King Solomon at it.. Created the thread just to make sure everybody reads it... I think there is a pretty good discussion going on abt this topic in the following thread http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=161687 lock if posted already ---------- Relax Rockets fans. Things will get better. As you might know, I'm not the emotional "sky is falling" type guy, so follow my lead on this. The Rockets are in pretty good shape right now. No, they are not the best team in the league, and yes they have lost a couple of games they should have won, but all the good teams have done that. Overall, this team is setting up to be a dangerous group once the playoffs begin. Sit back. Get a hold of yourselves and don't panic. And that goes for you too, Yao Ming. After last night's loss to Philly, Yao said "everything went wrong," and he is tired of the team learning from poor play. "After the game, coach said that we have to learn from this game," Yao said. "Well, we keep learning from these games and learning from these games means we lost again, and this happened again. It happened a month ago and two months ago, and now it is the end of January, and we are still learning. When is the end?" I have an idea of how it might have ended last night. Perhaps if you hadn't missed a free throw with 48 seconds left and the team down by two points. Or perhaps if you hadn't committed five turnovers. Hmm? (I won't even mention that he might want to try not to get dunked on and try not to miss any more dunks.) No worries. Yao will be fine and the Rockets will be fine. No major trade is needed (and no major trade is coming), but expect a move before the trade deadline that could factor into the rotation. Rick Adelman does not like the way his squad is defending these days, but his best two defenders — Ron Artest and Shane Battier — have been hurt for much of the season. Add McGrady's in-and-out status, and you have Von Wafer and Carl Landry getting more playing time. When they are on the floor together, the number of missed defensive assignments is alarming. While I fully expect Wafer to dribble up the court and actually fire a pumpkin off the rim any day now, even if he stays on the fairy tale hot streak, he won't earn consistent minutes if he keeps giving up points by being lost on defense. Don't be surprised if he works his way back to the bottom of the rotation over time, turning instead into a hot button when the offense is stagnant, rather than a person the team depends on for significant minutes every night. Who do you want on the floor during key moments of a playoff series, Wafer or Brent Barry? Perhaps Yao is now a tad upset and will do something about it, like begin to deliver the MVP-level play I expected from him this season. He is capable of that and if all the pieces around him stop falling apart, he should deliver it. Wednesday was just a bump in the road. - Jerome Solomon ----------------
Solomon is always the contrarian. But I'll say this. On any particular Rockets issue, the truth usually lies somewhere between what the majority of fans are thinking and what he writes.
The problem is we've been making this excuse since the season began. With only around 30 games left in the season, it is time to at least start worrying.
Agreed, the Mary Poppins threads are doing nothing for me. I have been watching this trainwreck for a long time. It will get better, then it will get worse, then it will get better, and then it will get worse. We are running in place.
With most of the season behind us, isn't it fairly safe to say that the Rockets are a borderline playoff team. No more ... no less?
"and you have Von Wafer and Carl Landry getting more playing time. When they are on the floor together, the number of missed defensive assignments is alarming. While I fully expect Wafer to dribble up the court and actually fire a pumpkin off the rim any day now, even if he stays on the fairy tale hot streak, he won't earn consistent minutes if he keeps giving up points by being lost on defense." Did he try to say Wafer and Landry were the problems? Any1 can find their +/- stats?
"Wednesday was just a bump in the road." that's how solomon ended his master piece of work. riiiight, monday in nyc was another bump. lol. and the beautiful win in detroit says it all. you can't have enough bumps on the road - well, at least until you're bumped out of the first round.
Worrying about it is pointless when there is nothing that can be done. There is no trade that can be made to fix the issue (despite everyone's attempts to trade everyone on the team). Its a coaching and chemistry thing. Some people might respond to that with "well then get rid of the coach!". And hire who? Adelman is probably the best we're going to get.
Geez people. I know it's frustrating as hell as a fan to be strung along on this roller coaster ride that has been this season, but it WILL GET BETTER. The reason we see so many ups and downs is the lack of CONSISTENCY. Point blank. Consistency in active players. Consistency in a set rotation. Consistency in knowing who /where the ball is going in the last 5 minutes of a close game. When they were playing well earlier this month, they had all of that with the same players, rotation and gameplan each and every night. Let them build the consistency and chemistry and everything will be fine. Plus, he makes a good point on Wafer. I know he's the "flavor of the month" and has stepped up to help this team when they needed him to, but he has his flaws that will show GLARINGLY in the playoffs. I'd actually be OK to use him as an asset in a trade to bring in (as Solomon mentioned) a player that will truly effect the rotation night in and night out. Especially with his stock never being higher.
Truth in one part, pay attn and stop turning it over!!! Your better then that Yao!!! False on the other. My views lead me to believe it wasnt his fault he got dunked on. IA was Battiers man and like I've been saying his defense is slipping, badly. late reaction for hand in the face, not placing his feet in time for the charge and letting his man by. yao was just the help def. i just wish that if yao is gonna foul then foul him damnit. dont hurt the guy but piss him the f*** off and make him think twice about driving. let him get his FT's, can live with that. I gaurantee shaq (even today) would of made sure that dunk wasnt connected. but then again if battier or even tmac wasnt guarding the same guy (Miller) then it wouldnt have happened anyway
man that was a crappy article...yes we are not as bad as we think we are but we are also not as good as we thought we were gonna be so that leads to frustration. This dude should go back to his crackpipe and stop writting nonsense
Here we go again-Let's get rid of pure scorers because thay can't play defence- or let me ruin our young scorer by trying to make him into something he isn't! The Rockets who are now playing poor defence , their coach won't play crack scorer Wafer because he is poor on defence . I have heard this story before!!
no doub about it as bad as tmac and artest have been (thou tmac's getting better), Yao actually needs to step up the most.. stop getting stripped in the paint and commiting dumb turnovers everywhere but his reflexes is only 3sec slower than everyone else at best
I agree. I am far more concerned about our defense right now than our offense...and Landry and Wafer have been awful on D.
