I hate to get into woulda, coulda, shoulda conversations regarding last year but you are correct. That Utah series was so close all we needed was one more guy to play decent. Having Bonzi playing at his current level certainly would have put this team over the top against Utah. GS would not have been difficult to get by either.
he's only playing here because he had his best year under Adelman with the Kings. obviously being here with Adelman again is the best opportunity for him to showcase his skills. its doubtful he'll be with us next year especially if he keeps playing this way, there will be tons of teams wanting him. bonzi's turned down one fat paycheck before, and he's not going to do it again.
No you are the idiot if you cant realize the Bonzi of this year is not the Bonzi of last year. The difference is this year Bonzi came into camp in shape and ready to go, as opposed to last year when he came in super heavy. Before JVG even got a chance to coach Bonzi, he was 30 pounds overweight and missing camp and practice for groin injuries and bad teeth. Before Adelman got the chance to coach Bonzi this year, he was in shape and mentally ready to play. I will agree JVG didnt help the situation, but if you think simply putting Bonzi in the games last year would have resulted in play like this you are dead wrong. Bonzi clearly was not ready to play last year. He said he would only give 25 % effort since he was only being paid 25% of what he was worth. He could barely reach the rim on break away layups last year, and JVG tried to get Bonzi playing time at the end of the year to get him ready for the playoffs and Bonzi quit on the team. I love the way Bonzi is playing this year. Im glad Adelman is the coach. But continuing to blame JVG 100% for Bonzi's play last year is stupid. Hell, if that was the case, shouldnt you be blaming Adelman for destroying Luther Head's game. Head was a double digit scorer and clutch 4th quarter shooter last year, and now he is struggling to have any impact at all on this team.
Pardon the euphemism, but most Rockets fans did not take to Bonzi last year because he wouldn't put out. He essentially gave the finger to Rockets management and coaching after they signed him and he got his 2 mil. I am a Rockets fan, but that doesn't mean I support everyone who puts on a Rockets uniform. Bonzi didn't support the Rockets, so why would a true Rockets fan support him? It only worked out for the Rockets because Adelman arrived. No matter how you spin it, Bonzi wasted money, time, and credibility last year. I frankly can't understand how any true Rocket's fan could support someone who quit on their beloved team. I don't give two ****s or giggles for the players in the NBA unless they play or played for the Rockets. Bonzi Wells didn't play for the Rockets last season. He just took the team's money. It's the team that matters, not the individual players.
I dont know Bonzi on a personal level, so as fas as im concerned what he went through with JVG, and the club last season is just that...personal. I do know this season he's brought back his old work ethic from his days in Sac town, and as a fan i can only give him praise for that. Seems to me he's made the effort to get back in shape and become a key piece to this team's overall goal....a ring.
What people are missing is that last year wasn't the first time Bonzi came to camp out of shape. It happened when Adelman first coached him in Sacramento. He practiced/played his way into shape until he peaked in the playoffs against SA. Adelman admitted as much. There is a chance it might be the blueprint for Steve Francis...
Bonzi is playing exactly like what we expected of him when Rockets signed him. For last year's no show, let's not forget that Bonzi didn't do his part last year to trim down his weight. And JVG had his part of responsibility to "play Bonzi into shape". Sorry, I still feel odd to type those words under quote marks.
That's why it is so important to have several options off the bench. If MJ is playing well, he could be also be a spark off the bench. This team is so deep.
Add my name to the list. This is what I expected from him last year. I think he could have made a huge difference. Like in the Utah series. Well, the last two games he has been a FORCE! If he keeps playing like this, it will really help the team.
Even Bonzi was overweight last year, he could still play. His numbers say he was an effective backup. Considering our paper thin depth back then, it's dumb not to play him.
Actually no, they don't. Have you seen his +/- stats? Even without looking at those numbers, anyone who actually watched Bonzi on the court last season knows that the Rockets were getting killed on both ends of the court whenever he stepped in -- he blew defensive assignments all over the place, drew horrible fouls, and was essentially a black hole offensively. In fact, forget that. You should've been there opening night. Dude had a wide open fast break dunk, and couldn't even make it up to the rim. He was THAT fat. He should've just gone for a simple layup and saved himself the embarrassment. I really love this year's Bonzi - he's awesome. But save me that revisionist history crap. Bonzi might have been one of the worst rotation players in the NBA last year.
