After 39 Games and We Still Suck. Should We Rebuild Now?

Thanks Clutch! The odds seem against the Rockets especially when we are trying to play with so many guards who are ether second tier or just past their best years.
If this was so, would they completely rebuild or would they keep the younger players like Brooks and Landry? Would they keep either of their so called Star players?
I ask these questions because our present record indicates a 42 win season and not making the playoffs

 

I don't see any trades midseason that could improve us that much, unless it involved some package with TMac, and I wouldn't see that improving us, only getting younger talent to grow to a better point with Yao, with higher hopes. But, I doubt that management will pull that trigger until the off-season, allowing an opportunity to see if Yao/Tmac can work under Adelman.

 

I don't underestimate T-mac's return and what he can do. He is our best playmaker, ball handler, cluch player, can score when he wants to and I would argue our best defender when he wants to be. He would make other players better.

However:
He will be coming back off of a long rest from a leg injury. He could get into shape quickly if we are lucky, but we don't know how long before he will be close to being T-mac.

For everyone dogging our offense, our defense is what has been so horribly inconsistent all year and cost us games. Even when T-mac was playing before the injury we were not defending that well. This has to change for us to have any chance this year.

Lastly, like I said our schedule does get somewhat harder, than it has been the past 2.5 weeks, before the ASB:
San Antonio
Seattle
@ Seattle
@ Portland
Utah
Golden State
Indiana
@ Milwaukee
@ Minnesota
Cleveland
Atlanta
Portland
Sacramento

13 games, 6 against teams that are better than us (right now) or playing much better as of late (Cleveland, Utah). 3 more games against young, athletic teams that for some reason give us fits this year (Atl & Sea).

I'm not throwing in the towel, I'm not saying it cannot be done. I'm saying it will be really tough and these next 13 games will determine lottery or posteason.

 

Agreed. I'd expect 7-6 or 6-7 in this stretch from our Rockets. I hope they surprise me, but I'm not too inspired after tonights effort.

 

I don't now but I only count 4 and if you counting Cleveland better than us lately then Sa is playing worse than us lately.
Cleveland last 10 only two good teams Dallas and NO and lost 1 a won 1, so anybody can be hot playing those teams.

And check February schedule

@ Indiana fav to win
@ Milwaukee fav to win
@ Minnesota fav to win
vs Cleveland fav to win
vs Atlanta fav to win
vs Portland 50% of wining with T-Mac
vs Sacramento fav to win
@ Cleveland fav to win
vs Miami fav to win
@ New Orleans 50% of wining with T-Mac
vs Chicago fav to win
vs Washington fav to win
vs Memphis fav to win

This Houston is a different team from December Rockets

 

I will bump this after this stretch.

 

I *really* hope you have the chance too!

 

Be more patient,yes we had a bad season till now,but it's still too early to say rebuilding,we are a new team with new coach,and our best player missed many games.
I admit that I'm so depressed,but I believe the playoff's door is not completely close.
50wins!

 

9 win,4 lose......trust me.
After this stretch,you'll call me predictor.

 

I am not a betting man, but there is no way we are getting to 50 regular season wins.

 

I did remember you all prediction and you looked pretty bad.

 

If the Rockets fail to make it out of the first round again it will be time to start thinking rebuilding. It will have to start with the question: do you trade Tracy McGrady and/or Yao Ming?

I hope that the Rockets can turn it around this year. It would be a shame to see the Rockets achieve nothing during the Yao/McGrady era.

 

stupid thread.

t-mac has been gone for a while now; i mean at least make a decision after we are playing with t-mac with our newfound confidence.

 

errrr... how many days left for us to do the trade now? i mean, mid-season market this year

we need a stable, less TO guard to control our court!!

 

I'd start AB, Battier, Landry, Scola, and Yao, or put them together for extended minutes, and see how they do. Give Novak and Snyder some minutes. Get us Harris, please!

 

Excuses, excuses, excuses, excuses, excuses, excuses, excuses...

Even if the Rockets do make the playoffs, it is even more unlikely that McBaby leads them past the first round.

Try to keep Yao, Scola, and Brooks. Everyone else is expendable.

 

Probably too early to update the Lottery Generator page, but I did look at it about 7 - 10 days ago.

A few people cite the 2004 - 2005 season as an example of turning a poor situation around.

2004 - 2005 Standings

Code:

                          WESTERN CONFERENCE
Southwest Division                             Home    Road          Last
Team                      W  L   PCT    GB     W  L    W  L  Streak   10
ySan Antonio Spurs ..... 59 23  0.720   -     38  3   21 20  Lost 2   6-4 
xDallas Mavericks ...... 58 24  0.707   1.0   29 12   29 12  Won 9    9-1 
xHouston Rockets ....... 51 31  0.622   8.0   26 15   25 16  Won 7    7-3 
xMemphis Grizzlies ..... 45 37  0.549  14.0   26 15   19 22  Lost 1   4-6 
New Orleans Hornets .... 18 64  0.220  41.0   11 30    7 34  Lost 9   1-9 

Pacific Division                               Home    Road          Last
Team                      W  L   PCT    GB     W  L    W  L  Streak   10
yPhoenix Suns .......... 62 20  0.756   -     31 10   31 10  Lost 1   7-3 
xSacramento Kings ...... 50 32  0.610  12.0   30 11   20 21  Won 1    6-4 
Los Angeles Clippers ... 37 45  0.451  25.0   27 14   10 31  Won 1    5-5 
Golden State Warriors .. 34 48  0.415  28.0   20 21   14 27  Won 3    7-3 
Los Angeles Lakers ..... 34 48  0.415  28.0   22 19   12 29  Lost 6   1-9 

