I love the predictability of fans. If I can find a way to use it to make money, I'll be a millionaire. Here is the reality: - We have a team loaded with new players, two of whom are playing with minor injuries and one who hasn't returned from an injury - We've been without one of our two best players for 2 and a half games. - Next to Sacramento, we had the toughest preseason in the league leaving a LOT less time to prepare for the season - We're tied for most games in the first two weeks with 9 while teams like Chicago have only played 5 - making that worse is the fact that the team spent so much time travelling during the preseason - 7 of our first 9 games have been against teams expected to vie for a playoff spot - 5 of our first 9 games have been on the road - We've already played THREE sets of back-to-back games including a four-games-five-nights stretch to open the season and the second game of EVERY back-to-back has been a travel game as well Here's some additional reality: - We are third in points allowed - We are second in opponents field goal percentage - We are fourth in opponents three point percentage - We are ninth in three point percentage --- What the hell does all of it mean? It means we are a team that is learning, a team that has yet to develop good chemistry, a team that is already excellent defensively, a team that has played through the toughest schedule (preseason travel included) of any team in the entire NBA and, most importantly... a team that CAN AND WILL improve as the season continues. It would have been a shock had the Rockets come out in the first 9 games and ripped off 6, 7, 8 wins even before the injuries to McGrady, Yao and Sura. The fact that we are right at .500 at this point isn't great, but it isn't the tragedy of Shakespearean proportions some of you make it out to be.
countdown to the first person to accuse Jeff of toeing the company line for the Rockets in 5 4 3 2 SiriuslyD), thanks for taking the time to try to provide a voice of reason around here.. I have no more to add since I agree with your points...just wanted to make a smartarse comment.
Nice. Look, I'm the first to admit that their shooting is abyssmal, they turn the ball over too much, Yao is too passive on the offensive end, it scares the crap out of me to watch them with T-Mac and Yao on the bench at the same time, I'm not convinced Sura will fix anything and JVG's offense makes me very, very sleepy. I'm not blind to the problems with the team. BUT, there is a tendency here to be a doomsayer and I just wanted to point out that, as usual, problems aren't as bad or as simplistic as many might think.
you mean as simplistic as "The guards hate Yao" or "noone on the team knows how to pass to Yao"? you will get no argument out of me(of course)....it is FAR too early to be predicting doom for this squad, and calling for the coach's head. I shudder to think what many here would be saying during the years when Dream was learning how to play with others, and didnt have much quality around him. Rudy would have been out the door toot sweet if left to ppl around here back then.
YEAH!!! At least we're not Golden State, LA Clip Joint, New Jersey, or (GULP) Atlanta. We actually have a bright future...just don't be so upset when the future is in no hurry to get here...it will.
Great post Jeff. Let's not label this season and/or the trade for TMac a failure before this team has even hardly gotten out of the gate yet. If this team finishes strong or has a great second half of the year, no one on this board will even remember these two weeks. The Rockets are close to closing out (arguably) the toughest part of thier schedule this season, with a whole new team trying to gel, some key injuries and they are still hovering around .500. Are there things that need to be addressed? Of course. Is JVG's coaching questionable at times? Yes. But lets not judge the team and organization as a whole until this season, or most of it anyway, plays out. Yao, despite what many on these boards feel, has shown alot, albeit inconsistent, improvement and TMac is still trying to learn how to play with another go-to player let alone one that is a post player. Again, thanks Jeff for re-upping my faith of this board. It is nice to still know there are level-headed, logical posters still around.
