Assuming Status Quo...

Ok, there is a lot of speculation on this board about player moves, some of them admirable, some less so (IMO),but most are geared towards improving our club for this year. While this is a natural fan perspective, as we live and die (so to speak) with each win, I think that this is a team we should take the long view with...Despite the approx. 25% who answered a survey in here suggesting that the Rockets will win the Championship this year, I regard that at fairly Polyana-esque dreaming. I think we are building an exciting, crowd-pleasing team, one which will create match-up problems with other teams, but I don't think we are a legitimate title contender just yet. Were we in the East, I may have a different opinion, but we're not. That said, I feel that we should be interested in moves which will help us long term, a la Raef LaFrentz (yes, I'm beating that horse again), but short of that kind of option, I say we ought to sit back and let this team develop, and answer some questions in the process...

Is Cato the athletic, defensive big man this team so desperately needs, or an over-paid flash-in-the-pan?

Is Griffin a SF, PF, C!?!? How good can this kid be, given playing time and hands on instruction?

Can Mo Taylor show more of the rebounding/defensive ablity that his position/salary demand, or is he a one-dimensional jump-shooting big man destined to leave us wanting more?

Can Steve take that next step and become the kind of player who leads his team to championships, or will the new rules cut back on the one-on-one game that he often resorted to last season? Same question for Cutino...

Is Dan Langhi a legitimate NBA player, or just another summer league star?

When are we ever going to get rid of these awful uniforms?

Ok, so the last one is a bit off base, but the rest are legitimate questions that only time will answer...And, short of contending for a title this year, I'd suggest that this is the year to answer these questions...I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if this team shows improvement AND posts a worst record this year. Firts of all, proffessional sports teams who improve dramatically in one year show a great tendancy to regress somewhat the next. One factor in altering this trend is off-season personel moves, but both the Rockets significant off season moves this year ( trading for Griffin/Morris..trading Olajuwon) are the type made with the longer-term future in mind. I say we bite the bullet, live with another year of growing pains, solidify our future, and find out for certain where we are exactly with the questions we need to answer...It's not like we're the Clippers, and have been rebuilding this team for years on end...This team is really only a couple of years removed from the Big Three...lIt's gonna take longer than that...

 

LOL! And I absolutely hate "LOL"ing...Where the hell did you get that form!?!? And, in response, I'd merely suggest that I have acknowledged my less than glowing typing skills many times...I hunt and peck, and often read what/how I've written for the first time after I post it...Not the best system you may say, to which I say Mea Culpa, but, as Homer so eloquently puts it, " Whatya gonna do?"