[Chron Blog] Rockets 'progress' needs a closer look

Gave away a lot of season tickets.

Seriously, as long as he continues to do that, he will have the fans' support no matter what.

 

I'd like to see any other team improve with their 2 best players missing 35 combined games.

 

This is either:

A) DaDakota proving he can write coherently.
B) EDC showing us he finally got a job.
C) Rockets03 finally getting his first computer instead of using the one at the local library.
D) All three created their own blog and put the picture of the local pawn shop owner to throw us off.

More seriously though...

These people make the same point on the BBS! How they got people to think that someone else wrote this article is beyond me.

 

The top reasons for the Rockets to lose in the 2007 playoff: the Rocket is weak on power forward position, weak on the ability to penetrate, and weak on backup point guard position. The answers are right there in Wells and V-span, and yet JVG seems not to see them. Why? They didn't beg enough or they didn't sing as much praise as others about how great a couch he is?

 

Dang boys...we have been outed....quick...change your IP addys...stat !



DD

 

Too late!

I have a hit squad tracking all of you down. Wherever you are...sitting in front of your machines...you will be found.

Bombardment via water balloons will be your fate.

 

fair points. but think about it further.

1) rockets have still not had the better team in the playoffs. there is no shame to losing to better teams.

2) the one playoff series where yao was playing at a high level and tmac was there, they played a good mavs team and did so without the rockets starting PF and sura and wesley playing. but still managed to put up a great series barring 40pt blowout.

3) trading for the future part is suspect. gay is still very raw and needs at least a couple more years to become a well rounded player (and thats no guarantee). plus, you have to acknowledge the state of your team and that state is to win in the short term. i know the win know vs maintain for the future argument can go on forever but teams have windows to win and this is the rockets window. especially considering tmac could very well retire in a few years and yao is always a concern for the long term.

4) those are 3 FAs that you mentioned. Only swift was for 'significant' money and fortunately the rockets were able to dump him quickly but those signings hardly hurt the rockets. Plus, i find it funny that all 3 of those guys have suspect histories. But its not necessarily about FA pickups, its about team additions in general and when you think about such moves like hayes, luther, deke, battier, heck even big jake has been a solid pickup....well then things hardly look desperate.

same could be said for PJ the last couple of years. but what has he done? How about make the rockets a playoff team? a legit top 7 nba team? put together a classy team with some good talent and great potential? made basketball enjoyable to watch in houston again?

what FA are you talking? there isnt always a FA that hold all the answers for the team...especially since the rockets only have mles to offer.

what has stro done? nothing. face it, the guy is a bust and thats on him and no one else. at some point you have to realize that the guy just doesnt have it. and he doesnt.

DA? what has he done? he pulled out a couple good games here and there. other than that he's always fallen short of his potential?

Bonzi? the verdict is still out on him. but what all has he done? good years on some bad teams. He has also never lived up to his potential and despite his great performance last postseason the guy is still an underachiever with history of attitude problems.

Plus, coaches dont have some magical power to motivate any and everyone. Especially professional athletes. you can lead a horse to water...


I think that when you take a step back and look at the rockets over the past few years you have to realize that the rockets have improved. And when you consider the horrible situation that they were in with bad contracts, bad players, and a lack of young talent b/c of year after year of stupid drafts then i think you are hard pressed to be upset with the progress of the team.

 

Seriously? He has made Yao the biggest mismatch in the league. Yao came to Houston as a face-up, good passing, good shooting center with an occasional post move that showed promise. Most of his offense came from 15-18 feet. Rudy was content to let him play that way. Yao was on his way to becoming the 7'6" Brad Miller. Van Gundy came in and basically forced Yao to play in the low post. It didn't work very well at first, but Van Gundy (with much credit due Tom Thibodeau) stuck with it. And now Yao is better than Brad Miller ever dreamed of being.

If they can be motivated and involved.

 

this guy is an idiot...thats all I can say.....that article was a waste of time...somebody should follow this guy home and go into his garage and slap him around a few times....
go get em' boys...you know who you are....

 

I read this guy's article in the paper this morning, and all I could think the entire time was, "What's this guy's problem? He's not a Rockets writer anyway, is he? So why is he bashing our Rockets?"

Then I realized what must have happened.

One of the managing editors at the Barnacle barged into his office and yelled, 'Hey, Jerome! Wake up! We've got problems! Our paper is sucking so badly that we are having to sell advertising space on the front page of all our sections! You're supposed to be our 'edgy, controversial and black sports writer', like that tool Pitts is in the Women's Section. Put down that orange soda and write something edgy, black, and controversial! Earn your keep, Jerome!"