Northwest Division                             Home    Road          Last
Team                      W  L   PCT    GB     W  L    W  L  Streak   10
ySeattle Sonics ........ 52 30  0.634   -     26 15   26 15  Lost 2   2-8 
xDenver Nuggets ........ 49 33  0.598   3.0   31 10   18 23  Won 1    8-2 
Minnesota Timberwolves . 44 38  0.537   8.0   24 17   20 21  Won 2    6-4 
Portland Trailblazers .. 27 55  0.329  25.0   18 23    9 32  Won 1    3-7 
Utah Jazz .............. 26 56  0.317  26.0   18 23    8 33  Lost 1   4-6 

Southwest Division
Memphis is now much weaker than then, but New Orleans is much stronger.

Pacific Division
Kings and Clippers are now much weaker, but Warriors and Lakers are much stronger.

Northwest Division
Sonics and Timberwolves are now much weaker, but the Jazz and Trailblazers are much stronger.

What is worrisome is that the Timberwolves, Sonics and Memphis are each projecting to have around 60 losses or more. The Clippers and Kings are probably looking at around 50 losses or more. In the 2004 - 2005 Season, there was a bigger Middle Class of teams that missed the Playoffs, but weren't dreadful like the current Timberwolves, Sonics and the Grizzlies or poor like the Kings and Clippers. In 2007 - 2008, the Middle Class has gotten smaller with most teams either moving upward to better W/L records or downward to worse W/L records. The stratification of Wealth (Wins - Losses) in this season puts the Rockets in a tough spot because there is a smaller Middle Class of teams to take wins from.


In regards to waiting until the Summer for significant changes, the mistakes by the Front Office over the years have caught up with the team. People cite the disappointments of the EG draft selection and the Battier trade, but there were enough other opportunities that could have overcome those mistakes. Unfortunately, too many misses in the other opportunities.

Will TMac have trade value this Summer?
Yes, but it is debatable if it will be higher than it will be this February.


Even if the Rockets make the Playoffs and have a respectable showing, significant roster changes are probably looking

Kirk Snyder
Expiring contract and buried at the end of the bench.
Trade value ~~ likely none.

Mike James
Not happy or producing in the current system.. Supplanted as the backup PG by the emergence of Brooks and as the backup SG by Luther Head.
Several more years left on his contract.........so a situation that needs to be resolved.
Trade value ~~ likely negative.

Steve Francis
Lingering physical issues in recent years has hampered him. Expecting a notable contribution from Steve in the future is a marginal wager.
Trade value ~~ likely none.

Dikembe Mutombo
Appears to be the end of his career.
Trade value ~~ none.

Bonzi Wells
Expiring contract. Effective at times, but seeking a bigger contract for the future. No idea where he will be next season. Doesn't project as a Starter for a Playoff caliber team and contracts for bench players tends to be conservative.
Trade value ~~ minimal.

Steve Novak
A specialist shooter..
Trade value ~~ probably none.

Tracy McGrady
Likely has seen his career peak. Enough discussion elsewhere about him.
Trade value ~~ still likely to be good, but not as great as many on the BBS seem to think. A(nother) Lottery pick in the upcoming draft would be useful.

Luther Head
Lacks the vision and ballcontrol for the PG spot, yet isn't special enough to be a Starter as a SG. I think he was taken with hopes of developing his skills as a PG , but that experiment has failed.
Trade value ~~ fair as a specialist shooter.

Shane Battier
Perhaps in a different situation, he would be more useful. Appears to have reached his peak. With the inconsistency at the SG spot (TMac injuries and Luther being limited), the Rockets could use a more dynamic (take charge) player at the SF spot. Shane isn't that type of player.
Trade value ~~ likely fair, but probably has appeal to a very limited group of teams which is likely to significantly lessen what the Rockets could get for him.

Rafer Alston
A journeyman PG.
Trade value ~~ minimal to none. Might work out as a backup on a Playoff caliber team, but not a starter. The bad teams such as Miami, New York, Timberwolves, Sonics etc either have no need for a journeyman PG or would offer very little.

Chuck Hayes
An undersized PF that is losing minutes to Scola and Landry
Trade value ~~ minimal to none.

Luis Scola
A very nice pickup for the Rockets. Very fortunate that the Spurs had a deadline to meet in regards to resolving his rights.
Trade value ~~ should be good since he is on a low dollar contract and has really started to produce since he has become accustomed to the NBA.

Carl Landry
A nice draft choice by the Rockets.
Trade value ~~ should be OK - good, but not spectacular.

Aaron Brooks
A nice draft choice by the Rockets.
Trade value ~~ should be good, but not spectacular.

Yao Ming
The player they have to build around.
Trade value ~~ great


With the smaller Middle Class in the Western Conference standings and a limited number of valuable assets, the Rockets are in a tenuous position for the immediate future.

 

No we do not to rebuild our team but we do need to rebuild our heart. Look at the LA they have only one super star Kobe but they do have a heart of the champion that we used to have and get to where they are now.

 

I think our biggest problem in recent years is the constant attempts at rebuilding. The organization never gave a core group of players a chance to play together and make an identity for themselves. We at least have the same starters from last year but the bench has seen major changes and we have a new head coach.

Constantly making knee jerk changes is a path to mediocrity.

 

The problem is with the builders, they obviously don't know what they are doing. They have had twelve years. Do you trust them with another twelve?