for our success, while not giving him the bulk of the blame for our losses, which really doesn't make much sense. i think you are all knowledgable to realize when a player's skills have deteriorated and when his time has come (with the exception of those of you who still support glen rice), but don't understand nor see the signs that a coaches one time "skills" and prowess are able to deteriorate as well. finally, Doctor of Dunk, go to the childish "you are not a true fan" card all you want if you think that helps you get your point across, but i'll take the higher road. i think it's safe to assume that all of us on here are true fans, and want what is best for the team.
Fat&Lucky, My sentiments exactly. You can't bring logical reasoning with irrational people. When someone becomes emotional their eyes are watery and they can't see clearly. The fans have voted with their feet in the last couple of years. The Knicks sellout shows that Rudy can't find 5 guys on his roster to play hard. During the second championship Rudy dug the 6th seed hole and the players had a private meeting. The Chron stated today that they had another Players Only. Good for them. Rudy will not be the cause if they turn it around, just the falsely accredited hero!
rockfat, You have your facts mixed up. Just to clarify: The Rockets didnt show Hakeem the door or force him out. Hakeem wanted to leave. The Rockets attempted to negotiate with him and Hakeem finally said no, make a trade to get me to Toronto. Hakeem wanted one final chance to win a ring and he knew that by the time Houston was ready to contend again, he would be long since retired. Also, I dont think you can compare a player's deteriorating skills to a coach's deteriorating skills. A player's skills deteriorate with age. IMO, a coach's skills dont deteriorate at all, unless one gets pretty up and age and the "mind goes". I am not of the opinion that coach's just forget to coach. What can happen is, a coach's players can start to tune him out and no longer respect his authority. I wouldnt call this a diminishing skill on the coach's part, I would call it a problem with the players not respecting the coach. Also, I find it hard to believe that Rudy has supposedly lost his edge when we have soundly beat teams like SA, Sacramento, etc. We have shown this year that we can compete with the big boys. We have also shown we can lose to much lesser teams. What does all this mean? It means we are a young team, trying to find an indentity. We need time. With time, will come consistency. With consistency, will come wins against the teams we should beat.
Regarding this 'Players' Meeting', how funny is it that Glen Rice is the guy leading it?? This dude is getting embarressingly lit up on the defensive end and has been bricking shot after shot for weeks on the offensive end. If he wants to instill some intervention and do something positive for the team he should just volunteer to come off the bench until he can get his game up to par instead of holding a meeting to discuss his teammates inadequacies.
Pip, Great suggestion! I played against Glen in college and it hurt to get out of the bed this morning. So I know that he has to be a tad slow against small forwards that are 25.
no codell, if the price was right, hakeem would have finished his career here. period. should they have given him what he wanted? not necessarily. which is exactly my point. as a quality owner who cares about winning, at some point, you have to draw the line between loyalty and doing what is best for the team.
rocketfat, Im amazed at how you continue to distort the truth and throw an absurd amount of subjectivity into your arguments in order to support your theory that Rudy is a bad coach. For the record, here is Hakeem's quote on the trade after it went down: "I just looked at the whole picture," Olajuwon continued. "First of all, with the Rockets, of course I could still be here playing. It is different to play elsewhere. You have this desire to see what it feels like. When a player is traded , you have that curiosity to play somewhere else. "The second was how legitimate a chance do you have to win it, to go all the way. I look at Toronto 's team in the East. I think I can have more impact with that team than with the Rockets. I think that was a major part of my decision." Hakeem left because he wanted to play his final season(s) on a team where he could win another ring. He didnt leave because the Rockets didnt want him here. The Rockets did everything they could to keep him. He didnt want to stay. Period.
Rudy has been loyal to the Rockets franchise longer than any of us. He has stayed for more than 40 years. If you think we are doing terrible...look at all the other good teams that are losing. Boston has lost their last three. New Orleans has lost their last 6 out of 7. Detroit demolished the Timberwolves by more than twenty points. Just because of one bad game, they are not all going to fire their coaches.
Thanks for pointing that out. There is a tendency, espeically among those who have not watched basketball for many years and who intensely follow the exploits of only one team, to micro-watch, live and die with every play, every quarter, every game. Seasons and careers are long. To think that anyone can just walk over the entire league is not respecting the game. It is tough to win as much as everyone of us would love to see it happen for the Rocks every night. To add to your list, the Lakers have been hideous even after Shaq's return. Remember coach of the year Doc Rivers? Orlando isn't exactly looking like a world beater. Pat Riley, the guy who was such a coaching genius in LA and NYC, is looking like a moron on Miami. George Karl, widely considered one of the league's best coaches, is getting killed in Milwaukee. Larry Brown's 76ers have been up and down. The Nets have struggled at times. I always assumed that Rudy had pressure on him to do three things this season: 1. Get the team playing well and making fewer mistakes. 2. Be as competitive as possible meaning make the playoffs or be only a fluke away. 3. Develop guys like Yao Ming and Eddie Griffin. Thus far, he's been about 50/50 on all counts. He's got until the end of the season to get the team pointed in the right direction and I think it will happen. I might be wrong and if the team is floundering and playing poorly down the stretch, there is no question people should call for a change. Until then, the season is a long one and we have a ways to go.
So your main goal is to get Rudy out the door and if it takes the team to lose, then that's what you want. How sad and pathetic.
codell, your quotes that you posted didn't do a damn thing to back up whatever point you are trying to make, nor did they do a thing to refute mine. read this again: if the rockets wanted to resign hakeem badly enough a few years ago, they could have. they weren't willing to pay what he thought he deserved given what he's done for the franchise. they didn't make him feel wanted, and nobody had a problem with him walking out the door. dr of dunk....."my main goal"???? i'm just stating my opinion, idiot. that's the purpose of these boards. my opinion is that this team would be performing better with a different coach. many others on this board feel the same way. we are all "sad and pathetic" i guess. dr of dunk, why the hell do you even bother posting on these boards? you bring no good opinions or insight to the table, you just come on here to insult and act abusive towards other posters? saying "i am not a true fan" and i'm "sad and pathetic"?? it's pretty clear who's the sad and pathetic one.
