I'm not! What have we done to improve a team that has been average, at best, for the last 4 years? We hired a new coach, have a new arena, signed Piatkowski, & appear to be letting Posey go to one of our division rivals. We've not addressed our soft PF position (unless Badiane makes the team & surprises us) & we look to be making our SF position weaker by not resigning Posey. The knock on Nachbar (pardon the pun) has been his lack of defense & he didn't exactly set the Summer League on fire with his offense this year. Rice is old (36) & shouldn't be counted on for starter minutes. The Rockets released T-Mo, whom I feel brought a nice (albeit, inexperienced) defensive game & his offensive game was showing signs of improvement. I like the signing of Piatkowski, which addresses our need for depth at SG & gives us a consistent perimeter shooter, but the possible loss of Posey (a starter) actually makes our team worse than it was, imo. The sad part, is that Posey was one of the hardest working players on the floor & was able to contribute without having the ball in his hands. How many times did he get a big momentum swinging steal to start a fast break? His game reminds me of Drexler's, just not as talented. Ming's game should be better this year, but will he get fatigued again late in the season with no off season? I don't anticipate Mobley's game getting any better at this point in his career. Francis should improve some, but he's also getting to a point where he's about as good as he's going to get. Has Griffin put on any additional muscle? Will his game improve noticably (it didn't last year)? Has he worked on that ugly flat shot of his? I know that we just missed the playoffs last year & have a lot of talent/potential talent, but with all the improvements the other teams in the Western Conference have done this off season, I'm having a hard time getting real excited about the upcoming season. I realize that we're bordering on the Luxury Tax threshhold, & in fact, may have crossed over it (~$54 million?) with the signing of Piatkowski, so we have to be careful. However, since we only have 10 players under contract, we're going to have to sign some more players to round out the roster, & minimum salary players won't help to get me excited either. Since all the top FA's & most of the quality 2nd tier FA's are gone, I'm hoping that the Rockets are working on a trade that'll address my concerns. Because, I'm not real excited about our chances with the team as it is today. How about you?
Yay!!! I'm the first one to post. And I voted 'somewhat excited' because I really believe that we will make the playoffs this season. Even with most of the West Teams improving, I still believe we are the 7th or atleast 8th best team in the west.
I agree with everything you said Hottie..but I am still somewhat excited. I'm just a fan and I love to watch them! I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE SEASON TO START! Of course....I don't want us to be losing 5 games in a row. Of course I want our team to win and battle and looks nice! But you are right. Posey was one of my favorite players. And he was one of the most exciting players on our team. He was one of the best dunkers. He was one of the most athletic. He was one of the best defenders. Of course....there's only 15 guys on the team though. He couldn't shoot though....although he was improving. SAD!!! "It's a business." And I don't know WHY THE HECK Terence Morris was not resigned. He is fairly cheap and a decent player and collegemate or alumni or whatever of Stevie Franchise. WHY? I am very somewhat excited!
I think I'd probably be less excited if we made a stupid trade. how about that. Hottoddie...admit it. Your measure of excitement is that of a dreamcaster, rotisserrie addict. You just want to see trade. FACT ACCEPTED!!! hehe
You're right. If I could really build the ultimate modern day team.... C: Shaq/Yao/Zo PF: Duncan/Nowitski/I'm torn between Brand & Ben Wallace SF: Marion/Pierce/C.Butler SG: Kobe/McGrady/Ray Allen PG: Payton/Kidd/Francis ...., I'd have no reason for living anymore. Fortunately for me, none of the real GM's (get it? ) are as smart as me.
With the early polls coming in, it doesn't look like Les is getting the kind of reaction he'd like to see going into a brand spanking new arena. The overwhelming majority don't seem to be anymore excited than they would normally be, going into a new season. Tim, Tell Les he needs to create some kind of excitement to get this thing rolling. The season starts in about 2 months.
Why do people keep calling this team a lottery team and said we would be in the lottery again? This team WAS NOT a lottery team last year, and was only a lottery team once in the last 3 years. I'm excited about this teawm, this team is a playoff team still. I'd like to get a SF to help this team match-up better in the playoffs with the better teams in the West, but all-in-all this team should be in the playoffs next year.
The poll says people are somewhat excited and that the rockets will make the playoffs. That's realistic. Anyone who thinks the rockets will win the championship this year, even with a trade are crazy. I think once the rockets show consistency and prove they can win the fans will come. Look at the astros, they sold out all 3 games against the cubs. Earlier in the year they weren't selling very well.
