So, what choice do you have as a fan. I know, maybe we could become Celtics fans. Nah...BobFinn* surely hates them worse than Cat and Francis for what they are doing to the precious legacy. Well, maybe we could become Jazz fans, they play rural white ball. Nah, you'd have to root for classless, flopping, cheating, shoving refs for a 7 game suspension punks...not to mention give up cc.net. Oh, I know. We could start a trade SF/CM for Garnett thread!! That's the ticket!! There's still hope!
AXE,in some instances with the Rockets,youth is a valid excuse. But the most frustrating aspects of this team has nothing to do with youth or inexperience...it has to do with plain stupidity! Consider the following scenario: Rudy to Cuttino during practice... "Cuttino,when you're dribbling,try looking for other guys wearing a uniform like yours who might be open or making a move to get open. Just because you have the ball doesn't mean you have to run the clock down and take a difficult shot or a last second pass. Also,you ARE allowed to pass with more than 2 seconds on the clock." "Cuttino,when a guy sets a pick for you,as you move around the pick,check to see if the picker is rolling toward the basket and open for an easy shot. That's why it's called a pick AND ROLL. Get it?" "Cuttino,anytime you drive toward the basket and get cut off by two or even three players,one of your teammates might,just maybe,be open for an easy layup,dunk,or jumpshot." Cuttino to Rudy,"Oh,OK good ideas coach. Thanks for the help." GAMETIME ACTION---Cuttino---Dribble,dribble,dribble,blinders on,blinders on,clock running and running,3,2,1,launch high archer falling backwards over 3 defenders as Yao stops after rolling open through the lane. CLANG! Rudy---Yells at Cuttino to...check that,no he doesn't. Calls time out,calls Cuttino over and reminds him to...check that,no he doesn't. Sends in a sub for Cuttino,calls him over and chews him out...check that,no he doesn't. NEXT PRACTICE---Repeat above. NEXT GAME---Repeat above. NEXT YEAR---Repeat above. AXE,is that youth and inexperience,or is it just being plain dumb and being allowed to continue being dumb. Exactly how many years do we give Cuttino to learn to find the open man. And how many years do we give the organization to twiddle their thumbs and allow the "same dumb correctable" mistakes to keep taking place. "Aw shoot,they're just kids"
The fans are impatient because on paper the Rox are one of the most talented teams in the NBA. All that talent is being wasted because there is no direction, no discipline, and poor execution. It is very frustrating.
Come to mind as what? Players who were also better as rookies than Francis and Mobley will ever be, EVER? You people kill me. I'm convinced many of you actually think championships grow on trees. Since Francis and Mobley are Rockets, it's like the fact that they're just 6'3" guards who aren't really that great just doesn't matter. Gosh darn it, they should be in the playoffs because...because....well just because! It just doesn't matter that the best players and team leaders of EVERY team ahead of them ALL have more experience, and are in most cases just better players. That just doesn't matter. By golly, these are the Rockets, and they should still be up there. Must be someone's fault that they're not. Noooo, it could never be that they're just not as good as we think. That could never happen. Nope, someone needs to answer for this.
Steve Francis actually has the talent to be a great player so I don't see what your point is. Dirk Nowitzki is Francis' age and Nash is Mobley's. They might be better players but they DO NOT have more experience.
I'm hard on these players sometimes too, but people do need to have paitience. If the Rockets beat the Timberwolves by 25 tomorrow, everyone will be talking about how we can move up to the 4th seed of the playoffs.
