Can we go ten games before hitting the panic button?

You are correct. It is too early to panic.

 

I swear if I didn't know the results of NBA games and read some of the posts in this forum I would haved thought the Rockets were 15 games under .500 and out of the playoff chase.

 

RocksM, I just don't think people understand the frustration of following this team; it is not just wins and losses, it is the way they play. Despite all the PR promises (new offense, more motion, less dribbling, taking care of the ball, better distribution, working for the open man, more committed to defense, blah, blah) they come and replay last season. This is why fans go nuts!

Nine more games watching Steve "highlight reel-where be my head" Frances hog the ball, throw up circus shots, and play zero defense will drive many fans away and insure an abundance of empty seats. Until Frances realizes that he is a "novelty act" til he "leads" this team to the postseason, the Rockets are almost too painful to watch.

 

It's goes back further than the loss to Indiana. A lack of defense and not moving the ball on offense have been severe problems for a very long time and have been talked about for as long as I have been a CC.net member.

Steve Francis was the #2 pick, Griffin a #7, and Yao a #1. Excuse me, but with these kind of picks I expect some progress in addressing this deficiencies. What I saw was the same old same old. And IMHO, Rice and Taylor don't help the defensive part of the problem.

Indiana was missing Reggie Miller, Tinsley & Croshere. If we can't put up a better effort against a team that is 1) missing these players and 2) barely a playoff contender in the East - we have some problems.

We don't need ten games. If the Rockets fail to play team ball and some D, they will likely struggle against the Nuggets and then the handwritting is on the wall. Elections are predicted with as little as 5% of the vote counted. In NBA terms, that's 4 games!

 

Welcome to the BBS, code.

In answer to your question... apparently not.

 

So after one game people have determined that Steve is a ball-hog, Francis, Mobley and Griffin have shown now improvement, there is no new offense (never mind 3 major scorers were out), after the FIRST game of the season? Francis is the #2 pick and he went off for 39 points and kept this team afloat while everybody struggled. Griffin is the #7 pick in his 2nd year who had a bad night. He showed how good he is in the preseason, and just happened to struggle against the Pacers. And yeah Yao is the #1 pick, he's only been around for 10 days what did people expect!? People don't get it, yes the Pacers were without their main players, but they were at home and they had backcourt and frontcourt production, The Rockets had the backcourt help, but the frontcourt struggled like mad. When you're main go-to guys in the post are Griffin who is having a bad night, and Yao who is inexperienced, it's a wonder the Rockets only lost by 9 points.

 

A wonder the Rockets only lost by 9? Let's look at last season.

December 12, 2001
No Steve Francis, No Mo Taylor, No Glen Rice, No Kelvin Cato, & Griffin shoots 1-7

Starting Lineup:
MOBLEY / NORRIS / TORRES / THOMAS / WILLIS

Major bench = Walt Williams
Total Assists = 21 for 37 FGM

Final Score = Pacers 108 Rockets 106

January 5, 2002
No Mo Taylor, No Glen Rice, No Terence Morris & Walt Williams goes 0-10

Starting Lineup:
FRANCIS / MOBLEY / WILLIAMS / THOMAS / CATO

Major bench = Griffin 13 / Norris 12

5 players in double figues / Cato w 8 pts / no one higher than 13 points
Total Assists = 15 for 31 FGM

Final Score = Pacers 81 Rockets 79


Now Mr. Optimism -
Our #2 pick Steve is much improved, doesn't hold on to the ball too long and makes great decisions, leads the league in scoring average and runs a fastbreak to perfection

and our #7 much improved pick Griffin can't have another 1-11 after such a great preseason

and KT, one of our vaunted 3 major scorers is returning

and the improved Cuttino will probably shoot even better than 10-21

sooooo

tell me how many points the Rockets will beat the Nuggets by?

 

Relax Gater, the #7 pick is just 20yrs. old and well, shot 9% from the field, that not Stevie'd fault. Out #1 pick has been hear less than 2 weeks and only played 11min, thats not Stevie's fault either.

Stevie does the best w/ his limited options. His coach has given him no offensive scheme to work w/, he hasn't played w/ a consistent linup in 2 years and when he did, he lead the team to a 45 win season. Yes it gets fustrating watching our team play sometimes but hey just think, one day we will have some offensive plays and we will start winning. This is just game 1 and there are plenty more to come. We have a tough schedule to start but it gets real soft for a real long time after that. If we are playing like crap in December and Jan. then freak out but for now relax and now we are playing the Nuggets tonight

 

Code,

It's funny you posted this...I was thinking about posting the same thing yesterday.

I was going to say we should call a 10 game truce...no bashing Yao or the team until they get a few games under their belt. Then I read some of the ignorant posts here and realized that could never happen.

It's a good thought though.

 

Guys, the ten games thing is little too optimistic. This is a young team, maybe younger than many other teams. It takes time to get the chemistry working. Give them at least half of the season. But I believe if the players are all available in the roster and they are still working on the same inefficient offense and losing games to teams with below .500 performance, then we must ask ourselves whether or not Rudy has the capacity to handle this young talentive team.

 

I'll hit the panic button when I damn well feel like it!

 

We just have gifted players that don't know how to play the game.
We're not going to win against decent teams with ISO, so we might as well learn how to play team ball.

 

Control your composure, Senior!