You worded the poll to sound that way. Most fans who think we can win don't expect a championship but think we can make the playoffs. But instead of an option that says "I'm excited we're going to the playoffs", you worded it as being somewhat happy and we're going to the playoffs. That's not fair to the people think the Rockets can make the playoffs and are excited about it.
In hindsight, you're right. I should've split that one into two levels of excitement (excited & somewhat excited). By the way, the Rockets have been a lottery team 4 years in a row. If you don't make the playoffs, you're in the lottery drawing, which makes you a lottery team.
That would be interesting, because I think that the people who think we're going to the playoffs are split into two distinct groups, Group A, who like me, think we're a lock to get into the playoffs and should do it with relative ease, and Group B, who think we'll be in but are upset about the lack of activity this offseason and have their doubts.
Then put in Group C. The group that thinks we will probably make the playoffs, but are really not upsed over lack of activity this offseason. We have a major change in the starting lineup every year. Put me down as someone who wants some consistency and see some chemistry developed. the
I am ecstatic about this season starting because possibly, juuuuust possibly people on this board will loosen up their heinys enough to stop screaming about trades long enough to enjoy a game on the now and then.
I voted "the team will make a trade and we'll all be excited", but the truth is that I'm excited about a new season every year... since the early '80's. I'll be surprised if we don't make a move from somewhere out of left field, however. Call it a feeling or call it being delusional (don't care)... I just think something else will happen, either before the season or before the deadline, and that it will be big. (edit: realized what I typed was a double something or other... fixed it)
We need to see what kind of basketball the current roster plays after our new coach and his committed staff transform each player on the team. I think it is a mistake to take last years performance and worry that individuals will perform in a similar fashion this year. They will not. If EQ slings numerous line drive threes he will sit. If MT turns in his Mister Softee routine ( I don't think he would have even if Rudy was the coach, we should have some slack on Taylor last year because it was the first year after major achilles heal surgery) any way, Van Gundy won't let him be soft. During the summer league games the members of this site who were at the games reported how the Rocket coach made it load and clear to the players, that they had to be in the right place, his right place, and do the right cuts, picks, defense, et all. I am pumped for camp, preseason, and the reular season to start. I want to see who is committed to the Van Gundy way of basketball, and who will be on the bench and then gone. I want to see players who played dumb play smart. Wusses play like Charles Oakley. I want to see Van Gundies veins popping out as he screams at a player he has just yanked off the floor because he is not following orders. Our team will look very different this year.
I voted third option because I'm not real hopeful at this point. And that doesn't necessarily mean we had to go trading like crazy for me to be satisfied, but if you're going to go the "build team chemistry" route, then I find it curious we are releasing two of our three small forwards, players that fans liked because they were not iso-fiends and hustled and played team ball. Boki may fit that bill, but I have a hunch Posey will always exceed Boki in every department. Posey single-handedly won two Denver games and the away Toronto game (and was the man vs. the last LA home game even tho we lost) so if you're talking about downgrading the SF position, we have to improve that much more to make up for his departure. (I don't include games like the final Chicago, Memphis, or Philly games, where he tore it up but we would have won anyway). After the first week or two where he struggled to define his role, the shooting and scoring really improved. Btw, I just looked at the last Grizzlies boxscore. I knew TMo was 8/9 but Posey had 16 points and 15 boards . Guess Memphis had enough of the guy! they'll be glad our forwards are gone. As for TMo, this situation troubles me unless there is either a big trade in the works (where we need to reserve a few roster spots), or he would be unhappy with scrub salary or PT. When Boki or Rice inevitably get hurt, we'll need a sub like him who is more likely to give positive contributions than costing us leads our starters worked for (i.e. Mooch = king of lead squandering). I'd like to believe TMo's trying to ask for too much money and that we'd like him but are holding firm moneywise (though if SA wants him, he's gone). So if you add a small plus for Pike for the bench play and subtract the forwards we had, and consider the improvements of the other teams in the league (versus our lack of a draft pick and our notoriously unimproving young power forwards), I don't see how we improve more than a game or two, which will mean NO playoffs again. This might be the year our record is broken for most wins without playoffs. I can see a 46-36 not getting it done this year.
I believe the 02-03 Rockets were 3-10 in games decided by 3 points or less. JVG + Pike + Yao at training camp - Posey is enough to make me renew my NBALP. I'm thinking #8 seed. Or better, if we can deal Rice.
The 5 that voted for this Team as it is, headed to a Championship, must be wearing rose colored glasses.
