Recently, I've been hearing people slam the rockets after losing games. Losing games happen since they're still seasons away from actually being serious contenders. We're still well above .500 and are definiately making the playoffs. What's odd to me as that our views and expectations of the team changes every time they win a game or lose one. The fans are as inconsistant as the team but obviously alot more judgemental. Make up your minds people. Then again... clutchcity.net would be less fun to read eh? K. Yakko ________________________________________________________ (Life) What a wonderful nightmare.
You know what's funny...I had been thinking bout this the past day or two. Most people on the board were in fair agreement that if the Rockets were to go 3-2 over the past five-game stretch, that would be most pleasing, considering the quality-level of the teams we had to play. Well, turns out the Rox did in fact go 3-2...yet so many people are complaining. Why?
Simple.. Because human's nature is greedy. What do most people expect at the beginning of the season? Have a better record than last season and if Rockets could go to the playoff, that would be excellent. Since right now it looks like Rockets are going to that direction, people expect Rockets to get 3rd seeds in the playoff, then go to the second round at least, then go to the Conference Final, then win the Championship.
They are complaining because they thaught that the Team was showing signs of playing Team Basketball. Instead they get more of the Mobes and Franchise Show and they are sick of it and a Coach that does so little to fix the easily perceived mistakes. Just check how many assists the Rockets had for the last two games and you will get an idea of what I am talking about.
I think it's the way the Rockets lost. If they played a team game, played smart, had few turnovers, and showed progress, but still lost, then much fewer people would be mad. That's my problem with the team, not the losses, but the way they play very disorganized and sloppy.
I believe we will make the playoffs, but its hardly a lock. The Lakers, IMO, will make the playoffs. That means one team currently in the top 8 will not. I think we need at least 45 wins to make the playoffs. We are on pace for 47. It will be close, but I think our best basketball is ahead of us, towards the end of the season.
Ok well here's the low-down on their assists over the past 6 games: beginning with Denver (the first win in their 4-game streak) and ending with Dallas (2nd loss in a row). Rockets 21 25 18 23 20 8 = 19.17 avg Opponent 16 24 13 26 21 22 = 20.33 avg So, over the course of these six games, 6 wins and 2 losses, they averaged about 1 less assist a game than their opponents. They put up 20+ assists in four of those games, including a 20 assist game against SA, which they lost. They put up more assists than their opponent in 3 of the games, falling 1 shy of SA and just 3 shy of LA. They're only terrible game in this category came against Dallas, and if they had put up some more in that game, they most likely would have averaged more assists than their opponents over this span. So really, I see definite progression. The Rockets seem to be passing the ball more than earlier in the season (when they averaged around 16 i think?). And really the only tru setback came against Dallas, because even though our starters performed poorly against SA, our bench came in and proved how valuable they were. But all in all, if you just look at their W/L record over this span it comes out to 4 steps forward and 2 steps back, which simplified is 2 steps foward 1 step back...that shows progression, albeit slow, but progression nonetheless.
Well, tonights games against Detroit was also a setback. At least the Lakers also lost tonight too, eh? Maybe after this losing skid, the Rockets will realize the importance of team ball.
shoot, losing to Detroit tonight seems to bring to light the fact that the Rockets, plain and simple, are playing .500 ball, no better no worse. They had a 4 game win streak and now a 3 game losing streak. You know the same thing happened after we beat the Kings. It was a monster game and a monster win and then the Rox just fell apart the next few games and the same thing is happening now. It's like, just when you think they have taken that next step, to another level, they come crashing back down again. I hope that only means that once they finally break through, however hard it will be, they will come out damn strong on the other side. It's just a question of when, cause this is getting a little frustrating.
