That's a cop-out. Kenny has been consistent all season. He's given everything Mo did last year and more. Walt Williams was way more productive than Glen would've been and Cato has been playing pretty decent for the most part. I'm not saying we should be a play-off lock, but this team has underachieved. Blowout loss to the bulls. 2 blowouts losses to the grizzlies. The losing streak. Don't play defense until it's too late. Look at the Celtics. They have two good players and a bunch of nobodys and they can win.
Yes injuries destroyed the Rockets chance at a winning season, but i still can't see how we got blown out by Chicago, Memphis, and Golden State. That tells me more about effort, and I don't see Rudy doing anything about it
Same league. Francis is better than good (talent wise.) Kenny Thomas hasn't hurt us IMO. Celtics - close to top of their division. Rockets- bottom of the league.
Hmm...the Celtics get to play pitiful Least teams at least 3 and most of the time 4 times a season and the west teams only twice, while the Rockets only get to play the East teams twice and the all of the West teams 4 times. It is pretty obvious why the Celtics are better plus Pierce and Walker haven't missed the number of games that Francis has....
Good point on Francis's absence, but if you turn half of the losses without him into wins we still wouldn't have a winning record. Also the east point is a poor one. It's not like last year when we schooled the east while having trouble with the west. We lose to everyone this year.
The East point being a poor one, really? Let's look at the standings: Eastern Conference 1 y-New Jersey 50 28 .641 2 y-Detroit 47 31 .603 3 x-Boston 46 33 .582 4 x-Orlando 43 34 .558 5 Philadelphia 41 37 .526 6 Charlotte 41 37 .526 9 7 Milwaukee 39 39 .500 8 Toronto 39 39 .500 Indiana 38 40 .487 Western Conference 1 x-Sacramento 59 19 .756 2 x-Dallas 54 23 .701 3 x-LA Lakers 55 23 .705 4 x-San Antonio 54 24 .692 5 x-Minnesota 48 30 .615 6 x-Portland 46 32 .590 7 x-Seattle 44 35 .557 8 x-Utah 42 36 .538 LA Clippers 38 40 .487 So, Boston with their record would be seventh if they were in the West right now. And that is taking the fact that they are only playing West teams twice this season while fattening up on the East. The East might be a little better this season compared to the last, but it is still a joke compared to the West. I mean there are 5 teams in the West better than Detroit, "the Central Champ", like they are going to do anything in the playoffs...puh-lease. However, thanks to injuries and just bad basketball (decision-wise), you are right that almost everyone from the East beats us, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the East teams have become world beaters.
funny - We won 47 games last year and did not make the play offs Detroit is #2 in the east with what / / / 3~4 games to play?? Rocket River
You are right about the east being sorry, but that's not my point. My point is that we still lose to those eastern teams. As far as boston goes they still managed to have a winning record and more than likely would be doing better than us even in the west. I admit the injuries hurt, but what gets to me is what you said. "bad basketball (decision-wise)"
boston and houston are not even comparable. they have not had to deal with anything remotely close to our injury situation, simple as that. both pierce and walker have played in every single game this season, that alone creates some consitency in their lineup.
Right now, Steve has Cato working, the way a PG should have him working. Cat doesn't need that, Mo T doesn't, and KT doesn't but he'll be gone anyway. If, along with Cato, he can mix Griffin into the game by finding his(Griffin's) "sweet spots", then Francis would be racking up the assists that count.
Only yesterday I vowed to be silent on this Steve not a point guard issue. I am pleased that it still remains as hot a topic as any on this board at this time. I am just waiting for the Chronicle to come out with one of those article where someone is at least hinting that the improvement of pg play is a goal this summer.