I can't find any fault with the team in general. I do recall a thread before the season began that said we would start 0-6, and I didn't think that was completely out of line. I love teams that play good defense, because no matter what people say I believe defense wins championships. Just ask Detroit, San Antonio, LA, etc. That said, I am upset about 2 of the losses so far this season.... that doesn't mean that I am mad we lost. It means that I am mad about the way we lost. The second game of the season: When Yao was TORCHED by the fronting Loren Woods and the Rockets lost to the Raptors. At the time, Yao seemed to have the worst case of butter fingers I have ever seen, and I was worried that losing Steve's elementary passing, which was replaced by actual fundamentally good basketball was too much for Yao to handle. Yao could not catch a pass, grab a rebound, or go up for a shot without losing the ball. Those things aren't gone, and will continue to be an area that Yao needs to improve, but I'm no longer considering jumping out a window to solve them. The loss to Atlanta last night: This was a pathetic 4th quarter that I believe revealed a few things about JVG that aren't going to change, and I really already knew. ONE... I don't think the team had any energy to finish the game. Bowen was favored over Nachbar which I did not like. Bowen isn't as good today, and has less potential than Nachbar in my opinion. TWO... JVG really only went 7 deep. Padgett who was fantastic against LA and was also great in quite a few games last year as a sparkplug played only 4 minutes, and Mutombo played only 7. Why didn't these effective players handle a good portion of the load against a terrible team? Our starters would have been fresh and kicking a** in the 4th if they had. This is exactly the type of game where the bench should have been there to rest the starters.
lol Go Rockets I still hope we can get AD without giving up much..and Radmanovic would be nice..but no way they'll give them to us..highly unlikely. Sura should help..Tmac and Yao..are still great..with them..we can become champions.
Let me add that this team is not complete. Our hands are tied right now but as soon as we can add the correct peices around our nucleus of Ming and Grady I have no doubt we will and this team will take off like a Rocket. When we made the move for Grady you people had to realize that was a move to secure the core of this team for the future not to win a chamopinship this year.
last time I checked we were still struggling to get to .500 and a game or two over it? I'm not writing off this team but certainly a ****ing frustarting start.
What has JVG done in his 12 years of coaching that would make ya'll think that the offense is going to be anything more than mediocre.
Hmm, maybe it's not as frustrating for me because I don't even watch the games against teams that aren't that great...I do watch it..I saw most of the game and am probably going to look at it during Thanksgiving break..but hmm..the big games I will definitely watch the first time and sit through the whole thing. I was laughing yesterday when the Hawks beat us.
Of course it is. It would be frustrating for any fan. But, I remember reading Jonathan Feigen's predictions for the season (remember that he nailed it almost perfectly last year?) and I believe he predicted the Rockets would be below .500 at the end of November. Most people who looked at the team and the schedule predicted a rough start for the Rockets. I think what we are seeing really isn't that surprising. I just don't think anyone is going to be able to run away with the Western Conference. There were 10 teams who could make a legitimate case for why they would make the playoffs when the season started and probably 8 of those could make a legitimate case for why they would get home court advantage. Teams that have come out of the gate fast like Phoenix, Dallas and Seattle will come back to the pack. Teams that have started slowly like Memphis, Houston, Sacramento and Denver will improve as the season goes along. It's easy to get caught up in the frustration of losing, but it is too early to make judgements about what it means for the entire season.
My biggest concern is that there are ZERO teams in the West who wouldn't be competing for home court in the East. Every West team is worthy of a run for at least the 4th seed in the East. How many games until this team starts to jell? Too many to avoid an April summer? Teams like Seattle and the Clips, as well as Suns and Jazz, have a huge jump on Rox. Wolves, Mavs, and of course the Spurs seem like locks for the top 4. Kings, too. Who are we certain to beat out, Hornets and Warriors? Who else seems sure to be lotto bound? If this team lands in the lotto, then what? Good bye JVG? Start over -- again? Yes, Jeff, there is cause for concern in mudville because there may already be two called strikes on this crew.
Objectively, I think some of the frustration about the Rockets' start comes from the way the Magic have started. Despite a somewhat tough early schedule, the Magic sit at 5-3, despite missing Cato and Mobley for extended stretches, and run a much more exciting brand of basketball than do the Rockets. People - fans - are naturally attracted to something more interesting unless the less interesting thing is succeeding more. Right now, the Rockets are not. I haven't been following the Rockets enough to know what's going on, though I must say I'm rooting against McGrady and for Ming (if that makes any logistical sense), but that's just, at a quick glance, what I think is contributing to the frustration. Things will turn around in time for Houston, I'm sure, but it may not happen in enough time to mount a serious charge at a championship this year. You all are still a point guard and a stronger bench away from seriously contending; depending on the draft and free agency, that could happen as early as next year. For your sakes though, I hope McGrady doesn't start getting frustrated and sulking there like he did here, especially if it started to bring down Yao.
