First let me state my opinion on Rudy T and the guards. Rudy T is a key part of the decision making in this organization, and if I was going to grade the Rockets' decision making over te past 4 years, I would be giving them no better than a "C" and maybe even lower. The decision making mistakes are clear and abundant: signing Kelvin Cato to a multi-year $50+ million contract, drafting players like Bryce Drew and making trades in the draft like Richard Jefferson, Collins, and a third player for Eddie Griffin and the Langhi for Najera trade, signing and drafting big men that play small. That these mistakes are in stark contrast to what Rudy did with Olauwon at his side in his first 6 years as coach of the team is the only reason Rudy T has lasted this long. Never underestimate the clout of winning two championships. I think the offesnive philosophy of this team is a joke. You don't build your team around a short shooting guard unless his name is Allen Iverson. It may produce a fun product to watch, but history shows that it doesn't lead to winning basketball because the shot selection is so low percentage. Let me put it another way, you SURE AS HELL don't build a team an offense around isolation plays for short shooting guards ESPECIALLY when you don't have strong, physical big men down low to try and rebound all the misses you're going to get from such an offensive srategy. So to answer your question would we all still be bashing Rudy T and the guards if we had won two games and the playoffs: I can't speak fdor everybody, but I know at the very least I would still be questioning the organization's decision making over the past 4 seasons. I think Rudy T deserves a pass this season based on what he has done for this franchise IN THE PAST. Rudy T gets one more season from me so that we can see if he adjusts things now that he's had a year to assess what he has in Yao Ming. I'd say if we come back next year and see the same philosophies we've see this year, then it's time to get someone in here who can get it done. As for the guards, I think signing Steve Francis to one of the larger contracts in the NBA is going to be another mistake you can add to this organzation's performance checklist. Francis has not matured much at all since the first day he landed in Houston. I'm not in the Rockets' orgnization so maybe Francis deserves a pass if he is just carrying out Rudy's orders running the offense the way he does. If this is not the case, and the case is that Francis refuses to run the offense through anyone other than himself, Mobley, and Moochie then I think we've got a guy that is too selfish to help this team win. I think if the Rockets continue to run their offense with guard iso plays as the foundation, the Rockets will never be any better than a first round exit IF they're able to get into the playoffs in te first place. Contention would be out of the question.
Exactly how does playoff experience benefit a player? Ask Garnett, or the Dallas Mavs (assumung they win game 7 will get destroyed by the Kings). Has playoff experience improved the outlook of the Mavs or the Wolves? I think not.
Playoff experience is invaluable. Everyone knows playoffs is everything. Show time is what I like to call it...some players show up and make careers out of it (see Scottie Pippen) others fall flat on their face (see Wally ). Even with the humiliation losses we would have sustained from playing against the Spurs, the Rocket players would have benefited from playing at such a high level.
Playoff experience is like no other. There's a reason why it takes a few years of failure in the playoffs for a team to finally succeed and win a championship. A great deal of improving a team comes through free agency + signings + trades etc, but the rest comes from within and playoff experience is one of the defining factors that help a player improve. Very few teams come in and win a championship or a few series in their first year of playoff experience.
You're kidding, right? Garnett has NO help thanks to his huge contract. Has it improved the outlook of the Mavs?!?!? Look at that franchise 5 years ago and there's your answer. With this kind of "we would have just been beaten anyway" thinking, we'd only have 1 championship instead of 2.
IMHO:- This was because our Guard oriented team was working at keeping it a guard oriented team. The Coach must be firm and clear about the direction of the Team and only have players on that Team that play towards that direction, even if it means trading 'Yao Ming' or 'Francis and Mobley'!
Making the playoffs would have been nice but too many bad things happened this year for that to happen. I'm not talking about injuries to the players. (Rice was out for a while but Posey did just fine). I'm talking about losing the spiritual leader of the team. That's right, the very coach almost everyone on the BBS seem to this IS only a player's coach. Well, he was part of the team that went to China to get Ming and that has to have some effect on Ming when Rudy was out. Sure, you would say that it's a business. But everyone is human and the fact that Rudy missed the end of the season is the main reason the team didn't make the playoffs. I also read on this BBS that perhaps the team was ready to go all out guard oriented offence and then Ming exploded into being a weapon in the low post. Remember that Ming did not have a training camp and missed most of the preseason, that hurt the teams's chemistry. It's not the easiest thing in the world to get the ball in the paint AT THE RIGHT TIME. Francis is not good at it, but he's trying. I too would give Rudy at least one more year with Ming in camp and everyone on the team ready to go. However, if a great deal pops up and the Rockets can pick up a veteran PF who is BETTER than Eddie and MoT (Elton), then I'd go for a trade and say goodbye to Eddie or MoT and Mobley. However, trading away your starting 2 means there better be an option for the 1 and 2 on the team. And no, Moochie and Steve is NOT an option.
Actually it was only one game. The difference between playoffs and wholesale changes was one game, not two.
at least you weren't here in atlanta last week when the astros were getting creamed by the braves in houston. do you have any idea of what i had to listen to here? pretty painful.
You said it. "Playoffs experience" didn't exactly help those teams improve. It's free agents singing and trades which could help them improve. Minny couldn't improve because their salary situation is screwed by KG's and Joe Smith's big contracts. Rockets are also screwed in the salary cap thanks to Cato's, Taylor's, Moochie's contracts. So don't expect we could improve much through FAs/trades. Honestly even if we made the playoffs this year, next year or year after, we would be just another perennial 1st folder for years like Minny.
Moochies? ....dont forget about the big guy. RICE. Hell, I would be more than satisfied if we were just another 1st rounder next year. Hopefully though would get better as the years go by. Not worse.. It's up to Yao to help support this team. We have out star guard, and now the star center. What we need is a PF.
We overpaid moochie plain and simple. Rice's contract comes off the salary cap after next year. And it's not up to Yao; it's up to the people that decides whether he gets the ball or not.