First off, of course they're better players. Nash is a 'real all-star son', he didn't have to get voted in. And what talent does Francis have that Marbury doesn't? Second, yes, they do have more experience: Games played: Nash: 459 (includes 26 playoff) Dirk: 347 (includes 18 playoff) Mobley: 323 (4 playoff) Francis: 258 (no playoffs) And don't forget: Finley: 592 (18 playoff)
Age shouldn't be the only consideration here at all: it's all about the circumstances. Webber/Divac managed to turn around a franchise and get close to .500 their very first year together. They were playing with a rookie PG in Jason Williams, a (crappy) rookie SF in Peja, a 3rd year role player in Corliss Williamson... and I forget who their SG was. Oh now I remember, a crappy 2nd year Tariq Abdul-Wahad. THINK ABOUT THAT for a second. Even though they were at .500 the first couple of years, the team looked *good*. They played hard, and they EXCEED expectations. They made the playoffs, they challenged the Utah Jazz, and they were dazzling. The style of play, the competitiveness of the team, has to be taken into consideration. Anyone who watched the Kings that year (like I did) were optimistic about the future. And.. the Rockets? Mobley in his 7th year, Francis in his 4th. Their growth curve is reaching the part where it's starting to flatten out. Francis/Mobley are not going to improve dramatically (if at all), from here on out. This is a team that doesn't play like a winner. It's hard to remain optimistic when the team shows little sign of improving over the course of the season. It's time to discard the myth that players magically get better *just because* they're one year older. If they improve, there has to be a reason for it. Yao Ming will improve because he'll gain in stamina, strength, and get more acquainted to the NBA game... Why will Mobley improve? Is he going to shoot better, all of a sudden? Why will Francis improve? Is he going to dribble better? These guys have already been around the block: from a technical/physical point of view, they are already at the peak. The ONLY WAY Mobley/Francis will improve is if their mental engagement of the game improves. The fact that it has yet to click after 4 years doesn't give me much hope that it will ever click in.
Let's just ask this: Do you expect Francis to improve dramatically from games 258 to 347? Has Francis improved dramatically from game 170 (at the start of his 3rd season) to this point in time, a similar stretch of games? Has Francis improved much at all from, say, game 100 (once he got passed the rookie stage)?
That is a whole season +(89 games), so yes I do expect him to improve, especially if we make the playoffs. That will be a huge learning experience. Francis/Mobley have NEVER had a big man in the offense, this is new. They have been playing ISO most of their career. I know that they have shown signs of greatness with Ming and I hope that they can continue to do so on a nightly basis. It has only been a 1/2 season together, I didn't expect them to win a championship in their first season. I do expect the playoffs though, Rudy has got to take control of this team. If not then he should be the first person to go. Not Mobley or Francis. I am with you Axeman and TheFreak, have some patience.
Oh, so you like to shoot yourself in the foot. We are not winning, nor losing the way that I like to lose like the Seahawks do, so...you know....I'm just going to give up going to see my favorite sport. And come to think of it, if I watch them on TV I'm supporting their ratings and highlights. BobFinn* is down...
For what it's worth... (and I think we'll make the playoffs this season) '84-'85 season- Sampson's 2nd year Hakeem's rookie season Rodney McCray's 2nd year Lewis Lloyd's 4th John Lucas is a vet, but misses half the season with injury. Mitchell Wiggins 2nd year Robert Reid is a vet and solid Lionel Hollins is a vet and in the rotation Allen Leavell plays in half the games- a vet Larry Micheaux, Jim Peterson, and Craig Ehlo are in their 1st or 2nd years and are trying to learn the League and break into the rotation. The Rockets lose in the 1st round the the stinkin' Utah Jazz, 3-2. '85-'86 season- Ralph's 3rd year Dream's 2nd McCray's 3rd Wiggins 3rd Lloyd's 5th Peterson's 2nd- gets into the rotation in the 2nd half and solid in the playoffs. Reid- has a good season and is great in the playoffs. John Lucas- booted out of the League after 65 games for coke. The Rockets obliterate the Lakers in the Western Conf. Finals and lose to an incredible Celtics team in 6 games... and is considered to be a top team for many, many years into the future. (coke and Ralph's injuries blow that up) We should be patient, but our youth doesn't mean we can't contend. It's all about chemistry when you have great talent. We have the talent... will we find the chemistry??
I seriously dobt Nowitzki, nash, and Finley learned how to pass from all the experiences they have. I'm pretty sure they learn to pass the ball..oh i don't know....in middle school?
