God this is gonna be a long offseason. Registration is required for the website so if you are unwilling to register, don't bother hitting the link. misc. bits at the end. http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/195709.html NBA Beat: Modest expectations for Adelman's Rockets By Scott Howard-Cooper - Bee Staff Writer Last Updated 2:35 am PDT Sunday, May 27, 2007 Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C10 Print | E-Mail | Comments (0)| Digg it | del.icio.us Can playoff-tested coach Rick Adelman be the answer in Houston? Sacramento Bee/Randy Pench Far from the usual home base, West Coast guy Rick Adelman became coach of the Rockets last week with great attention in a city anxious for the mildest of basketball successes, putting him even farther away from the usual expectations. His hiring was an especially big deal in Houston because the latest first-round playoff flameout was such an underlined disappointment, from wasting a 2-0 lead against the Jazz to losing Game 7 at home, but mostly it was a big deal because football season hadn't started yet. As soon as the state goes to helmets, the Rockets' identity will be worse than any early exit: the franchise that had two stars, Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, and won 52 games but still finished 21st in attendance. In the other reality, Adelman put himself in a better position for immediate accomplishment than with any of the other openings this offseason. The possible exception is Orlando, and the Magic hadn't yet fired Brian Hill when the Rockets deal was set. Seattle might have had a greater appeal because of the proximity to his Portland, Ore., home, and then that attraction multiplied by about 10,000 once the SuperSonics got the second pick in the draft, but Houston still has the most stability and the best chance to win now. Neither appeal can be overstated for a coach on his fourth job, with no local ties and about three weeks away from turning 61. In Portland and Sacramento, he lived in a pressurized world where the teams were civic institutions and often were expected to contend for a championship, with unforgiving fallout resulting from the misses. This time, steering the Rockets into the second round makes him a hero. The Rockets haven't gone that deep since 1997 under Rudy Tomjanovich. That was followed by five playoff appearances and five first-round eliminations, including three of the past four years in a streak that cost Jeff Van Gundy his job. Management wants an offense that will be more exciting than the group that just finished 17th in scoring and a team that will break through the postseason failures, each a reasonable request within reach. Lottery winners ... It was, of course, a good week to be a Trail Blazer, unless you were the tech guy when the Web site crashed twice as traffic poured in at a frenzied rate within hours of landing No. 1 in the draft in a long-shot payout. Beyond that, no worries. In the bigger picture: • Seattle. This wasn't just getting No. 2, likely Kevin Durant. It was getting an exciting forward with superstar potential at the same time management is trying with little success to get an arena deal done and openly considering relocation. The drama just got better. • Atlanta. The Hawks went from the potential of no lottery picks to getting No. 3 and then getting another, No. 11, when conditions from previous trades broke their way. With the first choice after the mortal-lock allocations of Greg Oden and Durant and the possibility of dealing the other selection, the Hawks are suddenly in charge of the draft. Be afraid, be very afraid. ... and losers • Memphis. The look on the face of president Jerry West -- when it was revealed the Grizzlies would pick No. 4 after finishing with the worst record -- promised that no man had ever been as close to spontaneous combustion on live TV. If it was a crushing blow for the roster, it was nothing compared to the hit for the franchise as a whole, unable to draw fans in a new arena and desperately needing an attraction like Oden or Durant. • Kings. It has become such a bad season that trouble emerges even when holding steady. The Kings got No. 10, as heavy odds predicted, but the teams that landed No. 1 and No. 2 were Western Conference opponents that just made major gains on the future. A half Nielsen It's now about carrying more than the just the Cavaliers. LeBron James gets to carry the hopes of ABC as well, with the network undoubtedly aware. A Detroit victory over Cleveland in the East finals practically guarantees a ratings disaster -- a Pistons championship series against San Antonio or Utah. As much as Commissioner David Stern likely would appreciate the chance to discuss something besides the controversial Phoenix-San Antonio suspensions, reaching the pinnacle of a season and being asked about TVs clicking off by the tens of thousands probably isn't the alternative he'd have in mind. Pistons-Spurs, if it turns out, is the best team in the East against arguably the best in the West, but it's also the matchup that delivered bottom-skimming numbers to ABC in the 2005 Finals. High five The Pistons are the first team to reach the conference finals in five consecutive seasons since the Bulls from 1989 to 1993.
Condescending article from a city that has never won ****! Sac-Town pretty much did what we did in the 90's minus the titles...Went deep in the playoffs, lost in conference finals...nothing to be on a high horse about.