 

I really don't know how they did it but they did... Even JH contract does not look that horrible these days with his contribution.

 

I am currently having a nice throw down with this guy now. His return comments are absolute lunacy. I'll bet money this guy has only watched a handful of games the entire year. Well, I refuse to go away as long as he responds back to me but I suggest that those of you who are Rocket's supportors to not allow guys like this to ruin the hype for the rest of the city.

Ultimately the Rocket's must succeed for people to care again the way they used to but guys like this that have the pen and their own blog on our cities newspaper should not be allowed to push things in the wrong direction when all we want is a little positive thinking at this point. He'll have his day if the Rocket's do not do anything in the playoffs but to start bashing them before the playoffs begin just ruin it for the rest of us.

Go speak your mind in his blog and make sure that he sees the support we have for the team. I know the Rocket's still have a lot to prove but it's not the right time to be killing the momentum for something big.

 

Did anyone else read his blog yeterday morning? The first part remains intact but he literally said he was debating whether or not getting blown out in the 2nd round means JVG has to go.

He wimped out when he wrote the article. He couldn't even bring himself to make a case that many have eloquently made here .

My bottom line is if we beat Utah and get massacred by the Mavs JVG should be offered another year.

The thing is there's probably a reason JVG hasn't signed an extension and that's because most multi-millionaires don't like to commit to situations they are iffy about.

JVG is unsure because Les is. And God only knows what Morey is thinking.

I've been anti-JVG because I wanted to go very young two years ago in the hope that we could be building toward winning a ring(s) when 1/11 were around 30. Les wasn't up for that then and JVG wasn't either.

Consequently Yao and T-Mac have essentially become defacto mentors to only Head and Hayes. And when T-Mac sneers, leaves the locker room and hops a privately chartered flight, do you think Battier, JHo, Deke, Bonzi or Rafer even flinch?

Is there a reason Yao is deferential beyond cultural reasons? Is there a reason Yao or T-Mac get excited about rookies who barely have a prayer of learning JVG's rotation schemes much less "reading" plays correctly without blowing an assignment?

No matter what happens JVG will always be a big part of Yao and T-Mac's game. Maybe, just maybe we need to see the other aspects of their talent with them truly running the team before they're 30. JVG's a great coach and deserving of more years here, but he may be in the way despite himself.

Regardless, Les has to be looking at the Texan's ineptitude and jealous of the Astros drama and marvel that his franchise is securely beneath the radar in the nation's 4th largest city.

My fellow CluthFans, that's the story journalists are afraid to write.

 

one of the better posts i have read here in probably a year or two.

good job

 

The mistake Jerome Solomon is making has been made by many here. We must distinguish between JVG the GM and JVG the coach. I think we can all agree that JVG the GM is not very good. But he was replaced when Morey was hired without JVG being consulted.

JVG the coach has done a very good job so far. Injuries have really taken down this team and it's doubtful another coach would have done better with the same exact players.

I've blasted our personnel moves, especially the Stromile Swift disaster. Derek Anderson was a mistake too. The Rafer for Mike James trade is also controversial. I'll also throw in the sorry Charlie Ward and Charles Oakley signings. JVG the GM was responsible for these big mistakes and JVG the coach had to live with them. But given our players and injuries, the coaching has been pretty good.

I also believe Solomon is trying to make a name for himself by being the most hostile media member towards the Rockets. Obviously some of his comments are true but it seems to me he is deliberately trying to be hostile. I couldn't care less because the few times Ive listened to him on the radio and comment on the NBA makes me conclude he knows less than I do and hasn't spent a lot of his time watching NBA games the last couple of years. Feigen, Palillo, Matt&Adam and even Dave Dalati & Kelly Dwyer have my respect on Rockets and NBA matters. Jerome Solomon hasn't shown me anything yet; maybe he will in time. I'm open-minded.

 

I did some math. Check to make sure I'm right.

Record with neither Yao nor McGrady playing: 0-2
Record with only Yao playing: 5-7
Record with only McGrady playing: 20-10
Record with both Yao and McGrady playing: 23-9

Estimated record if Yao and McGrady played every game: 59-23.
Estimated record if only McGrady played every game, holding Yao constant: 57-25.

Of course, everyone's records would be slightly better if their 2 best players didn't miss any games all season. But, it does give you an idea how strong the team is when are guys are playing. Journalists like to look at the effect of Yao's absence to depress the Rockets' stats and ignore the effect of McGrady's absence which we've seen this year and last has a much more damaging impact on the success of the team.

 

This guy is just an attention w**** looking for blog hits... which is why I didn't click on that link.

He is a moron.