I'm sitting in my office and on a daily basis these days...I'm laughing my ass off at you guys while reading the gloom and doom that the GARM has become. That's right...you all know who you are...each and every one of you. You guys have singlehanded run off every intelligent poster that ever visited the GARM and continue to make complete asses of yourself. But as I sit here on my 'high and mighty' stance, I can only say that we will have the final laugh. I have been a Rockets fan since before most of you were born. I've seen worse times than what you are seeing now and I can assure you that at some point in the future, as with the cycles that occur in the NBA, the State of the Rockets Nation will be much worse. But, for the time-being, things are great! Did any of you jump on a bicycle and immediately start riding???...hell no. Did any of you know what to do the first time you rounded third base and started to head 'home'???...hell no. Did any of you know how to smoothly shift gears the first time you ever drove a standard???...hell no. These guys are no different. They are learning...and will continue to learn no matter how painful it is to watch. This team has a chance to do something special...it's just going to take some time to pull things together. This is not as easy as tying your shoe...but it's not as difficult as brain surgery. These guys will figure things out. Le$ Alexander and Daryl Morey (and most importantly Rick Adelman) will not allow this team to go down the crapper. The ****in' sky is not falling. As a matter of fact, the sky never fell back in the early 90's when I swore that Seattle's swarming illegal zone defense would never allow the Rockets to advance deep into the playoffs. Chill out...if you want terror and sheer depression, go cheer for the Knicks. If you want dead ends and no hope...go cheer for the Timberwolves. If you want the ultimate bandwagon to go ride...hit up the Celtics forums. As for me...I'll be here (not that any of you care ) through the thick and thin...no matter how thick it gets. I'm happy with this team. I'm happy with the future. I will tune into each game and live and die with every single matchup. I am a dedicated fan. For those of you who aren't...ESPN has a wonderful Rockets forum. Please visit it...frequently.
With this record at this point in the season we can kiss homecourt advantage goodbye. In fact, we better start hoping to even make the playoffs. You can preach unfounded optimism but the fact still remains that the season is more than 25% done and this team looks worse and worse by the week. Not really a good thing for a team supposedly ready to compete for a Championship this year. Maybe you see progress in a mediocre record, players arguing on the court, taking shots at each other in the media and apparently losing faith in the coach. I don't.
gotta definitely agree. while some ppl on this board are acting like chicken littles, there are a few of us who try to look at the rockets situation objectively and realized that they are going to have an uphill battle the rest of the season. the problem with your post is that you expect the rockets to be the championship contending team we'd all thought it would be by the all star break, but that would mean that we should see progression on a game-by-game basis. it hasn't been like this at all. the season is marred by the rockets inconsistency on both ends of the floor. the problems are unraveling more and more. we have tmac possibly faking an ankle sprain, yao calling out the team in the media, players throwing towels in frustration, and the head coach being as stoic as can be with all the problems happening recently. the whole rockets team have this mindset that the grass will be greener, and they'll all finally "get it" before the playoffs arrive. if it was that easy to have an on/off switch, the rockets would've flipped it by now.
That is the worst part. There are no signs of progress and now it seems like guys are starting to point the finger. It's getting worse. I'm wondering if Adelman came into this being 100% focused on coaching. He seems so out of touch with the players and the game that I just can't help but think he got drunk on nostalgia when he signed here and forgot about how much work it is.
My isue is that we are looking worse as the season progresses, not better. Some of it can be chalked up to a tough schedule, but ony so much. You should be able to take Yao, T-Mac and three GARM posters and beat the sixers by 10. It comes down to effort and intensity. RA's system has nothing to do with that. I remain optimistic that they can turn it around, but I am now officially concerned.
You state that you have seen worst times than this for the Rockets? When? I haven't. And I've been a fan since 1989. The early 90's were tough but they were competitive with only one superstar on the team. The mid 90's were glorious and the late 90's the rebuilding began. I would rather be watching a bad team, a lottery team that plays hard but I would look forward to next season becasue at least they might have a chance to get better and eventually become a great team. Instead, I am watching a team that has alot of talent and was supposed to compete for a championship but have no Idea how to play as a team. Two superstars that are soft as a baby's butt. A point guard that couldn't hit the Ocean if he was on a boat. A sixth man who is extremely talented but is lazy and only plays well every three games.
I have serious concerns for this team, but I'm still cheering for this team...no doubt. I started watching these Rockets in the late Olajuwon days, stayed with them during the Cato days, until now the Yao (and Tmac) age.
It is hard to win when one of the common characteristics on your team is laziness. Talent and no effort only go so far. MJ (the real one) had incredible talent *and* an incredible work effort. He hated losing that much. With our team, we have a bunch of players who are okay with losing.
1989? You just missed the darkest period of Rockets history. Calling tinman to give a history lesson to this newbie. . .
You're absolutely correct. The sheer stupidity has become mind-numbing. I live and die with every game too. BUT I don't give up on my team until the absolute end. Oh and for the guy who would rather watch a lottery team...are you serious??? Well, in that case the Knicks could use some fans these days...so could the Twolves.
15 wins in one year...15 TOTAL wins. But we got Ralph Sampson, then we went to 29 wins.....and got Hakeem. PFFT...this team is going to be fine. DD
i completely agree with you OP. this board is just sickening when something goes wrong. you have people bashing adelman for starting rafer and not steve. well, steve has started the past two games and given us nothing, so where are the adelman bashers/rafer haters now? this board is the definition of fickle.
Uh, I would be willing to take some lumps and start Francis for a while, because we know how it will end with Rafer running the show. Most playoff teams can put 4 or 5 players on the floor that are offensive threats, the Rockets need to be able to compete. Hayes and Alston....have to be minimalized IMHO. DD
Who's giving up on the team? If fans are understandably frustrated, I would say that's a much better option than apathy. If anything, we're sticking by our team because we know that they are and should be 10 times better than what they are showing. It's not sheer stupidity when the results aren't getting any better, and the cause of the results we're seeing seem to be because of a blatant lack of effort. The Rockets' best player also just quit on his team the other night...but oh yeah, they're still adjusting. It's going to take time. On another note, it's also funny to me that just because some people just now found this site and are classified as "Rookies," that this makes "Contributing Members" and "Members" somehow more qualified to talk basketball, and that somehow they are more true Rockets fans. That's what's "sheer stupidity." I'd be interested in seeing how many of these folks actually play or coach basketball...things that I do and have done all my life. I also grew up in Houston (Pearland, to be exact) and have lived and died with every game since the mid-80's....but I just joined this site and I'm classified as a Rookie, so I'd better shut the **** up and not have an opinion or call it like I see it.
Who said that? The only reason people are set as rookies is they are new, once they prove their mettle with quality takes, they get moved up. And "contributing members" are those that have donated MONEY to the site to help out Clutch with his expenses. If you are what you say you are, you have nothing to worry about, just post. And I agree, people should be frustrated, and they come here to vent...no biggie..... But you have to admit there is a lot of overeacting going on....which is what this thread is sorta about. Welcome to the best BBS on the planet. DD
